Talk Nerdy to Me, Part 2: The Future of Cancer Treatment with Dr. Laura Shawver and Dr. Beth Karlan

Our guest this episode is Dr. Beth Karlan, recent recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Gynecologic Cancer Society (IGCS), and a surgeon who has three decades of experience treating women with ovarian cancer.  

You're going to want to find a quiet space to enjoy this interview, because it's our most content-packed episode yet, covering topics that will be useful to anyone with an interest in the current and future state of cancer treatment, and particularly for gynecological cancers.

Some of the topics covered:

• how precision medicine is moving beyond one size fits all chemotherapy

• how to make sure you're getting the best care possible

• why it's so important to find care that follows NCCN guidelines

• the untapped personal benefits of participating in clinical trials early in the course of treatment

• the differences between Phase 1, 2 and 3 clinical trials

• what PARP inhibitors are

• what germline testing is, and why it should be top of the list for any woman diagnosed with ovarian cancer

• the difference between high grade and low grade cancers and how they require different treatment approaches

• what's important to know about the checkpoint inhibitor immunotherapy drugs that you see advertised on TV 

• how Avastin works

• information for those considering additional debulking surgery after recurrence

• why researchers and doctors are excited about ADCs, or antibody drug conjugates

• the importance of getting the right psychosocial support (like Clearity's own Steps Through OC) during treatment


About Clearity

Cancer Connections is produced by Clearity, which provides free support and services to people impacted by ovarian cancer. You can learn more about Clearity and the topics we've discussed today by visiting clearity.org. Or, feel free to email us your questions or comments at [e-mail]. Thanks!