INTERVIEWS

Venus Kalami, MNSP, RD, CSP, board-certified pediatric dietitian, and nutritionist at Stanford Children’s Health discusses ways for families to model a compassionate and more sustainable approach to nutrition for their children during the holiday season. The holidays are a time where healthy eating can be difficult for everyone, particularly those with pre-existing dietary conditions. They can also be a time where personal struggles around food and nutrition can feel front and center, from the child to the parent or caregiver. For this holiday season, Venus shares ways to reframe how to approach nutrition around the holidays, by 1) ditching antiquated adages around health and nutrition, 2) fostering mindfulness and tuning into an intuitive eating approach and lifestyle, and 3) leaning on your “village” and community to make nutrition around the holidays doable. 

Dr. Jean-Francois Boileau, MD, MSc, FRCSC, surgical oncologist  at Jewish General Hospital Segal Cancer Centre; associate professor of surgery and oncology at McGill University; and director of the JGH Breast Clinical Trials Group discusses the publication of the RxPONDER trial in the “New England Journal of Medicine” that confirms that tens of thousands of women with a certain type of breast cancer can avoid chemotherapy with Exact Sciences‘ Oncotype DX ® Test.   These results, together with the foundational TAILORx results in node-negative, early-stage breast cancer, further elevate the test to a standard of care in a broader patient population. NCCN guidelines have also followed suit and now recognize the Oncotype DX test as the only genomic test that can be used for the prediction of chemotherapy benefits in both node-negative and postmenopausal node-positive women.   

Sean O’Connor, Co-Founder and Chief Commercialization Officer of DexCare discusses the importance of streamlining provider operations post-pandemic and the value of building tech with scalability. 

Returning guest, Dr. Rick Baehner, MD, Chief Medical Officer of Precision Oncology at Exact Sciences discusses a new study in “Urologic Oncology: Seminars and Original Investigations” that validates adverse pathology as a predictor of prostate cancer outcomes in clinically low-risk patients. This news supports the utility of the Oncotype DX GPS™ test to manage treatment decisions by showing that the combined risk of adverse pathology is more strongly associated with worse long-term outcomes than the separate risks for high-grade disease and non-organ confined disease alone. 

Dr. Murray Zucker, ​MD, ​Chief Medical Officer at Happify Health discusses the technology enhancements and regulatory advancements that could reshape the future of healthcare delivery, such as the continued expansion of telehealth and digital therapies, as well as the ability for licensed mental health clinicians to practice across state lines. He shares his thoughts on treating the body and mind as one, the rise of more holistic medicine, and addresses the comorbidities associated with mental health.​ 

Dr. John Kaddis, PhD, Assistant Professor in the Department of Diabetes & Cancer Discovery Science within the Arthur Riggs Diabetes & Metabolism Research Institute at City of Hope, discusses a recent study from City of Hope which found that cells that control blood glucose levels from deceased chronic marijuana users failed to reverse diabetes at a much higher rate than from those who did not use it. This study underlines the importance of considering one’s lifestyle when evaluating human pancreatic islets for transplantation or research. It also aims to encourage other studies around organ donation to consider the implications of lifestyle. 

Dr. Dinesh Khanna, MD, MSc, Professor of Rheumatology and Medicine at the University of Michigan and coordinating investigator on this trial discusses the Phase 2b pivotal trial to evaluate Horizon Therapeutics’ HZN-825 to treat people with diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis (dcSSc). 

Returning guest, Wendi L. Dumbroff, MA, LPC, discusses shame, an issue many suffer with – yet rarely discussed. Shame is a huge issue for it creates the feeling there is something wrong with the person. This is common in people who are survivors of sexual abuse, trauma, or if someone feels unloved by a parent or receives other negative messages from a loved one. ​She provides vital information for anyone who may be suffering in silence. 

Nikki Longwell, PhD, Sr. Director, Medical Science Liaisons, Immunology, Janssen, discusses the launch of the first National Biologic Coordinators Day on November 1, 2021 and its importance. She talks about what a biologic coordinator is – working in partnership with the patient, prescribing healthcare providers, specialty pharmacies, manufacturers, and insurance companies to navigate the numerous steps required to get patients started on their prescribed biologic medication.

Bill Athenson, CEO of Third Pole Therapeutics, a privately held company developing critical life-sustaining cardio-pulmonary therapies, discusses eNOfit™ the company’s proprietary, tankless, on-demand, electrically generated inhaled Nitric Oxide (iNO) technology that is a safe, accurate and reliable lightweight, wearable device that makes iNO from electricity and the air we breathe, creating a make it and take therapy free from the hazards of compressed gas storage. Their proprietary, versatile technology has the potential to rapidly capture the entire existing in-hospital tank-based market and expand beyond current indications to treat interstitial lung disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cystic fibrosis, and critical viral and bacterial infections. eNOfit devices are being tested in preparation for an FDA investigational device exemption (IDE) submission later this year to enable human safety testing to begin in early 2022.