Clinician's Roundtable

Guest: Aasma Shaukat, MD, MPH Despite available options like stool-based testing and colonoscopy, colorectal cancer screening rates remain low. Blood-based testing, however, has the potential to improve adherence by offering a convenient alternative. Join Dr. Aasma Shaukat as she discusses the clinical performance of blood-based testing, its limitations, and its role in real-world settings. Dr. Shaukat is the Robert M. and Mary H. Glickman Professor of Medicine and a Professor in the Department of Population Health at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. She also serves as the Director of Outcomes Research in the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at NYU Langone Health.

Guest: Aasma Shaukat, MD, MPH As fecal immunochemical testing (FIT) becomes more common in colorectal cancer screening, questions remain about post-FIT follow-up, especially when colonoscopies yield negative results. To explore this further, a recent review looked at the risk of colorectal cancer postcolonoscopy and analyzed the most common reasons it may occur. Hear Dr. Aasma Shaukat, a coauthor of the review, discuss the rationale behind it and its findings, which highlighted the importance of colonoscopy quality. Dr. Shaukat is the Robert M. and Mary H. Glickman Professor of Medicine and a Professor in the Department of Population Health at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. She also serves as the Director of Outcomes Research in the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at NYU Langone Health.

Guest: Theodore Levin, MD For younger adults needing to get screened for colorectal cancer, fecal immunochemical testing (FIT) may help with initiation and adherence because of its speed, ease, and noninvasiveness. Hear Dr. Theodore Levin discuss FIT and its potential benefits, particularly in younger adults. Dr. Levin is a Professor of Health System Science at the Kaiser Permanente School of Medicine, the Associate Director at the Kaiser Permanente Northern California Division of Research, and the Clinical Lead for Colorectal Cancer Screening for the Permanente Medical Group.

Host: Ashley Baker, MSN, PMHNP Guest: Heather Allen, PhD Guest: Ran Li, PhD Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy is emerging as a powerful tool for distinguishing cancerous from noncancerous tissue during colorectal cancer surgery. In a recent study, Drs. Heather Allen and Ran Li leveraged a broad dataset from multiple sources to identify and validate biomarkers—most notably B1—that demonstrated strong correlation with standard pathology. Hear Drs. Allen and Li walk through their study and the implications of its findings with Ashley Baker. Dr. Allen is a Full Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry as well as the Department of Pathology at Ohio State University in Columbus, and Dr. Li is a researcher who completed a PhD in Analytical Chemistry at The Ohio State University in 2015.

Guest: Theodore Levin, MD In light of guidelines for the starting age of colorectal cancer screening shifting, a recent study explored how screening outcomes compare in adults age 45 to 49 and adults over 50. Across metrics like initiation, adherence, adenoma detection, and colonoscopy yield, the evidence shows support for earlier screening. Tune in to hear Dr. Theodore Levin, Professor of Health System Science at the Kaiser Permanente School of Medicine, the Associate Director at the Kaiser Permanente Northern California Division of Research, and the Clinical Lead for Colorectal Cancer Screening for the Permanente Medical Group, break down the research.

Guest: Robert Gniadecki, MD Biologic therapies have helped significantly improve outcomes and quality of life for patients with psoriasis. With several IL-17 and IL-23 inhibitors now available, choosing between biologics often depends on the dermatologist’s experience, the patient’s needs, and potential side effects. Hear Dr. Robert Gniadecki, a Professor of Dermatology and the Director of the Division of Dermatology at the University of Alberta, discuss these treatment options and best practices for therapeutic decision-making.

Host: Ryan Quigley Guest: Mallik Greene, PhD A recent study showed that tailored Spanish-language navigation paired with the multi-target stool DNA (mt-sDNA) test can significantly improve colorectal cancer re-screening adherence among Spanish-speaking patients. Hear Ryan Quigley speak with Dr. Mallik Greene, a coauthor of the study, about how these findings could shape the future of colorectal cancer screening in Spanish-speaking populations. Dr. Greene’s educational background includes a Bachelor’s degree in Pharmacy, a PhD and a Postdoctoral Fellowship in Health Economics and Outcomes Research, and a Doctorate in Business Administration.

Guest: Pedro Nascimento de Lima, PhD Conflicting colorectal cancer screening (CRC) guidelines have sometimes led to confusion over optimal starting ages and strategies. Join Dr. Pedro Nascimento de Lima as he walks through a comprehensive modeling study that tested 26 different strategies over 4,000 scenarios to test how and when it is most effective to screen. Dr. Nascimento de Lima is an Engineer at RAND, a Professor at the RAND School of Public Policy, and an investigator with the colorectal modeling group of the Cancer Intervention and Surveillance Modeling Network.

Guest: Reid Ness, MD The NCCN Guidelines for Colorectal Cancer Screening recently provided updates for patients at average and increased risk—most notably, lowering the recommended starting age from 50 to 45. Hear Dr. Reid Ness walk through the updates in depth, providing insight on screening protocols for different patient populations. Dr. Ness is an Associate Professor of Medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee, faculty with the Vanderbilt Ingram Cancer Center, and the Chairman of the committee that developed the colorectal cancer screening guidelines.

Guest: Reid Ness, MD According to the NCCN Guidelines for Colorectal Cancer Screening, there is mixed evidence around the impact of vitamin D, calcium, folate, and aspirin on colorectal cancer risk. Join Dr. Reid Ness as he discusses considerations for recommending these supplements based on patient-specific factors. Dr. Ness is an Associate Professor of Medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee, faculty with the Vanderbilt Ingram Cancer Center, and the Chairman of the committee that developed the colorectal cancer screening guidelines.