Episode 9

full
Published on:

12th Mar 2026

Beyond Survival: The Architecture of Cancer Immunotherapies

As cancer treatments become more powerful and precise, the field of oncology is entering a new era. We are moving beyond the question of "Can we extend life?" to "How do we live with the biology these therapies unleash?"In this episode of Precision Signals, host Sean Khozin is joined by Dr. Afreen Shariff (Director of the Endocrine Neoplasia Program at Duke University) and Jon McDunn (President of Project DataSphere) to discuss the complexities of immune-related adverse events (irAEs). While immune checkpoint inhibitors have revolutionized outcomes for various cancers, they can also trigger inflammatory conditions affecting the thyroid, heart, and nervous system. Our guests explore the "double-edged sword" of immunotherapy and how data science, AI, and clinician-led innovation are bridging the gap between clinical trials and real-world patient care.

In this episode, we discuss:

  1. The "Next HIV": Why Dr. Shariff believes cancer care is reaching a similar turning point in long-term management.
  2. The Gap in Data: Why traditional clinical trial reporting often fails to capture the nuances physicians see at the bedside.
  3. AI & Triage: How unique e-consult models and AI tools are helping oncologists manage complex side effects more efficiently. The Future of Oncology:
  4. Predictions on patient-driven care and the push for greater data accessibility to drive innovation.
Next Episode All Episodes Previous Episode

Listen for free

Show artwork for Precision Signals

About the Podcast

Precision Signals
Decoding the Systems Behind Breakthroughs in Healthcare and Biomedicine
Precision Signals is a podcast from the CEO Roundtable on Cancer about decoding biomedical progress: what’s real, what matters, and what’s next. We talk with scientists, regulators, investors, and builders operating across the messy interface of research, healthcare, and policy. Some are moving the system from within; others are reshaping it from the outside. All of them bring signal in a world crowded with noise.

About your host

Profile picture for Sean Khozin, MD, MPH

Sean Khozin, MD, MPH

Sean Khozin, MD, MPH is a physician-executive and board-certified oncologist internationally recognized for his pioneering work on advancing the use of artificial intelligence and novel data science solutions in cancer research and drug development. As Chief Executive Officer of the CEO Roundtable on Cancer and its independent AI research organization, Project Data Sphere, he leads initiatives that bridge cutting-edge technology with clinically-meaningful applications to accelerate cancer research and care.

Dr. Khozin is founder of Phyusion Bio LLC, an advisory and venture creation firm specializing in precision therapies and AI-powered solutions. His entrepreneurial track record includes co-founding Hello Health (acquired by Myca Health) and serving as CEO of CancerLinQ, where he orchestrated its strategic acquisition by ConcertAI.

His regulatory and industry expertise spans leadership roles at Johnson & Johnson/Janssen R&D as Global Head of Data Strategy and at the US FDA, where he served as founding Executive Director of INFORMED—the agency's first data science incubator—while helping establish the Oncology Center of Excellence. Earlier in his career at the National Cancer Institute, he spearheaded clinical research on molecular profiling strategies for targeted therapy development.

Dr. Khozin maintains his academic connections as a Research Affiliate at MIT and serves on multiple boards advancing the intersection of cancer research and artificial intelligence in biomedicine.