MyeloMATCH Update: Expanding Precision Medicine Access for AML Patients
Release Date: 06/03/2026
MyeloMATCH Update: Expanding Precision Medicine Access for AML Patients
Bench to Bedside
In this episode of the Bench to Bedside podcast, Dr. Roy Jensen is joined by Dr. Tara Lin, principal investigator for the myeloMatch clinical trial at The University of Kansas Cancer Center, and Dr. Jesus Gonzalez Lugo, recently recognized with a National Career Development Award. They revisit the NCI-sponsored, first-of-its-kind national precision medicine trial for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and share progress since its 2024 launch, including growth to five enrolling treatment protocols with seven more awaiting activation, more than 1,000 patients screened nationwide, and participation...
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The CAR T Access Crisis: Why Eligible Patients Aren’t Getting a Potentially Curative Therapy
Bench to Bedside
In this episode of Bench to Bedside, Dr. Roy Jensen welcomes Dr. Joseph McGuirk, division director of Hematologic Malignancies and Cellular Therapies at The University of Kansas Cancer Center, to discuss CAR T-cell therapy and the growing “CAR T crisis” in access. Dr. McGuirk explains how CAR T is made from a patient’s own T cells and why it has produced unprecedented, potentially curative outcomes in blood cancers such as diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, leading to FDA approvals in second- and third-line settings. He shares national data showing only 25% of eligible second-line patients...
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Exploring the Obesity-Cancer Connection: A Pioneering Research Initiative
Bench to Bedside
In this episode of the Bench to Bedside podcast, Dr. Roy Jensen, vice chancellor and director of The University of Kansas Cancer Center, is joined by Dr. Kristy Brown and Dr. John Jakicic, co-leaders of KU Cancer Center’s new Obesity, Metabolic Health & Cancer research program, the first of its kind at an NCI-designated cancer center focused on the obesity–cancer link. They discuss rising obesity rates, obesity’s link to at least 13 cancers, and key biological mechanisms including insulin and glucose signaling, inflammation, and hormone changes such as estrogen. The guests explain...
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Collaboration and Community Trust: Tobacco Cessation Research at Swope Health
Bench to Bedside
In this episode of the Bench to Bedside podcast, Dr. Roy Jensen, vice chancellor and director of The University of Kansas Cancer Center, speaks with researchers Dr. Nikki Nollen and Dr. Lisa Sanderson-Cox about building lasting collaborations to reduce tobacco use and cancer disparities, particularly in African American communities. They describe how their partnership began at KU Medical Center and grew through a long-term, trusted collaboration with Swope Health, a federally qualified health center in Kansas City. Drs. Nollen and Cox explain how community and patient advisory boards shape...
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Training the Next Generation of Translational Cancer Researchers: KU Cancer Center’s K12 Program
Bench to Bedside
Dr. Roy Jensen introduces the season’s focus on the people behind cancer research and hands hosting duties to Dr. Ronald Chen, chair of Radiation Oncology and associate director for Community Outreach and Engagement at The University of Kansas Cancer Center. Dr. Chen highlights the KU Cancer Center’s K12 Paul Calabresi Career Development for Clinical and Translational Oncology program, which mentors and trains early career clinician-investigators, and interviews K12 scholar Dr. Yiduo Hu, a breast medical oncologist who joined KU after training at Yale and completing research and degrees at...
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Clinical Pharmacology: The Science Behind Safer, Smarter Cancer Therapies
Bench to Bedside
In this episode of the Bench to Bedside podcast, Dr. Roy Jensen, vice chancellor and director of The University of Kansas Cancer Center, interviews Dr. Brent Sear, director of the Clinical Pharmacology Shared Resource at KU Cancer Center. Brent shares his unique career journey into clinical pharmacology, the role of clinical pharmacology in advancing cancer therapies, and the critical work his team does in guiding clinical trials and personalizing cancer treatment. They also discuss emerging technologies and their potential impact on the future of cancer research. Tune in to learn more about...
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Looking Ahead: Hope and the Future of Cancer Research
Bench to Bedside
In this episode of Bench to Bedside, Dr. Roy Jensen, vice chancellor and director of The University of Kansas Cancer Center, hosts Dr. Kristy Brown, a nationally recognized expert in cancer metabolism and hormone signaling. Dr. Brown discusses the latest breakthroughs in understanding the relationship between obesity, estrogen, and cancer, along with how these discoveries shape more effective treatments. She reflects on her career and shares moving accounts of patient interactions that fuel her research. The conversation delves into emerging opportunities in cancer treatment and prevention,...
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It Takes a Village: The Power of Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration in Cancer Research
Bench to Bedside
In this episode of Bench to Bedside, Dr. Roy Jensen speaks with Dr. Anna Arthur and Dr. Gregory Gan about their innovative cross-disciplinary work at the intersection of nutrition and radiation oncology. They explore how their combined expertise leads to holistic cancer treatment approaches, focusing on the effects of diet, inflammation, and treatment response on patient outcomes. Both experts share their personal and professional journeys into their respective fields, the collaborative projects they have undertaken, and the way they integrate multidisciplinary insights into improving cancer...
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The Power of Patient Voices in Cancer Research
Bench to Bedside
In this episode of Bench to Bedside, Dr. Roy Jensen, vice chancellor and director of The University of Kansas Cancer Center, talks with Marilyn Mahan and Karl Frees, members of Patient and Investigator Voices Organizing Together (PIVOT) – KU Cancer Center’s patient research advocacy group – and co-chairs of the PIVOT Educational Task Force. They discuss PIVOT, an initiative bringing patients, survivors, caregivers, and researchers together to enhance cancer research. Marilyn and Karl share how PIVOT integrates patient perspectives into research, the ways advocates collaborate with...
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There’s No Place Like Home
Bench to Bedside
In this episode of the Bench to Bedside podcast, Dr. Roy Jensen, vice chancellor and director of The University of Kansas Cancer Center, speaks with Dr. Ronald Chen, chair of Radiation Oncology and associate director for Community Outreach and Engagement at KU Cancer Center. Dr. Chen shares his personal and professional journey from growing up in Topeka to Harvard and a career on the East Coast and back to Kansas, focusing on his motivation to return home and how his work impacts rural communities. He discusses his efforts in cancer care, telehealth and clinical trials, emphasizing the...
info_outlineIn this episode of the Bench to Bedside podcast, Dr. Roy Jensen is joined by Dr. Tara Lin, principal investigator for the myeloMatch clinical trial at The University of Kansas Cancer Center, and Dr. Jesus Gonzalez Lugo, recently recognized with a National Career Development Award. They revisit the NCI-sponsored, first-of-its-kind national precision medicine trial for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and share progress since its 2024 launch, including growth to five enrolling treatment protocols with seven more awaiting activation, more than 1,000 patients screened nationwide, and participation across 200+ U.S. sites. Dr. Lin explains how the master screening protocol returns comprehensive diagnostic results in 72 hours, improving treatment matching and access across KU Cancer Center’s main campus, community satellites, and network sites. Dr. Lugo discusses outreach efforts to reduce barriers to trial participation, including education for physicians and patients, community partnerships, and Spanish-language media engagement, and both guests reflect on how myeloMatch could help guide use of the many new AML therapies now available.
00:00 Welcome Back to myeloMatch
01:09 Trial Growth and Milestones
02:58 How Precision Matching Works
04:57 Expanding Access Across Regions
06:15 Dr Lugo Award and Outreach
09:04 Future of AML Treatment
11:21 Closing and Resources
Links from this Episode:
· Listen to our first myeloMATCH episode, “MyeloMATCH: The New Front in the Battle Against Leukemia”
· Learn more about myeloMATCH
· Learn more about Dr. Tara Lin
· Learn more about Dr. Jesus Gonzalez Lugo
· Learn more about the Winn Career Development Award
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