IJGC Podcast

By BMJ GroupMedicine Health & Fitness

IJGC Podcast episodes

April 28, 2022 Gender Imbalance in Authorship in Gynecologic Oncology
In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Sarah Mah to discuss the gender imbalance in authorship in gynecologic oncology. Sarah Mah is a Gynecologic Oncology fellow at McMaster University who received her MSc in Quality Improvement and Patient Safety through the University of Toronto Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation and completed residency at the University of British Columbia. Her research interests are in quality improvement with an equity and sustainability lens, knowledge translation, and cancer prevention.
Highlights:
Women now account for 55-70% of practicing Gynecologic Oncologists and >80% of Gynecologic Oncology fellows in the United States and Canada.
Rates of female first authorship in Gynecologic Oncology journals are rising in proportion, but rates of female senior authorship lag behind, with male authors still overrepresented.
Women remain underrepresented as members of Editorial Boards of Gynecologic Oncology journals, particularly in leadership positions.
While the COVID-19 pandemic has not yet impacted the proportion of female authors, we discuss reasons for why this could be of future concern and the importance of ongoing surveillance.
We discuss some of the literature regarding gender inequity in academia and publishing and explore possible strategies for improvement.
25 min
April 22, 2022 Secondary Cytoreductive Surgery in Ovarian Cancer
In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Dr. Robert Bristow, Prof. Christina Fotopoulou, and Dr. Myong Cheol Lim to discuss Secondary Cytoreductive Surgery in Ovarian Cancer. Dr. Bristow is Professor and Chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of California, Irvine School of Medicine. His clinical expertise and research interests focus on the surgical management of advanced-stage and recurrent ovarian cancer. Prof. Christina Fotopoulou has served as the Chair of Gynaecological Cancer Surgery at the Department of Surgery and Cancer at Imperial College London, UK. She has served as an elected ESGO council member and Chair of the ESGO guidelines committee. Dr. Myong Cheol Lim is a gynecologic oncologist, working for National Cancer Center Korea. He is fully dedicated to clinical research, including cytoreductive surgery and HIPEC for the management of ovarian cancer.
Highlights:
- This large meta-analysis on the value of secondary debulking showed that both complete as well as optimal cytoreductive surgery for ovarian cancer relapse significantly increased patients' overall survival.
- Median overall survival of a patients cohort increased by 9% and 7% when the complete and optimal cytoreductive rates increased by 10%, respectively, even after adjusting of other well established prognostic factors.
- Patients with ovarian cancer relapse should be evaluated for their eligibility for secondary debulking surgery in an effort to improve their survival.
45 min
April 19, 2022 The PARCER Trial with Supriya Chopra
In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Dr. Supriya Chopra. Dr. Chopra is a Professor in Radiation Oncology at ACTREC, Tata Memorial Centre and Principal Investigator of the PARCER trial. Her research focus is to improve outcomes of cervical cancer through use of advanced radiation techniques in patients undergoing RT for both primary and recurrent metastatic cervical cancer. She also co-leads multi-institutional molecular translational research programme (BIOEMBRACE) for cervix cancer.
HIGHLIGHTS:
- Postoperative Adjuvant Radiation in Cervical Cancer (PARCER), a phase III randomized trial, compared late toxicity after image-guided intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IG-IMRT) with three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3D-CRT) in women with cervical cancer undergoing postoperative radiation.
- IG-IMRT results in reduced toxicity with no difference in disease outcomes in cervical cancer.
- The 3-year cumulative incidence of grade ≥ 2 late GI toxicity in the IG-IMRT and 3D-CRT arms were 21.1% versus 42.4%.
- The cumulative incidence of grade ≥ 2 any late toxicity was 28.1% versus 48.9%.
- Patients reported reduced diarrhea (P = .04), improved appetite (P = .008), and lesser bowel symptoms (P = .002) with IG-IMRT.
- The 3-year pelvic relapse-free survival and disease-free survival in the IG-IMRT versus the 3D-CRT arm were 81.8% versus 84% and 76.9% versus 81.2%, respectively.
41 min
March 31, 2022 Updates and New Options in Advanced Ovarian Cancer
In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Dr. Katherine Kurnit. Dr. Kurnit is an Assistant Professor at the University of Chicago in the section of Gynecologic Oncology. Her research interests include developmental therapeutics and early phase clinical trials for patients with gynecologic cancers.
Highlights:
Although surgical practices have changed over time, there is still much debate and no consistent consensus about timing or the use of new therapies such as HIPEC.
More options for upfront maintenance therapy are now available for ovarian cancer patients.
We need new treatment approaches for patients with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer.
Finding ways to ensure ovarian cancer care is safe, feasible, and cost-effective in many different settings (nationally and internationally) will be important.
New strategies for screening and prevention are sorely needed
27 min
March 30, 2022 ERAS and MIS for Same-Day Discharge
In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Dr. Genevieve Bouchard-Fortier. Dr. Bouchard-Fortier is an assistant professor in the Division of Gynecologic Oncology in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Toronto and a member of the Division of Gynecologic Oncology at the University Health Network/Sinai Health Systems. Her research is focused on improving the quality of care of gynecologic oncology patients as well as developing quality metrics to measure outcomes.
Highlights:
• We implemented a perioperative program to increase same day discharge rate after minimally invasive hysterectomy from 30% to 75% in gynecologic oncology patients.
• ERAS principles significantly improved the same day discharge rate while maintaining a low complication rate.
• Longer surgery, timing of surgery, and narcotic use were significantly associated with overnight admission.
42 min
March 28, 2022 GOG 281: Use of Trametinib in Low-Grade Serous Cancer
In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Dr. David M. Gershenson to discuss the use of trametinib in low-grade serous cancer. Dr. Gershenson is Professor and former Chair of the Department of Gynecologic Oncology and Reproductive Medicine at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. His major focus is on the clinical and translational research of rare ovarian cancers.
Highlights:
Trametinib represents a new standard for the treatment of recurrent low-grade serous carcinoma of the ovary/peritoneum.
The findings of GOG 281 suggest that women whose tumor harbors a MAPK mutation (KRAS, NRAS, BRAF) may have a greater probability of response to trametinib, but the results are hypothesis-generating, and further studies are needed. Importantly, trametinib should not be withheld from a woman whose tumor lacks MAPK mutations.
Based on the findings of GOG 281 and preclinical studies, future trials will include combinations of a MEK inhibitor plus endocrine therapy and novel agents targeting the MAPK signaling pathway or, more specifically, RAS.
42 min
March 21, 2022 Mentor’s Podcast: Rene Pareja
In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Dr. Rene Pareja, a gynecologist-oncologist at Astorga Oncology Clinic in Medellín and the National Cancer Institute in Bogotá, Colombia. Dr. Pareja is a reviewer for more than 20 specialty journals, an Associate Editor for IJGC, and a member of the board of directors of the International Gynecological Cancer Society (IGCS). He is the author of nine book chapters and more than 70 publications in peer-reviewed journals, and at IGCS 2021 he received an award for Community Advancement in Resource-Limited Settings.
Highlights:
Tips for expertise in minimally invasive surgery: (1) learn from an experienced mentor, (2) train all the time, (3) get a formal course, (4) record your surgeries.
The crucial components to do surgery related research: Start to review papers, write protocols/systematic reviews, and try to work the most and tirelessly on an original project.
A successful person is someone who has failed several times.
Secrets and tips on life and professional career.
54 min
March 10, 2022 Neoadjuvant vs Primary Surgery: A NCDB Study with Alex Melamed
In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Dr. Alex Melamed to discuss neoadjuvant versus primary surgery. Alex Melamed is a gynecologist oncologist and a health services researcher at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons and NewYork-Presbyterian Columbia Irving Medical Center.
Highlights:
- The emergence of evidence supporting non-inferiority of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) compared with primary surgery for advance ovarian cancer led to increased utilization of NACT.
- However, while some cancer programs in the U.S. doubled their use of NACT, others continued to use this approach infrequently.
- The differential adoption of NACT by cancer programs can be viewed, and analyzed, as a natural experiment using a difference-in-differences study design.
- Compared with programs that continued to use NACT infrequently, high users of NACT had similar improvements in median survival, with greater reductions in 6-month and 12-month mortality.
40 min
March 07, 2022 IJGC Special Issue 2022: Radiation Oncology
In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez is joined by Dr. David Gaffney, Dr. Carien Creutzberg, and Dr. Anuja Jhingran to discuss this month's special issue on radiation oncology. Dr. Gaffney, MD, PhD, Senior Director of Clinical Research, is Professor and Vice-Chair of the University of Utah (U of U) Department of Radiation Oncology. Dr. Gaffney is a distinguished clinician and a long-standing leader in clinical research, and he is also a past president of the American Brachytherapy Society. Dr. Carien Creutzberg is Professor of Radiation Oncology at Leiden University Medical Center, the Netherlands. She specializes in research and treatment of gynecological cancers and has been initiator and principal investigator of the four PORTEC trials and the TransPORTEC consortium. She is current chair of the GCIG Endometrial Cancer Committee and past Council member of ESGO and IGCS. Dr. Anuja Jhingran is a Professor of Radiation Oncology in the Section of Gynecology at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. She is the present treasure/secretary for IGCS. She is highly active in GCSC, GCIC, ASCO, and SGO. Her passion is to improve treatment for all women with gynecological cancer throughout the world and she does this through mentoring physicians in underserved regions throughout world.
Highlights:
Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) is useful in gynecological cancers.
Brachytherapy improves survival in cervix cancer.
Image guidance in radiation oncology decreases morbidity.
Patients with small volume disease and long disease-free interval may be good candidates for SBRT.
Immunotherapy can be combined with radiation therapy.
43 min
March 01, 2022 Tisotumab vedotin (TV) in Advanced or Recurrent Cervical Cancer
In this episode of the IJGC podcast, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Pedro Ramirez, is joined by Dr. Robert Coleman to discuss TV in Advanced or Recurrent Cervical Cancer.
HIGHLIGHTS:
Drug development in cervix cancer has undergone a renaissance in recent years with the identification of novel antibody drug conjugates (ADC) and immunotherapy measurably impacting patient survivorship.
Tisotumab vedotin (TV) is an ADC targeting tumor expression of tissue factor delivering the cytotoxic warhead MMAE.
InnovaTV 204/ GOG-3023/ENGOT-cx6 is a single arm phase II trial of TV in patients with recurrent/metastatic previously treatment cervix cancer who had measurable disease seeking assessment of objective response by independent radiological review, duration of response and safety.
101 assessable patients were enrolled demonstrating a ORR of 24%, with median duration of response of 8.3 months.
The regimen was well tolerated with the most common treatment-related adverse events being alopecia, epistaxis, nausea, conjunctivitis, fatigue, and dry eye. A rigorous eye care plan can mitigate high grade ocular toxicity.
41 min

About IJGC Podcast

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The International Journal of Gynecological Cancer (IJGC) podcast explores the latest research on detection, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of gynecologic malignancies. Enjoy interviews with leading experts as they discuss novel and relevant topics in the field of gynecologic cancer.