General Medicine and Primary Care

Host: Brian P. McDonough, MD, FAAFP

Guest: Marie Wood, MD

Traditional cancer screening has always focused on individual organs, but now, multi-cancer early detection (MCED) tests are changing that paradigm. By analyzing multiple biomarkers through a single blood draw, MCED testing can detect signals from a variety of cancers—many of which currently lack effective screening tools. These multi-biomarker approaches not only outperform single-marker tests, but also demonstrate scientific rigor and clinical utility. Still, challenges remain, including false positives and integration with standard screening protocols. Joining Dr. Brian McDonough to explore the rationale for using a multi-biomarker approach to MCED testing is Dr. Marie Wood, Professor of Medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and Medical Director of the Hereditary Cancer Program at the CU Cancer Center.

Guest: Aasma Shaukat, MD, MPH

Despite available options like stool-based testing and colonoscopy, colorectal cancer screening rates remain low. Blood-based testing, however, has the potential to improve adherence by offering a convenient alternative. Join Dr. Aasma Shaukat as she discusses the clinical performance of blood-based testing, its limitations, and its role in real-world settings. Dr. Shaukat is the Robert M. and Mary H. Glickman Professor of Medicine and a Professor in the Department of Population Health at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. She also serves as the Director of Outcomes Research in the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at NYU Langone Health.

Host: Ryan Quigley

Guest: Hallie Blevins, PhD.

Guest: Marlene Mimi Maeusli, PhD.

With one in three eligible Americans still unscreened for colorectal cancer (CRC), there’s an urgent need for noninvasive and affordable alternatives to colonoscopy. A 2025 study published in ACS Sensors introduces a novel aptamer-based colorimetric assay that targets Parvimonas micra—a gut microbe linked to CRC. To learn more, Mr. Ryan Quigley speaks with Drs. Hallie Blevins and Mimi Maeusli about how this technology works, what sets it apart from current testing methods, and why it could play a role in improving early CRC detection.

Reference:

Feng S, Zhang P, Chen H, et al. Au@Fe3O4 nanoparticle-based colorimetric aptasensor for noninvasive screening of colorectal cancer via detection of Parvimonas micra. ACS Sens. 2025;10(2):1053-1062.

Host: Jennifer Caudle, DO

Guest: Blen Girmay, MD

Because standard-dose vaccines usually produce only modest immunogenic responses in people age 65 years and older, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, as of June 2022, recommended this age group receive either an adjuvanted or higher-dose seasonal influenza vaccine.1,2,3 A pragmatic, head-to-head randomized study compared FLUAD and the high-dose influenza vaccine over the course of two influenza seasons.2 Joining Dr. Jennifer Caudle to discuss this study and its findings from the first season (2023-2024) is Dr. Blen Girmay, a Johns Hopkins fellowship-trained primary care geriatrician at Inova Health System in Fairfax, Virginia.

References:

1. Coleman BL, Sanderson R, Haag MDM, McGovern I. Effectiveness of the MF59-adjuvanted trivalent or quadrivalent seasonal influenza vaccine among adults 65 years of age or older, a systematic review and meta-analysis. Influenza Other Respir Viruses. 2021;15(6):813-823.
2. Klein N. Oral presentation presented at: IDWeek 2024 Meeting; October 16-19, 2024. Los Angeles, CA.
3. Grohskopf LA, Ferdinands JM, Blanton LH, Broder KR, Loehr J. Prevention and Control of Seasonal Influenza with Vaccines: Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices - United States, 2024-25 Influenza Season. MMWR Recomm Rep. 2024;73(5):1-25.

Immune imprinting refers to how the immune system's first encounter with a virus, such as influenza, leaves a lasting imprint that shapes future immune responses.1,2 However, influenza vaccines may affect this process—particularly when egg-based ones are used. Tune in to learn about the impact of immune imprinting, the role that vaccines play in this process, and how switching to non-egg-based vaccines could help redirect immune responses and possibly create more effective defenses in people of all ages.3,4

References:

1. King SM, Bryan SP, Hilchey SP, Wang J, Zand MS. First impressions matter: Immune imprinting and antibody cross-reactivity in influenza and SARS-CoV-2. Pathogens. 2023;12(2):169. doi:10.3390/pathogens12020169
2. Zhang A, Stacey HD, Mullarkey CE, Miller MS. Original antigenic sin: How first exposure shapes lifelong anti-influenza virus immune responses. J Immunol. 2019;202(2):335–340. doi:10.4049/jimmunol.1801149
3. Rockman S, Laurie K, Ong C, et al. Cell-based manufacturing technology increases antigenic match of influenza vaccine and results in improved effectiveness. Vaccines (Basel). 2022;11(1):52. doi:10.3390/vaccines11010052
4. Liu F, Gross FL, Jefferson SN, et al. Age-specific effects of vaccine egg adaptation and immune priming on A(H3N2) antibody responses following influenza vaccination. J Clin Invest. 2021;131(8):e146138. doi:10.1172/JCI146138

USA-CRP-24-0038 July 2025

Host: Jennifer Caudle, DO

Guest: Johanna Finkle, MD, FACOG

As GLP-1 therapies grow in popularity for weight management and diabetes, an unexpected consequence has emerged: a rise in unplanned pregnancies due to reduced oral contraceptive effectiveness. Dr. Jennifer Caudle sits down with Dr. Johanna Finkle, a weight loss specialist and OB/GYN at the University of Kansas Health System, to explore the mechanisms behind this trend and outline practical, long-acting contraceptive alternatives that maintain efficacy during GLP-1 use.

Guest: Pedro Nascimento de Lima, PhD

Conflicting colorectal cancer screening (CRC) guidelines have sometimes led to confusion over optimal starting ages and strategies. Join Dr. Pedro Nascimento de Lima as he walks through a comprehensive modeling study that tested 26 different strategies over 4,000 scenarios to test how and when it is most effective to screen. Dr. Nascimento de Lima is an Engineer at RAND, a Professor at the RAND School of Public Policy, and an investigator with the colorectal modeling group of the Cancer Intervention and Surveillance Modeling Network.

Guest: Reid Ness, MD

The NCCN Guidelines for Colorectal Cancer Screening recently provided updates for patients at average and increased risk—most notably, lowering the recommended starting age from 50 to 45. Hear Dr. Reid Ness walk through the updates in depth, providing insight on screening protocols for different patient populations. Dr. Ness is an Associate Professor of Medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee, faculty with the Vanderbilt Ingram Cancer Center, and the Chairman of the committee that developed the colorectal cancer screening guidelines.

Host: Charles Turck, PharmD, BCPS, BCCCP

Guest: Gloria Coronado, PhD

Colorectal cancer screening saw significant disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic, a challenge that has also been reflected during natural disasters such as hurricanes and wildfires. Dr. Gloria Coronado joins Dr. Charles Turck to discuss how these kinds of crises impact screening rates and how a focus on community-based care, telehealth and home-based testing, and targeted efforts for underserved populations can strengthen resilience and ensure continuity of care during future disasters. Dr. Coronado is a Professor of Epidemiology and the Associate Director of Population Science for the University of Arizona Cancer Center in Tucson.

Host: Charles Turck, PharmD, BCPS, BCCCP

Guest: Rashmi B. Halker Singh, M.D.

Stigma and misconceptions around migraine can lead to misdiagnosis, undertreatment, and inequitable care, especially in emergency and primary care settings. Listening to patients, validating lived experiences, and enhancing clinical training to recognize migraine as a complex neurologic disorder can help shift the narrative. Learn more as Dr. Charles Turck speaks with Dr. Rashmi Halker Singh about how we can prioritize inclusive, informed, and effective migraine management. Dr. Halker Singh is a Professor of Neurology, and she sits on the Executive Board of Directors at the American Headache Society.