Dr. Lenz Describes Excitement Over Advances in GI Cancer

Video

In Partnership With:

Heinz-Josef Lenz, MD, from the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, believes this is an exciting time in the field of gastrointestinal cancers, as more tools become available to select the most effective treatment for each patient.

Heinz-Josef Lenz, MD, the co-director of the Colorectal Center and GI Oncology Program at the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, believes this is an exciting time in the field of gastrointestinal cancers, as more tools become available to select the most effective treatment for each patient.

Selecting the best treatment is specifically important for patients with colon cancer, believes Lenz. Colon cancer distinguishes itself from other types of cancer by its ability to be cured by resection. In general, Lenz notes, if a tumor does not recur within 5 years of treatment the patient is considered cured.

In other cancer types, such as breast cancer, recurrences are possible for several years following surgery, making each patient a lifetime survivor. However, in colon cancer, Lenz notes, the impact that physicians have on disease management and resection makes the difference between life and death.

Related Videos
In this second episode of OncChats: Leveraging Immunotherapy in GI Malignancies, Toufic Kachaamy, MD, of City of Hope, Sunil Sharma, MD, of City of Hope, and Madappa Kundranda, MD, PhD, of Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center, explain the challenges faced with preventing or detecting these cancers early and the understanding that is needed to develop effective early detection methods and move the needle forward.
In this first episode of OncChats: Leveraging Immunotherapy in GI Malignancies, Toufic Kachaamy, MD, of City of Hope, Sunil Sharma, MD, of City of Hope, and Madappa Kundranda, MD, PhD, of Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center, discuss the potential for early detection multiomic assays and the work that still needs to be done to encourage their widespread use.
Emmanuel Antonarakis, MD, associate director, Translational Research, Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Clark Endowed Professor of Medicine, University of Minnesota Medical School
Gautam Jha, MD, medical director, M Health Fairview Masonic Cancer Clinic and the Advanced Treatment Center at the M Health Fairview Clinics and Surgery Center—Minneapolis, chair, cancer committee, M Health Fairview Ridges Hospital
Ricardo D. Parrondo, MD, hematologist/oncologist, Mayo Clinic
Ilyas Sahin, MD
Raj Singh, MD
Jaime R. Merchán, MD, professor, co-leader, Translational and Clinical Oncology Research Program, director, Phase 1 Clinical Trials Program, Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center
Saad J. Kenderian, MB, CHB
Tycel Phillips, MD