Veteran Cancer Talk

The conversation highlights the alarming statistics surrounding cancer and suicide among veterans, particularly female veterans, and emphasizes the need for increased awareness and support for cancer-related issues in the veteran community. It explores the mental health implications of cancer diagnoses and advocates for a more integrated approach to veteran healthcare that addresses both physical...

In 2024, 94,457 veterans died from cancer, making it the second leading cause of death among U.S. veterans, according to figures discussed from the VA's National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report. So why don't we have one comprehensive, easy-to-understand national report showing what's happening with cancer across the veteran population? In this episode of Veteran Cancer Talk, we take a clo...

The military asks a lot of questions about our health before we’re allowed to serve. But when we leave, does our civilian doctor even know we were in? In “Veterans Health Blind Spot,” Marine Corps veteran and Veteran Cancer Network Chair Ashton Kroner talks about what gets missed when military service never makes it into a patient’s medical history. We look at the “healthy soldier effect,” the phy...

What happens when fighting cancer is only part of the battle? In this episode of Veteran Cancer Talk, Casey sits down with recently retired Army veteran, author, father, and cancer survivor Patrick Naughton. After nearly 30 years of military service, Patrick was diagnosed with Stage 3 colorectal cancer while still on active duty. What he thought would be a routine colonoscopy revealed a mass, lead...

252 veterans a day. That’s what 92,166 veteran cancer deaths in 2023 breaks down to and it’s a number that deserves a much bigger conversation. In this episode of Veteran Cancer Talk , Casey Kroner digs into a chart from the Department of Veterans Affairs’ 2025 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report showing the 15 leading causes of death among veterans in 2023. Cancer ranked second , be...

When cancer enters a family, the caregiver’s life changes too. In this episode of Veteran Cancer Talk, Ashton Kroner sits down with Jennifer Schwarz, Vice President and co-owner of Senior Helpers West Jacksonville, to talk about the realities of caregiving, asking for help, caregiver burnout, and finding the right support system. Jennifer brings more than a decade of experience helping families re...

Marine Corps veteran Matt Howard knew something didn’t feel right, but like many veterans, he put off going to the doctor. Eventually, a trip to the ER revealed stage 4 prostate cancer that had already spread beyond his prostate. Doctors gave Matt roughly a 30% chance of surviving three to four years . Five years later, he’s still here. In this episode of Veteran Cancer Talk , Ashton sits down wit...

Cancer treatment can affect more than your health. It can also impact your ability to work, pay bills, and stay financially stable. In this episode of Veteran Cancer Talk, Casey explains how veterans with active service - connected cancer may qualify for a temporary 100% VA disability evaluation during treatment. He also discusses what may happen when treatment ends, how VA reevaluations work, and...

Veterans are constantly told that help is available - but finding the right resource can be overwhelming, confusing, and full of dead ends. Ashton sits down with Army veteran Daniel O’Dell, founder and CEO of MFV Resources. After struggling to find support during his own transition out of the military, Daniel created a free national directory to help service members, veterans, and military familie...

The 3 Changes That Could Save Veterans' Lives What if three simple changes could help improve healthcare for millions of military members and veterans? In this solo episode of Veteran Cancer Talk , Casey Kroner, Marine Corps veteran, testicular cancer survivor, and co-founder of Veteran Cancer Network, shares the three ideas driving the organization's mission. In this episode, Casey discusses: Why...

What happens when you know something is wrong with your body—but no one listens? In this episode of Veteran Cancer Talk , Ashton sits down with Lacey Pritchard , a United States Marine Corps veteran living with Stage IV colon cancer. After years of abdominal pain, back pain, night sweats, and other warning signs, her symptoms were repeatedly explained away. It wasn't until a doctor finally ordered...

Send us Fan Mail Army veteran Thomas Firak thought he was healthy. Then a routine blood test revealed something that couldn't be ignored. In this episode of Veteran Cancer Talk, Thomas shares his journey from serving in Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom to being diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a rare blood cancer linked to burn pit exposure and other toxic exposures veterans may face durin...

Send us Fan Mail Cancer treatment may end, but for many survivors, the challenges continue long after they hear the words "cancer free." In this episode of Veteran Cancer Talk, Ashton and Casey sit down with men's pelvic health physical therapist Matt Johnston to discuss an often-overlooked part of cancer survivorship. From urinary leakage and pelvic floor dysfunction to sexual heal...

Send us Fan Mail Army veteran Matt Roll spent more than a year searching for answers after persistent pain was repeatedly dismissed as an ulcer. Trusting his instincts ultimately led to a diagnosis of multiple myeloma at just 41 years old. In this episode, Matt joins Veteran Cancer Talk to discuss his military service, concerns about toxic exposures, the road to diagnosis, undergoing a stem cell t...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Veteran Cancer Talk, Ashton speaks with Heather King — military brat, breast cancer survivor, doctoral candidate, and founder of Rooted Resilience — about the overlooked issue of toxic exposure and long-term health risks facing military families. Heather shares her experience growing up in military housing and later being diagnosed with breast cancer at 33 despi...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when you’re still serving your country… and get diagnosed with stage 4 cancer? In this episode, we sit down with Ron and Kate Belany — a Navy family navigating life after a stage 4 colon cancer diagnosis. From early symptoms that were easy to dismiss… to a misdiagnosis… to starting treatment just weeks later — this conversation dives into what that journey really look...

Send us Fan Mail This wasn’t planned. We just kept the mic rolling. After wrapping our conversation with Kevin Sloan, Casey jumped in and what followed turned into one of the most real conversations we’ve had yet. No script. No structure. Just two veterans who’ve both faced testicular cancer talking about what life actually looks like after. In this Side Mission episode, we get into:  Life after l...

Send us Fan Mail Most men don’t talk about it. That’s exactly why this conversation matters. In this episode of Veteran Cancer Talk , we sit down with Kevin Sloan , a Kevin Sloan a Marine Corps veteran and two-time testicular cancer survivor who shares what it’s really like to face cancer not once… but twice. From deploying to Kuwait and Iraq to navigating life after service, Kevin opens up about...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Veteran Cancer Talk, we sit down with Dave Diaz, a Navy, Army, and Army National Guard veteran who was diagnosed with prostate cancer at just 45 years old—with no symptoms. Dave shares how a routine blood test changed everything, leading to surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, and years of hormone therapy. But beyond the physical battle, this episode dives into som...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Veteran Cancer Talk , Ashton speaks with Liz Blackmon — Army veteran, breast cancer survivor, retired Department of Justice law enforcement officer, veteran advocate, and realtor. Liz shares her journey from military service to a breast cancer diagnosis that was caught early because she advocated for her own health and pushed for a mammogram . Diagnosed at stage...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Veteran Cancer Talk , Ashton sits down with Army veteran and leukemia survivor Shawn Morgan . After multiple deployments to Iraq and years of potential toxic exposure, Shawn began experiencing unusual fatigue, shortness of breath, and other warning signs. In June 2024, he was diagnosed with leukemia and quickly began an intense treatment journey that included ch...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Veteran Cancer Talk, Ashton speaks with Dr. Elizabeth O’Donnell, Director of the Multicancer Early Detection Clinic at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, about one of the most promising developments in oncology: multicancer early detection (MSED) testing. MSED tests use a single blood draw to analyze DNA methylation signatures that may indicate the presence of ca...

Send us Fan Mail When a veteran is diagnosed with cancer, the whole family is changed — but few people see what happens to the caregiver. In this episode of Veteran Cancer Talk , Jennifer Worthy shares her experience supporting her husband, a Gulf War Marine, through a stage 3 cancer diagnosis, remission, and now a stage 4 recurrence. From chemotherapy routines to navigating the VA healthcare syst...

Send us Fan Mail Joseph Zolper , Army veteran and Manager of Outreach & Networking at the Road Home Program at Rush University Medical Center , joins Ashton on Veteran Cancer Talk to discuss veterans’ mental health, toxic exposure awareness, and why support matters even more when veterans and families are navigating serious medical issues like cancer. Joseph shares his Afghanistan deployment e...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Veteran Cancer Talk , host Ashton speaks with Gary Schell , a U.S. Marine Corps infantry veteran and testicular cancer survivor, about his journey from military service to cancer diagnosis—and life after treatment. Gary shares his experiences serving with 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines, including deployments to the Pacific and the Middle East, and discusses potentia...