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

The James Cancer and Aging Resiliency (CARE) clinic is a leader in treating older cancer patients. Patients have been treated with blood and bone marrow transplants (BMTs) for more than 40 years, but, initially, only younger patients were eligible. “There was a bar set as low as 40-years-old when this was a brand-new technology,” said Sarah Wall, MD, MPH, a James hematologist who specializes in treating patients with blood cancers. “Then it was 55 and 60 and 65 and now there is no official upper-age cutoff … it comes down to the individual patient.” In this episode, Wall explains the basics of BMTs. “There are two types, autologous, where a patient gets their own stem cells back, and allogeneic, in which we use donor cells,” she said. Improvements in the drugs used to treat graft-versus-host-disease (GVHD), which can occur in allogenic BMTs, have “really expanded the pool of donors for older adults who may only have siblings who are deceased or have had cancer themselves previously or some other disease that would make them ineligible,” Wall explained. “We have better drugs to prevent graft-versus-host-disease and to treat it when it does happen.” Several patients 70 and older have been treated with BMTs at the James. Wall said her oldest BMT patient is 80. “I have a [group] of the first three gentlemen 70 and older who I treated with a transplant all coming up to their five-year anniversary,” Wall said. “It’s a testament to them and to their families and caregiver support that they got through this. We’re the scaffolding they build this support on … and it’s very rewarding to be part of this and especially to open doors for people who thought they were closed.”

Episode 164:  - Treating Older Patients With Bone Marrow Transplants, with Dr. Sarah Wall

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 164: - Treating Older Patients With Bone Marrow Transplants, with Dr. Sarah Wall

The James Cancer-Free World Podcast

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