Send us a text

On this episode of Oncology Unscripted, patient advocates Julie Johnson and Katie Coleman and radiation oncologist Dr. Matt Spraker host Radiation Oncologist, Dr. Ravi Patel, MD, PhD.

Ravi is Director of Radiopharmaceuticals at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center and a translational researcher at the University of Pittsburgh Department of Radiation Oncology.

We discuss the emerging treatment strategy of radiopharmaceuticals (RPT), a.k.a. theranostics!

We first review what these therapies are, a targeting molecule, such as an antibody, linked to an imaging or therapy radioisotope. RPT is an older therapy, but new agents are being discovered at a rapid pace.

Our discussion then focuses on Lutetium-177 PSMA, Pluvicto, and how this has improved outcomes in patients with prostate cancer.

We also review the logistics and risks for how patients get treated with RPTs.

Here are some other things we discussed during the show:

• VISION Trial of Pluvicto (Lutetium-177 PSMA) for metastatic, castrate-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC)
• PSMAfore Trial of Pluvicto for mCRPC after treatment with androgen receptor pathway inhibitor (ARPI)
• PSMAddition Trial of Pluvicto added to androgen deprivation therapy plus ARPI in up front treatment of mCRPC
• AlphaBet Trial Protocol of Radium-223 plus Lutetium-177 in prostate cancer
• Beta decay (Wikipedia)
• SPECT scan (Wikipedia)

Oncology Unscripted is a Photon Media production. Intro and Outro music by Emmy-award winning artist Lucas Cantor Santiago. Audio-only versions of our podcast are available on most podcast platforms.

Additional content from Matt Spraker can be found on his website, https://www.sprakermd.com/.

Additional content from Katie Coleman can be found at her website, https://www.katiekickscancer.com/.

This show and our opinions are meant for general informational purposes and are not medical advice. We encourage you to reach out to your doctors to discuss your individual case.

Send us a text

On this episode of Oncology Unscripted, patient advocates Julie Johnson and Katie Coleman and radiation oncologist Dr. Matt Spraker host radiologist Dr. Costa Raptis, MD.

We start by discussing the process of acquiring and interpreting radiographic images. What happens after you get your scan, and how do radiologists read them and generate reports?

Also, how can patients know they are getting the right type of scan? We review some details of CT, MRI, and PET/CT scans.

Then we discuss an essential question: "What is normal?". How do radiologists measure lesions or tumors, and how is this done consistently across time? Are other physicians trained to read images like radiologists?

We also ask Dr. Costa about AI, the future of radiology, and we discuss how radiologists get excited when patients have exceptional responses.

The video podcast of this episode is available on our YouTube Channel!

Oncology Unscripted is a Photon Media production. Intro and Outro music by Emmy-award winning artist Lucas Cantor Santiago. Audio-only versions of our podcast are available on most podcast platforms.

Additional content from Matt Spraker can be found on his website, https://www.sprakermd.com/.

Additional content from Katie Coleman can be found at her website, https://www.katiekickscancer.com/.

This show and our opinions are meant for general informational purposes and are not medical advice. We encourage you to reach out to your doctors to discuss your individual case.

Send us a text

On this episode of Oncology Unscripted, patient advocate Katie Coleman and radiation oncologist Dr. Matt Spraker host another radiation oncologist, Dr. Shankar Siva, PhD, MBBS, FRANZCR.

Shankar is an oncologist and professor at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Victoria, Australia, and a specialist in genitourinary cancers, such as Kidney Cancer.

We discuss stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy (SABR, aka SBRT) for kidney cancer! We review many of the studies that demonstrate it is an excellent tool to treat localized or metastatic kidney cancer, and why patients should consider it for their care.

Here are some resources we discussed during the show:

• Targeting Cancer - SABR versus SBRT (they are the same!)
• The International Stereotactic Radiosurgery Society
• TROG 15.03 FASTRACK II Study of SABR for Localized Kidney Cancer
• “The Van Poppel Study” of Partial versus Radical Surgery for Localized Kidney Cancer
• Comparison of SABR and other Ablation for Kidney Cancer
• iROCK Registry
• MD Anderson and UTSouthwestern studies: SABR instead of systemic therapy for oligometastatic disease
• RAPPORT Study of SABR and Pembrolizumab for oligometastatic kidney cancer
• Oncology Unscripted Episode - Insider’s Guide to Radiation Therapy: SBRT

Oncology Unscripted is a Photon Media production. Intro and Outro music by Emmy-award winning artist Lucas Cantor Santiago.

Additional content from Katie Coleman can be found at her website, https://www.katiekickscancer.com/.

Additional content from Matt Spraker can be found at his website, https://www.sprakermd.com/.

This show and our opinions are meant for general informational purposes and are not medical advice. We encourage you to reach out to your doctors to discuss your individual case.