This episode focuses on making treatment decisions when you or your loved one has been diagnosed with an advanced cancer. There are a lot of issues that a person has to navigate - financial concerns, legal documents, communicating with the care team, and the emotions that come with caring for a loved one with an advanced cancer diagnosis. With us today is hospice and palliative medicine physician Dr. BJ Miller.

Making Treatment Decisions for an Advanced Cancer Diagnosis

Over the last decade, the number of treatment options for patients with advanced cancers has greatly expanded.  In this episode, we look at treatments currently available to patients diagnosed with advanced or metastatic bladder cancer and discuss ways to cope with this difficult diagnosis. Our guests are Dr. Daniel Geynisman and Monica Scanlan, BSN, RN, both of Fox Chase Cancer Center at Temple Health, and Rachel Saks, MSS, LSW, OSW-C, Senior Director, Education at the Cancer Support Community.

What You Need to Know About Advanced or Metastatic Bladder Cancer

Grief can be complicated and confusing. Coping with the feelings that follow a loss can be difficult, but it doesn’t have to be something from which we run away. In this episode, we sit down with Susan Ash Lee, Vice President, Clinical Services at CSC. Susan offers a compassionate exploration of this subject and insight into how we can help ourselves and our loved ones in the face of grief.

Look at Grief, Even When We Want to Run Away

This episode is part of our special series “Young and Diagnosed” which focuses on the unique challenges and experiences of young adults facing a cancer diagnosis. Jacqueline Smith and Evan Ruggiero are living proof of just how quickly and randomly life can change. As they’ll tell you, their new paths are in many ways more rewarding than anything they could have imagined--or might have chosen--before their lives took an unthinkable detour.  “Young and Diagnosed” is brought to you by Genentech.

Young and Diagnosed:  Recalculating When Life Takes a Detour

John Marshall

“Cancer always catches people by surprise and will always be someone else’s problem...we are all terrified that one day, the someone else will be us.” Those are the words of oncologist and caregiver John Marshall in the new book Off Our Chests, a memoir he has co-authored with his wife Liza who was diagnosed with stage 3 triple negative breast cancer in 2006.  Now 16 years past this life changing experience, Liza and John call their story “a candid tour through the world of cancer.” Honest and unafraid to be vulnerable, the Marshalls share in this episode what it’s like for a doctor to learn humility as a caregiver and a woman to face many levels of loss with courage and grace.

Liza and John Marshall on Getting Things “Off Our Chests”

In this episode, we take a close look at advanced non-melanoma skin cancer.  With advances in detection, diagnosis and treatments for both melanoma and non-melanoma, these cancers are being discovered at earlier stages and treated with a much more personalized approach.  With us today to talk specifically about advanced non-melanoma skin care are two experts in the field: Dr. Gregory Biedermann and Dr. Christos Papageorgiou.

Spotlight on Skin Cancer: Advanced Non-Melanoma Skin Cancers

Have you ever wondered why you may have had to wait for your insurance to authorize your medicine or procedure or why you may have not be able to get the medication first recommended by your doctor? Chances are that you may never have heard the term utilization management practices (UM) before, but it can impact the recommendations made by your health care team and what your insurance plan will cover.  In this episode, we take an in-depth look at how UM plays out in everyday life, how these practices can increase health disparities and how you can advocate for yourself and your loved ones.  Our guest is Phylicia L. Woods, Executive Director of the Cancer Support Community’s Cancer Policy Institute.

How Utilization Management Can Increase Health Disparities

Thanks to advances in research and several new treatments, people diagnosed with multiple myeloma are living better and longer than ever before.  The disease is treatable and can be managed like any other chronic condition.  Today, we’re going to talk about the knowledge and tools that can help manage the physical, emotional and practical impact of living with multiple myeloma.  Our guests are Dr. Sikander Ailawadhi and Jan Miller, a licensed professional counselor.

Coping with Multiple Myeloma

Even before the Covid-19 pandemic, doctors and other healthcare providers were being tested by a number of stressors that impacted their emotional well-being and, by extension, patient care. Thankfully, with the help of our guests, Joseph Stern, MD and Dan Shapiro, PhD, the situation is changing. This episode focuses on the challenges faced by the doctors who care for us and new approaches and programs helping address the burnout that they experience.

Running on Empty: Taking on Doctor Burnout

Our special series “Young and Diagnosed” focuses on the unique challenges and experiences of young adults facing a cancer diagnosis.  In this episode, we meet Suleika Jaouad and Jonathan Sommers.  Suleika is the author of the NY Times bestseller Between Two Kingdoms: A Memoir of a Life Interrupted and Jonathan is a filmmaker who serves on SWOG Cancer Research Network’s Digital Engagement Committee. “Young and Diagnosed” is brought to you by Genentech.

Young and Diagnosed:  Encountering the Unexpected

Frankly Speaking about Cancer is a program that inspires, educates, and empowers patients, survivors, and caregivers living with cancer.

Kim and her guests provide some incredibly compelling content that’s geared to equip you with the knowledge AND mindsets to approach cancer with a new emotional resilience.

Highly recommend listening and subscribing!

Incredibly insightful

Frankly Speaking About Cancer with the Cancer Support Community

Every day, patients meet with doctors to discuss their health and wellness.  Yet, these meetings can be frustrating and unsatisfactory for both patient and doctor alike. On this episode of Frankly Speaking About Cancer, Dr. Danielle Ofri brings special insight on this topic, having recently written the book “What Patients Say, What Doctors Hear.”

What Patients Say, What Doctors Hear

“I won’t let a brain tumor defeat me or the people I love. It’s a scary diagnosis but now I know the facts.” This is a quote from Frankly Speaking About Cancer: Brain Tumors. Currently there are more than 688,000 people living with a brain or central nervous system tumor in the United States, and this year alone an estimated 23,380 adults will be diagnosed with a primary, cancerous brain tumor according to the American Society of Clinical Oncology. To help us learn more about brain tumors this Brain Tumor Awareness Month, the show is joined by Deanna Glass Macenka, Program Coordinator the Neurosurgical Oncology Program at Johns Hopkins Hospital, and Dr. Ashley Love Sumrall, Neuro-Oncologist at the Levine Cancer Institute.

Brain Tumor Awareness Month

Gastric cancers, meaning those that originate in the stomach, esophagus or the junctions of these two organs, account for 37,600 cancer diagnoses in the United States each year. Until the 1930s, this diagnosis was actually the leading cause of cancer death in the United States, and today it is still estimated to be the 4th most common type of cancer worldwide. However, there is still much to be learned about stomach cancer and how it impacts patients, their caregivers and loved ones. On this episode of Frankly Speaking About Cancer, host Kim Thiboldeaux is joined by three guests who will explain all stages of stomach cancer—from diagnosis, to treatment, survivorship, awareness and beyond.

Understanding the full impact of stomach cancer

Without a doubt, the past few years have been an exciting time for lung cancer research with new drugs bringing hope to patients and their families.   In today’s episode, we’re going to take a close look at how immunotherapy is being used to treat lung cancer and why the medical community is so optimistic about its potential. Our guest is Dr. David Carbone.

Immunotherapy and Lung Cancer

There are several cancer types that we hear about quite often, whether it’s on the news, through daily conversation or because of a devoted awareness month. But, there are many other cancer types affecting people all over the world that many of us have never even heard of. A lack of awareness is just one of the problems facing people who are living with a rare type of cancer. On this episode of Frankly Speaking About Cancer we will learn more about life with a rare type of cancer from two guests who are working tirelessly to raise awareness  and provide resources to people with rare cancer types.

Focusing the Lens on Rare Cancers

Holly Rowe

Beloved and highly admired ESPN reporter and cancer survivor, of a rare form of melanoma, Holly Rowe says sports saved her life. In this episode, Rowe shares why she decided to go public with her cancer experience and provides an update on how she is doing today. Catch Rowe in action reporting from the sidelines of your favorite games on ESPN!

Holly Rowe's Siren Song: A Conversation about Sports, Work, and Cancer

October is recognized as Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and on this show, guest host Linda House will be highlighting an important breast cancer topic that is often overlooked—breast reconstruction. Joining Linda is Dr. Jeff Ascherman, Site Chief of the Division of Plastic Surgery and Professor of Surgery at Columbia University Medical Center, as well as Susan Scanlan, breast cancer survivor and women’s health and rights advocate, and Jenny Saldana, breast cancer survivor and patient navigator. This episode will explore breast reconstruction basics, first-hand patient experiences, and new advancements in this field.

Breast Reconstruction: What You Should Know

Up until recently, Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) had essentially been treated the same way for decades but in the last few years new therapies and treatment approaches have been approved for use by the FDA and many promising therapies are being tested in clinical trials.  In this episode, we take a look at this cancer and these recent developments with one of the nation’s foremost experts on blood cancers, and a returning guest to the show, Dr. Thomas LeBlanc.

Looking at Leukemias- Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Whether you’re in treatment or out, it’s important to make sure you eat foods rich in beneficial nutrients. Yet, it’s not always easy to figure out what to eat and what to avoid, especially during challenging times.  Our guest is oncology nutritionist Rachel Beller, who answers questions about cancer-related nutrition and gives tips on managing food and meals to help us eat well and feel well.

Nutrition and Cancer

Whether it’s during treatment or years into survivorship, body image is an often overlooked issue for people on the cancer journey. On today’s show, we will be exploring body image and cancer—what kinds of challenges we are seeing, when to bring these issues up with your health care team and more. Joining your host, Kim Thiboldeaux, is Michelle Cororve Fingeret, Ph.D., Assistant Professor in the Department of Behavioral Science with joint appointments in the Departments of Plastic Surgery and Head and Neck Surgery at the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center. Also on the show is Jane O. Smith, breast cancer survivor and principal at Still Sassy, LLC.

Cancer and Body Image

There is no doubt that we are traveling through unchartered territory. Calls for social distancing, travel restrictions and lockdowns, may separate us physically, but we can still connect and support each other. No one should feel alone. This episode features questions we received from cancer patients and caregivers about the spread of the virus in general and its impact on the lives of people living with cancer specifically. THIS SPECIAL EPISODE WILL RUN WITHOUT COMMERCIAL INTERRUPTIONS.  TO HEAR THE PROGRAM IN ITS ENTIRETY, TUNE IN TO THE ON-DEMAND VERSION.

Spotlight on Coronavirus:  Your Questions Answered

In the United States, families are often spread all over—sometimes on opposite coasts or in opposite climates. This can present challenges when someone in the family is diagnosed with cancer and everyone can’t be where they want to be at once. It’s important for these far-away loved ones to remember that they are not alone—In fact, it is estimated that 7 million people in the U.S. are long-distance caregivers. Many of these people are family members of someone with cancer—daughters and sons, brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews. On this show, guest host Linda House and Sara Goldberger, Senior Director of Programs at the Cancer Support Community, will talk about common challenges of being a long-distance caregiver, unique ways that a long-distance caregiver can be helpful and how to handle the emotional impacts of caregiving on families.

Encore: Being a Long Distance Caregiver

Many people undergoing treatment for cancer face challenges with eating and nutrition, but people facing head and neck cancer and its related treatments face some of the most daunting ones because of the location of their cancer.   According to a recent study, up to 80% of patients with head and neck cancers are malnourished, some prior to even starting treatment because their tumors cause eating problems. Our guests share their experiences, insights and knowledge so that you can make the best, most informed decisions for you and your loved ones.   We are joined by Jean Johnson who was diagnosed with Stage 4 laryngeal cancer, Dr.  Everett Vokes, an international authority on the treatment of head and neck cancer, and Jill Bice, a Registered Dietitian at the University of Chicago Medicine with specialty certifications in both Oncology Nutrition and Nutrition Support.

Nutrition with Head and Neck Cancer

Breast cancer impacts 1 in 8 women in the United States. Despite high levels of awareness thanks to Breast Cancer Awareness Month every October, there are still many myths surrounding this diagnosis, and treatment is always evolving. On this episode of Frankly Speaking About Cancer, host Kim Thiboldeaux is joined by Dr. John West and his son Dr. Justin West to discuss myths, facts and innovations surrounding breast cancer, from diagnosis to treatment, reconstruction and life after cancer.

Breast Cancer: Myths, Facts and Innovations

Although social service professionals are trained to help their clients cope with the grief that accompanies a loss, there is often little formal training on how these professionals should process their own grief when a client passes away. Social workers, nurses, physicians, clergy members, professional caregivers and others in similar occupations that experience death on a regular and continuous basis can experience “bereavement overload” that can lead to burnout and even post-traumatic stress reactions. On this episode of Frankly Speaking About Cancer, Cancer Support Helpline counselor Justin Short, MPH, MSW, LCSW, explores the topic of professional grief and how professionals in high-loss environments can better understand it and develop skills to manage it.

Encore: Understanding Professional Grief

In this instalment of our special series Spotlight on Coronavirus, we focus on the emotions and feelings that cancer patients and caregivers might experience as they cope with the impact of the spread of coronavirus. Many cancer patients and caregivers are reporting feeling alone, anxious, and fearful of the future. Our guests help put context to our feelings and share strategies to help us cope. We are joined by Jamie Aten, a disaster expert who was faced with his own personal disaster when he was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer at the age of 35 and Susan Ash-Lee, Vice President of Clinical Services for the Cancer Support Community.

Spotlight on Coronavirus: Coping with the Emotions

Encore: Nutrition and Cancer

Acute Myeloid Leukemia is an extremely difficult cancer to treat but recently a better understanding of this stubborn disease and advancements in treating it have brought more hope and a renewed feeling of optimism to the Acute Myeloid Leukemia community.    Guest Dr. Jessica Altman brings us up to speed on the new treatments and new approaches to treating AML.

Advances in Acute Myeloid Leukemia

A cancer diagnosis—whether it’s your own or a loved one’s—always brings on questions, questions and more questions. From trying to find out more about a diagnosis, treatment options, information on the cost of care or where you can find support, the questions and concerns throughout the entire cancer journey can feel endless. Whether you’re living with cancer, caring for someone with cancer or are a long-time survivor, the Cancer Support Helpline is here to provide support and resources at 1-888-793-9355.On this episode, guest host Linda House takes a look inside the Helpline to learn more about the services provided, and the important work it does from someone who knows first-hand.

Encore: Inside the Cancer Support Helpline

In honor of National Cancer Survivors Day this week, today’s show focuses on two talented individuals who are giving back to others going through the cancer experience. Mark Bowling is a singer and song writer who was born the youngest of nine children in the small town of Spencer Indiana. Mark was raised on classic country and gospel music and draws his influence from greats like Lyle Lovett, Hal Ketchum and Don Williams. As an independently touring and recording singer-songwriter, Mark has shared the stage with Nashville stars such as Charlie Pride, Phil Vassar, Eric Church, Ty England and Collin Raye. Also on the show, Noreen Batt was diagnosed with invasive lobular carcinoma after her very first mammogram at 40.  In her one-woman act called “Thanks for the Mamories,” she pokes good-natured fun at her medical team &amp; herself while sharing personal insights into her cancer journey. She is a happily married mother of two and currently lives in New Hampshire.

Musical Tones and Funny Bones

The best podcast episodes of the most interesting stories and things. From skyping someone while they're in space, to tracking down and meeting a telephone scammer in person, to the story of a Galapagos. These episodes will keep you and all your friends entertained and captivated for hours. Learn something new in every episode! Add episodes you're interested into your queue below!

Best Episodes: Interesting Stories & Things

The best podcast episodes on Startups. For anyone working in a startup, or anyone interested in the incredible stories behind how people built companies like Instagram, and Facebook. Offering both practical advice and insights, as well as the stories for how many of the biggest startups got to where they are today. Add episodes you're interested into your queue below!