The Cancer Treatments of Tomorrow Are Already Here | E203

What if a clinical trial wasn’t a last resort, but a chance to access tomorrow’s medicine today? Dr. Jad Chahoud, Chief Scientific and Innovation Officer at Orlando Health Cancer Institute, joins the Advancing Healthcare Innovation Show for a conversation about the rapidly changing future of cancer care, clinical trials, precision medicine, immunotherapy and patient access. For Dr. Chahoud, clinical research isn’t separate from cancer care. It is part of cancer care. In this episode, Dr. Chahoud shares how he evaluates experimental therapies, why geography and insurance can still determine access to cutting-edge cancer treatment, and what health systems need to build if they want clinical trials to reach more patients closer to home. The conversation also gets deeply personal. Dr. Chahoud shares the story of deciding as a child in Lebanon that he would become a physician in America, the chance encounter that led him toward oncology, and what it feels like to sit across from a patient and tell them they have Stage IV cancer. He also explains why he has never accepted the idea that oncologists need to emotionally detach from their patients. And near the end of the conversation, Dr. Chahoud tells the remarkable story of a 37-year-old patient who arrived for a clinical trial with only weeks to live. Three years later, that patient is alive and in complete response. This is a conversation about cancer research and innovation, and ultimately about something much bigger: giving patients more options, more access and more time. CHAPTERS 00:00 – Clinical trials as access to tomorrow’s medicine 04:46 – Why clinical trials belong in everyday cancer care 07:36 – A childhood dream of becoming a doctor in America 08:43 – The moment that led Dr. Chahoud to oncology 11:38 – Taking on a rare cancer few researchers were studying 15:44 – The emotional weight of being an oncologist 18:23 – What it feels like to deliver difficult news to a patient 20:55 – What’s happening in cancer treatment that most people don’t know 24:52 – How many patients never know another treatment option exists? 26:48 – Geography, insurance and access to advanced cancer care 28:31 – How Dr. Chahoud evaluates a clinical trial 32:29 – Building a better clinical trials engine 34:16 – Why expanding clinical trials across health systems is so difficult 35:24 – Following the work at Orlando Health Cancer Institute 36:50 – Lightning round 37:22 – The cancer trial Dr. Chahoud is watching closely 39:12 – If he weren’t an oncologist, what would he be? 39:36 – The patient given weeks to live who is alive three years later 42:04 – Innovation, access and hope 📣 LIKE, COMMENT & SUBSCRIBE About the Show The Advancing Healthcare Innovation Show is hosted by Michael Stamatinos, a nationally recognized connector, strategist, and advocate for innovation with purpose. Each week, Michael interviews healthcare leaders who are driving meaningful change—highlighting stories of access, resilience, equity, and transformation. The AHI Show started with the idea of wanting to highlight stories of what healthcare innovation truly looks like in action. Our mission, highlight real people who are really innovating within healthcare. Guests include healthcare entrepreneurs, providers, payers, and professionals from the investment community. We showcase little wins as well as valuable lessons learned from setbacks through these interviews. The real innovators in healthcare are often the ones in the trenches doing the work with razor-sharp focus. We find these innovators and bring their stories to light. 🔗 Michael’s LinkedIn:   / michaelstamo   🎧 Subscribe for more episodes that move beyond theory and into the heart of what’s really possible in healthcare. Join our group, Advancing Healthcare Innovation Forum on LinkedIn:   / 7056196