Shows
Oncology UnscriptedIntroduction to Radiology with Costa Raptis, MDSend us a textOn this episode of Oncology Unscripted, patient advocates Julie Johnson and Katie Coleman and radiation oncologist Dr. Matt Spraker host radiologist Dr. Costa Raptis, MD.We start by discussing the process of acquiring and interpreting radiographic images. What happens after you get your scan, and how do radiologists read them and generate reports? Also, how can patients know they are getting the right type of scan? We review some details of CT, MRI, and PET/CT scans. Then we discuss an essential question: "What is normal?". How do...2025-06-251h 33
The Accelerators Podcast“What Workforce Challenges Exist”: APRT Revisited With Marsha and JoinSend us a textWelcome to Season 4! The Accelerators (Dr. Matt Spraker and Cameron Tharp, MPH, RT(T)) kick it off with a sequel to our prior podcast on the Advanced Practice Radiation Therapist (APRT) role. We host friends-of-the-show Drs. Join Luh and Marsha Haley, Radiation Oncologists who bring important past experiences and unique expertise to the discussion. We kick off by examining some articles from the Spring 2025 issue of ASRT's Radiation Therapist:Caldwell and Lee, Defining Advanced Practice Radiation Therapy at MDACCBurch et al., Advanced Practice Role in IGSRT for...2025-06-1152 minOncology UnscriptedAblative Radiation (SABR, Aka SBRT) for Kidney Cancer With Dr. Shankar SivaSend us a textOn this episode of Oncology Unscripted, patient advocate Katie Coleman and radiation oncologist Dr. Matt Spraker host another radiation oncologist, Dr. Shankar Siva, PhD, MBBS, FRANZCR. Shankar is an oncologist and professor at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Victoria, Australia, and a specialist in genitourinary cancers, such as Kidney Cancer. We discuss stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy (SABR, aka SBRT) for kidney cancer! We review many of the studies that demonstrate it is an excellent tool to treat localized or metastatic kidney cancer, and why patients should consider it for th...2025-03-281h 00Oncology UnscriptedAnxietySend us a textOn this episode of Oncology Unscripted, patient advocates Julie Johnson and Katie Coleman and radiation oncologist Dr. Matt Spraker start to discuss scanxiety.Matt starts by sharing ASCO guidelines, one framework to assist oncologists and patients treat anxiety that comes up at diagnosis and throughout cancer treatment. Then Julie and Katie share their experiences and thoughts about how they have coped with anxiety around tests, scan intervals, and the possibility of future treatment. Oncology Unscripted is a Photon Media production. Intro and Outro music by Emmy-award winning ar...2025-03-191h 05The Accelerators PodcastThe 2025 ACRO (Vice)Presidential DebateSend us a textThe Accelerators (Drs. Matt Spraker and Simul Parikh) host the 2025 ACRO candidates for Vice President/President-Elect in the first ever radiation oncology election debate! Well, it's more like a friendly discussion, but Simul asked them their opinions on 4 great topics. What differentiates ACRO from other radiation oncology societies? Can you explain ACRO's position on physician supervision of radiation oncology services over the years? Why link accreditation to payment in ROCR?Should proton therapy be included in ROCR, and what is your position on the PPS exemption program? The Accelerators Podca...2025-02-1958 minThe Accelerators Podcast“Look, This Treatment Works”: Bobby and Mudit on LDRT and Benign IndicationsSend us a textAccelerators co-host Dr. Matt Spraker is joined by radiation oncologists Drs. Bobby Koneru and Mudit Chowdhary for an update on low dose radiotherapy for osteoarthritis! Dr. Koneru is a radiation oncologist in Freeport, IL and prolific social media educator on benign indications. Dr. Chowdhary is a radiation oncologist at Northside Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia, and a friend of TAP (see his prior episodes).We start by discussing their ASTRO 2024 panel on benign indications for radiotherapy; it sounds like there was a lot of knowledge sharing among those getting started w...2025-02-1146 minThe Accelerators Podcast“I Care About You as a Fellow Human”: In Conversation With Dr. Stacy WentworthSend us a textThe Accelerators (Drs. Matt Spraker and Simul Parikh) host Dr. Stacy Wentworth, Radiation Oncologist, Author, and Podcaster! We discuss her career and how she developed her voice as a physician content creator. Do not miss her Less Radical narrative podcast about the life of Bernie Fisher, it is a masterpiece! In this episode, we cover our experiences with our evolving careers. As a radiation oncologists solidify their clinical and technical expertise, how can they expand their ability to help the world?We discuss developing a voice outside...2025-01-1858 min
The Accelerators Podcast“Only Eat a Quarter of the Cookie”: On Cannabis With Donald AbramsSend us a textThe Accelerators (Drs. Matt Spraker and Simul Parikh) host Dr. Donald Abrams, MD, Medical and Integrative Oncologist at the UCSF Oscher Center for Integrative Health. Donald offers a comprehensive review of a very poorly understood topic! We review the history of cannabis regulation in the US and globally, different delivery forms, and Donald's observations throughout his oncology practice. We additionally discuss indications for use in cancer care; is smoking cannabis safer than taking sugary edibles?Of course, we discuss cannabis misinformation. Right now Donald offers...2024-11-261h 00Oncology UnscriptedIntroduction to Pathology with Michelle Hirsch, MD, PhDSend us a textOn this episode of Oncology Unscripted, patient advocates Julie Johnson and Katie Coleman and radiation oncologist Dr. Matt Spraker host Dr. Michelle Hirsch, MD, PhD. She is a pathologist and Chief of the Genitourinary Pathology Division at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard University.In this episode, we cover all things pathology! We kick off by discussing the role of the pathologist in the cancer care team. How do these doctors train and what do they do each day? Then we discuss the process of pathology. What hap...2024-11-251h 30
The Accelerators Podcast“Taking Care of Our Patients”: Advanced Practice Radiation Therapy With Cam and ShaunSend us a textCameron Tharp, MPH, RTT joins The Accelerators (Drs. Matt Spraker and Simul Parikh), and we host radiation therapist Shaun Caldwell, EdD, RTT to discuss the Advanced Practice Radiation Therapist (APRT) role. Here are some things we discussed during the show:Mohan et al. on record and verify systems (1984)American Society of Radiologic Technologists (ASRT)American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT)Health Education England Advanced Clinical Practice DefinitionHere are some peer reviewed publications on the APRT role:Lawlor and Leech. Scoping review of established APRT rolesSkubish et al. E...2024-09-3059 minThe Accelerators PodcastNo Cap, AI Contouring is Straight Fire in Radiation TherapySend us a textThe Accelerators (Drs. Matt Spraker and Simul Parikh) host Christine Gnaster, MS, DABR, FAAPM, Vice President of Product of Radformation and medical physicist Chelsea Page-Robertson for a #MedEd discussion of AutoContour, ClearCheck, and the use of AI in Radiation Oncology. Christine kicks us off with an approachable overview of how tools like AutoContour actually work. We discuss how Radformation have trained hundreds of models to help you contour in clinic. She also shares how they are approaching current challenges in the field of automated contouring. We then discuss ClearCheck, ho...2024-09-251h 01The Accelerators PodcastThe Future of SGRT: Beyond Traditional Motion ManagementSend us a textThe Accelerators (Drs. Matt Spraker and Simul Parikh) team up with Vision RT for the first of two tech-forward episodes! We are joined by Mike Tallhamer, MSc DABR, Chief of Radiation Physics at Advent Health for a masterclass on Surface Guided Radiotherapy (SGRT). We discuss how VisionRT has leveraged SGRT to enhance the radiotherapy planning and delivery. After reviewing SGRT basics, we discuss how SimRT can be used to improve the patient experience: no set up tattoos and "open mask" radiotherapy. We also review its use as a platform f...2024-09-241h 12The Accelerators Podcast“Cambrian Explosion of Radiotracers”: In Conversation With Sam and Sean From RefleXionSend us a textThe Accelerators (Drs. Matt Spraker and Simul Parikh) host Sam Mazin, Ph.D. and Sean Shirvani, MD, CTO and CMO of RefleXion. This Rad Onc startup have created a linear accelerator with on board PET/CT. This allows for SCINTIX biology-guided radiotherapy for bone and lung disease. Sam and Sean join the show to share their story in medical entrepreneurship, discuss the technology, and their vision for the future of our field. Why is SCINTIX any better than fusing a PET/CT to a standard CT simulation? PET...2024-07-2458 min
The Accelerators Podcast“People Are Claiming That Radiation Is Dead”: Esophagus Cancer at ASCO24 With Krish and NinaSend us a textThe Accelerators (Drs. Matt Spraker and Simul Parikh) host Radiation Oncologists and elite GI educators Drs. Krish Jethwa and Nina Sanford.We discuss the exciting phase III ESOPEC study presented at ASCO 2024. The study demonstrated an overall survival benefit for perioperative FLOT chemotherapy versus pre-operative chemoradiation therapy for GE junction adenocarcinoma. Krish's ESOPEC thread on XNina's ESOPEC thread on XKrish on TAP discussing esophageal radiotherapy dosingASCO Daily News on the ESOPEC StudyThe FLOT4 StudyKeynote-585 StudyLatest publication from the DANTE trialMATTERHORN Trial at ESMO 2023ASCO Daily News on Keynote-585 and MATTERHORN (2024)T...2024-06-2851 minOncology UnscriptedExercise and Cancer Rehab with Hillary Hinrichs, DPT and Kelley Wood, PhDSend us a textOn this episode of Oncology Unscripted, patient advocates Julie Johnson and Katie Coleman and radiation oncologist Dr. Matt Spraker host physical therapist Dr. Hillary Hinrichs and researcher Dr. Kelley Wood (@kcwood_phd on X) to discuss exercise and cancer rehabilitation. We kick off our discussion with an important question. What is cancer rehabilitation, and how is this different than exercise? Then, we discuss how patients can find out how cancer rehabilitation and exercise can play a role in their care. How can you ask your doctor whether you need a...2024-06-071h 20The Accelerators Podcast“Were Not the Only People in Town”: Introducing Cameron Tharp, M.P.H., R.T.T.Send us a textThe Accelerators (Drs. Matt Spraker and Simul Parikh) host a very special guest! Cameron Tharp, M.P.H., R.T.T. has joined the TAP team to help us out with show development and offer new perspective to our content. We introduce Cameron and tease future discussions on a hot radiation therapy topic: Advanced Practice Radiation Therapy.Of course, Simul makes Cameron sit in The Hot Seat. Here are some resources as well as some other things mentioned in the show:Oliveria et al., Adv...2024-06-0532 minThe Accelerators Podcast“Off of My Napkin and Into the Computer”: Enhancing Re-Irradiation With Dora From KSA and Ana From RadformationSend us a textThe Accelerators (Drs. Matt Spraker and Simul Parikh) team up with Radformation for a very special #ESTRO24 episode! We host Dr. Dora Correia, a Portuguese Radiation Oncologist currently working at Cantonal Hospital Aarau in Switzerland and EORTC Y-ECI ROSC Chair as well as Ana Rato, Medical Dosimetrist and Clinical Success Manager with Radformation. In honor of ESTRO 2024, we discuss a hot topic for the conference... reirradiation! We first compare and contrast patterns of referral and practice in Switzerland versus the US then give our thoughts on the...2024-04-301h 15The Accelerators Podcast“The Organization Is Bigger Than Any Individual”: On Physician Leadership With ASCO CEO Dr. Clifford HudisSend us a textThe Accelerators (Drs. Matt Spraker and Simul Parikh) host Dr. Clifford Hudis, medical oncologist and CEO of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. We discuss a wide range of topics surrounding organizational leadership. While we examined the topic through a physician's lens, anyone that works in healthcare will love this conversation! Leadership coaching, physician-led healthcare organizations, remote work and virtual care, engaging law makers and the public, and more! Learn from one of oncology's best physician leaders. Here are some other things we discussed during the...2024-04-231h 27
The Accelerators PodcastOn Lymphedema and Treatment with Mary and Katelyn from Tactile MedicalSend us a textIn this episode, The Accelerators (Drs. Matt Spraker and Simul Parikh) host Mary Calys, DPT, a lymphedema physical therapist, and Katelyn Nees. They are the Senior Clinical Specialist and Senior Market Development Director for Tactile Medical, respectively. Mary and Katelyn update our medical knowledge on the etiology and management of lymphedema with a special focus on breast and head & neck cancers. Do not miss the awesome resources they provided for this show: a high-quality slide deck, clinician resources for lymphedema management in breast and head and neck cancers, and...2024-04-091h 00Oncology Unscripted"Ask Me Anything"Send us a textOn this episode of Oncology Unscripted, patient advocates Julie Johnson and Katie Coleman and radiation oncologist Dr. Matt Spraker subject each other to an "Ask Me Anything"! Here are the questions we asked each other:1. What do you wish doctors and other people without cancer knew about how the diagnosis actually changed your day to day life? 2. What do you wish more patients knew or did early in their diagnosis? 3. What is one thing you'd like to see changed or improved in medicine in the n...2024-03-2954 minThe Accelerators Podcast“Its Worth Asking Why”: In Conversation With Todd ScarbroughSend us a textAt the end of last year, Dr. Jason Beckta published a docu-podcast about clinical supervision of radiotherapy services (parts one, two, and three). The series covers supervision terms, legal precedent, and dispels the misinformation shared by conflicted parties. In this episode, The Accelerators (Drs. Matt Spraker and Simul Parikh) join up with Jason to interview the famous Dr. Todd Scarbrough, the radiation oncologist at the center of supervision lore.Todd shares his story and we discuss many aspects of supervision policy. Here are some links to things di...2024-03-081h 37The Accelerators Podcast“Xeet It Out”: Austin, Anna, and Avinash on the ASTRO ECCSend us a textThe Accelerators (Drs. Matt Spraker and Simul Parikh) host early career radiation oncologists Drs. Austin Sim, Anna Paulsson, and Avinash Chaurasia to discuss... early career (EC) issues in radiation oncology! It's no secret that this is a passion topic for TAP. One of our first episodes dished out practical tips for new attendings (and new residents), and we've since given an independent voice to our EC peers on a wide range of topics: boards, starting families, finding your place in community medicine, and more.We've been watching the work...2024-02-2955 minThe Accelerators Podcast“Ignoring the Elephant in the Room”: Matt Interviews Simul About Discourse in Rad OncSend us a textThe Accelerators (Drs. Matt Spraker and Simul Parikh) discuss critique versus negativity, why Simul quit social media, Student Doctor Network, and engaging in discourse about Radiation Oncology.This episode is a companion to an episode we recorded in December, but Matt initially decided to hold it back. The episode is a strong, journal club style critique of payer policy article published by the IJROBP that we feel should be retracted.We encourage you to listen to our "almost lost" episode and additionally read Mark Storey's amazing rebuttal to the...2024-02-1347 minThe Accelerators Podcast“A Recent Article in the Red Journal”: A Rad Onc Policy Journal ClubSend us a textFor the first time ever, a lost episode has been found!The Accelerators (Drs. Matt Spraker and Simul Parikh) recorded a "reaction" episode to a brief report published in December 2023 in the IJROBP shortly after it published. The article demonstrates that freestanding departments have been slightly slower to implement hypofractionation for treatment of breast and prostate cancers that hospital-based departments. The authors argue that this burdens the healthcare system and propose ROCR as an incentive to drive increased use of these techniques. In this episode, we discuss...2024-02-1344 minOncology UnscriptedHow To Pick Your DoctorSend us a textOn this episode of Oncology Unscripted, patient advocates Julie Johnson and Katie Coleman and radiation oncologist Dr. Matt Spraker start to discuss how patients might pick their doctor. Here links to some things we discussed during the show:United Health Care, 7 tips for choosing a primary care doctor.US Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Choosing a Doctor: Quick Tips.Blue Cross Blue Shield, Five tips for choosing a new primary care physician.WebMD.com, How to Choose a Doctor.Oncology Unscripted i...2024-02-1036 minThe Accelerators Podcast“Squatting Under the Table Feeding Them Answers”: In Conversation With Mike Yunes of the ABRSend us a textThe Accelerators (Drs. Matt Spraker and Simul Parikh) host new Associate Executive Director for Radiation Oncology at The American Board of Radiology (ABR), Dr. Michael Yunes! Mike is a community radiation oncologist in Springfield, MA and long time volunteer for the ABR. The transition to his leadership comes after a turbulent period for the Rad Onc board. Communication around the 2018 score anomalies dragged trainee confidence in the ABR to new lows and, soon after, COVID forced the board to complete a rapid redesign of testing. More than 5 years later, the...2024-02-071h 13