This episode tells the story of how one man, Jake Messier, is challenging the stigma surrounding male metastatic breast cancer, a disease affecting 1% of all breast cancer patients. It's an important reminder that not all cancers are funded and researched equally, and that behind every statistic is a person trying to live a normal life.

Jake has used his lifelong PR skills to turn what is a diagnosis unlike any other into a conversation about equity, resilience and a deep societal stigma. This conversation should also serve as a reminder of how patients perceive the healthcare system and that communication is key when treating patients, many of whom are vulnerable.

A huge thank you to Jake for coming on the show. If you want more information, see Jake's website: https://www.theguywithstage4breastcancer.com/

For more episodes, resources and blog posts, visit www.inquisitiveonc.com

Please find us on Twitter @InquisitiveOnc!

If you want us to look at a specific trial or subject, email us at inquisitiveonc@gmail.com

Art courtesy of Taryn Silver

Music courtesy of AlisiaBeats: https://pixabay.com/users/alisiabeats-39461785/

Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes only. If you are unwell, seek medical advice.

Oncology for the Inquisitive Mind is recorded with the support of education grants from our foundation partners Pfizer and Merck Pharmaceuticals. Our partners have access to the episode at the same time you do and have no editorial control over the content.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, we take a "back to the future" look at the early-stage pancreatic cancer phase, a relatively stagnant area in terms of pivotal trials. The two trials are the ESPAC4 trial, which examines doublet chemotherapy in pancreatic cancer, and Josh does a traditional deep dive into the world of neoadjuvant chemotherapy. He highlights ESPAC-5, PREOPANC-2, and the TAPS consortium, to name a few. A complicated but overall evolving field.

Studies discussed in this episode:

ESPAC-4

FOLFOXIRI

PREOPANC-2

ESPAC-5

TAPS (Trans-Atlantic Pancreatic Surgery (TAPS) Consortium Study)

For more episodes, resources and blog posts, visit www.inquisitiveonc.com

Please find us on Twitter @InquisitiveOnc!

If you want us to look at a specific trial or subject, email us at inquisitiveonc@gmail.com

Art courtesy of Taryn Silver

Music courtesy of AlisiaBeats: https://pixabay.com/users/alisiabeats-39461785/

Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes only. If you are unwell, seek medical advice.

Oncology for the Inquisitive Mind is recorded with the support of education grants from our foundation partners Pfizer and Merck Pharmaceuticals. Our partners have access to the episode at the same time you do and have no editorial control over the content.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, we accidentally skipped early pancreatic cancer and jumped straight to advanced pancreatic cancer. It was a sombre episode, with clinicians and advocates screaming for better treatment options for this cancer. While small incremental advances have been made, the holy grail remains elusive.

Today our focus is on NAPOLI-3, the use of liposomal irinotecan (NALIRIFOX), and PANOVA-3, where TTFields are used in combination with gemcitabine/abraxane. A good conversation, though the current premise is sad. Hopefully, as time moves on, this conversation will be more optimistic.

Studies discussed in this episode:

NAPOLI-3

PANOVA-3

For more episodes, resources and blog posts, visit www.inquisitiveonc.com

Please find us on Twitter @InquisitiveOnc!

If you want us to look at a specific trial or subject, email us at inquisitiveonc@gmail.com

Art courtesy of Taryn Silver

Music courtesy of AlisiaBeats: https://pixabay.com/users/alisiabeats-39461785/

Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes only. If you are unwell, seek medical advice.

Oncology for the Inquisitive Mind is recorded with the support of education grants from our foundation partners Pfizer and Merck Pharmaceuticals. Our partners have access to the episode at the same time you do and have no editorial control over the content.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On today's episode, Josh and Michael "advance" in their ongoing GI journey, as Michael continuously insists on saying, to discuss advanced gastric and GOJ cancer. Historically, an orphan disease with a very poor prognosis, perhaps the first rays of light are beginning to shine on this difficult-to-treat cancer type. Immunotherapy has been well established as standard of care, but are there any new agents that are emerging in this space? As always, the answer to that question is "yes," and as usual, the agent in question is trastuzumab deruxtecan. Listen on for all the surprising details, even more awful puns, and a strange tangent about the difference between a "good" and "effective" dictator.

Studies discussed in this episode:

Checkmate 648/649

Destiny-Gastric01

For more episodes, resources and blog posts, visit www.inquisitiveonc.com

Please find us on Twitter @InquisitiveOnc!

If you want us to look at a specific trial or subject, email us at inquisitiveonc@gmail.com

Art courtesy of Taryn Silver

Music courtesy of AlisiaBeats: https://pixabay.com/users/alisiabeats-39461785/

Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes only. If you are unwell, seek medical advice.

Oncology for the Inquisitive Mind is recorded with the support of education grants from our foundation partners Pfizer and Merck Pharmaceuticals. Our partners have access to the episode at the same time you do and have no editorial control over the content.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, as we enter our 200th episode, Michael and Josh continue their journey through the alimentary canal, exploring the world of stomach cancer. Gastric cancer has been notoriously difficult to treat, with a thirty-year grace period of multiple trials seeking an appropriate regimen that reduces recurrences while remaining effective. This episode gives you all the answers, and just when we thought everything was settled, immunotherapy enters the fray with MATTERHORN.

Studies discussed in this episode:

FLOT4-AIO

MATTERHORN

For more episodes, resources and blog posts, visit www.inquisitiveonc.com

Please find us on Twitter @InquisitiveOnc!

If you want us to look at a specific trial or subject, email us at inquisitiveonc@gmail.com

Art courtesy of Taryn Silver

Music courtesy of AlisiaBeats: https://pixabay.com/users/alisiabeats-39461785/

Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes only. If you are unwell, seek medical advice.

Oncology for the Inquisitive Mind is recorded with the support of education grants from our foundation partners Pfizer and Merck Pharmaceuticals. Our partners have access to the episode at the same time you do and have no editorial control over the content.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Good therapeutic options for metastatic colorectal cancer are limited after the fluoropyrimidine-based options are exhausted. This week, we explore the role of trifluridine-tipiracil (Lonsurf) and bevacizumab (VEGF inhibitor), and a newish kid on the block, fruquitinib, an oral tyrosine kinase inhibitor and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor. While not perfect, they do represent later-line options for patients

Studies discussed in this episode:

SUNLIGHT

FRESCO-2

For more episodes, resources and blog posts, visit www.inquisitiveonc.com

Please find us on Twitter @InquisitiveOnc!

If you want us to look at a specific trial or subject, email us at inquisitiveonc@gmail.com

Art courtesy of Taryn Silver

Music courtesy of AlisiaBeats: https://pixabay.com/users/alisiabeats-39461785/

Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes only. If you are unwell, seek medical advice.

Oncology for the Inquisitive Mind is recorded with the support of education grants from our foundation partners Pfizer and Merck Pharmaceuticals. Our partners have access to the episode at the same time you do and have no editorial control over the content.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today's episode, like several of the greatest cult classics, comes a bit earlier than anticipated. Before we wrap up our epic recap of the colorectal space, we will give you a little taster of our UGI series with a look at early oesophageal cancer, focussing on the chemotherapy backbone and whether immunotherapy has any place in this space. Spoiler alert (as always): it does.

Studies discussed in this episode:

ESOPEC

Checkmate 577

For more episodes, resources and blog posts, visit www.inquisitiveonc.com

Please find us on Twitter @InquisitiveOnc!

If you want us to look at a specific trial or subject, email us at inquisitiveonc@gmail.com

Art courtesy of Taryn Silver

Music courtesy of AlisiaBeats: https://pixabay.com/users/alisiabeats-39461785/

Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes only. If you are unwell, seek medical advice.

Oncology for the Inquisitive Mind is recorded with the support of education grants from our foundation partners Pfizer and Merck Pharmaceuticals. Our partners have access to the episode at the same time you do and have no editorial control over the content.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Metastatic Colorectal Cancer has a dearth of targetable mutations that have effective outcomes. This week, Michael and Josh see whether the wonder drug (trastruzumab deruxtecan) works in HER2-expressing colorectal cancer. Michael takes a more positive tone, with the recycling of aspirin to reduce recurrence risk for PI3K pathway cancers.

Josh promised he will have the right audio this episode - thanks to our astute listener who told us last time!

Studies discussed in this episode:

ALASCCA

Destiny-CRC01

For more episodes, resources and blog posts, visit www.inquisitiveonc.com

Please find us on Twitter @InquisitiveOnc!

If you want us to look at a specific trial or subject, email us at inquisitiveonc@gmail.com

Art courtesy of Taryn Silver

Music courtesy of AlisiaBeats: https://pixabay.com/users/alisiabeats-39461785/

Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes only. If you are unwell, seek medical advice.

Oncology for the Inquisitive Mind is recorded with the support of education grants from our foundation partners Pfizer and Merck Pharmaceuticals. Our partners have access to the episode at the same time you do and have no editorial control over the content.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.