Your Stories: Conquering Cancer
65 episodes - English - Latest episode: 12 days ago - ★★★★★ - 13 ratingsYour Stories features candid conversations between patients, the people who love them, and the researchers looking for new treatments each day.
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Episodes
Stopping the Stigma
April 16, 2024 09:00 - 35 minutes - 32.2 MBWhat do esophageal cancer, testicular cancer, lung cancer, cervical cancer, and colon cancer have in common? Each carries some type of stigma or taboo—whether because they’re linked to behavioral causes or because they affect portions of the anatomy traditionally deemed private. The impact of these stigmas can be detrimental: In some cases, stigmatized cancers receive less research funding, resulting in fewer treatment innovations for patients. Moreover, stigmas often result in patients hesi...
A Collaborative Approach to an Uncommon Cancer
March 19, 2024 09:00 - 34 minutes - 23.8 MBImagine receiving a cancer diagnosis, only to immediately learn that not only has it spread to other parts of your body, but it’s also incredibly rare for it do so—so rare, in fact, that little to no research exists to inform your treatment. Katie Coleman doesn’t need to imagine this: She’s lived it. In December 2020, at just 29 years old, Katie was diagnosed with metastatic oncocytoma, a type of kidney cancer so rare that fewer than 10 cases have been recorded in history. Consequently, it...
The Woman Whose Cells Lived On
February 20, 2024 10:00 - 42 minutes - 28.9 MBHenrietta Lacks: Her name is forever intertwined with Black history and medicine. Her cells are the source of the world’s first immortalized human cell line. Without her consent, her biological material was used to make groundbreaking advancements in research in a wide range of conditions and diseases, including AIDS and polio to radiation treatment and cancer care. More than 70 years have gone by since Henrietta Lacks passed away from ovarian cancer at age 31. And yet, today, the Lacks st...
“So Much to Do”
January 16, 2024 10:00 - 43 minutes - 59.4 MBLong before he was a world-renowned neurosurgeon, Dr. Alfredo Quiñones-Hinojosa was a 5-year-old boy selling food at gas stations in his native Mexico. But he wanted to dream bigger: At 19, he left his native Mexico in hopes of a better future. Despite speaking little English and having no money, he felt it was his chance at better supporting his loved ones. He was right. After two years of working manual labor, he decided to build a better future for himself, ultimately earning a scholar...
A Boulder Approach to Conquering Cancer
December 19, 2023 09:00 - 33 minutes - 23 MBAthlete, professional climber, reality show participant, competitor, physician, and cancer survivor: Favia Dubyk embodies the definition of conqueror. But facing advanced-stage lymphoma during her second year of medical school caused a major setback in Favia’s athletic life. Surgical treatment and chemotherapy had devastating effects on her identity as an expert rock climber: She had gone from ascending boulders to struggling just to open her fridge. It took Favia years of dedicated traini...
Co-Survivors, Part 2
November 21, 2023 09:00 - 35 minutes - 24.5 MBBy the time internet-comedy power-couple Kristin (“Lady Glaucomflecken”) and Will Flanary (“Dr. Glaucomflecken”) were 35, Will had survived cancer twice, along with a sudden cardiac arrest. Throughout these traumatic experiences, Kristin took on the role of caregiver. In at least one case, she was also his lifeline. Between her experience marrying into medicine, caring for a partner with a life-altering diagnosis, and her background in social psychology and cognitive neuroscience, Kristin...
Thinking Pink and Beyond
October 17, 2023 08:00 - 24 minutes - 16.5 MBYou’ve seen them: the pink ribbons pinned to your senator’s suit jacket. Runners dressed in head-to-toe pink athletic gear, racing for a cure. Football players streaking down the field in pink cleats. It wasn’t always like this. Long before people began thinking pink, breast cancer remained fairly stigmatized, a taboo subject only discussed behind the closed doors of a doctor’s office. Today, though, the conversation around breast cancer has reached a level of nearly unrivaled ubiquity, t...
From Chickens and Ice Cream to Clinical Trials
September 19, 2023 08:00 - 14 minutes - 9.75 MBAs a little girl, Kenedi loves eating ice cream, drawing stories about her family’s chickens, and playing with her sister. But at age 7, after feeling sick for some time, a cancer diagnosis upended Kenedi’s life. Despite being the top disease-related cause of death for children, pediatric cancers are still considered rare. As with most rare diseases, childhood cancer receives far less research funding compared with more common cancers. The consequence? Fewer breakthroughs or treatment op...
The More You Know
August 15, 2023 08:00 - 34 minutes - 31.2 MBImagine you—or a loved one—receives a cancer diagnosis. Overnight, you find yourself trying to become an oncology expert, desperately looking for information about options. You stumble across a research paper that looks promising—if you could make sense of all the science-speak. Then you find Cancer.Net, the patient information website of Conquer Cancer and the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). This doctor-approved resource makes cancer terminology easier to digest and offers th...
Dentistry to Oncology
July 18, 2023 08:00 - 33 minutes - 23.3 MBFor patients with oral cancers, treatment is often just the beginning of their journey. Even after they emerge cancer-free, many still face a long journey to recovery and restored quality of life As a maxillofacial surgeon and oncologist, Dr. Chi Viet concentrates heavily on helping her patients to not only conquer this rare cancer, but to more easily and effectively manage their pain along their road to recovery. Using a Conquer Cancer grant, Dr. Viet worked to find epigenetic biomarkers...
Spreading the News About Colorectal Cancer Research
June 20, 2023 08:00 - 34 minutes - 23.4 MBNBC journalist Craig Melvin’s 43-year-old brother, Lawrence Meadows, passed away from colorectal cancer in 2020. Since then, Craig has made it his mission to increase public awareness and raise support for colorectal cancer research. Along with two-time Conquer Cancer grant recipient and colorectal oncologist Dr. Kimmie Ng, Craig joins this episode of our Your Stories podcast to emphasize the critical role donors play in advancing colorectal cancer research. Hosted by Dr. Don Dizon, Craig an...
Building a Bridge to Hope
May 16, 2023 07:00 - 28 minutes - 26.1 MBSupport communities for people conquering cancer form a critical bridge between the worlds of social work and oncology and offer immense benefits for people transitioning from patient to survivor. Stephanie Stern, a licensed professional counselor, support group facilitator, and program director at a nonprofit community organization, helps people to more effectively manage the mixed emotions that come with conquering cancer. In this episode of our podcast, Stephanie joins Brenda Brody, a bre...
From Disappointment to Discovery
April 21, 2023 10:00 - 32 minutes - 29.6 MBAt just 19 years old, Anya was diagnosed with Erdheim-Chester disease (ECD), an extremely rare and incurable blood cancer. After three years of unsuccessful treatments, Anya was quickly running out of options. In this episode of our Your Stories podcast, Anya’s mother, Colleen, and one of Anya's oncologists, Conquer Cancer-funded researcher Dr. Jithma Abeykoon, discuss the complexities of uncovering her diagnosis, the disappointment of failed treatments, and the relief and surprise that came...
Generations of Courage
March 17, 2023 10:00 - 31 minutes - 21.4 MBFor some families, cancer is in their genes. But this didn’t stop Hattie Sherman from conquering it. Hattie is a third-generation survivor of hereditary breast cancer, with her mother, Molly, and grandmother having experienced the diagnosis as well. Fortunately, as cancer research continues to advance, treatments are vastly improving for each generation of patients. In this episode, Hattie, Molly, and Dr. Patt join Your Stories host, Dr. Mark Lewis, for a candid conversation about the inte...
Re-Release: A Conversation About Race in Cancer Care
February 17, 2023 12:00 - 46 minutes - 31.9 MBIn 2022, one of our most popular Your Stories episodes was the conversation featuring Dr. Karen Winkfield, who is a Biden-appointed member of the National Cancer Advisory Board and one of the country’s leading experts in advancing health equity. We are re-releasing this episode to highlight the lasting importance of addressing health disparities and working to eradicate structural racism in cancer research and oncology care. Dr. Winkfield unpacks why cancer risks are higher and survival rate...
"It's Treatable"
January 20, 2023 11:00 - 34 minutes - 23.7 MBLillian Kreppel had to advocate for herself and seek a second opinion before receiving a delayed diagnosis: HPV-related stage II anal cancer. During treatment, she found stark limitations in HPV information, including lack of public awareness and patient education, inadequate guidelines for cancer screening, and a lot of HPV-related social stigma. Now a survivor, Lillian leads the HPV Cancers Alliance, an advocacy organization she co-founded to help improve HPV education for patients, prov...
It Takes a Team
December 16, 2022 11:00 - 34 minutes - 23.7 MBLess than 1% of patients diagnosed with glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) – the most aggressive type of brain cancer – live longer than a decade. But Molly is one of those rare survivors. Her best friend, Martha, and Martha’s sister, Conquer Cancer board member Dr. Amy Peterson, fiercely supported Molly every step of the way. Molly tells Your Stories host, Dr. Mark Lewis, how she navigated her experiences with cancer. Martha recounts how she supported Molly through her journey. And Dr. Amy Peter...
Just Keep Swimming
November 18, 2022 14:00 - 33 minutes - 23.2 MBWhen Liz Beisel’s late father, Ted Beisel, passed away in 2021 from pancreatic cancer, she partnered with Swim Across America to help fund a Conquer Cancer Young Investigator Award. Dr. Peter Yu, an early-career oncologist and pancreatic cancer researcher, received this grant in 2022. This helped launch his promising research project to improve treatment and care for patients with pancreatic cancer. Liz tells Your Stories host, Dr. Don Dizon, how memories of her dad motivate her to raise vit...
The DESTINY of Breast Cancer Care
October 21, 2022 13:00 - 27 minutes - 18.7 MBDr. Shanu Modi led DESTINY-Breast04, a groundbreaking study that resulted in FDA approval of a promising treatment that can improve survival for nearly 50% of all patients with metastatic breast cancer today. This Conquer Cancer grant recipient talks about the importance of patient participation in clinical trials, the necessity of donor-funded research, and the bright future of breast cancer care.
Learning How Language Saves Lives
September 16, 2022 05:00 - 30 minutes - 21 MBHelping her Spanish-speaking family communicate with their oncologist inspired Dr. Jenny’s Ruiz’s work in cancer care. This three-time Conquer Cancer grant and award recipient shares how her language-based research aims to improve survival rates for pediatric patients.
Cancer as a Young Adult
July 15, 2022 05:00 - 32 minutes - 22.1 MBEven when young patients survive cancer, its challenges often remain with them for the rest of their lives. Carly Flumer survived thyroid cancer in her late 20s and learned invaluable lessons about communication between doctors and patients. Now 32, she is helping other adolescent and young adult patients navigate the unique challenges they face during and after treatment.
"Thriving"
June 17, 2022 05:00 - 31 minutes - 21.7 MBMai Achong was 26 when she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Though she survived and her dream of motherhood was fulfilled, the challenges of survival continue to haunt her. From parenting while in treatment to navigating health care systems, Mai shares all the lessons she learned as a patient and a survivor.
Survivor's Guilt
May 20, 2022 05:00 - 28 minutes - 19.5 MBBethany Hart was pregnant when she received a devastating diagnosis. She lost her baby, Hallie, as well as her fertility. Now cancer-free and an advocate for other survivors, Bethany shares how she created the family she’d dreamed about before cancer.
Climbing Cancer Mountain
April 15, 2022 05:00 - 38 minutes - 26.7 MBCalifornia cyclist Mark Crafts, stunned with a mid-life cancer diagnosis, trusts in cancer research to keep rolling on the most unpredictable ride of his life. He tells Dr. Mark Lewis how, with his support from his Team Crafty family, friends, and cycling crew and an unflinching hope in cancer research, he keeps rolling toward the next big breakthrough.
This Life Rocks
March 18, 2022 05:00 - 27 minutes - 18.7 MBJana Hirsch’s mom died from cancer when she was a little girl, so she knows all too well the feelings of pain and loss her 11-year-old daughter, Nika is enduring. Nika's dad, Rico, died from cancer last year. In this Your Stories podcast, Jana offers advice for helping children mourn and Nika shares how helping others keeps her dad’s memory alive.
A Conversation About Race in Cancer Care
February 18, 2022 06:30 - 47 minutes - 43.4 MBDr. Karen Winkfield and Dr. Don Dizon are two of the country’s foremost leaders in advancing health equity. During Black History Month, they offer a very candid discussion on why cancer risks are higher and survival rates are lower for Black people, while addressing the disparities facing all patients from underrepresented, excluded, and disenfranchised communities.
Armoring Up
January 21, 2022 06:00 - 36 minutes - 21 MBEmmy award-winning journalist Loriana Hernadez-Aldama takes you behind the scenes of her incredible and emotional story surviving leukemia and then breast cancer. Loriana believes being “prehabilitated” helped her take on treatment, and she challenges you to be ready in case you are faced with an unexpected diagnosis or recurrence.
Making A Difference
December 17, 2021 05:30 - 17 minutes - 10.2 MBDr. Nathalie McKenzie is a global caregiver, an innovative scientist, and an advocate for equitable care whose patients celebrate her compassion and determination. She is also a breast cancer survivor who knows firsthand how Cancer Research Saves Lives™. In the latest Your Stories podcast, meet one of the many researchers Conquer Cancer supports as she shares her thoughts on the greatest needs in cancer care and discusses the ways Conquer Cancer donors are “Making a Difference.”
Co-Survivors
November 19, 2021 06:00 - 31 minutes - 18.1 MBKristin and Will Flannery are the First Couple of Comedy. Will – aka @DGlaucomflecken on the internet and comedy stages, aka Dr. Flannery to his optometry patients, and aka Dad to the two kids he shares with Kristin - aka @LadyGlaucomflecken - is a two-time testicular cancer survivor; he also survived cardiac arrest – all before age 35.
Full Disclosure
October 15, 2021 05:00 - 35 minutes - 20.3 MBBreast cancer survivor Brenda Brody tells Dr. Mark Lewis how she endured the mental anguish of treatment, why she became a mentor, and why she shares her story to help others.
Day by Day
September 17, 2021 05:00 - 22 minutes - 13.3 MBIn the latest Your Stories podcast, 12-year-old Cain and his mom, Tawny share with host Dr. Mark Lewis how their family maintains hope and what others can do to help families who are conquering cancer together.
Web MDs
August 20, 2021 05:00 - 37 minutes - 21.9 MBDr. Lewis, who self-diagnosed his MEN1, understands how patients can feel doubted and judged. Among the ways both Dr. Lewis and Dr. Dizon believe patients can best be served is shed any blame associated with a cancer diagnosis.
Lessons in Uncertainty
July 16, 2021 05:00 - 24 minutes - 14.2 MBSoon after recovering from Hodgkin lymphoma, Lisa Geller’s cancer returned. Then another shocking diagnosis: endometrial cancer. In the latest Your Stories podcast, Lisa, a teacher, tells host Dr. Don Dizon what she learned when her treatments did not go as she or her doctors expected.
Making Advocacy Count
June 25, 2021 06:00 - 31 minutes - 18.3 MBWhy representation matters. Why pronouns matter. And why it matters more than ever for patients with cancer from the LGBTQ+ community to be counted and welcomed. Scout, MA, PhD, executive director of the National LGBT Cancer Network, tells host Dr. Don Dizon why be believes erasing the implicit bias and stigma LGBT patients often face begins with doctors and allies asking the uncomfortable questions and feeling comfortable admitting when they “just don't know what they don't know.”
The Doctor Is In
May 21, 2021 14:23 - 29 minutes - 16.7 MBIn the latest Your Stories podcast, Brenda Brody introduces you to fellow co-host Dr. Don Dizon. They talk mental health, sexual health, and the challenges facing LGBTQ+ patients that inspire Dr. Dizon’s work to achieve equity in cancer care.
Breast Friends Forever
April 16, 2021 18:10 - 15 minutes - 9.14 MBChildhood friends, both breast cancer survivors, relive the joy and fears of their experiences and share why patients shouldn’t conquer cancer alone.
Finding a New Voice
March 18, 2021 23:42 - 13 minutes - 7.6 MBSteve Cooper tells Brenda Brody how helping other people who have been diagnosed with larynx cancer, he found the will to recover - physically and emotionally - from squamous cell carcinoma.
Chasing Passions
February 19, 2021 18:06 - 14 minutes - 8.58 MBWhat did Stacy White do after being diagnosed with breast cancer for the third time? She got a new degree, changed careers, and as she tells host and fellow survivor Brenda Brody, refused to let the disease deter her dreams.
Follow the Signs
January 20, 2021 00:02 - 14 minutes - 8.3 MBIn Follow the Signs, Monique Robinson shares how trusting her instincts, her doctors, and the family supporting her guided her path as she survived breast cancer. Host Brenda Brody, cancer survivor and advocate, talks to Monique about the challenges of enduring treatment, talking to children about a parents’ diagnosis, and living with the fear of the cancer returning.
Pitching In
November 06, 2020 05:30 - 9 minutes - 20.9 MBNancy and Alex Berry were shocked when their son, Jake, was diagnosed with testicular cancer during a sports physical. He was only 16. In this episode of Your Stories, the devoted parents discuss what it’s like to watch your child compete against cancer and share how the experience changed their family forever. Nancy and Alex Berry were shocked when their son Jake was diagnosed with testicular cancer during a sports physical. He was only 16. In this episode of Your Stories, the devoted p...
Being Your Own Advocate
October 09, 2020 05:30 - 8 minutes - 18.5 MBKimberly Irvine was used to taking care of the people she loved. Conquering breast cancer – twice – forced the young mom to learn how to take care of herself in a whole new way. In a conversation with fellow philanthropist Riccardo Braglia, Kimberly shares how cancer changed her family and offers advice for patients who meet cancer in the prime of their lives. TRANSCRIPT PRESENTER 1: Life doesn't stop for months and dads when they hear those dreaded words, "You have cancer." But how...
The Family Business
September 25, 2020 06:00 - 10 minutes - 6.15 MBInternational business leader Riccardo Braglia has experienced great loss from cancer. But the perspective he gained inspires what he gives to help patients everywhere. Riccardo shares his story with ASCO CEO Cliff Hudis, MD, FACP, FASCO. TRANSCRIPT PRESENTER 1: When cancer took the life of his best friend, Riccardo Braglia redirected the focus of his international health company to improving treatment for patients with cancer. Then cancer took his mom. Inspired by his mother and the...
Childlike Hopes
September 11, 2020 16:00 - 7 minutes - 4.41 MBIn this episode of Your Stories, Dr. Applebaum shares the hopeful news about conquering childhood cancers with fellow oncologist Dr. Douglas Yee and gives doctors’ orders for how all patients with cancer and their families can face every phase of a diagnosis with childlike hopes. Dr. Mark Applebaum, a kid at heart, uses every trick in the coloring books he shares with his young patients to improve the often long and brutal treatments they face. In this episode of Your Stories, Dr. Applebau...
Marriage and Medicine
August 14, 2020 06:00 - 9 minutes - 5.33 MBJudith and Alan Kaur know more than most of us about the science of long-lasting love. And they use their unique experiences in the cancer community to advance research. In this episode of Your Stories, the Kaurs reveal their non-traditional approach to marriage and medicine. Judith, the first doctor to receive a Conquer Cancer grant more than 35 year ago and Alan, who encouraged his wife to go to med school in the 1970s after they’d started their family, teach us that relationships are...
A Rare Occurrence
July 24, 2020 06:00 - 8 minutes - 4.76 MBDoctor after doctor recommended a different treatment option to Marlene Portnoy’s husband, Steve, after he was diagnosed with a desmoid tumor. Research on the subject seemed out of reach until Marlene met Dr. Mrinal Gounder. Dr. Gounder is an oncologist treating sarcoma patients, and his understanding of desmoid tumors provided the answers they needed. In this episode of Your Stories, Marlene and Dr. Gounder recount how a rare disease brought them together and how their partnership is still ...
Finding Hope in the Face of Cancer
July 10, 2020 04:30 - 5 minutes - 11.4 MBLife doesn’t stop when devastating things happen. Six-time cancer survivor Brittany Sullivan and her husband, John, know this all too well. Brittany’s first diagnosis came at age 3 and her most recent when she was 15 weeks pregnant. How do a husband and wife keep going when cancer lies in the shadows of their most joyous moments?The Sullivans rest in their faith, the miracles uncovered by modern medicine, and the divine direction of a pink Post-It note to conquer the fears of cancer without ...
A New Generation of Conquerors
June 26, 2020 15:57 - 6 minutes - 15 MBA new house in the suburbs. A thriving business. A growing family. It was a charmed life for college sweethearts Robin and Dave Dubin until Dave was diagnosed with colon cancer at age 29. Cancer is part of Dave’s family history. Will it be part of his family’s future? The Dubins talk candidly about the decision to explore genetic testing for their sons and the anxiety that comes with having answers. A new house in the suburbs, a thriving business, a growing family, it was a charmed lif...
From Every Angle
June 12, 2020 05:00 - 9 minutes - 5.36 MBHow does a patient find his voice? Dr. Mark Lewis was one week into his oncology fellowship training when he self-diagnosed his rare cancer. In this episode of Your Stories, Dr. Lewis shares with his friend and colleague, Dr. Jonathan Bleeker, how the many roles he’s played as caregiver, doctor, and patient – help him navigate the cancer community. How does a patient find his voice? Dr. Mark Lewis was one week into his oncology fellowship training when he self-diagnosed his rare ca...
Remembering Mum
May 08, 2020 06:00 - 7 minutes - 18.1 MBWill I lose my hair? It's a question most people ask when they begin treatment for cancer. When Sue Paxman, a young mother of four, was in treatment decades ago, she was especially bothered when her hair fell out. Claire Paxman tells her brother Rich about the moment she stood in the bathroom with their late mother, holding the scissors to help her cut her long, curly hair. Their mother's experience inspired the family's work in scalp cooling technology, a therapy that helps minimize hai...
Ice Cream Helps Everything
April 24, 2020 05:00 - 6 minutes - 15 MBCollege. Senior Year. A cancer diagnosis. Before graduation, a crash course: Cancer 101. The student and patient, Addison, quizzes her doctor, Jason Luke, on the life-saving thesis he drafted on using immunotherapy as part of her cancer treatment. College, senior year, a cancer diagnosis. Before graduation, a crash course, Cancer 101. Student and patient, Addison, quizzes her doctor, Jason Luke, on the lifesaving thesis he drafted on using immunotherapy as part of her cancer treatment. ...