Dr. Keith Flaherty, director of clinical research at Massachusetts General Hospital and a Harvard Medical School professor, dives into the world of cancer therapeutics and diagnostics. He discusses the alarming statistics of cancer prevalence and the significant advancements made in treatment over the last decade, particularly immunotherapy. Flaherty also highlights breakthroughs in early detection using liquid biopsies, which can identify cancer at its nascent stage. The conversation further explores the relationship between obesity, hormones, and cancer, illuminating the future of oncological care.
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Cancer's Prevalence Across Age Groups
Cancer is a leading cause of death across all age groups, unlike other major diseases.
This highlights the urgency for effective treatments and early detection methods.
insights INSIGHT
Hormones and Cancer
Hormone-driven cancers, like breast and prostate, are linked to hormone receptors.
These cancers develop when hormone levels are low, suggesting cancer cells become independent of hormones for growth.
insights INSIGHT
Obesity and Cancer
Obesity is a significant environmental trigger for cancer, likely due to inflammation and growth factors, not adiposity itself.
This systemic effect influences insulin signaling, increasing cancer risk.
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Keith Flaherty is the director of clinical research at the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center and a previous guest on The Drive. In this episode, Keith first delves into the statistics on cancer's prevalence as we age, underscoring the significance of finding effective treatments and early detection methodologies. He touches on the history of cancer therapeutics and illuminates the notable enhancements in cancer therapy within the last decade that are setting the stage for a promising future. He goes into detail on the potential of immunotherapy and therapies that can combat cancer’s evasive tactics while explaining some of the existing challenges around specificity, cost, and scalability. Additionally, Keith highlights the significant leap in early detection methodologies, namely liquid biopsies, which have the potential not only to determine if a cancer is present in an early stage, but also identify the possible tissue of origin.
We discuss:
Keith’s interest and expertise in cancer [3:15];
Cancer deaths by decade of life, and how cancer compares to other top causes of death [7:00];
The relationship between hormones and cancer [12:00];
The link between obesity and cancer [18:45];
Current state of treatments for metastatic cancer and reasons for the lack of progress over the decades [22:30];
The interplay between the immune system and cancer cells [32:00];
Different ways cancer can suppress the immune response, and how immunotherapy can combat cancer’s evasive tactics [39:30];
Elimination of a substantial portion of cancers through immune cell engineering faces challenges of specificity, cost, and scalability [52:15];
Why TIL therapy isn’t always effective, and the necessity for multimodal therapy to address various aspects of the cancer microenvironment [1:01:00];
Potential developments in cancer therapy over the next five years: T-cell activation, metabolic interventions, targeting tumor microenvironments, and more [1:06:30];
The challenge of treating metastatic cancer underscores the importance of early detection to improve survivability [1:19:15];
Liquid biopsies for early detection of cancer and determining the possible tissue of origin [1:24:45];
Commercially available cancer screening tests [1:33:45];
How to address the disparity in cancer care, and the exciting pace of progress for cancer detection and treatment [1:40:15]; and
The Peter Attia Drive