A New Crystal Ball for Treating Cancer

What's new in oncology? We all wish we had a crystal ball so we would know if a treatment was going to work or not--and THAT'S what this episode is about.

Melanie Holscher interviews Dennis Watson, Vice President of Business Development with Travera about the unique research the company is doing. Dennis has spent the last 15 years of his professional career working in and leading commercial teams to bring cutting edge genetic and genomic diagnostics to the world of oncology. The last year and a half of that work has been with this start-up out of Boston, MA that promises to use MIT developed technologies to disrupt the personalized medicine approach to cancer treatment. They talk about the unique work Travera is doing and how you might be able to take advantage of their early efforts in your own cancer journey.

Dennis has worked with companies like Myriad Genetics and Agendia, helping to engage practicing clinicians and researchers on clinical trials, technical advancements, and clinical applications of genetic and genomic testing, but for the past 1.5yr Dennis has been involved in something a little different, a new technology that may truly personalize therapy selection beyond what can be done with genetics or genomics alone…and it’s all about using physics, in fact measurement of cell mass, to answer a question that biology alone has struggled to solve with consistent clarity. Travera is continuing to work on clinical trials, on-going validation, and reimbursement, but in the meantime, they are finding ways to work directly with patients through advocacy and physician engagement.

On a personal note, Dennis has been married to his college sweetheart for more than 20 years and has 5 children, and like many of us his family has been touched closely by cancer. He lost his mother in-law to ovarian cancer in 2015. His work at Travera and with advocacy is not only his career path, but he has a personal passion to empower and impact those cancer patients with few answers, but lots of fight.

Contact and More Info:
www.travera.com/ovarian-cancer
dwatson@travera.com
info@travera.com

About the host:

When leadership and business performance coach, Melanie Holscher, learned she had Stage 4 Ovarian Cancer, it sounded more like a sentence than a diagnosis. There always seemed to be more questions than answers. The uncertainty was frightening. Life was interrupted and fighting cancer demanded everything she had and more. Waiting for doctors, test results, and her body’s response to various treatments provided ample time for her mind to slip into unfamiliar darkness.

Tapping into her experience as a success coach working on mindset with thousands of business professionals, Holscher brings the mental game required to fight cancer to the center of attention because that is where it all begins and ends. Through the coaching of her peers and the success principles she internalized, Holscher continues to defy odds and live fearlessly to help the society of warriors she affectionately calls “Ovary Jones”

She detailed her fight and her discovery that mindset truly does impact outcomes so every warrior can tap into the power of healthy thinking. Becoming Ovary Jones: How to Fight Cancer without Losing Your Mind is more than a story. It is brimming with 25 life-prolonging lessons to invade, challenge, and expand every fighter’s thoughts in a powerful, profound way. Because action mitigates fear, every chapter concludes with “Actionable Hope” –things every cancer fighter can do to bolster courage and a healing mentality.

Disclaimer: This show nor any material put out by Together We Box and Ovary Jones is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provided with any questions you might have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before undertaking a new healthcare regimen, and never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of something your heard on this channel or read on the Together We Box websites.

How to connect with Melanie:

http://www.linkedin.com/in/mdholscher