Cancer Connections
18 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 2 years ago - ★★★★★ - 11 ratingsCancer Connections is the podcast for anyone who has been impacted by a cancer diagnosis. Each episode, host Hillary Theakston and her guests have the conversations about cancer that don't always happen, but maybe should, on topics like stress and wellness, clinical trials, "exceptional" patient responses, and more. We will not have all of the answers, but we hope you’ll connect with ideas and inspiration that you need for life with cancer on your own terms. Cancer Connections is brought to you by Clearity, an organization that provides services and support at no cost to people whose lives are impacted by ovarian cancer. Learn more about Clearity at clearity.org.
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Episodes
Finding the Healer Within with Kelly Noonan Gores
January 05, 2022 22:00 - 49 minutes - 33.9 MBHealing is both a scientific and a spiritual journey, states Kelly Noonan Gores. She's the writer, director, and producer of "Heal," a documentary feature about the mind-body connection and the body's innate ability to heal. In this wide-ranging discussion, we touch on a lot of the topics covered in previous episodes of Cancer Connection, including cases of exceptional healing (see episode 2 with Dr. Jeffrey Rediger) and the rewards that come from acknowledging our mortality (see episode 3 w...
Sex, Drugs, and Rock & Roll Part 5: Dr. Nimesh Nagarsheth on the Role of Music in Cancer Care
December 22, 2021 00:00 - 38 minutes - 26.8 MBWelcome to "Sex, Drugs, and Rock & Roll," a multi-part series where we talk with experts about three topics that often do not get discussed during treatment. In this final installment of the series, we talk to surgeon, musician, and author Dr. Nimesh Nagarsheth about the role music can play in a patient's journey. Dr. Nagarsheth is the author of "Music and Cancer: A Prescription for Healing," and since 2008 has performed in the band N.E.D. (no evidence of disease) as part of an ongoing camp...
Sex, Drugs, and Rock & Roll Part 4: Dr. Mark Geyer on the Role of Psilocybin in Cancer Care
December 12, 2021 22:00 - 39 minutes - 26.8 MBThis episode is Part 2 of our two-part conversation about the use of two drugs in a person's cancer journey which may be considered alternative to many people, cannabis and psilocybin. In this second episode we focus on psilocybin by talking to Mark Geyer, PhD, Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry and Neurosciences Emeritus at the University of California San Diego (UCSD), who directs the Neuropsychopharmacology Unit of the VISN 22 Veterans Administration Mental Illness Research, Clinical, ...
Sex, Drugs, and Rock & Roll Part 3: Dr. Carey Clark on the Role of Cannabis in Cancer Care
December 10, 2021 23:00 - 51 minutes - 35.5 MBThis episode is Part 1 of our two-part conversation about the use of two drugs in a person's cancer journey which may be considered alternative to many people, cannabis and psilocybin. In this first episode we focus on cannabis by talking to Dr. Carey Clark, PhD, RN, and Chair of the Medical Cannabis Certificate Program at the Pacific College of Health and Science in San Diego. Dr. Clark is also the former president of the American Cannabis Nurses Association, and an expert on the many ways ...
Sex, Drugs, and Rock & Roll Part 2: Leslie Heron on How to Talk About Sex After Cancer
November 24, 2021 22:00 - 44 minutes - 30.6 MBWelcome to "Sex, Drugs, and Rock & Roll," a multi-part series where we talk with experts about three topics that often do not get discussed during treatment. This episode is Part 2 of our two-part conversation about sex after cancer. We talk to Leslie Heron, a nurse and a nurse practitioner with over 37 years of direct patient care experience. Leslie is board certified in family practice, and as a nurse coach, she works with individuals as well as community and professional groups on issues...
Sex, Drugs, and Rock & Roll Part 1: Dr. Saketh R. Guntupalli on Intimacy and Love After Cancer
November 23, 2021 01:00 - 26 minutes - 18.6 MBWelcome to "Sex, Drugs, and Rock & Roll," a multi-part series where we talk with experts about three topics that often do not get discussed during treatment. To begin with, we're talking about sex and sexuality after cancer, which our participants tell us are very important topics for them but that they struggle to discuss with others. We’re dedicating two episodes to approach the subject of Sex and Cancer with two thought leaders who share their experience and the guidance they’ve given th...
Special Episode: Clearity's Deb Zajchowski on the Teckro Totally Clinical Podcast
November 12, 2021 23:00 - 16 minutes - 11.1 MBClinical trials are critical for advancing more effective treatment options for cancer, and participating in a clinical trial can be one of the most impactful steps a patient can take in the course of their treatment. That's why the team at Clearity works to educate women diagnosed with ovarian cancer about clinical trial availability, enrollment, and participation. Fortunately, many others share this commitment and partner with us to help spread the word and demystify the world of clinical...
How to Increase the Peace: "Whole Brain Living" with Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor
October 01, 2021 00:00 - 45 minutes - 31.6 MBEver feel like someone else has taken over your brain? Ever wonder why sometimes you can be so focused and methodical and other times the complete opposite? The cancer experience can sometimes fell like a roller coaster with stress and uncertainty around each turn. Sometimes it’s hard to show up the way you’d like. In this episode, Jill Bolte Taylor, Ph.D., Harvard-trained neuroanatomist and author of the best-selling memoir My Stroke of Insight, explains concepts from her most recent book,...
The Cancer Roadmap, Part 2: The New Normal
September 17, 2021 21:00 - 40 minutes - 27.7 MBCancer Connections introduces “The Cancer Roadmap, Part 2,” the second of two episodes exploring the shared experience many cancer patients have. Understanding the Cancer Roadmap may help to normalize the feelings and emotions associated with a cancer diagnosis as well as help patients know what to expect. Many people describe the feeling of not knowing, of dealing with the mystery of cancer, as being such a difficult aspect of their diagnosis. The Cancer Roadmap may help shine some light o...
The Cancer Roadmap, Part 1: Diagnosis & Treatment
September 03, 2021 19:00 - 53 minutes - 36.6 MBCancer Connections introduces “The Cancer Roadmap, Part 1,” the first of two episodes exploring the shared experience many cancer patients have. Understanding the Cancer Roadmap may help to normalize the feelings and emotions associated with a cancer diagnosis as well as help patients know what to expect. Many people describe the feeling of not knowing, of dealing with the mystery of cancer, as being such a difficult aspect of their diagnosis. The Cancer Roadmap may help shine some light o...
Talk Nerdy to Me, Part 2: The Future of Cancer Treatment with Dr. Laura Shawver and Dr. Beth Karlan
August 05, 2021 02:00 - 44 minutes - 30.6 MBOur guest this episode is Dr. Beth Karlan, recent recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Gynecologic Cancer Society (IGCS), and a surgeon who has three decades of experience treating women with ovarian cancer. You're going to want to find a quiet space to enjoy this interview, because it's our most content-packed episode yet, covering topics that will be useful to anyone with an interest in the current and future state of cancer treatment, and particularly for ...
Talk Nerdy to Me: Dr. Laura Shawver & Dr. Deb Zajchowski on the Evolution of Ovarian Cancer Therapies
July 15, 2021 20:00 - 44 minutes - 30.8 MBOn this episode of Cancer Connections, Clearity's founder, Laura Shawver, talks with Clearity's Scientific Director, Deb Zajchowski, about how much the field of cancer testing, treatment and research has changed in the 15 years since Laura was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2006. These two women, pioneers in their field, explain topics like PARP inhibitors, immune oncology and the difference between “hot” and “cold” tumors. Take a listen to learn more about the science and why we should al...
Talk Nerdy to Me, Part 1: The Evolution of Ovarian Cancer Therapies with Dr. Laura Shawver & Dr. Deb Zajchowski
July 15, 2021 20:00 - 44 minutes - 30.8 MBOn this episode of Cancer Connections, Clearity's founder, Laura Shawver, talks with Clearity's Scientific Director, Deb Zajchowski, about how much the field of cancer testing, treatment and research has changed in the 15 years since Laura was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2006. These two women, pioneers in their field, explain topics like PARP inhibitors, immune oncology and the difference between “hot” and “cold” tumors. Take a listen to learn more about the science and why we should al...
What Happens When Biography Becomes Biology? A Survivor Explains
June 11, 2021 21:00 - 38 minutes - 26.4 MBIn our first three episodes, we heard from expert physicians about the connection between stress and disease, people who have defied the odds in exceptional ways, and how addressing death thoughtfully may bring unexpected joy. But how do these ideas about the connection between stress and disease square with someone who is actually living with a cancer diagnosis every day? In this episode of Cancer Connections, we talk with Cissy White, a journalist and advocate for PTSD and abuse survivor...
Can a Conversation About Death Bring Joy?
May 26, 2021 22:00 - 49 minutes - 34.3 MBIt's not just you—nobody wants to talk about death. Not only is it an uncomfortable topic to bring up, but also, as palliative care expert Dr. BJ Miller explains, it's nearly impossible to capture in words the range of feelings one can have about such a momentous and personal life event. But if we don't talk about it, what are we missing out on? Can we find joy and meaning in life by having a conversation about death? In this episode, host Hillary Theakston and her guest Dr. Miller discuss ...
What We Can Learn From Cases of Exceptional Healing With Dr. Jeffrey Rediger
May 19, 2021 02:00 - 44 minutes - 30.5 MBAre spontaneous healers medical flukes? Or is there something we can learn from them and apply to our own lives? Dr. Jeffrey Rediger, author of "Cured: The Life-Changing Science of Spontaneous Healing," talks with us about what he's learned from studying these kinds of cases for the past 15 years. Some of the topics we cover: Why it's so important to explore the link between disease and mind How personal beliefs influence health and illness How connecting with intuition and living authent...
The Link Between Stress and Cancer with Dr. Gabor Maté
May 11, 2021 16:00 - 50 minutes - 34.5 MBJoin us as we talk with renowned public speaker and best-selling author Dr. Gabor Maté about the well-documented link between stress and illness. In this episode, Dr. Maté and host Hillary Theakston discuss: How to talk about stress and illness in a compassionate way that doesn't shame or blame Chronic stress and its impact on the body How the way we talk about illness influences the way we treat it Why we need to focus on the healing capacity of the individual in addition to traditional...
Introducing Cancer Connections
May 07, 2021 22:00 - 1 minute - 881 KBWelcome to a new space where we can have the kinds of conversations that are not happening often enough alongside a cancer diagnosis—conversations about things like the connection between stress and wellness, or how to cope with death anxiety, or how clinical trials work today. We're sitting down with scientists, doctors, advocates, and patients for discussions that are thought-provoking, empowering and fact-based. We won’t have all of the answers, but we hope you’ll come away with some ...