
Hosted by Chadi Nabhan · EN
Healthcare Unfiltered is an honest, raw, timely podcast tackling any and all topics in healthcare that affect stakeholders. Dr. Chadi Nabhan uses his dynamic conversational skills to challenge his guests to address controversial and important topics. He also brings on world renowned experts to discuss clinical advances in medicine.

In this deeply personal episode, Gabby shares her extraordinary journey of being diagnosed with stage IV metastatic colorectal cancer with liver involvement during the final stages of her pregnancy. She discusses the emotions and decisions surrounding her diagnosis, what she looked for when choosing her oncology team, how openly she communicated with her husband and young children, and the realities of navigating cancer treatment while welcoming a new baby. Gabby also reflects on documenting her experience in real time on social media, exploring both the support and challenges that come with sharing such an intimate journey publicly, while offering insight into the many clinical and personal decisions she has faced along the way.Check out Chadi’s website for all Healthcare Unfiltered episodes and other content. https://www.chadinabhan.com/Watch all Healthcare Unfiltered episodes on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjiJPTpIJdIiukcq0UaMFsA

Maen Abdelrahim, MD, PhD, Section Chief of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology at Houston Methodist Neal Cancer Center—home to the nation’s highest-volume liver transplant program—joins the show to discuss the expanding field of transplant oncology, including which patients with hepatocellular carcinoma, colorectal cancer metastatic to the liver, biliary cancers, and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma may benefit from liver transplantation. He explores the history of liver transplantation and the development of the Milan criteria, how those advances paved the way for transplant oncology as a multidisciplinary specialty, and the ongoing educational gaps surrounding transplant eligibility and referral. Dr. Abdelrahim also shares insights from his book, “Transplant Oncology: A Frontier in Multidisciplinary Cancer Care,” while discussing the evolving role and safety of immunotherapy and ctDNA in the peri-transplant setting and the future of cancer care for patients once considered untreatable.Check out Chadi’s website for all Healthcare Unfiltered episodes and other content. https://www.chadinabhan.com/Watch all Healthcare Unfiltered episodes on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjiJPTpIJdIiukcq0UaMFsA

Chadi hosts Dr. Chandana Banerjee of City of Hope and Kevin Diaz, CEO and President of Compassion & Choices, for a thoughtful conversation about Medical Aid in Dying (MAID) – what it is, who qualifies, how the process works, and why it remains one of the most debated issues in modern healthcare. Together, they explore the legal, ethical, and cultural complexities surrounding MAID, including the differences between MAID, assisted suicide, and euthanasia, the role of physicians and hospice care, the history and legal challenges of MAID legislation in the US, and the deeply personal realities patients and families face when navigating terminal illness, especially when loved ones disagree about care goals or when palliative and hospice care are no longer enough.Read more about Compassion and Choices.https://compassionandchoices.org/Check out Chadi’s website for all Healthcare Unfiltered episodes and other content. https://www.chadinabhan.com/Watch all Healthcare Unfiltered episodes on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjiJPTpIJdIiukcq0UaMFsA

Chadi sits down with Dr. Daniel Olson to discuss the growing excitement surrounding tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) therapy in melanoma, including how these personalized cellular therapies are created (and sometimes engineered in the lab), the logistical challenges of collection and reinfusion, and the clinical data that led to FDA approval based on a single-arm study. Dr. Olson also explores treatment sequencing with immunotherapy and targeted therapy, the severity and duration of associated toxicities, response rates seen in practice, and the expanding potential for TIL therapy in other malignancies such as lung and cervical cancers, offering a practical and forward-looking look at one of the most promising advances in solid tumor oncology.Check out Chadi’s website for all Healthcare Unfiltered episodes and other content. https://www.chadinabhan.com/Watch all Healthcare Unfiltered episodes on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjiJPTpIJdIiukcq0UaMFsA

Chadi is joined by Dr. Sewanti Limaye to discuss what precision oncology looks like in India, exploring the realities of access, affordability, infrastructure, and innovation in cancer care. Drawing on her experience training and practicing in the United States before returning to Mumbai to lead oncology and translational research programs, Dr. Limaye explains which genomic tests, liquid biopsies, and targeted therapies are currently available in India, the challenges surrounding out-of-pocket costs and insurance coverage, and why helping even a small percentage of patients access precision medicine can have a major impact. The conversation also covers clinical trial capabilities, lab turnaround times, international players in the liquid biopsy space, and the complexities of FDA-approved drugs that remain unavailable for prescription in India. Check out Chadi’s website for all Healthcare Unfiltered episodes and other content. https://www.chadinabhan.com/Watch all Healthcare Unfiltered episodes on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjiJPTpIJdIiukcq0UaMFsA

Chadi sits down with sit down with Sue S. Yom, MD, PhD, FASTRO—radiation oncologist at UCSF, Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology Biology Physics, and leader within NRG Oncology—to explore the critical role of cooperative groups in advancing cancer research. She unpacks their history, the benefits and challenges of large-scale collaboration, and how federal funding and partnerships with industry shape the design and execution of clinical trials. Dr. Yom also shares insights from her editorial perspective and highlights what’s ahead in radiation oncology, including the growing role of biomarkers, personalized treatment strategies, and smarter sequencing of therapies.Check out Chadi’s website for all Healthcare Unfiltered episodes and other content. https://www.chadinabhan.com/Watch all Healthcare Unfiltered episodes on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjiJPTpIJdIiukcq0UaMFsA

Gary L. Simmons, DO, MSHA—physician and entrepreneur in a Virginia community practice—dives into the rapidly evolving world of cell and gene therapy (CGT), including bone marrow transplant, CAR-T, and TILs, and what it takes to bring these cutting-edge treatments safely into the community setting. He unpacks the operational, financial, and workforce challenges of building and scaling a CGT program outside of academia, from payer hesitancy and 340B pressures to the infrastructure and staffing required for success. The conversation also explores the future of CGT, how innovation may reshape access, and why community practices could play a critical role as demand outpaces traditional academic centers.Check out Chadi’s website for all Healthcare Unfiltered episodes and other content. https://www.chadinabhan.com/Watch all Healthcare Unfiltered episodes on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjiJPTpIJdIiukcq0UaMFsA

Returning guest Dr. Tom Beer, Chief Medical Officer for Multicancer Early Detection (MCED) at Exact Sciences, joins the show to break down the promise and complexity of MCED testing—what it is, the clinical gap it aims to fill, and how it could reshape cancer diagnostics. He explores which patient populations may benefit most, the current limitations across different cancer types, and whether MCED tests are poised to complement or replace traditional single-cancer screening approaches. The conversation also tackles key nuances like balancing sensitivity and specificity, interpreting negative results, and how clinicians and patients should think about repeat testing in an evolving screening landscape.Check out Chadi’s website for all Healthcare Unfiltered episodes and other content. https://www.chadinabhan.com/Watch all Healthcare Unfiltered episodes on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjiJPTpIJdIiukcq0UaMFsA

Chadi sits down with Dan Golden, MD, MHPE, Associate Professor of Radiation Oncology at Rush University, to discuss his deeply personal and recently published account of physician burnout. He shares the mental and physical toll of burnout, clarifies how it differs from depression and anxiety, and reflects on the pressures of academic medicine’s “say yes to everything” culture that leaves little room for setting boundaries. From masking symptoms and navigating a job change that added stress, to ultimately taking leaves of absence and undergoing intensive therapy, Dr. Golden offers an unfiltered look at how dire things became—and why speaking out may help others facing the same struggle.Read his article on burnout.https://www.redjournal.org/article/S0360-3016(25)06438-7/fulltextCheck out Chadi’s website for all Healthcare Unfiltered episodes and other content. https://www.chadinabhan.com/Watch all Healthcare Unfiltered episodes on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjiJPTpIJdIiukcq0UaMFsA

Chadi sits down with Nina Sanford, MD, Chief of Gastrointestinal Radiation Oncology Service at UT Southwestern, to explore the evolving landscape of radiation therapy in upper and lower GI malignancies. They discuss how advances in systemic treatments are reshaping radiation strategies, current standards of care in colorectal, gastroesophageal, pancreatic cancers, and liver cancers, and the growing role of organ preservation and adaptive radiation in improving patient outcomes. Dr. Sanford also shares insights into emerging clinical trials, personalized treatment approaches, and what she is most excited about in the future of GI radiation oncology.Check out Chadi’s website for all Healthcare Unfiltered episodes and other content. https://www.chadinabhan.com/Watch all Healthcare Unfiltered episodes on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjiJPTpIJdIiukcq0UaMFsA