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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.

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On this episode of Oncology Unscripted, patient advocates Julie Johnson and Katie Coleman and radiation oncologist Dr. Matt Spraker start to discuss scanxiety.

Matt starts by sharing ASCO guidelines, one framework to assist oncologists and patients treat anxiety that comes up at diagnosis and throughout cancer treatment.

Then Julie and Katie share their experiences and thoughts about how they have coped with anxiety around tests, scan intervals, and the possibility of future treatment.

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.

Send us a text

On this episode of Oncology Unscripted, patient advocates Julie Johnson and Katie Coleman and radiation oncologist Dr. Matt Spraker host Dr. Michelle Hirsch, MD, PhD. She is a pathologist and Chief of the Genitourinary Pathology Division at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard University.

In this episode, we cover all things pathology!

We kick off by discussing the role of the pathologist in the cancer care team. How do these doctors train and what do they do each day?

Then we discuss the process of pathology. What happens to a patient's tissue once it is removed from their body? A lot!

We review different techniques pathologists use to make a diagnosis and terms that patients may find in their pathology report. We also share ideas for how patients can better understand their report.

We close with a discussion of pathology second opinions.

Here are some other things we discussed during the show:

• Microtome (Wikipedia)
• A stock image of a pathology block
• H&E and IHE staining (Wikipedia)
• PathologyOutlines.com
• College of American Pathologists website
• WHO Classification of Tumors (Blue Book) Online
• Oncology Unscripted Episode: Second Opinions

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

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.