Melisa Wong's guest appearances

Melisa Wong

GeriPal

Your Unapologetic Career Podcast

OwlTail

Dr. Melisa Wong is a thoracic medical oncologist and geriatric oncology clinician-investigator at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). Melisa’s research aims to transform cancer care for older adults—to help patients clarify their goals and values in the face of uncertainty and support oncologists to keep these truths at the core of the care they provide.  Melisa directs the UCSF Older Adult Cancer Care Program and co-chairs the Cancer and Aging Research Group Health Services Research Core. She is the PI of a National Institute on Aging (NIA) Paul B. Beeson Emerging Leaders Career Development Award in Aging (K76). Prior research funding includes an NIA R03, American Society of Clinical Oncology Young Investigator Award, UCSF KL2, and UCSF Pepper Center Advanced Scholars Award. She is also an alumnae of our Get That Grant coaching program and an ongoing coaching client! Listen in as we discuss her coaching journey and: Having a pandemic baby with no childcare  – and survivingMaxing out on what she could achieve to avoid burnout on her own (she did a lot!) – and then turning to coaching How learning how to make decisions in a new way removed the fear of screwing upThe counterintuitive process of using planning and goal setting and structure to ADD more flexibility to her dayIf you loved this convo, please go find Melisa on Twitter (@melisawongmd) and show her some love!

Dr. Melisa Wong is a thoracic medical oncologist and geriatric oncology clinician-investigator at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). Melisa’s research aims to transform cancer care for older adults—to help patients clarify their goals and values in the face of uncertainty and support oncologists to keep these truths at the core of the care they provide.  Melisa directs the UCSF Older Adult Cancer Care Program and co-chairs the Cancer and Aging Research Group Health Services Research Core. She is the PI of a National Institute on Aging (NIA) Paul B. Beeson Emerging Leaders Career Development Award in Aging (K76). Prior research funding includes an NIA R03, American Society of Clinical Oncology Young Investigator Award, UCSF KL2, and UCSF Pepper Center Advanced Scholars Award. She is also an alumnae of our Get That Grant coaching program and an ongoing coaching client! Listen in as we discuss her coaching journey and: <ul><li>Having a pandemic baby with no childcare  – and surviving</li><li>Maxing out on what she could achieve to avoid burnout on her own (she did a lot!) – and then turning to coaching </li><li>How learning how to make decisions in a new way removed the fear of screwing up</li><li>The counterintuitive process of using planning and goal setting and structure to ADD more flexibility to her day</li></ul> If you loved this convo, please go find Melisa on Twitter (@melisawongmd) and show her some love!

61 Coaching Client Spotlight: Melisa Wong, MD, MAS

Louise Walter

Geriatric Oncology has arrived.  Yes, Louise Walter has been leading the fight to improve cancer screening in older adults for years.  But when it came to geriatricizing the way we assess and treat older adults with cancer, the evidence was thin. In our prior  podcast with Supriya Mohile and William Dale on geriatric assessment in oncology, we couldn’t say for certain if a geriatric assessment was helpful for patients with cancer.  Well now we can.   We are joined by Melisa Wong, a geriatric oncologist, and Louise Walter, a geriatrician and leader in cancer screening for older adults, to talk about the shifting landscape of geriatric oncology, including:  How to think about cancer screening in older adults, moving beyond a one-size-fits all age-based approach to  individualize cancer screening decisions.  We also talk about the importance of thought pieces in driving a field forward. 2 landmark trials of the geriatric assessment in oncology, one in  JAMA Oncology (first author Daneng Li) and the other in the  Lancet (first author Supriya Mohile) (William Dale senior author for both studies).  In both studies, grade 3+ toxicity was reduced in the geriatric assessment arm. Melisa Wong’s study in  JAGS finding a constriction of life space for older adults with cancer, and discussion of patient centered outcomes beyond traditional outcomes such as grade 3+ chemotherapy toxicity.  Links of Interest:   Association of Community Cancer Center site on Geriatric Oncology Cancer and Aging Research Group  And as a bonus, you get to hear Louise on piano and vocals and I cover Wouldn’t It be Loverly, from My Fair Lady.   -Enjoy!

Geriatric Oncology has arrived.  Yes, Louise Walter has been leading the fight to improve cancer screening in older adults for years.  But when it came to geriatricizing the way we assess and treat older adults with cancer, the evidence was thin. In our prior <a href="https://geripal.org/geriatric-assessment-in-oncology/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> podcast with Supriya Mohile and William Dale</a> on geriatric assessment in oncology, we couldn’t say for certain if a geriatric assessment was helpful for patients with cancer.  Well now we can.   We are joined by Melisa Wong, a geriatric oncologist, and Louise Walter, a geriatrician and leader in cancer screening for older adults, to talk about the shifting landscape of geriatric oncology, including: <ul> <li>How to think about cancer screening in older adults, moving beyond a one-size-fits all age-based approach to <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/193893" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> individualize cancer screening decisions</a>.  We also talk about the importance of thought pieces in driving a field forward.</li> <li>2 landmark trials of the geriatric assessment in oncology, one in <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaoncology/fullarticle/2784405" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> JAMA Oncology</a> (first author Daneng Li) and the other in the <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(21)01789-X/fulltext" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Lancet</a> (first author Supriya Mohile) (William Dale senior author for both studies).  In both studies, grade 3+ toxicity was reduced in the geriatric assessment arm.</li> <li>Melisa Wong’s study in <a href="https://agsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jgs.17474" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> JAGS</a> finding a constriction of life space for older adults with cancer, and discussion of patient centered outcomes beyond traditional outcomes such as grade 3+ chemotherapy toxicity.</li> </ul> Links of Interest: <ul> <li><a href="https://www.accc-cancer.org/home/learn/patient-centered-care/geriatric" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Association of Community Cancer Center site on Geriatric Oncology</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.mycarg.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Cancer and Aging Research Group</a></li> </ul> And as a bonus, you get to hear Louise on piano and vocals and I cover Wouldn’t It be Loverly, from My Fair Lady.   -Enjoy!