ABOUT THIS EPISODE

Who is a genetic counselor, and who should see one? How do they fit into the neuroendocrine cancer care team? In this episode, Samantha Greenberg, PhD, MS, MPH, CGC, Director of the UT Southwestern Genetic Counseling Program, demystifies genetic counseling and testing for NET patients and their families. She explains what to expect before, during, and after a consultation—and how results can impact care, family members, and future planning.

TOP TEN QUESTIONS

Role & Training

1. What is a genetic counselor? What training is required? What’s your role in the care team?

Genetic Counseling & NETs

2. How are genetic counselors involved in NET care?

3. Who should get genetic testing? Do all NET patients need it?

• What if more than one family member has NET?
• Do you also see family members without a diagnosis?

4. How does one’s age play a role?

Testing Basics

5. Genetic vs. genomic vs. NGS—what are these terms?

• How do patients know they’re getting the right test?

6. Walk us through a genetic counseling consultation—before, during, after.

Results & Implications

7. What if the results are positive? How do you guide patients and families?

• What if the results are negative or inconclusive? How accurate are tests?

8. What is a “variant of unknown significance”?
9. Can environment or toxins cause hereditary mutations?

Practical Guidance

10. How can patients find the right genetic counselor? Do they need to be someone who specializes in neuroendocrine cancer?

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Samantha Greenberg, PhD, MS, MPH, CGC

Pronouns: she/her series

Director, UT Southwestern Genetic Counseling Program

Assistant Professor

School of Health Professions

Samantha Greenberg is the founding program director of the UT Southwestern Genetic Counseling Training Program. She received her Master of Science degree in genetic counseling and public health from the University of Michigan after teaching middle school science with Teach For America in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She recently completed her Ph.D. at the University of Utah. As a cancer genetic counselor, Greenberg has provided clinical care across a variety of indications and facilitated the development of multidisciplinary teams and genetics clinics for patients with prostate cancer, von Hippel-Lindau syndrome, and paraganglioma/pheochromocytoma. She is the co-director of the paraganglioma program at UT Southwestern, which recently received a Center of Excellence designation from Pheo Para Alliance. Her passion for raising awareness on the genetics of neuroendocrine tumors stems from working with patients and a curiosity for how to optimize identification of patients with hereditary risk.

For more information, visit NCF.net/podcast/52

For more information, visit NCF.net.

ABOUT THIS EPISODE

In this special annual episode, OHSU medical oncologist Dr. Guillaume (“Will”) Pegna joins us once again to break down the highlights from the 2025 North American Neuroendocrine Tumor Society (NANETS) Multidisciplinary NET Medical Symposium. He walks us through the latest clinical trial results and emerging research—covering PRRT, non-PRRT therapies, liver-directed treatments, and new biomarkers—and explains what these updates mean for the NET patient and caregiver community.

ABOUT DR. PEGNA

Dr. Pegna is a medical oncologist who specializes in the care of adults with neuroendocrine tumors (NETs). He is additionally interested and experienced in the management of rare tumors, including pheochromocytomas, paragangliomas and adrenocortical carcinomas as well as other gastrointestinal cancers.

Dr. Pegna is actively involved with clinical trials and cancer research to improve survival and quality of life for cancer patients and to better understand the biology of these diseases. He specializes in the use of chemotherapy, immunotherapy and multidisciplinary approaches to cancer care. Dr. Pegna finds it rewarding to help patients understand their disease, providing treatment options based on each individual patient, and supporting them through their treatment journeys.

Visit NCF.net/podcast/51 for more information

For more information, visit NCF.net.

ABOUT THIS EPISODE

Who is a pharmacist, and how are they involved in the care of neuroendocrine cancer patients? In this episode, Dr. Amanda Cass, a clinical pharmacist in the Thoracic Oncology Clinic at Vanderbilt Medical Center, explains the unique role pharmacists play—why they’re sometimes called “doctor,” how they support patients starting treatments such as cabozantinib and CAPTEM, and practical tips for staying organized, managing side effects, and navigating medication costs.

TOP TEN QUESTIONS

Getting to Know the Pharmacist

1. What exactly does a pharmacist do, and what training do they go through?

2. Why are pharmacists sometimes called “doctor,” and how is that different from a physician?

3. What role does a pharmacist play on the cancer care team?

4. How are pharmacists involved in caring for neuroendocrine cancer patients, both directly and behind the scenes?

How Pharmacists Support Treatment

5. How can a pharmacist help when someone is starting a new treatment for neuroendocrine cancer? Walk us through an example with Cabozantinib: how do you guide patients in understanding it, taking it, and managing side effects?

6. Walk us through another example with CAPTEM (capecitabine and temozolomide): how do you guide patients in understanding it, taking it, and managing side effects?

Practical Tips for Patients

7. What are some simple ways to stay organized, like keeping a medication list or symptom journal?

8. What practical tips do you share with patients about tracking and managing side effects at home?

Access and Communication

9. Who can patients talk to about medication costs or financial assistance?

10. How does someone find a pharmacist to talk to, and is it important to find one with neuroendocrine cancer experience?

ABOUT AMANDA CASS

Dr. Cass is a clinical pharmacist in the Thoracic Oncology Clinic at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. She received her Doctorate of Pharmacy from the University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy in 2016 and subsequently completed her Pharmacy Practice Residency at Grady Health System and became a Board Certified Pharmacotherapy Specialist in 2017. In 2018, she completed her Oncology Pharmacy Residency at the University of North Carolina Medical Center.

Dr. Cass's previous research interests included opioid use in non-metastatic cancer patients after curative treatment and albumin effects on oxaliplatin related toxicities. Her current areas of interest are molecular mutations and use of targeted therapies in NSCLC, immunotherapy in SCLC, and global oncology care.

Dr. Cass is the preceptor for the Outpatient Thoracic Oncology Rotation.

For more information, visit NCF.net/podcast/50

For more information, visit NCF.net.