Guests/Speakers
Jonathan Villena-Vargas, MD is a clinician at Weill Cornell Medical Center, with particular expertise in the surgical management of lung cancer. He has written numerous clinical publications about screening, staging, and the management of thoracic cancers.
Lisa Goldman, Patient-Advocate, diagnosed in 2014 with advanced stage 4 lung cancer. She later co-founded The ROS1ders, a Facebook advocacy group for lung cancer patients with the ROS1 biomarker.
Delve into the world of adjuvant therapy for lung cancer patients through insightful discussions with Dr. Jonathan Villena-Vargas, an assistant professor of cardiothoracic surgery, and Lisa Goldman, a long-term lung cancer survivor and advocate.
Dr. Villena-Vargas provides a comprehensive overview of adjuvant therapy, explaining its role in preventing cancer recurrence after primary treatment. He clarifies the differences between neoadjuvant, adjuvant, and peri-adjuvant therapies, and discusses how treatment decisions are made based on cancer stage and type. The doctor emphasizes the importance of understanding one’s specific diagnosis and asking the right questions about biomarkers and treatment options.
“So, remember that adjuvant treatment, these are all treatments to prevent cancers from coming back. That doesn’t mean that everyone’s going to have a cancer come back. There’s a good chance that you may never have a cancer come back. So it’s always a discussion with your doctor.” – Dr. Villena-Vargas
Lisa Goldman shares her personal journey with stage 4 lung cancer, diagnosed in 2014. Her story highlights the rapid advancements in lung cancer treatment over the past decade, from her initial aggressive chemotherapy to long-term targeted therapy. Lisa’s experience underscores the critical role of research in extending and improving the lives of lung cancer patients.
“There’s so much good news to share with newly diagnosed patients these days. There’s so many new treatments coming out all the time and new ways the doctors are combining them and using them as adjuvant therapies or primary therapies.” – Lisa Goldman
This episode also tackles common misconceptions about lung cancer, emphasizing that anyone with lungs can be affected. It encourages listeners to approach a cancer diagnosis with optimism, given the expanding array of treatment options and combinations available today. Throughout the discussion, the importance of ongoing research in developing new therapies and treatment strategies is stressed.
