Dr. Myriam Chalabi, a GI oncologist at the Netherlands Cancer Institute, joins the show after making waves at the latest ESMO Congress for her NICHE-2 study – an assessment of neoadjuvant immune checkpoint inhibition in locally advanced dMMR colon cancer. She shares the initial inspiration to give neoadjuvant immunotherapy for dMMR tumors, the surprisingly positive early results that led to expanding the study, her feelings and expectations leading up to her talk at ESMO, and her reaction to the Twitter phenomenon with the “Chalabi Plot” – how the medical community was in awe of her rare and exceptional waterfall plot. This episode is a good reminder of the value in executing a well-designed clinical trial and the benefits that patients stand to gain from good science.
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Dr. Simrit Parmar, founder of Cellenkos, joins the show to discuss her journey from the lab to the biotech startup world, detailing the inspiration behind launching her company, the challenges of securing funding, and the resilience required to overcome rejections. She shares insights into Cellenkos’ lead product, its progress toward market approval, and the rigorous
Carol Rausch—a healthcare professional, cancer researcher, and former patient with lymphoma—shares how her journey from researcher to patient transformed her understanding of medical language. She discusses the impact of word choice on patients, why certain battle and war metaphors can be harmful, and how language used in clinical settings differs from what resonates with those
Drs. David Braun and Toni Choueiri join to discuss a groundbreaking Nature study on a personalized neoantigen vaccine for adjuvant renal cell carcinoma. They explore the inspiration behind the trial, how the vaccine was developed and administered, and its safety profile. The conversation also covers patient outcomes after 3-4 years, including immune responses and disease
