CANCER BUZZ

To celebrate its 100th episode, CANCER BUZZ talks to ACCC Board Member and Treasurer Dr. Nadine Barrett about her journey with the Association—from submitting an article to ACCC's peer-reviewed journal, to receiving a 2017 ACCC Innovator Award, to development of the ASCO-ACCC Just ASK™ implicit bias training. Dr. Barret shares how ACCC is helping improve diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in our cancer programs and in patient care.

Guest:

Nadine J. Barrett, PhD, MA, MS

Director, Office of Health Equity and Disparities, Duke Cancer Institute

Director, Duke Community Connections Core, Duke CTSA

ACCC Treasurer

"ACCC is well positioned to move us forward in advancing equity. ACCC provides the resources, the support, the infrastructure to help cancer centers—community cancer centers, but also comprehensive cancer centers…equity is at the forefront of what we do as an organization…ACCC can reach populations and communities that have not been engaged historically."

Resources:

Just Ask™ facilitation guide

ASCO-ACCC EDI Research Site Self-Assessment

Implementation of a Health Disparities & Equity Program at the Duke Cancer Institute

Appalachian Community Cancer Alliance: Improving Cancer Care in Rural Appalachia

3, 2, 1, Go! Practical Solutions for Addressing Cancer Care Disparities

Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs), while rare, are blood cancers that carry a significant symptom burden and can develop aggressively. Hear why community practices need to monitor symptoms carefully and about a new tool that can help assess symptoms more accurately and help care teams form treatment plans. In this episode, CANCERBUZZ speaks with Srdan Verstovsek, MD, PhD, United Energy Resources Inc. professor of Medicine and hematologist oncologist at MD Anderson Cancer Center, University of Texas and Julie Huynh-Lu, PA-C and physician assistant in the Department of Leukemia at MD Anderson Cancer Center, about MPNs and the integration of the MPN10 questionnaire into the electronic health record (EHR).

"As we recognize that quality of life is one of the major factors that we are to correct, we need to have an objective way of measuring how bad the quality of life is. We now have a full-fledged questionnaire, the MPN-10, which has ten questions that identify the ten most common problems that patients with myelofibrosis suffer from– which is very useful information for us to see what we are facing when we see the patients, [identify] the time to treat, and whether the treatment is helping." –Srdan Verstovsek, MD, PhD

This is the first video podcast in a four-episode series on MPNs in connection with the education program "Advancing Care for Patients with Myeloproliferative Neoplasms (MPNs)."

Srdan Verstovsek, MD, PhD

Professor of Medicine, Department of Leukemia, Division of Cancer Medicine

Hematologist Oncologist

MD Anderson Cancer Center, University of Texas

Houston, TX

Julie Huynh-Lu, PA-C

Physician Assistant, Department of Leukemia, Division of Cancer Medicine

MD Anderson Cancer Center, University of Texas

Houston, TX

Resources:

Myeloproliferative Neoplasms (cancersupportcommunity.org)

MPN10: Track the Severity of your MF- or ET-related symptoms

Myeloproliferative Neoplasms (MPNs): 7 questions, answered (MD Anderson Cancer Center)

As interest continues to build around multi-cancer early detection, hear what care teams need to know about the technology and the legislative outlook for coverage for this revolutionary testing. CANCER BUZZ speaks with Anna Howard, principal of Policy Development, Access to and Quality of Care at American Cancer Society – Cancer Action Network, and Jeff Allen, president and CEO of Friends of Cancer Research, about the public health aspects of multi-cancer early detection and current policy/advocacy issues related to this new technology.

Guests:

Anna Howard,

Principal of Policy Development, Access to and Quality of Care

American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network

Jeff Allen,

President and CEO

Friends of Cancer Research

Resources:

• ACCC Multi-Cancer Early Detection – Changes on the Horizon
• MCED 101: Webinar
• Coverage and Legislation - Prevent Cancer Foundation
• Rep. Sewell's Legislation to Ensure Access to Groundbreaking Cancer Detection
• Watch Now: A Path for Early Detection - Friends of Cancer Research

Many patients with SCLC face a high symptom burden, poor prognosis, and adherence challenges due to treatment-related adverse events, stigmatization, and emotional distress. Multidisciplinary care coordination and timely diagnosis are critical in the health outcomes of patients with SCLC. CANCER BUZZ spoke to Gustavo Cumbo-Nacheli, MD, Interventional Pulmonologist and Critical Care Medicine and Pulmonary Medicine Physician at Spectrum Health in Grand Rapids, MI. Hear how care coordination through a multidisciplinary team can improve patient experience and health outcomes.

Gustavo Cumbo-Nacheli, MD

Interventional Pulmonologist

Critical Care Medicine and Pulmonary Medicine Physician

Spectrum Health

Grand Rapids, MI

Resources:

• Cancer Support Community
• ClinicalTrials.gov
• Go2 for Lung Cancer
• LUNGEVITY
• Lung Cancer Research Foundation

Patients with cancer who live in rural areas face many barriers to care, which can limit both their access and adherence to care, including traveling long distances, lack of insurance coverage, and a multitude of other social and emotional determinants. Hear how to leverage the skills of a multidisciplinary team to support patients in overcoming these barriers. CANCER BUZZ speaks with Emily Smith, MD and clinical associate professor of Pathology and Dermatology at the University of Michigan on how she addresses determinants of health in her practice and best practice recommendations for high quality care.

"There are so many factors weighing on their decision to seek care and where they are going to seek care. It can be quite complex and it takes time to sort out; we can screen all we want but sometimes it takes time beyond a screening tool to really sort out what a barrier might be and this is where conversations with [our] physicians, nursing staff, or navigators can really help to get to the bottom of each patient's individual story and what specific needs they might have. It's a conversation, there is no direct algorithm that we can use– every patient's scenario is going to be unique." –Emily Smith, MD

This video podcast has been created in connection with the education program "Advanced Non-Melanoma Skin Cancers: Effective Practices in Multidisciplinary Care."

Emily Smith, MD

Clinical Associate Professor, Pathology and Dermatology

University of Michigan

Ann Arbor, MI

Resources:

Advanced Non-Melanoma Skin Cancers: Effective Practices in Multidisciplinary Care

Talking About Squamous Cell Skin Cancer – Cancer Support Community

Talking About Basal Cell Skin Cancer – Cancer Support Community

Caring for Someone with Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer – Frankly Speaking About Cancer

Skin Cancer Education & Research Foundation

Understanding how to navigate difficult conversations with patients facing advanced-stage cancer is an important part of shared decision making and ensuring patients feel engaged with their treatment plan. In this episode, CANCER BUZZ speaks with Sunandana Chandra, MD, MS, and associate professor of Hematology and Oncology at Northwestern University in Chicago, Ill., on her approach to engaging patients in shared decision making and dispelling myths about palliative/supportive care, as well as Rachel Saks, MSS, LSW, OSW-C and senior director of Education for Cancer Support Community on tips and resources they have developed to help patients have conversations with their care team members.

Sunandana Chandra, MD, MS

Associate Professor, Hematology and Oncology

Northwestern University

Chicago, IL

Rachel Saks, MSS, LSW, OSW-C

Senior Director, Education

Cancer Support Community

Philadelphia, PA

Resources:

Advanced Non-Melanoma Skin Cancers: Effective Practices in Multidisciplinary Care

Talking About Squamous Cell Skin Cancer – Cancer Support Community

Talking About Basal Cell Skin Cancer – Cancer Support Community

Caring for Someone with Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer – Frankly Speaking About Cancer

Skin Cancer Education & Research Foundation

Many patients with SCLC have a high symptom burden, poor prognosis, adherence challenges due to treatment-related adverse events, stigmatization, and emotional distress. Clinical trials are taking place across the country for patients with all stages of small cell lung cancer. CANCER BUZZ spoke to David Waterhouse, MD, MPH, Medical Oncologist and Hematologist at the Dana-Farber Brigham Cancer Center, Milford Regional Medical Center in Milford, MA. Hear how to engage patients in clinical trials and address barriers.

"Eighty-five percent (85%) of cancer care is being done in the community, not at academic centers such as ours. And so, you have to be able to meet the patient where they are. I don't think we do a very good job of that right now, as an oncologic community."

David Waterhouse, MD, MPH

Medical Oncologist and Hematologist

Dana-Farber Brigham Cancer Center

Milford Regional Medical Center

Milford, MA

Resources:

Cancer Support Community

ClinicalTrials.gov

Go2 for Lung Cancer

LUNGEVITY

Lung Cancer Research Foundation

In the last of a three-part series on "changing the culture of oncology," Dr. Juneja says it was the realization that he was explaining the same concepts over and over to patients that led him to look to social media as an education platform—a way to share information broadly, help keep people up to date on new advances, and address medical misinformation.

Guest:

Sanjay Juneja, MD

Chief of Oncology Service

Baton Rouge Medical Center

Baton Rouge, LA

Board Member of the Louisiana Oncology Society

"We live in a time where people just want to know more…they want to be involved in their care, in what to expect, in understanding not just the disease but also the treatment."

Resources:

Implementing and Evaluating an Online Educational Resource for Veterans with Cancer

Social Media in Hematology/Oncology

ACCC Metastatic Breast Cancer Resource Library

Older Adults with Cancer Resource Library

Tailoring Education for the Cancer Patient

While advancements in cancer diagnostics and genomics continue to accelerate, the need to centralize and improve coordination around biomarker testing is more important than ever. Hear how precision medicine stewards are helping to bridge the gaps and challenges associated with cancer diagnostics and biomarker testing. In this episode, CANCERBUZZ speaks with Crystal Enstad, MBA, BSN, RN, OCN at Sanford Health in Sioux Falls, SD, about the role of precision medicine stewards and Sanford's experience with implementing this unique role in the multidisciplinary cancer care team.

"We really needed to educate patients, educate our staff, create streamlined processes, and ensure that we were getting testing at the right time and getting those results back to the patients to make sure we were impacting patient services and patient care when it was crucial– at the time of progression and at the time when they are meeting the physician to go over what options they have next." –Crystal Enstad, MBA, BSN, RN, OCN

Crystal Enstad, MBA, BSN, RN, OCN

Oncology Nurse Navigator Genomics

Sanford Health

Sioux Falls, SD

Resources:

Precision Medicine Stewardship (accc-cancer.org)

Academy of Oncology Nurse & Patient Navigators

In the second of a three-part series on "changing the culture of oncology," Dr. Sanjay Juneja shares three technologies he's excited about and why—technology that detects circulating tumor DNA to reveal if cancer is present, technology that facilitates real-time testing of a specific treatment on a patient's tumor cells before initiation of the anti-cancer regimen, and more.

Guest:

Sanjay Juneja, MD

Chief of Oncology Service

Baton Rouge Medical Center

Baton Rouge, LA

Board Member of the Louisiana Oncology Society

"Always lean on what you know. And we know the immune system has protected all of us. If you are listening to this, you have beat cancer. And your immune system did it for you."

Resources:

2022-2023 President's Theme: Leveraging Technology to Transform Cancer Care Delivery and the Patient Experience

Data Analytics + Business Intelligence = Operations Insights

ACCC Forum Focuses on Technology Solutions to Mitigate Workforce Shortages

Cardinal Health: The Value of Clinical AI in Community Oncology