IJGC conversations

In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. René Pareja to discuss Gynecologic Oncology Practice in Low & Middle Resource Settings.

Dr. René Pareja is a Gynecologist and Obstetrician, graduated from Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana in Medellín, Colombia in 2000; he finished his training in Gynecologic Oncology in 2003, from Pontificia Universidad Javeriana and Instituto Nacional de Cancerología in Bogotá, Colombia.

He is a minimally invasive surgeon, graduated from Corporación de Estudios de la Salud (CES) in 2013. He currently works at Astorga Oncology Clinic in Medellín and at National Cancer Institute in Bogotá, Colombia.

In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Dr. Domenica Lorusso to discuss ROSELLA Trial: Overall Survival Outcomes.

Dr. Domenica Lorusso, MD, PhD, directs the Gynaecological Oncology Unit at Humanitas Hospital, Milan, and holds a Full Professorship in Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Humanitas University, Rozzano, Milan. She has led/participated in approximately 250 phase I-IV clinical trials. Currently overseeing more than 60 studies as Principal Investigator, Dr. Lorusso also chairs the Clinical Trials Committee of the MITO Group. She serves on the Board of Directors of the GCIG and is an active member of ENGOT, where she chairs the Gynecological Cancer Academy. Additionally, she sits on the Board of Directors of the ESGO. With around 300 international oncology publications and contributions to national and international treatment guidelines, her primary objectives are to ensure optimal patient care, foster clinical research, and advance international collaborations and education in the field. Her recent work, “Overall survival with relacorilant and nab-paclitaxel in patients with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer (ROSELLA): a phase 3 randomised controlled trial,“ is published in the Lancet.

In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Emese Zsiros to discuss KEYNOTE-B96: Pembrolizumab and Weekly Paclitaxel in Ovarian Cancer.

Emese Zsiros, MD, PhD, FACOG, is Chair of the Department of Gynecologic Oncology and the Shashi Lele, MD Endowed Chair at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, where she is also Professor of Oncology and co-leader of the Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy Program.

In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. René Pareja to discuss FIGO/IGCS Statement on Topical Treatments for HPV CIN3+.

Dr. René Pareja is a Gynecologist and Obstetrician, graduated from Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana in Medellín, Colombia in 2000; he finished his training in Gynecologic Oncology in 2003, from Pontificia Universidad Javeriana and Instituto Nacional de Cancerología in Bogotá, Colombia.

He is a minimally invasive surgeon, graduated from Corporación de Estudios de la Salud (CES) in 2013. He currently works at Astorga Oncology Clinic in Medellín and at National Cancer Institute in Bogotá, Colombia.

In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Alex Melamed to discuss Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy: Mortality in Low- vs High-Volume Centers.

In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Aparna A. Kamat and Arthur Hsu to discuss GLP1-RAs and Cancer Risk in Non-diabetic Patients.

Dr. Aparna Kamat is the director of the Division of Gynecologic Oncology for Houston Methodist and is currently the section leader for the Gynecologic Oncology service line. After completing medical training in India, Dr. Kamat completed her residency in OB/GYN at West Virginia University, where she served as chief resident.

Arthur Heng-Cheng Hsu, MD, is a gynecologic oncologist at the National Taiwan University Hospital and focuses on surgery, cancer therapy, and patient recovery. He serves as the Director of Journal Operations for the International Journal of Gynecological Cancer (IJGC). His recent work is published in the Annals of Oncology exploring GLP-1 receptor agonist use and cancer risk in obese, non-diabetic adults.

In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Paula Mateo-Kubach and Behrouz Zand to discuss Statin Use in Gynecologic Cancer Therapy.

Paula Mateo-Kubach, MD, is a Spanish physician who completed her residency training in Obstetrics and Gynecology in Toledo, Spain. She is currently a Research Fellow at Houston Methodist Hospital, where her work focuses on perioperative care and Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS). In parallel, she is pursuing a PhD at Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, with research centered on ERAS implementation challenges and opioid use in surgical care. Her next goal is to complete clinical training in gynecologic oncology.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ When she is not filling her database, she can be found underwater, she is a PADI-certified rescue diver.

Dr. Behrouz Zand is a gynecologic oncologist at Houston Methodist Hospital's Neal Cancer Center and Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and an assistant professor at Weill Cornell College at Houston Methodist Academic Institute. Specializing in innovative cancer care and clinical trials, he is passionate about integrating AI in medicine, a recent alumnus of the physician program at MIT for AI integration in healthcare. Dr. Zand combines cutting-edge research with compassionate patient care to advance the field.

In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Sarah Andres and Mario M. Leitao Jr to discuss Empty Lymph Node Packet in SLN Mapping for Endometrial Cancer.

Sarah Andres, DO, FACOG, is a Gynecologic Oncology Fellow at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC), with planned graduation in June, 2027. She additionally works within the Weigelt Laboratory conducting translational research and studying rare gynecologic malignancies. Dr. Andres has contributed extensively to the field through her recent research, with work published in leading journals such as Gynecologic Oncology and the International Journal of Gynecological Cancer. Her recent publications explore critical topics including sentinel lymph node mapping techniques in uterine cancer, outcomes of neoadjuvant chemotherapy for advanced ovarian cancer, and genomic characterization of endometrial serous carcinoma. Her clinical and research interests span cervical, endometrial, and ovarian carcinoma, with contributions to multiple clinical trials and retrospective studies.

Dr. Mario M. Leitao, Jr., MD, FACOG, FACS, is currently an Attending Surgeon in the Department of Surgery at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and a Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Weill Cornell Medical College. He currently serves as Program Director for the Gynecologic Oncology Fellowship. Dr. Leitao is also the Director for the Minimal Access and Robotic Surgery Program in the Department of Surgery for MSKCC. Dr. Leitao is the recipient of the 2025 IGCS Excellence in Teaching Award. 

In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Santiago Vieira-Serna to discuss Contralateral pelvic lymph node metastases in patients with unilateral early-stage epithelial ovarian cancer.

Dr. Santiago Vieira-Serna is a gynecologic oncologist who graduated from the Instituto Nacional de Cancerología in Bogotá, Colombia, in 2023. He currently works at the Instituto Nacional de Cancerología and at Clínica Universitaria Colombia.

In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Gabriel Levin to discuss Salpingo-oophorectomy at Radical Hysterectomy for Cervical Adenocarcinoma.

Dr. Gabriel Levin is a gynecologic oncologist and clinical researcher at McGill University and the McGill University Health Centre. His work focuses on real-world outcomes research, and health systems innovation in gynecologic cancers. He has authored more than 330 peer-reviewed publications and is actively involved in advancing evidence-based care through academic leadership and international collaboration.