How Passion for Healing and Health Care Equity Expands Access to Innovative Therapies: With D. Ross Camidge, MD, PhD; and Brandon Blue, MD

How This Is Building Me, hosted by world-renowned oncologist D. Ross Camidge, MD, PhD, is a podcast focused on the highs and lows, ups and downs of all those involved with cancer, cancer medicine, and cancer science across the full spectrum of life’s experiences.

In this episode, Dr Camidge sat down with Brandon Blue, MD, a hematologist and oncologist at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Florida.

Drs Camidge and Blue discussed Dr Blue’s journey into practicing medicine that led him to his current specialty: the management of malignant hematologic conditions, particularly multiple myeloma. His clinical focus also includes emerging cellular therapies such as CAR T-cell therapy and stem cell transplantation. He describes himself foremost as a “healer,” emphasizing a patient-centered approach to care.

Driven by a general desire to help others, Dr Blue chose a pre-medical path after his undergraduate studies. He gained specialized experience in stem cell transplantation and CAR T-cell therapy—fields he describes as transformative. Motivated by a desire to be at the forefront of these advancements, he pursued additional training in cellular therapies, recognizing the importance of staying informed about cutting-edge treatments.

In the interview, Dr Blue underscored the importance of measuring the outcomes of health care interventions. He also advocated for documenting and publishing data to support equitable access to high-cost therapies like CAR T-cell therapy. According to Dr Blue, demonstrating clinical efficacy and long-term cost-effectiveness—such as reduced hospitalizations and extended treatment-free intervals—is crucial for convincing stakeholders like insurance providers to support access for underserved populations.

He emphasized that improving access to novel therapies should be a universal goal, not merely limited to drug development. Drs Blue and Camidge encouraged health care professionals and institutions to critically evaluate whether patients who most need innovative treatments are actually receiving them, advocating for systemic change in access and equity across cancer care.