Relapsed/refractory follicular lymphoma (R/R FL) is challenging to treat, requiring thoughtful clinical decision-making during treatment selection and sequencing. In this episode, CANCER BUZZ speaks with Benjamin Heyman, MD, hematologist and clinical associate professor at City of Hope, about the importance of individualized care, shared decision-making, clinical trial referrals, and multidisciplinary collaboration. CANCER BUZZ also speaks with Laurie Adami, patient advocate with R/R FL, about her real-world experience with multiple lines of therapy, clinical trials, and patient advocacy.

"There are lots of options available, which is really great for patients, so you get to have a good conversation with patients about what they value." - Benjamin Heyman, MD

"The medications you receive in clinical trials may not be the standard of care today, but it may be the standard of care 5 years from now." - Benjamin Heyman, MD

"Patient advocacy organizations have patients that can talk to you. They know what you're talking about. They're on the road ahead of you." - Laurie Adami

Guest:

Benjamin Heyman, MD

Hematologist

Clinical Associate Professor

City of Hope

San Diego, CA

Laurie Adami

R/R FL Patient Advocate

Los Angeles, LA

Received care at UCLA Lymphoma Program

Additional Reading/Sources

ACCC Follicular Lymphoma

Effective Practice Guide: Multidisciplinary Approaches to Treating Patients With R/R FL

Putting Guidance Into Practice: Real-World Approaches to Relapsed/Refractory Folicular Lymphoma

ACCC's Community Oncology Research Institute

After 6 years of bringing listeners key insights into the most pressing topics in oncology, ACCC's podcast, CANCER BUZZ, has gotten a facelift! In this episode, CANCER BUZZ brings back our first podcast guest, Tina Curtis, DNP, MBA, RN, NEA-BC, executive director of cancer services at Froedtert Hospital. In the June 26, 2019, inaugural CANCER BUZZ episode, Dr. Curtis spoke about her institution's 24-hour, oncology-only urgent care clinic, which earned the cancer program a 2018 ACCC Innovator Award. Today, she's returned with her colleague Jayme Cotter to share an update on that program, as well as recent innovations happening at Froedtert Hospital.

"I would venture to guess I've probably talked to no less than 20 or 25 different organizations that found out about the 24-hour urgent care clinic through ACCC's journal and podcast…to have meaningful conversations about where and how to start."

Tina Curtis

"Another piece that we are looking at expanding is the ability to have a virtual visit from the 24-hour clinic advanced practice providers."

Jayme Cotter

Guests

Tina Curtis, DNP, MBA, RN, NEA-BC

Executive Director of Cancer Services

Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin Clinical Cancer Center,

Froedtert Hospital Campus

Milwaukee, WI

Jayme Cotter, DNP, RN, ACNS-BC, AOCNS

Director for Clinical Practice & Program Development for the Cancer Service Line

Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin Clinical Cancer Center,

Froedtert Hospital Campus

Milwaukee, WI

Additional Resources:

A Pilot 24-Hour Urgent Care Oncology Clinic Reduces ED Use and Cuts Costs

Ochsner Chemotherapy Care Companion: Improving Outcomes through Digital Medicine

Leveraging Technology to Develop an Express Symptom Management Program & Prevent ED Visits

Expediting Cancer Treatment Through a Rapid Access APP-Led Diagnostic Clinic

Shaw at Home: An Oncology Specific Home and Community-Based Palliative Care Program – [Mini Podcast] Ep 193

Delivering Hospital Level Acute Care at Home: Learning from Huntsman at Home

US Veterans are at a heightened risk for lung cancer due to service-related exposures. Integrating clinical research into routine oncology care at the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) can help bring clinical trials closer to where Veterans live and improve access to cutting edge therapies. In this episode, CANCER BUZZ speaks with Millie Das, MD, chief of oncology at the VA Palo Alto Health Care System, about the collaborations and institutional support that allowed them to launch lung cancer clinical trials and the role industry has played.

"My primary motivation was just to allow veterans access to trials in the same way that I saw my patients at Stanford have access to clinical trials." - Millie Das, MD

"One of the biggest myths is that you can't work with pharma within the VA and I think just trying to break down some of these old myths was a challenge." - Millie Das, MD

Guest:

Millie Das, MD

Chief, Oncology

VA Palo Alto Health Care System

Clinical Professor

Stanford University

Stanford, CA

Additional Reading/Resources

· Veterans Care Resource Library

· Improving Cancer Care for Native American Veterans: A Model of Interagency Collaboration

Fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 isoform IIIb (FGFR2b) is an emerging biomarker present in about 38% of patients with advanced gastric or gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) adenocarcinoma. In this episode, CANCER BUZZ speaks with Nataliya Uboha, MD, PhD, a medical oncologist at University of Wisconsin Health, about current recommendations for biomarker testing in this population, emerging biomarkers such as FGFR2b, and how multidisciplinary collaboration can ensure patients receive timely biomarker testing. CANCER BUZZ also interviews Wendi Waugh, BS, RT(R)(T), CMD, ODS, FACCC, administrative director of cancer services and ambulatory infusion at Southern Ohio Medical Center, about care coordination strategies and lessons learned from her team's experience administering biomarker testing. Finally, Kristina A. Matkowskyj, MD, PhD, pathologist at Mayo Clinic, explains the vital role of pathologists in identifying biomarkers and strategies for success in biopsies.

"We have to work closely with our pathology colleagues to make sure that all of the tests are done quickly and so that they are readily available by the time the patient is seen in clinic." - Nataliya Uboha, MD, PhD

"Tracking, knowing what and when new things come out, being able to mine your data to find those things, I think is going to be uber critical." - Wendi Waugh, BS, RT(R)(T), CMD, ODS, FACCC

"I believe that the precision medicine testing that we're doing today... is going to change the face of cancer care." - Wendi Waugh, BS, RT(R)(T), CMD, ODS, FACCC

"As a pathologist, if I was able to stress one thing, it would be to collect as many biopsies as is safely possible for that particular patient." - Kristina A. Matkowskyj, MD, PhD

Guests:

Nataliya Uboha, MD, PhD

Medical Oncology

University of Wisconsin Health

Madison, WI

Wendi Waugh, BS, RT(R)(T), CMD, ODS, FACCC

Administrative Director of Cancer Services & Ambulatory Infusion

Southern Ohio Medical Center

Portsmouth, OH

Kristina A. Matkowskyj, MD, PhD

Pathologist

Mayo Clinic

Rochester, MN

In metastatic breast cancer, resistance to therapy remains one of the most challenging aspects to care. A key driver of resistance in hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative disease is the ESR1 mutation, a genetic change that alters the estrogen receptor and limits the effectiveness of certain standard therapies. In this episode, CANCER BUZZ speaks with Eleonara Teplinsky, MD, FASCO, head of breast and gynecologic medical oncology at Valley-Mount Sinai Comprehensive Cancer Care, about how the ESR1 mutation shapes treatment decisions and explains communication strategies, such as the "lock-and-key" model. Then CANCER BUZZ speaks with Maimah Karmo, president and CEO of Tigerlily Foundation about the importance of communicating with patients in ways that foster clarity and compassion through relatable analogies.

Guest:

Eleonora Teplinsky, MD, FASCO

Medical Oncologist

Valley Mount Sinai Comprehensive Cancer Care

Paramus, NJ

Maimah Karmo

President/CEO

Tigerlily Foundation

"If you had molecular testing of your tumor done at the time of diagnosis, that may not be enough. If there is disease progression, we might need to repeat it. So it's really important to stress that there are points in the disease course where we're going to be checking for these biomarkers." - Teplinsky

"The more that we can know about the tumor, how it's going to behave, what treatment it may or may not respond to, really can help us." - Teplinsky

"Having a physician that is a true partner with the patient, that has a relationship, that's trusted, and that feels safe and secure, it's really, really critical." - Karmo

Resources:

Unlocking the Conversation: Navigating ESR1 Mutations in Metastatic Breast Cancer

Una Hopkins, DNP, MSN, FNP-BC, NE-BC, RN, FACCC, president of the Association of Cancer Care Centers (ACCC) designated her theme for the 2025-2026 year as Designing Oncology Care to Meet the Needs of a Growing Patient Population in response to forecasts predicting both patient and survivor populations will grow in coming years. In this episode, CANCER BUZZ speaks with Dr. Hopkins about the importance of peer-to-peer mentorship in workforce development and empowerment, particularly for nurses, and why retired nurses are well-equipped to provide this mentorship.

Later in the episode, CANCER BUZZ speaks with Josephine Lisowski, RN, BSN, OCN, PRN nurse at Advocate Health, who came out of retirement to fill a new role reducing burnout and increasing retention of oncology nurses. Throughout her career, Lisowski identified that a strong culture rooted in quality, patient safety, and excellence in nursing must be nurtured to avoid burnout. Upon retirement, she felt a pull to return towards mentoring and supporting younger oncology nurses to improve retention and job satisfaction. Lisowski will discuss how using a retired nurse for this mentorship role at Advocate Health lifted the burden on the main work force and combined generational strengths to enable nurses to provide the best care possible to patients.

"We have to create spaces that are more psychologically safe for both our patients and our providers. I think that once we do that, we will see burnout change" - Dr. Hopkins

"When you bring a retired nurse back again, it's meeting them where they are. They still want to share that knowledge that they have." - Dr. Hopkins

There's so much new innovation coming every day. But peer-to-peer, we can knock things between each other... It educates me and it educates them." - Lisowski

"I'm trying to encourage hospital management to keep the older nurses on at some point and not just have a whole new crew... In oncology, experience counts." - Lisowski

Una Hopkins, DNP, MSN, FNP-BC, NE-BC, RN, FACCC President, Association of Cancer Care Centers Director for Research and Evidence-Based Practice Montefiore Medical Center Bronx, New York

Josephine Lisowski, RN, BSN, OCN PRN Nurse Advocate Health Park Ridge, Illinois

Resources:

Healthcare Burnout: An Epidemic Among Oncology Nurses

Burnout Prevention & Education

Mentoring Those New to Oncology

Onboarding Experienced Non-Oncology Nurses to Address Staffing Shortages

A Perfect Fit: Mentoring Experienced RNs to Meet Oncology Clinic Demand

This podcast is part of a special series featuring ACCC members committed to the 2025-2026 ACCC President's Theme: Designing Oncology Care to Meet the Needs of a Growing Patient Population.

Synopsis: Live this week from the ACCC 42nd National Oncology Conference (NOC), CANCER BUZZ speaks with Dr. Deirdre Saulet, who discusses highlights from Friday morning's panel session: Women Leaders in Oncology: Exploring Successful Dyad Models.

Guest:

Deirdre Saulet, PhD

Chief Strategy Officer

Jasper Health

Resources:

ACCC 42nd National Oncology Conference Agenda

Live this week from the ACCC 42nd National Oncology Conference (NOC), CANCER BUZZ catches up with attendees who highlight takeaways from this year's hot topic sessions.

Guests:

Laura Kuzma

Administrative Director

FirstHealth of the Carolinas

Brittany McArn, OPN-CG, CPPN

Financial Navigation Manager

Outpatient Oncology Services

FirstHealth of the Carolinas

Resources:

ACCC 42nd National Oncology Conference Agenda

Live this week from the ACCC 42nd National Oncology Conference (NOC), CANCER BUZZ shares highlights from the President's Fireside Chat, where Una Hopkins leads a dynamic conversation with oncology providers from 3 cancer programs that are designing innovative care models to meet the needs of a growing patient population.

Speakers:

Dr. Una Hopkins

President, ACCC

Director, Nursing Research

Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center

Karla Bowen

Director, Nursing Operations

Orlando Health Cancer Institute

Brian Lasonde

Advanced Practice Clinician Manager for Medical Specialties

Sutter Health - Palo Alto Medical Foundation

Charles Shelton, MD

Radiation Oncologist, Medical Director Cancer Center

Outer Banks Health

Resources:

ACCC Buzz Blog: #ACCCNOC: The Psychosocial Oncology Professionals Symposium and a Fireside Chat With ACCC's President

ACCC 42nd National Oncology Conference Agenda

Live this week from the ACCC's 42nd National Oncology Conference (NOC), CANCER BUZZ speaks with ACCC Board of Trustees member Jennifer Bires, who details the highlights from the Wednesday panel discussion she led, "POPS: Navigating Quality Integrative Cancer Support Resources."

Guest:

Jennifer Bires, MSW, LCSW, OSW-C, FACCC

Executive Director, Life with Cancer and Patient Experience

Inova Health System, Fairfax Hospital

Inova Schar Cancer Institute

Fairfax, VA

Resources:

ACCC 42nd National Oncology Conference Agenda