Basic Cancer Info

This is the last part of my discussion with Dr. Matthew Horton, a pathologist with a special training and a great expertise in lung pathology who works here in Seattle at a company called CellNetix.

We focus in this last one on the increasing focus on molecular markers in making clinical decisions and how this is changing the relationship of pathologists with oncologists, as well as the need for pathologists to provide this information in a timely way.

We know that many people interested in the topics we discuss in our webinars may not be able to attend the live programs, but we're committed to offering our content to people as easily as possible. Accordingly, here is the podcast version of Dr. Pennell's very well received presentation on a range of molecular markers currently being used and others emerging in clinical trials as potential tools for the coming years.

Below you'll find the audio versions of the presentation.

Leptomeningeal carcinomatosis, also referred to as carcinomatous meningitis, is an uncommon but certainly not rare complication in lung cancer that I consider to be among the most dreaded. This occurs when cancer cells are in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) that bathe and cushion the brain and spinal cord, and cancer cells deposit on the meninges, the lining around the brain and spinal cord.

The subject of stereotactic lung radiotherapy (SBRT) for cure of stage I disease has been extensively covered on GRACE with good cause: we may be witnessing a major change in how we treat early stage cancer. Multiple strategies for improved surveillance are being developed, and hopefully one or more will be successful, resulting in more frequent detection of early stage disease. If so, we will have what my mentor calls a “delicious dilemma” – what is the best way to cure these early-stage patients?

I had the opportunity to sit down with Dr. Matthew Horton, a pathologist who works with my own group at Swedish Cancer Institute in Seattle, at a pathology company called CellNetix. He did subspecialty training in lung pathology and is a terrific resource for my colleagues and me, and now for a wider audience.

Welcome back. This is the second part of a discussion of the potential value of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in cancer management. Please see the prior post for a general introduction to the concept of CTCs and how they have been studied in various cancers. We'll now turn to research on CTCs in the setting of lung cancer.

This is a continuation of the round table format, discussing real life case management with my colleagues who are lung cancer experts at other institutions, This case is the second half of discussion centered around a never-smoking Asian woman who doesn't have an EGFR mutation, and specifically the decision-making process of what first line chemotherapy-based treatment to recommend and whether to continue with maintenance therapy. My guests for the discussion are Drs.

Happy new year, GRACErs! The change in the calendar brings out contemplation. Most of the year, the gym in my building is quiet and hardly used so I can calmly read my journals on the exercise bike. The exercise hopefully compensates for my otherwise sedentary, nerdy lifestyle and I find that I do good thinking there. Now, after the new year, as in every year, the gym has been briefly very busy. During an otherwise not so impressive workout, I read an article that I think may be of interest to some in this community.

Here is the first podcast of what we plan will be an ongoing series of round table discussions with cancer experts about real case scenarios and how we make decisions in practice. My guests for the discussion are Drs. Janessa Laskin, medical oncologist from British Columbia Cancer Agency in Vancouver, BC, and Alan Sandler, medical oncologist and Director of Hematology/Oncology at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland.