Join moderator Caroline DiCristo, PharmD, Associate Medical Director – Zanidatamab of Jazz Pharmaceuticals and GI Oncologist Dr. Umair Majeed of Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville for the first installment of the Advancing Care in GI and Biliary Tract Cancers podcast series, focused on biliary tract cancers.

The first in the series, this episode provides a comprehensive overview of biliary tract cancers, including intrahepatic and extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma and gallbladder cancer, highlighting their rarity, evolving epidemiology, and complex biology. Dr. Majeed reviews key risk factors such as chronic liver inflammation, primary sclerosing cholangitis, viral hepatitis, gallstones, and metabolic-associated liver disease, emphasizing the importance of early suspicion and multidisciplinary awareness.

Diagnosis & Staging Complexity: The discussion outlines the critical steps required to confirm diagnosis and stage disease accurately:

• Imaging Workup: The role of CT chest, MRI abdomen, and PET imaging in determining resectability and metastatic spread.

• Tissue Acquisition Challenges: Endoscopic approaches, biopsy considerations, and the importance of avoiding peritoneal violation in transplant-eligible hilar cholangiocarcinoma.

• Tumor Markers: Use of CA 19-9 for monitoring disease trends.

• Multidisciplinary Coordination: Collaboration among oncology, gastroenterology, surgery, radiology, pathology, and hepatology teams to optimize patient care.

First-Line Treatment & Molecular Testing:

Dr. Majeed discusses the current standard of care for metastatic disease, including chemoimmunotherapy based on the TOPAZ-1 and KEYNOTE-966 trials, and underscores the critical role of next-generation sequencing in identifying actionable mutations.

HER2 as an Emerging Target:

The episode also introduces HER2 as a clinically meaningful biomarker in biliary tract cancers, particularly in gallbladder and extrahepatic subtypes. Dr. Majeed reviews testing strategies, the importance of immunohistochemistry and confirmatory FISH testing, and emerging second-line HER2-directed therapies that may extend survival while offering chemotherapy-free intervals for appropriate patients.

Tune in for an in-depth discussion on the evolving diagnostic and therapeutic landscape of biliary tract cancers and the essential role of precision medicine and multidisciplinary collaboration in improving outcomes

Join Dr. Edgardo Santos and Dr. Luis Raez for a practical discussion on first-line decision-making in EGFR-mutated lung cancer and how early treatment choices shape survival, sequencing, and patient experience.

This episode explores why first-line therapy represents a critical window for long-term benefit, including the reality that many patients never reach later lines of treatment and the importance of early disease control. The speakers review guideline-supported first-line strategies, discuss how clinicians interpret survival and durability data, and examine the role of CNS disease as a key factor in treatment selection.

The conversation also addresses real-world implementation considerations, including adverse event management, administration and dosing factors, and how early patient education can improve treatment adherence and experience. Learn how interdisciplinary care teams provide proactive support to help optimize outcomes in the first months of therapy.

Tune in for key insights on optimizing first-line strategy and supporting patients from the start of therapy.

Join moderator Dr. Tiago Bianchi and an expert multidisciplinary panel, including Zilipah Cruz, MSN-RN, ONN-CG, Vanessa Sepulveda-Dominguez, RN, BSN, and Charlotte Martin, PharmD, for a deep dive into the essential non-clinical aspects of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) care.

This episode explores the critical role of the entire oncology team in addressing the Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) and supporting patient survivorship.

Key Challenges & Team Coordination: The panel will discuss the reality of holistic patient support, drawing on survey findings:

• SDOH Screening Gaps: While 68% of clinicians report screening for SDOH, most are not using standardized tools, leading to inconsistent identification of patient needs.
• Support & Barriers: Despite 90% of teams reporting access to support resources (e.g., nurse navigation, pharmacy, social work), implementation varies. The top real-world barriers remain insurance, transportation, patient education, and cost.
• The Interdisciplinary Team: Hear how RNs, APPs, PharmDs, and Navigators coordinate care, from assessing SDOH to integrating screening into the EHR, to provide seamless support.

Unique Survivorship Concerns: The conversation addresses the unique survivorship challenges faced by younger mCRC patients, including:

• Managing fertility and sexual health concerns.
• Facilitating the return to work and maintaining career stability.
• The importance of clear patient education, communication, and managing treatment expectations to improve long-term quality of life.

Tune in for a vital discussion on how care teams move beyond clinical treatment to provide comprehensive, coordinated support for the whole mCRC patient.

The mCRC Journey: Treatment Sequencing and Real-World Decisions (Epi. 2)

Join medical oncologists Dr. Tiago Bianchi and Dr. Raji Shameem for Episode 2 of our "Voices in Colorectal Cancer" Series as they navigate the complex, guideline-based, and real-world treatment landscape for metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC).

This episode delves into current practice, informed by key insights from a recent FLASCO survey:

• Molecular Profiling: The doctors confirm molecular profiling is widely adopted (86% of respondents test patients >90% of the time). However, they discuss persistent gaps related to insurance barriers and challenges with specimen quality.
• Sequencing Strategies: Explore the current NCCN mCRC treatment pathways and the variety in real-world sequencing decisions after initial chemotherapy. The discussion contrasts community versus academic approaches to later-line decision-making.
• New Horizons: Learn where biomarker-agnostic therapies fit into the mCRC journey and how novel treatments are integrated into existing protocols.
• Access & Trials: The doctors address common access issues, prior authorization, and payer challenges that complicate care. Finally, they discuss the critical—yet often delayed—process of clinical trial referral, highlighting timing and lack of awareness as the primary barriers.

Tune in to understand the complexities of mCRC management, from biomarker testing to strategic sequencing and overcoming systemic access hurdles.

In this first episode of the "Voices in Colorectal Cancer" Series, medical oncologists Dr. Tiago Bianchi and Dr. Raji Shameem confront the dramatic shift in colorectal cancer (CRC) presentation, drawing on urgent, real-world data from a recent FLASCO survey.

The Troubling Trend:

• Younger: 91% of clinicians report seeing more CRC cases in patients under age 50, mirroring incidence spikes in Florida and across the US.
• Later: More than half of all cases are presenting as late-stage at diagnosis—a major gap in current cancer care that severely impacts survival.
• Sicker: This late presentation means younger patients face more aggressive treatment and unique survivorship challenges, significantly affecting their quality of life, including financial and functional well-being.

Addressing the Gaps: The doctors discuss the primary barriers driving these trends: lack of primary care relationships, payer issues, and patient education deficits. They highlight the critical need for:

• Updated screening practices and increased awareness among primary care providers.
• Targeted education and primary care partnerships to improve timely diagnosis and prevention.

Tune in to understand why CRC is increasingly a disease of the young, the consequences of delayed diagnosis, and what the oncology community is doing to bridge the gaps in screening and prevention.

In this new OncoPod episode, Dr. Christopher R. Cogle (University of Florida) and Dr. Neil M. Iyengar (Winship Cancer Institute at Emory University) discuss an often-overlooked gap in oncology care - the absence of a structured, non-pharmaceutical treatment layer to help patients stay on therapy and recover stronger.

Drawing on findings from the CHALLENGE trial (NEJM, 2025) and their clinical experience, the experts outline how daily lifestyle interventions in exercise, nutrition, and stress management can improve treatment tolerance, adherence, and even survival. They also explore why these evidence-based approaches have yet to become standard practice and how platforms like Complement 1 are operationalizing integrative oncology at scale, making these interventions accessible to patients beyond major academic centers.

In this episode, FLASCO leaders Maen Hussein, MD, and Wassim McHayleh, MD join the discussion to explore the evolving role of ESR1 mutation testing in metastatic breast cancer. They highlight how these mutations, both acquired and intrinsic, shape treatment decisions and influence patient outcomes. Drawing from real-world data and insights from FLASCO’s statewide survey, the conversation offers practical perspectives on current testing practices, clinical implications, and opportunities to improve personalized care for patients with hormone receptor–positive breast cancer.

This content has been created independently and solely by FLASCO. FLASCO would like to recognize our Elite Corporate Partner, Stemline Therapeutics, a Menarini company, for their partnership with FLASCO in advancing education and collaboration in oncology.

In this episode, Dr. Ariel Perez Perez and Dr. Jose Sandoval-Sus, two of the coauthors of the FLASCO Consensus on Operationalizing Bispecifics for Lymphoma in the Community Setting discuss the core findings and practical recommendations outlined in their paper, highlighting how bispecifics can be safely and effectively delivered in the community setting. They share their perspectives on why this work matters for patient access, safety, and reflect on the importance of multidisciplinary collaboration to expand the use of these therapies beyond academic centers. Listeners are encouraged to engage with the full consensus paper to explore detailed management strategies, operational workflows, and future directions for advancing care in B-cell lymphomas. The full consensus paper can be found here

https://flasco.org/flasco-proudly-announces-the-release-of-a-new-white-paper-providing-practical-guidance-on-expanding-access-to-innovative-cancer-therapies/