Advancing Prostate Cancer Care with Dr. William Oh: Precision Medicine, Diagnostics, and Advocacy (Part 2)
In this episode of the Precision Medicine Podcast, host Karan Cushman continues her deep dive into prostate cancer care with expert guest Dr. William Oh, a leading genitourinary oncologist, Director of Precision Medicine at Yale Cancer Center and Chair of the American Cancer Society National Prostate Cancer Roundtable. Building on part one, they explore the transformative role of precision medicine, advanced diagnostics, and targeted therapies—emphasizing the urgent need for greater awareness, understanding, and advocacy as prostate cancer continues to rise steadily.
Interested in sponsoring
the Podcast?
Contact our executive producer for programming and sponsorship details.
Karan steers the conversation toward advancements in targeted therapies. Dr. Oh outlines breakthroughs in precision treatments, including PARP inhibitors for patients with BRCA mutations and the innovative LU-177-PSMA therapy, a “smart bomb” approach that targets cancer cells with remarkable specificity. He also explores the promise of immunotherapy, though he acknowledges its limited applicability for prostate cancer due to the disease’s low mutational burden.
The role of artificial intelligence in precision oncology is another key topic. Dr. Oh and Karan discuss how AI and machine learning are helping clinicians process complex data, from imaging to genomic profiles, to guide more informed treatment decisions. Dr. Oh envisions AI as an essential tool for streamlining oncology workflows while preserving the human connection between doctors and patients.
Karan highlights the importance of effective communication in prostate cancer care, referencing a recent editorial co-authored by Dr. Oh. Together, they explore the need for more patient-centered terminology, such as replacing the term “castration-resistant prostate cancer” with “androgen deprivation-resistant prostate cancer,” to foster better understanding and improve patient experience.
The episode concludes with a forward-looking discussion on clinical trials, the integration of new technologies like liquid biopsies, and the ongoing efforts to expand insurance coverage for biomarker testing. Dr. Oh emphasizes the critical role of collaboration, awareness, and education in advancing precision medicine and ensuring that patients benefit from the latest innovations.
With Karan’s thoughtful questions and Dr. Oh’s expertise, this episode offers a comprehensive and accessible exploration of how precision medicine is reshaping the future of prostate cancer care. We hope you’ll tune in to the series and share this important episode with others in your life.
Download the full transcript of the episode here (pdf).
Like what you hear? Please spread the joy...
-
Share the Precision Medicine Podcast with your friends
-
Leave a review and subscribe in your favorite podcast app!
-
Follow us on Twitter @PMPbyTrapelo
-
Follow us on Linked In
Interested in sponsoring the Precision Medicine Podcast?
​
Don't miss the next episode...
About Our Guest
Dr. William Oh
Director of Precision Medicine, Yale Cancer Center
​
Dr. William K. Oh is Professor of Medicine in the Division of Medical Oncology and Director of Precision Medicine for Yale Cancer Center. He also serves as Medical Director of Smilow Cancer Hospital at Greenwich Hospital.
As Director of Precision Medicine for Yale Cancer Center and Smilow Cancer Hospital, he is focused on building a cohesive program in precision medicine, integrating basic and translational science, clinical trials, and Smilow Cancer Hospital’s Precision Medicine Tumor Board. He is committed to increasing the routine use of molecular and genetic testing for all patients with cancer, a goal he has been committed to throughout his career.
Dr. Oh is a genitourinary oncologist with decades of experience caring for patients with prostate cancer. Before his appointment at Yale, Dr. Oh served as the Chief Medical Officer and Executive Vice President of the Prostate Cancer Foundation, where he focused on barriers to the delivery of care for prostate cancer nationally. Dr. Oh led an expert panel that synthesized the evidence and published guidelines for prostate cancer screening for Black men in the US, which was published in 2024 in NEJM Evidence. He was also Chief Medical Officer of Sema4, a publicly traded genomics and health intelligence company that developed AI tools to help doctors make better clinical decisions for patients.
From 2009-2020, Dr. Oh was System Chief of Hematology and Medical Oncology at Mount Sinai Health System as well as Deputy Director of the Tisch Cancer Institute from 2017-2020. Prior to joining Mount Sinai, Dr. Oh advanced from Instructor to Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and was Clinical Director of the Lank Center for Genitourinary Oncology at Dana Farber Cancer Institute.
Dr. Oh also serves as Chair of the American Cancer Society’s National Prostate Cancer Roundtable, as a member of the Board of Trustees and Chair of the Medical Advisory Council for the Chemotherapy+ Foundation. He has participated on grant review committees for multiple National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute, and Foundation grants, and has served on guidelines panels for the American Urological Association and American Society of Clinical Oncology. He has participated on multiple journal editorial boards. Dr. Oh has published nearly 400 peer-reviewed publications and book chapters in genitourinary oncology and is a frequently invited lecturer at national and international meetings. He is an inductee of American Society for Clinical Investigation and has been continuously selected as a Top Doctor in New York Magazine, Castle Connolly, Best Doctors and Super Doctors from 2010 to 2024. He was recently honored as a Top AAPI Doctor in 2023 and 2024.
Dr. Oh completed his undergraduate degree at Yale University, received his medical degree from New York University School of Medicine, and did his internship and residency at Brigham and Women’s Hospital before his clinical fellowship in medical oncology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
​
​
References, Parts 1 and 2 episodes:
American Cancer Society. National Prostate Cancer Roundtable (n.d.) https://npcrt.org/
​
American Cancer Society. Cancer Facts for Men. (n.d.) https://www.cancer.org/cancer/risk-prevention/understanding-cancer-risk/cancer-facts/cancer-facts-for-men.html
NEJM Evidence. Prostate Cancer Foundation Screening Guidelines for Black Men in the United States. NEJM Evid 2024;3(5). (2024, April 23.) https://evidence.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/EVIDoa2300289
PubMed Central. Prostate Cancer Incidence and Mortality: Global Status and Temporal Trends in 89 Countries From 2000 to 2019. (2022, Feb 16.) https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8888523/
Science Direct. What’s in a Name? Why Words Matter in Advanced Prostate Cancer (2024, October 29.) https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0302283824026800