Ameish Govindarajan, MD, a Hospice and Palliative Medicine fellow at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, shares his journey outlined in the Journal of Clinical Oncology’s Art of Oncology piece, “Chasing Milestones,” which sheds light on his personal experience as a patient diagnosed with stage 4 NSCLC. Dr. Govindarajan shares how this diagnosis influenced his career trajectory, including the pivotal decision to switch oncologists due to a lack of connection with his initial clinician. Together, he and Chadi explore the critical aspects of establishing trust with your healthcare provider and the indicators that signal a strong patient-physician relationship. Delving into his path toward enrolling in an early-phase clinical trial, Dr. Govindarajan provides valuable insights into navigating treatment decisions. Moreover, he discusses how his own care journey has shaped his approach to patient interactions, offering a unique perspective on compassionate and empathetic healthcare delivery.
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
