CANCER BUZZ

Association of Cancer Care Centers

CANCER BUZZ features fresh perspectives on hot topics in oncology care delivery. CANCER BUZZ is where stakeholders from the front lines of care to the C-suite, from research to the registry, from chairside to benchside, talk about top-of-mind questions and real-world impact.

  1. 4d ago

    Beyond Body Art: Restoring Wholeness Through Paramedical Tattooing

    From the moment a woman learns that she has breast cancer, her life is forever changed—from the treatment challenges of chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery to the personal and emotional challenges of a change in identity, a loss of control, and physical self-acceptance. For many survivors, the difficult journey of emotional healing continues long after active treatment ends, and this phase deserves to be addressed with the same urgency and compassion as diagnosis and treatment. To dive into this defining moment of the cancer care continuum and learn how providers can support patients as they navigate vulnerable moments, CANCER BUZZ spoke with Taylor Keeney, an areola restoration tattoo artist, licensed esthetician, and owner of TayK Cosmetics, and her client Eraina Bartholomew, a survivor of breast cancer. Together, the guests explore the human side of cancer care, how paramedical tattooing bridges a critical gap in breast cancer survivorship care, and the importance of restoring not just physical health, but dignity and joy. "Unfortunately, cosmetics can be seen as superficial in today's society, especially with women. But [paramedical tattooing] plays a big role in [survivors'] mental and emotional health, their psyche, [and] how they view themselves. It's very symbolic to help them close that chapter of breast cancer and move forward in their life." – Taylor Keeney "That experience changed my life. It meant so much to me...at the end of this journey, to find some sense of normalcy in feeling [complete and] like a whole woman...being able to look in the mirror and not cringe at myself." – Eraina Bartholomew Guests: Taylor Keeney Areola Restoration Tattoo Artist Licensed Esthetician Owner TayK Cosmetics Eraina Bartholomew Breast Cancer Survivor   Resources: Restoring Wholeness: The Role of Paramedical Tattooing in Continuous Cancer Care Efficiency and Safety of the Dual Surgeon Bilateral Mastectomy Approach A Legacy of Healing, A Future of Hope for Egyptian Women: Spotlight on the Baheya Foundation A New Frontier— Where Women's Health Meets Oncology

    15 min
  2. Jun 19

    Bridging Radiation and Oncology in SCLC Care

    Radiation therapy is a powerful and non-invasive tool in the management of small cell lung cancer (SCLC), but radiation oncologists are not always fully integrated into the care team. In this episode, CANCER BUZZ speaks with Charles B. Simone, II, MD, FASTRO, FACRO, FACR, chief medical officer of the New York Proton Center and radiation oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, about strategies to improve collaboration between radiation and medical oncology. He discusses some of the biggest barriers and greatest rewards of enhancing this partnership and expanding access to radiation therapy for SCLC. Guest: Charles B. Simone, II, MD, FASTRO, FACRO, FACR  Research Professor and Chief Medical Officer New York Proton Center Radiation Oncologist Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center New York, NY "While we don't have large, randomized trials really telling us how the modalities should be sequenced, that really should be a discussion and personalized for each patient." —Charles B. Simone, II, MD, FASTRO, FACRO, FACR "After a slow 20 years of limited progress, this last half a decade has seen dramatic progress for small cell, and with that, the multidisciplinary collaboration is even more important." —Charles B. Simone, II, MD, FASTRO, FACRO, FACR Resources: Comprehensive Quality Care for Patients With Small Cell Lung Cancer Small Cell SMASHERS: How Community, Advocacy, and Emerging Science Are Changing the Narrative in Small Cell Lung Cancer

    12 min
  3. Jun 10

    Championing Bispecific Antibodies in the VA

    Bispecific antibodies (BsAbs) are an emerging and fast-developing area of immunotherapy, particularly in the treatment of hematologic malignancies. However, access to this therapy remains limited, particularly for Veterans. Administrative hurdles and challenging adverse events have slowed adoption of BsAbs in the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). In this episode, CANCER BUZZ speaks with Nicholas Burwick, MD, hematologist in the Puget Sound VA Health Care System, about how his VA site tackled these challenges and made BsAbs available to its patient population through a collaborative hub-and-spoke model.  Guest: Nicholas Burwick, MD President, Association of VA Hematology/Oncology Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplant Puget Sound VA Health Care System "We set expectations, we came up with a plan, and we didn't have too many bispecific antibody patients at the same time. At least initially, we wanted some control." — Nicholas Burwick, MD  "The collaboration among different VA centers has been something that I've come to appreciate. We have a heme malignancy group, for example, so we can compare notes, work together, and in some cases even collaborate on VA initiative proposals or industry-sponsored clinical trials." — Nicholas Burwick, MD Resources: Addressing Care Disparities for Veterans: Tackling Barriers and Identifying Solutions Bispecific Antibodies Bispecific Antibodies Are Moving Forward; So Are the Implementation Questions Service, Sacrifice, and Survival: Advancing Cancer Care for America's Heroes

    14 min
  4. May 5

    Closing the Gap Between Innovation and Implementation: Strategic Partnerships in Oncology

    At the inaugural ACCC Leadership Summit, C-suite executives and senior-level decision makers in oncology convened for strategic dialogue, engaging panel discussions, and peer-to-peer exchange focused on the most pressing issues in cancer care today. In this episode, CANCER BUZZ speaks with Michele LeSueur, DBA, vice president of Sales and Marketing at Johnson & Johnson, about her key takeaways as a member of the final panel of the Summit: Strategic Partnerships: Creating a Thriving Innovation Oncology Ecosystem. Across the diverse panel of stakeholders, one theme consistently rang true: Innovation is happening very quickly in oncology, but the gap continues to widen between the inception and the implementation of these ideas into day-to-day patient care. Lesueur also comments on the importance of industry partners listening and understanding where friction might occur when launching a new treatment or delivery system. "It's not just about continuously generating breakthrough science or breakthrough treatment. That's only going to take us so far. We have to think about how to actually incorporate that and get it to the patients." – Michele LeSueur, DBA Guest: Michele LeSueur, DBA Vice President of Sales and Marketing Johnson & Johnson Resources: 2026 ACCC Leadership Summit Innovation, Policy, and Partnership: Key Takeaways From the Inaugural ACCC Leadership Summit One Purpose, One Passion, 2 Directions: How to Bring Together Clinical and Administrative Leaders

    6 min
5
out of 5
30 Ratings

About

CANCER BUZZ features fresh perspectives on hot topics in oncology care delivery. CANCER BUZZ is where stakeholders from the front lines of care to the C-suite, from research to the registry, from chairside to benchside, talk about top-of-mind questions and real-world impact.

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