Closing the Gap Between Innovation and Implementation: Strategic Partnerships in Oncology
CANCER BUZZ
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:...
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Becoming a Smart Consumer of AI as an Oncology Leader
CANCER BUZZ
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 Ashley Johnson, MBA, chief innovation officer at LeanTaas, about her key takeaways as a member of the first panel of the Summit: AI in Oncology: Tools for Today, Breaking and Remaking for Tomorrow. Johnson reflects on the challenges oncology leaders face as they attempt to vet and adopt a flood of new AI...
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BsAbs: Moving from Curiosity to Confidence
CANCER BUZZ
Indications for the use of bispecific antibodies (BsAbs) are rapidly increasing in oncology. While many cancer centers are keeping an eye on this developing field, curiosity must be transformed into proactive planning to avoid being caught unprepared as BsAb indications expand. In this episode, CANCER BUZZ speaks with Laura Kuzma, MSW, admin administrative director of FirstHealth Cancer Center and Oncology Services at FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital, about the real-world lessons she has learned about governance considerations, ramp-up strategies, and workflows. She shares the importance of...
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Innovation in Action: Breaking Down the 2025 ACCC Impact Report
CANCER BUZZ
For 52 years, ACCC has brought together thousands of health care professionals from across the nation representing all disciplines in oncology. Today, with over 46,000 members, ACCC’s mission remains the same: to provide education, forums, and opportunities to promote the delivery of high-quality, equitable cancer care. Each year, the Association produces an ACCC Annual Report showcasing key educational programming and policy work it has produced for its member cancer programs and practices across the country. In this episode, CANCER BUZZ speaks with Meagan O’Neill, MS, executive director...
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Transforming Palliative Care in Oncology
CANCER BUZZ
In this episode of Oncology Unscripted, hosts Mark Liu and Deirdre Saulet speak with 2025 ACCC Innovator Award Winner Andrew Ambort, DO, a palliative care consulting physician at WellSpan Health. Dr. Ambort received the award for his team’s innovation “Adopting Machine Learning-Enabled Decision Support to Improve Oncology End-of-Life Outcomes,” which leveraged an existing module in the electronic health record to integrate a 12-month mortality risk into clinical workflows. He discusses the vision behind this initiative, plans for expansion into other specialties and service lines, and...
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Streamlining Access to TIL Cell Therapy for Melanoma
CANCER BUZZ
Tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) cell therapy is a promising option for patients with advanced melanoma, but logistical and referral challenges can be a barrier to care. In this episode, CANCER BUZZ speaks with Lilit Karapetyan, MD, MS, FACP, medical oncologist at Moffit Cancer Center and Research Institute, an authorized treatment center (ATC) for TIL cell therapy, and Raju Vaddepally, MD, hematologist-oncologist at Florida Cancer Specialists, a non-ATC, about the referral process. Both guests discuss the relationship between their cancer programs, offering actionable tips on how to...
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Policy in Practice: Change Hits the Clinic
CANCER BUZZ
Changing regulations are reshaping the practice of oncology. Issues such as prior authorization, shifting coverage policies, reporting mandates, and reimbursement certainty all affect how clinics must operate to provide the best care. In this episode, CANCER BUZZ speaks with 3 oncology professionals, representing different roles and regions of the country, about their experiences of how policy impacts care delivery. Martin Palmeri, MD, MBA, FASCO, medical oncologist at Messino Cancer Centers, Patricia Serna, MHS, PA-C, CGRA, APP area manager at Texas Oncology, and Gretchen Van Dyck, financial...
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Addressing Psychosocial Distress With Psychedelic-Inspired Therapies
CANCER BUZZ
As the number of patients and survivors of cancer grows each year, awareness of the disease’s emotional toll—including depression, anxiety, and deep existential distress—is increasingly recognized as a critical aspect of cancer care. In response, psychedelic-assisted therapy is gaining attention as a promising alternative to traditional mental health interventions, providing relief for some patients. To shed light on the patient experience with this treatment, CANCER BUZZ spoke with breast cancer survivor Judy Wight; Jennifer Bires, MSW, LCSW, OSW-C, FACCC, executive director of Life...
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Set Goals in Today’s Health Care Reality
CANCER BUZZ
Of the barriers to innovation and adopting new strategies, human hesitation is one of the greatest. Health care is a rapidly evolving field by nature, which is compounded by near constant technological advancement. For insight into overcoming hesitation while navigating frequent change in a burnout-oriented industry, CANCER BUZZ spoke with Michelle Rozen, PhD, behavioral scientist, bestselling author, and keynote speaker at the upcoming 2026 ACCC Leadership Summit. Dr. Rozen shares concrete strategies that oncology leaders can implement in their programs to not just survive, but thrive in an...
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Plans for 2026: A Dialogue With ACCC’s Executive Director
CANCER BUZZ
In the second installment of Oncology Unscripted, an unfiltered, honest dialogue about the state of cancer care today, hosts Mark Liu and Deirdre Saulet invite Meagan O’Neill, MS, Executive Director of ACCC, to discuss the Association’s plans for the upcoming year, honing in on challenges and opportunities within its membership. O’Neill shares the vision behind expanding the CANCER BUZZ podcast, the continued development of ACCC’s 2030 vision, and how she views crisis as a path forward for innovation. “When I look at 2026, [I look] at crisis as an opportunity...How can we use this...
info_outlineIn metastatic breast cancer, resistance to therapy remains one of the most challenging aspects to care. A key driver of resistance in hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative disease is the ESR1 mutation, a genetic change that alters the estrogen receptor and limits the effectiveness of certain standard therapies. In this episode, CANCER BUZZ speaks with Eleonara Teplinsky, MD, FASCO, head of breast and gynecologic medical oncology at Valley-Mount Sinai Comprehensive Cancer Care, about how the ESR1 mutation shapes treatment decisions and explains communication strategies, such as the “lock-and-key” model. Then CANCER BUZZ speaks with Maimah Karmo, president and CEO of Tigerlily Foundation about the importance of communicating with patients in ways that foster clarity and compassion through relatable analogies.
Guest:
Eleonora Teplinsky, MD, FASCO
Medical Oncologist
Valley Mount Sinai Comprehensive Cancer Care
Paramus, NJ
Maimah Karmo
President/CEO
Tigerlily Foundation
“If you had molecular testing of your tumor done at the time of diagnosis, that may not be enough. If there is disease progression, we might need to repeat it. So it’s really important to stress that there are points in the disease course where we're going to be checking for these biomarkers.” - Teplinsky
“The more that we can know about the tumor, how it's going to behave, what treatment it may or may not respond to, really can help us.” - Teplinsky
“Having a physician that is a true partner with the patient, that has a relationship, that's trusted, and that feels safe and secure, it's really, really critical.” - Karmo
Resources:
Unlocking the Conversation: Navigating ESR1 Mutations in Metastatic Breast Cancer