Healthcare Unfiltered

Latest Episodes:

Episode 279 - CGT in the Community: Challenges and Solutions May 12, 2026

Show notes

Gary L. Simmons, DO, MSHA—physician and entrepreneur in a Virginia community practice—dives into the rapidly evolving world of cell and gene therapy (CGT), including bone marrow transplant, CAR-T, and TILs, and what it takes to bring these cutting-edge treatments safely into the community setting. He unpacks the operational, financial, and workforce challenges of building and scaling a CGT program outside of academia, from payer hesitancy and 340B pressures to the infrastructure and staffing required for success. The conversation also explores the future of CGT, how innovation may reshape access, and why community practices could play a critical role as demand outpaces traditional academic centers.
Check out Chadi’s website for all Healthcare Unfiltered episodes and other content. https://www.chadinabhan.com/
Watch all Healthcare Unfiltered episodes on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjiJPTpIJdIiukcq0UaMFsA

Episode 278: What’s New in Multicancer Early Detection With Tom Beer May 05, 2026

Show notes

Returning guest Dr. Tom Beer, Chief Medical Officer for Multicancer Early Detection (MCED) at Exact Sciences, joins the show to break down the promise and complexity of MCED testing—what it is, the clinical gap it aims to fill, and how it could reshape cancer diagnostics. He explores which patient populations may benefit most, the current limitations across different cancer types, and whether MCED tests are poised to complement or replace traditional single-cancer screening approaches. The conversation also tackles key nuances like balancing sensitivity and specificity, interpreting negative results, and how clinicians and patients should think about repeat testing in an evolving screening landscape.
Check out Chadi’s website for all Healthcare Unfiltered episodes and other content. https://www.chadinabhan.com/
Watch all Healthcare Unfiltered episodes on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjiJPTpIJdIiukcq0UaMFsA

Episode 277 - When “Yes” Becomes Too Much: Confronting Physician Burnout Apr 28, 2026

Show notes

Chadi sits down with Dan Golden, MD, MHPE, Associate Professor of Radiation Oncology at Rush University, to discuss his deeply personal and recently published account of physician burnout. He shares the mental and physical toll of burnout, clarifies how it differs from depression and anxiety, and reflects on the pressures of academic medicine’s “say yes to everything” culture that leaves little room for setting boundaries. From masking symptoms and navigating a job change that added stress, to ultimately taking leaves of absence and undergoing intensive therapy, Dr. Golden offers an unfiltered look at how dire things became—and why speaking out may help others facing the same struggle.
Read his article on burnout.
https://www.redjournal.org/article/S0360-3016(25)06438-7/fulltext
Check out Chadi’s website for all Healthcare Unfiltered episodes and other content. https://www.chadinabhan.com/
Watch all Healthcare Unfiltered episodes on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjiJPTpIJdIiukcq0UaMFsA

Episode 276: Radiation Therapy for GI Cancer With Nina Sanford Apr 21, 2026

Show notes

Chadi sits down with Nina Sanford, MD, Chief of Gastrointestinal Radiation Oncology Service at UT Southwestern, to explore the evolving landscape of radiation therapy in upper and lower GI malignancies. They discuss how advances in systemic treatments are reshaping radiation strategies, current standards of care in colorectal, gastroesophageal, pancreatic cancers, and liver cancers, and the growing role of organ preservation and adaptive radiation in improving patient outcomes. Dr. Sanford also shares insights into emerging clinical trials, personalized treatment approaches, and what she is most excited about in the future of GI radiation oncology.
Check out Chadi’s website for all Healthcare Unfiltered episodes and other content. https://www.chadinabhan.com/
Watch all Healthcare Unfiltered episodes on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjiJPTpIJdIiukcq0UaMFsA

Episode 275: PAVING the Path After Breast Cancer With Amy Comander Apr 14, 2026

Show notes

Chadi sits down with Amy Comander, MD, a breast cancer medical oncologist at Mass General Brigham Cancer Institute and author of “Paving Your Path Through Breast Cancer and Beyond,” to discuss how patients can take control of their health and quality of life after a breast cancer diagnosis. She shares the inspiration behind her book and offers a practical, lifestyle medicine–focused roadmap—covering nutrition, physical activity, sleep, stress management, and social connection—along with her “PAVING” framework for sustainable change. The conversation also explores her perspectives on popular diets, the psychological aspects of survivorship, and the key takeaways she hopes patients and caregivers carry with them beyond treatment.
View more about her book.
https://healthylearning.com/paving-your-path-through-breast-cancer-and-beyond/
Check out Chadi’s website for all Healthcare Unfiltered episodes and other content. https://www.chadinabhan.com/
Watch all Healthcare Unfiltered episodes on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjiJPTpIJdIiukcq0UaMFsA

Episode 274 - Food and Cancer: The Truth Apr 07, 2026

Show notes

Chadi sits down again with Dr. Urvi Shah for an in-depth, evidence-driven exploration of the often confusing relationship between food and cancer. They dive into how nutritional research is actually conducted—and why it’s so challenging—while separating widely regarded myths from what high-quality data truly support, including nuanced discussions on processed foods, red meat, plant-based diets, ketogenic diets, intermittent fasting, and alcohol use. Dr. Shah also offers practical, science-backed recommendations for cancer prevention in the general population, as well as thoughtful guidance on how patients might approach diet and lifestyle changes after a cancer diagnosis.
Check out Chadi’s website for all Healthcare Unfiltered episodes and other content. https://www.chadinabhan.com/
Watch all Healthcare Unfiltered episodes on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjiJPTpIJdIiukcq0UaMFsA

Episode 273 - Radiation Oncology: Past and Future Mar 31, 2026

Show notes

Chadi sits down with Dr. William “Bill” Small, Jr., a nationally recognized radiation oncologist and cancer center director at Loyola University Chicago, to explore the evolution of radiation oncology from its historical foundations to its rapidly advancing future. They discuss cutting-edge developments including proton therapy, radiopharmaceuticals, and the growing integration of molecular tumor profiling with precision radiation techniques, as well as the field’s increasing collaboration with medical oncology. Dr. Small also shares insights on mentoring the next generation of researchers, expanding clinical trials in radiation oncology, and addressing critical challenges such as overtreatment while shaping the future of the discipline.
Check out Chadi’s website for all Healthcare Unfiltered episodes and other content. https://www.chadinabhan.com/
Watch all Healthcare Unfiltered episodes on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjiJPTpIJdIiukcq0UaMFsA

Episode 272: Genomics for Rare Diseases With Katherine Stueland Mar 24, 2026

Show notes

Chadi sits down with Katherine Stueland, President and CEO of GeneDx, to explore how genomic sequencing is transforming the diagnosis of rare diseases—especially for pediatric patients who often endure years searching for answers. She discusses the company’s work analyzing the full genome to uncover gene–disease correlations, its efforts to bring advanced genetic testing directly into pediatricians’ offices through education and access initiatives, and how its massive rare-disease dataset is helping clinicians deliver faster, more precise diagnoses. The conversation also looks ahead to the expanding role of genomics in adult conditions such as neurodegenerative diseases, the potential of partnerships with biopharma, and how AI-driven analysis of large genomic datasets is accelerating discovery and precision medicine.
Check out Chadi’s website for all Healthcare Unfiltered episodes and other content. https://www.chadinabhan.com/
Watch all Healthcare Unfiltered episodes on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjiJPTpIJdIiukcq0UaMFsA

Episode 271: Behind the Scenes of “The Pitt” With Sylvia Owusu-Ansah Mar 17, 2026

Show notes

Chadi sits down with Dr. Sylvia Owusu-Ansah, a pediatric emergency physician at UPMC, to discuss her role as a medical advisor for the HBO Max series “The Pitt” and how she helped bring real-world authenticity to the show. She explains how the writers first approached her and asked a key question—what stories have not yet been told on medical dramas—which led her to highlight issues such as the challenges of sickle-cell pain management and share the powerful real-life story of a 17-year-old patient that ultimately inspired a storyline in the series. Dr. Owusu-Ansah also reflects on how her own experiences, including those as a Black physician in emergency medicine, informed the perspectives she brought to the writers’ room, and she discusses what “The Pitt” portrays most accurately about life in the ER and how the show differs from traditional medical dramas in its approach to realism.
Read more about Dr. Owusu-Ansah’s inspiration for “The Pitt.”
https://www.health.pitt.edu/news/pitt-doctor-sylvia-owusu-ansahs-story-influenced-upcoming-series-pitt
Check out Chadi’s website for all Healthcare Unfiltered episodes and other content. https://www.chadinabhan.com/
Watch all Healthcare Unfiltered episodes on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjiJPTpIJdIiukcq0UaMFsA

Episode 270: Translational Research Questions in Small Cell Lung Cancer Mar 10, 2026

Show notes

Chadi sits down with Misty Shields, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine in the Division of Hematology/Oncology at Indiana University School of Medicine, to explore the evolving translational research landscape in small cell lung cancer. Together, they discuss the pivotal shift in how small cell lung cancer is biologically classified, the modern roles of prophylactic cranial irradiation and immunotherapy, and how these approaches are being refined through ongoing research. Dr. Shields also highlights the importance of next-generation sequencing, biomarker development, and the exciting compound combinations under investigation—offering a compelling look at how today’s lab discoveries are shaping tomorrow’s clinical breakthroughs.
Check out Chadi’s website for all Healthcare Unfiltered episodes and other content. https://www.chadinabhan.com/
Watch all Healthcare Unfiltered episodes on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjiJPTpIJdIiukcq0UaMFsA

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