Pelotonia is an emotional rollercoaster filled with special moments, connections, community and lots of memories. In this new episode, David Cohn, MD, joins Steve as co-host. Dave is the interim chief executive director of the James, has ridden in every Pelotonia, and has a lot of memories. “It’s truly an emotional experience and I’m not hesitant to say I’ve cried at every Pelotonia at some point,” he said. We’ll also hear from five other James physicians who participate in Pelotonia. Tim Pawlik came to Ohio State and the James a few weeks before a Pelotonia ride, and “I was blown away … the number of people riding and the number of people supporting the ride and the number of people along the side of the road.” Eric Singer is brand new at the James, recruited from a cancer hospital in New Jersey. However, the urologist knew about Pelotonia from one of his patients, a New Jersey man who rode ever year in Pelotonia. Joel Mayerson, an orthopedic oncologist, said his favorite memories are riding with patients. “It’s an amazing feeling,” he said. Samantha Jaglowski was treated for a brain tumor and has some related physical issues that prevent her from riding. Instead, over the years, she has been a volunteer and a Challenger, raising money for Pelotonia. Mary Dillhoff has a rather unique way to cover the Pelotonia course: she runs. As much as 72 miles.

Episode 143: My Favorite Pelotonia Memory, Featuring Six James Physicians

A new clinical trial at the James is pioneering the use of telemedicine to create better treatment options for patients with a rare form of pancreatic cancer. “This is the first nationwide telemedicine therapeutic clinical trial for cancer,” said Sameek Roychowdhury, MD, PhD, a physician scientist and leader in creating innovative ways to look at, understand and treat cancer. “It’s a new way of thinking and providing access to clinical trials.” Roychowdhury and his team at the James identified the fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) gene and how “using a smart drug we could turn it off and slow the cancer growth” it caused. A traditional clinical trial using the smart drug showed promising results in patients with pancreatic cancer and the FGFR gene. Because this was a rare type of cancer, a national clinical trial would be costly.  “How do we give patients access to this?” Roychowdhury said. The answer came during the COVID pandemic and the increased use of telemedicine. “That allowed us to connect the dots and utilize telemedicine,” he said. After a lengthy regulatory and approval process that created a well-thought out and workable plan, the clinical trial began in May. Patients identified with pancreatic cancer and the FGFR gene will be able to remain at home and coordinate their treatment with their local oncologists and Roychowdhury and his team, who will work in tandem. “Instead of a clinical trial in 50 locations and a $20 million price tag, we’ve reduced the cost to $2 million,” he said. Roychowdhury believes this clinical trial will lead to others for rare cancers and make it more cost effective for pharmaceutical companies to create smart drugs for rare forms of cancer. He is working to create a national alliance of oncologists to share ideas, best practices and create more telemedicine clinical trials for rare types of cancers that would otherwise never be opened. “We have identified seven more targets and clinical trials [here at the James],” Roychowdhury said.

Episode 193: The Nation's First Telemedicine Cancer Clinical Trial, with Dr. Sameek Roychowdhury

In the premier episode of The James Cancer-Free World Podcast, we talk with a cancer detective: Sameek Roychowdhury, MD, PhD. He’ll explain how breakthroughs in genetic coding now allow doctors to detect and target the mutations causing a patient’s cancer … and, in many cases, bring patients back from the brink.

Episode 1: Precision Cancer Medicine with Dr. Sameek Roychowdhury

Join us on The James Cancer-Free World Podcast as we talk to the top scientists and doctors at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC – James). They’ll discuss – in easy-to-understand language – all the cutting-edge cancer research going on at Ohio State and how this is improving patient care and ultimately saving lives.

About the OSUCCC – James:
The OSUCCC – James strives to create a cancer-free world by integrating scientific research with excellence in education and patient-centered care, a strategy that leads to better methods of prevention, detection and treatment. Since 1976, the OSUCCC – James has been a National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers and one of only a few centers funded by the NCI to conduct both phase I and phase II clinical trials on novel anticancer drugs. As the cancer program’s adult patient-care component, The James is one of the top cancer hospitals in the nation as ranked by U.S. News & World Report and has achieved Magnet ® designation, the highest honor an organization can receive for quality patient care and professional nursing practice.

Episode 193: The Nation's First Telemedicine Cancer Clinical Trial, with Dr. Sameek Roychowdhury

The James Cancer-Free World Podcast

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