The odds are good that you will never read the words “wonky” or “couch-potato-variety prostate cancer” in a medical dictionary. But there’s a good chance you’ll hear those and other terms in Cincinnati Cancer Advisors’ weekly “Medical Minute” podcast. The hosts and guests keep the conversation casual while discussing a variety of complex cancer- related topics.
The “Medical Minute” is the CCA’s latest effort in its mission to make Cincinnati one of the best places in the United States for those facing a cancer diagnosis. The video series aims to answer five cancer-based questions in a minute each. Episodes are approximately eight minutes long, including the intro and outro, and a new episode is posted each Wednesday at noon on CCA’s companion website, ccamedicalminute.org.
“Medical Minute” is the idea of CCA Executive Director Steve Abbott, an eight-year prostate cancer survivor. He has served as the podcast’s host and moderator since the series started late last year.
“The idea for this series was born of my own experiences as a patient, trying to understand the complex medical terminology I have encountered along the journey as a cancer survivor,” Abbott says. “I am someone who spends a significant amount of time trying to understand these terms, and I work side-by-side with oncologists daily, so I reasoned that it must be even worse for other patients.
“In most cases, cancer patients feel like they have been dropped on their head. Meanwhile, they are being asked to make some of the most profound, life-altering decisions they have ever made, using information they don’t even understand,” Abbott says. “Our goal with ‘Medical Minute’ is to demystify the language around cancer and, in doing so, put patients in a much better position to make good decisions and become their own advocates during their cancer journeys.”
The pilot episode featured guest Sherry Hughes, a two-year cancer survivor and former WCPO-TV meteorologist, as guest host. Now Hughes will serve as CCA’s director of strategic community engagement and share hosting duties with Abbott. The podcast will also feature world-renowned oncologists as well as cancer survivors sharing their stories.
“Doing the ‘Medical Minute’ isn’t just about educating people about cancer-related topics. It’s about breaking down complicated concepts so that they are not so scary,” says Jillian Hunt, CCA’s oncology nurse practitioner and regular podcast guest. “It’s about empowering patients and caregivers with knowledge but keeping it relaxed and lighthearted in the process.”
People have enough to worry about without having to decipher the confusing medical jargon that often goes with a cancer diagnosis, says the “Medical Minute” crew. They are committed to infusing each episode with a proper dose of informality.
The congenial podcast pairs perfectly with CCA’s overall mission. “Our mission, which is embodied in both our tagline and our logo, is ‘Great Care Begins with a Great Plan,’” says CCA
Founder Dr. Bill Barrett. “At CCA, we are empowering patients not only through our free, world-class, second-opinion service but also by providing them the information they need to make informed, intelligent decisions.”
Examples of questions addressed during “Medical Minute” episodes include:
What is triple-negative breast cancer, and how does it differ from other breast cancers?
Why were colorectal screenings recently changed to a lower age (45 vs. 50)?
What is non-small cell lung cancer? Why not large cell lung cancer?
What is the difference between Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and other lymphomas?
Why is there such a controversy about when
a man should get his first PSA (prostate-specific antigen) checked? Isn’t more information earlier always better when it comes to cancer?
CINCINNATI CANCER ADVISORS’ MISSION
With 30-plus years of experience consulting and treating cancer patients, the CCA oncology team wholeheartedly understands how overwhelmed a person feels when told, “You have cancer.” The peace of mind a second opinion can offer is, without a doubt, invaluable.
CCA doesn’t replace a patient’s primary oncology providers but supports those providers. The team advocates and researches on a patient’s behalf, ensuring their cancer care plan is the right care plan for the best outcome possible.
At CCA, leading cancer care experts meet directly with patients, spending an average of six to eight hours on each case. They listen and communicate clearly in language a patient and their family can understand. And, because CCA believes cancer patients deserve not to worry about the cost of a second opinion, the consultation is free. Guaranteed.
“We embrace the advisory role,” Abbott says. “We look closely at patient records, and we confer internally and with other experts. We issue a 15- to 25-page report when advising a patient on clinical trials. It’s not a quick process. It’s a relationship.”
CCA consultation services are free thanks to funding from the Cincinnati Cancer Foundation (CCF), which Barrett established in 2018. Last September, the foundation hosted its first golf outing and fundraiser at Maketewah Country Club. The proceeds raised helped raise money for CCA, funded cancer research at the University of Cincinnati Cancer Center and supported the nursing program at Xavier University. The event’s theme was “Bearcats & Musketeers vs. Cancer.”
“The biggest rivals in this city coming together to combat a mutual adversary was representative of all our local health systems and medical practices acknowledging that the competition is not each other, it’s cancer,” Barrett says. “We want the best possible outcomes for people treated everywhere in Cincinnati. Cancer survivors know all too well that it takes an entire team of health care providers, patient resources, family members and friends to help them in their cancer journey and ensure the best prognosis for their disease.
“The ‘Medical Minute’ is a further extension of CCA’s team philosophy, empowering patients by explaining otherwise- complicated terms in a way that can be more easily understood, that patients can digest on their own time and at their own pace.”
Do you need a free second opinion on your cancer diagnosis? Contact Cincinnati Cancer Advisors at cincinnaticanceradvisors.org.