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Knowledge and information are critical tools to affect early diagnosis in pituitary disease. Join Dr. Lewis Blevins and Jorge D Faccinetti cofounders, as they navigate the wonders and complexities of pituitary conditions. Each episode brings conversations with information and experiences from expert professionals and people living with these challenging disorders.
Episodes
Wednesday Dec 28, 2022
S8E30: Access to medications: challenges and opportunities
Wednesday Dec 28, 2022
Wednesday Dec 28, 2022
Pituitary World News has undertaken an initiative to understand and share the complicated issues related to medication access so patients can join us in advocating for a better system. In that tangle, we find insurance companies, orphan drug manufacturers, specialty pharmacies, pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), prescribers, and others that add to the costs and complicate access. The issues get even murkier when considering patients on Medicare and Medicaid, their pricing models, and copay requirements. We are committed to understanding the issues from all angles, how they affect pituitary patients' care, and the advocacy effort needed to make it better, lower out-of-pocket costs, and, more significantly, simplify access. Additionally, we aim to understand how prescription drug regulations affect patients and physicians. This is the first in a series of podcasts and articles on the subject.
Monday Dec 19, 2022
S8E29: New drugs and therapies in the pipeline for acromegaly and Cushing’s
Monday Dec 19, 2022
Monday Dec 19, 2022
Today we present an excellent discussion with Dr. Alan Krasner, Chief Medical Officer for Crinetics Pharmaceuticals. Dr. Krasner speaks to PWN about two very important drugs currently under development. Learn about what is coming, the timelines, potential new therapies, and approaches in acromegaly, Cushing's, and hyperinsulinism. These are exciting times in the field with a forward-thinking, creative group of scientists applying their knowledge and experience in pituitary and neuroendocrine science to develop new approaches and solutions for patients. This is a discussion you don't want to miss! Click on this link to learn more about Crinetics' clinical studies and how to participate.
Monday Dec 12, 2022
S8E28: Adenomas and Pituitary Neuroendocrine Tumors
Monday Dec 12, 2022
Monday Dec 12, 2022
The ongoing debates and nomenclature change and reclassification are apparently over, and adenomas and now referred to as Pit-Net's (pituitary neuroendocrine tumors). Is this good, bad, or indifferent? These are complicated matters, so to shed some more light on the subject, we've invited some experts to discuss them. In today's live talk, I'm joined by co-host and PWN cofounder Dr. Lewis Blevins; as you all know, Dr. Blevins is the Medical Director of the California Center for Pituitary disorders at UCSF. Also with us is Dr. Manish Aghi. Dr. Aghi is a frequent contributor to PWN and an attending Neurosurgeon California Center for Pituitary Disorders. Professor of Neurological Surgery and Principal Investigator, UCSF Brain Tumor Research Center’’ We are also delighted to welcome Dr. Arie Perry. Dr. Perry is the director of neuropathology at UCSF; he specializes in diagnosing benign and cancerous nervous system tumors, including those of the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nerves. He is also a specialist in classifying the molecular genetics of tumors, which can be used to help determine the best treatment. To learn more, this PWN article provides additional background and reading on the subject.
Wednesday Nov 30, 2022
S8E27: Pseudo Cushing’s syndrome: a discussion and a case study
Wednesday Nov 30, 2022
Wednesday Nov 30, 2022
In today's podcasts, Dr. Blevins talks about the genesis of pseudo Cushing's syndrome and illustrates a fascinating case of pseudo Cushing's syndrome due to alcohol ingestion.
Monday Nov 28, 2022
S8E26: What is medical decision-making
Monday Nov 28, 2022
Monday Nov 28, 2022
What does medical decision-making mean, and what is involved? What are pituitary specialists thinking about when faced with decisions on how to treat a patient? This live talk session aims at answering these tough questions. Dr. Blevins walks us through the case of a patient with high cortisol to illustrate the types of decisions physicians make and what those decisions are based on when trying to solve a medical mystery to best help patients. This podcast will shed some light on what a physician does when making medical decisions. Enjoy! To learn more, this book by Dr. Lewis Blevins, "The Art of Neuroendocrinology: A Case-Based Approach to Medical Decision-Making," provides additional reading. The book is available through Amazon. Click here to read more.
Tuesday Nov 08, 2022
S8E25: Lab result targets
Tuesday Nov 08, 2022
Tuesday Nov 08, 2022
In this podcast from our "musings series" comes an interesting discussion on lab result targets. This case comes from a hypothyroid patient who wanted to achieve a particular TSH lab result target. In the discussion, Dr. Blevins focuses on how the pituitary works, how lab tests work, and what makes aiming at and achieving a narrow target almost impossible.
Friday Oct 21, 2022
S8E24: Pituitary surgery: before, during and after
Friday Oct 21, 2022
Friday Oct 21, 2022
Do you ever wonder what happens in the OR after you are wheeled in? We welcome once again our friend and contributor, Manish Aghi, M.D. Ph.D., Attending Neurosurgeon at the California Center for Pituitary Disorders, Professor of Neurological Surgery, and Principal Investigator at UCSF Brain Tumor Research Center. He spent an amazing hour with Dr. Blevins and me, walking us through his work with patients before surgery, his approaches post-surgery, recovery, potential issues, and the many other phases of pituitary surgery. If you have had pituitary surgery or are about to have it, you don't want to miss this frank and intimate conversation with one of the best neurosurgeons in the business. Dr. Manish Aghi specializes in operating on brain tumors, including pituitary adenomas. In addition, he has particular expertise in performing endoscopic endonasal surgery for pituitary and skull base lesions.
Monday Oct 17, 2022
S8E23: Awareness and knowledge
Monday Oct 17, 2022
Monday Oct 17, 2022
To continue our focus on pituitary awareness month, this session touches on various issues related to awareness and its importance as a critical factor in reducing the time to diagnosis. Dr. Blevins illustrates a few cases of hypercortisolism from his busy clinic to explain the elements that make pituitary disease complex to diagnose and treat. Many excellent examples to add to your knowledge! Please give us your comments and ideas for future live-talk sessions. Click here to participate.
Tuesday Oct 04, 2022
S8E22: A chat with preeminent pituitary neurosurgeon Dr. Sandeep Kunwar
Tuesday Oct 04, 2022
Tuesday Oct 04, 2022
If you didn't have a chance to hear it live, here's a podcast from the live talk session from last Thursday with special guest, PWN friend, and contributor pituitary neurosurgeon Dr. Sandeep Kunwar. He joined Dr. Lewis Blevins for a great discussion of the latest in pituitary surgery and disease management. These are two of the most experienced pituitary physicians in the world, providing a personal, intimate look at their craft. Don't miss this podcast with tons of information and insight from two leading world-class professionals. Enjoy! Learn more about Dr. Kunwar in this video from the California Center for Pituitary disorders at UCSF and listen to this podcast we did with him a few years ago. Don't miss "Live Talk" Thursday, September 22, 3:00 pm PST.
Tuesday Sep 27, 2022
S8E21: Hair and hormones
Tuesday Sep 27, 2022
Tuesday Sep 27, 2022
An informative discussion on the effects of hormones on hair loss, a common occurrence for people dealing with pituitary conditions. In this LIve-talk session, Dr. Blevins discusses the facts and the myths.