{"podcast":{"title":"Normal Curves: Sexy Science, Serious Statistics","slug":"normal-curves-sexy-science-serious-statistics-7212156","podcast_index_feed_id":7212156,"rss_url":"https://feeds.transistor.fm/normal-curves","website_url":"https://www.normalcurves.com/","image_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/3nh-QbnGiyC0kG4tQRWb4fTYyDh5wonK_KZjqlkFNSY/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:1400/h:1400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS9hYmEw/YmE3N2JmMDhmNjli/YTg2MjhlOTQ0OGU4/Yzg2OC5wbmc.jpg","author":"Regina Nuzzo","episode_count":38,"summary":"Normal Curves is a podcast about sexy science & serious statistics. Ever try to make sense of a scientific study and the numbers behind it? Listen in to a lively conversation between two stats-savvy friends who break it all down with humor and clarity. Professors Regina Nuzzo of Gallaudet University and Kristin Sainani of Stanford University discuss academic papers journal club-style — except with more fun, less jargon, and some irreverent, PG-13 content sprinkled in. Join Kristin and Regina as they dissect the data, challenge the claims, and arm you with tools to assess scientific studies on your own.","last_synced_at":"2026-06-30T00:19:09.554623+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/normal-curves-sexy-science-serious-statistics-7212156"},"episode":{"title":"Cancer Blood Tests: Are they ready for primetime? Part 1","slug":"cancer-blood-tests-are-they-ready-for-primetime-part-1","published_at":"2026-06-15T11:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/normal-curves-sexy-science-serious-statistics-7212156/cancer-blood-tests-are-they-ready-for-primetime-part-1","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/normal-curves-sexy-science-serious-statistics-7212156","url":"https://www.normalcurves.com/cancer-blood-tests-are-they-ready-for-primetime-part-1/","audio_url":"https://op3.dev/e/media.transistor.fm/4922c1da/4710a675.mp3","summary":"Can a single tube of blood really detect dozens of cancers before symptoms appear? We dive into the science behind Galleri, a blood test that claims to detect more than 50 types of cancer from a simple blood draw. Recent headlines about the test ranged from “breakthrough” to “bust” after the release of results from a massive randomized clinical trial. In this Part 1 episode, we explore cell-free DNA, DNA methylation, machine learning, sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive value. Along the way, we revisit the prenatal screening revolution, ask why detecting cancer earlier doesn’t always help patients, and learn how escaped DNA convicts end up swimming in a giant molecular pool party. And for the first time ever, Normal Curves ends on a cliffhanger: we’ll save the controversial results of that landmark trial for Part 2. Statistical topics cancer screening case-control studies counterfactuals machine learning negative predictive value overdiagnosis positive predictive value randomized clinical trials screening tests sensitivity and specificity validation References Bianchi DW, Chudova D, Sehnert AJ, et al. Noninvasive prenatal testing and incidental detection of occult maternal malignancies . JAMA . 2015; 314:162-9. Liu MC, Oxnard GR, Klein EA, et al. Sensitive and specific multi-cancer detection and localization using methylation signatures in cell-free DNA . Ann Oncol . 2020. 31:745-59. Schrag D, Beer T, McDonnell C et al. Blood-based tests for multicancer early detection (PATHFINDER): a prospective cohort study . The Lancet . 402: 1251-60. Giridhar KV, et al. Safety and performance results from PATHFINDER 2, a registrational study of a multi-cancer early detection test in an intended-use population . Presented at the 2026 American Society of Clinical Oncolo…","meta_description":"Can a single tube of blood really detect dozens of cancers before symptoms appear? We dive into the science behind Galleri, a blood test that claims to de…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":2601,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/normal-curves-sexy-science-serious-statistics-7212156/episodes/cancer-blood-tests-are-they-ready-for-primetime-part-1/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/normal-curves-sexy-science-serious-statistics-7212156/cancer-blood-tests-are-they-ready-for-primetime-part-1.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}