Conversations in Cancer

The Duke Cancer Institute’s Conversations in Cancer video series examines key developments and emerging innovations in oncology. Hosted by Diane Reidy-Lagunes, MD, chief of the Duke Division of Medial Oncology and associate vice president for oncology services for Duke University Healthy System, the series features conversations with DCI experts dedicated to advancing cancer research and patient care.


 

Can Vaccines Help Us Treat Cancer?

Dive into the world of cancer vaccines: what they are, do they kill cancer cells and how and what’s on the horizon. Duke Health's medical oncologist Diane Reidy-Lagunes, MD, and Duke Cancer Institute's cancer vaccine researcher Zachary Hartman, PhD, discuss these questions.

Could Plastics Be Causing Cancer?

We live in an environment where plastic is everywhere. It’s in our clothing fibers, the air we breathe, the food we eat, the gum we chew, and the water we drink. Jason Somarelli, Ph.D., an assistant professor in medicine at Duke, who studies microplastics and their effects on the human body and Diane Reidy-Lagunes, MD discuss the pervasiveness of plastic pollution, its potential impact on cancer risk, and what we can do to protect ourselves and future generations.

Should Immunotherapy Become the First Line of Treatment for Metastatic Cancer?

For many years, the focus of cancer treatment has been to kill or destroy cancer cells with chemotherapy and radiation. But new research from DCI is shifting how doctors view cancer and approach treatment decisions. Diane Reidy-Lagunes, MD, talks to Nicholas DeVito, MD, a Duke researcher and immunologist who treats colon and other gastrointestinal (GI) cancers, about his research suggesting that for an increasing number of GI cancers, certain types of immunotherapies may replace harsh cancer treatments as first-line therapy.