Cancer Horizons

At the age of 3, Bishoy Tadros received a diagnosis of acute lymphoblastic leukemia and immigrated to the United States with him family to receive treatment.   After moving to Los Angeles and then to Long Island, New York, Tadros underwent varios aggressive surgeries and entered remission on his 13th birthday.   However, it wasn’t until 2017 that he was inspired to share his story. He pushed away...

Although many have never heard of them, pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma are two types of rare cancers that are not news to Matthew Capogreco and his family.   With a long list of relatives – nine to be exact – who were diagnosed with these two tumor types, Capogreco himself was 25 when he demanded his physician test him for the disease after feeling symptoms his father had already experienced b...

While most think colorectal cancer is a disease that occurs in older adults, it is in fact increasingly being diagnosed in young adults. In fact, 11% and 18% of colon and rectal cancer diagnoses, respectively, occur in those under 50.   While research has not yet identified why this increase is occurring, there is still a clear need to raise more awareness around the topic. In particular, educatin...

Learning of one’s increased risk for cancer can be an overwhelming experience, but imagine also being told of the wrong results from your genetic testing.   Maureen Boesen and Connie Busch are forever connected to one another. After they participated in a genetics study at Creighton University led by Dr. Henry Lynch in the mid-1990s, both of their test results actually came back wrong. Maureen, wh...

In recent years, immunotherapy agents have shown amazing success in treating patients with melanoma. For this special-edition podcast, we teamed up with our sister publication, Oncology Live , to bring the viewpoints of 2 melanoma experts on the importance of multidisciplinary care when managing immune-related adverse events (irAEs).   You’ll hear from Grace Cherry, NP, of UCLA’s Melanoma Program,...

A blood cancer diagnosis can be overwhelming – whether you are a patient, caregiver, family member or friend. However, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) has a variety of resources available for those affected by blood cancer.   In this week’s episode, we spoke with, the associate director of the Information Resource Center at LLS – an organization that pioneers groundbreaking research in blo...

With an already close bond, Felicia Robinson and her daughter’s relationship became even closer following Felicia’s breast cancer diagnosis.    While her daughter was a 22-year-old college senior, she served as Felicia’s caregiver – an experience the duo chronicled in their book, titled “Surviving Pink.”   “Surviving pink offers information, inspiration, and encouragement for a life altering diagn...

Dr. Cesar Rodriguez has spent the last seven years dedicated to advancing the field of multiple myeloma – which he discussed in this week’s episode of the “CURE Talks Cancer” podcast.   Rodriguez highlighted advances with precision medicine in the multiple myeloma treatment landscapes, and common questions patients have for their physicians.    Moreover, he also highlighted his recent trek to Pata...

While a lung cancer diagnosis can be a lot to understand, genomics is a new aspect of the disease that patients should better understand, as it can affect treatment decisions as well.    In this week’s episode of the “CURE Talks Cancer” podcast, we spoke with Dr. Ed Kim to better understand genomics in lung cancer. To start, he explained a common misunderstanding in the lung cancer space – what ex...

In the United States, there are specific laws in place to protect those who have received a cancer diagnosis as well as for those who are at an increased risk for hereditary cancer. In this week’s episode of the “CURE Talks Cancer” podcast, we spoke with Lisa Schlager, from Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered (FORCE), to help break down the types of legal protections in place for these individuals...

About 10,000 Americans turn 65 each day, bringing on what some call a "silver tsunami" of geriatric patients flooding the healthcare system. However, less than 1% of nurses are geriatric certified.  For this month's episode, we'll hear from  Carolina Uranga, MSN, BSN, RN, AGCN-BC, OCN, WCC, ONS, clinical nurse specialist at City of Hope, and Paola Bueno, RN, clinical nurse at City of Hope, about a...

When a 20-something med student started to experience overwhelming fatigue and organ failure out of nowhere, he eventually took matters into his own hands.   Dr. David C. Fajgenbaum, who is now an assistant professor of medicine at the University of Pennsylvania in the Center for Study & Treatment of Castleman & inflammatory Lymphadenopathies, was diagnosed with Castleman disease — a deadl...

In this week’s “CURE Talks Cancer” podcast, we speak with Tony Bossis, PhD, head of the Cancer Anxiety Project, clinical assistant professor of psychiatry, and director of palliative care at NYU.  Bossis is one of a handful of scientists leading the so-called  "research renaissance" into psychedelics like psilocybin -- the psychoactive ingredient found in magic mushrooms.  In clinical trials, psil...

In this week’s “ CURE Talks Cancer” podcast, we spoke with Michelle Velez, a married mother of two and news anchor in Las Vegas, who developed a rare gynecological cancer following a molar pregnancy.   “When we went back for another ultrasound to check and see how things have progressed, that’s when my doctor took one look at the screen, turned around and asked me, ‘How do you feel?’ And I said, ‘...

As palliative care becomes a bigger part of a patient’s treatment journey, oncology nurses need to understand the realities and benefits of palliative care and help make their patients understand these as well.   Which is why in this month’s episode of the “ CURE Talks Cancer Podcast: Nursing Edition,” we had the chance to talk with Betty Ferrell, FAAN, FPCN, MA, PhD , director of the Division of...

After putting off a trip to the doctor, Grammy-winning songwriter and vocal producer Kuk Harrell was devastated to learn that he had prostate cancer, like his father before him.  However, with his characteristic positive attitude and the help of his family, friends, and health care team, Harrell is now cancer-free, and spreading a message of hope to others who may find themselves in a similar situ...

In this episode of “ CURE Talks Cancer,” we spoke with Dr. Mark Socinski to learn more about stage 3 lung cancer and what others should know about the disease.

In this episode of the “CURE Talks Cancer” podcast, we spoke with Kassandra Alcaraz, PhD, MPH, about a new phenomenon that's gaining traction across the healthcare universe. It’s called the Social Determinants of Health. It may not be the catchiest phrase, but its implications on our health are absolutely enormous. According to research, the social determinants of health are responsible for 80% of...

In this episode of the “CURE Talks Cancer” podcast, we spoke with Dr. Donald Sullivan, associate professor of medicine at Oregon Health and Science University and the VA Portland healthcare system, about his research into palliative care and prolonged survival in patients with cancer.    As Dr Sullivan points out, the topic of palliative care is complicated because it’s mired in misconceptions and...

Fifteen years ago, at the age of 31 and just married about a month prior, Scott Petinga and his wife had discovered he had stage 1 testicular cancer – a disease he was severely overtreated for.   After 16 rounds of radiation, Petinga was left with one less testicle, infertile and unable to properly produce hormones – all things that affect him still today.   As a result, Scott has become a patient...

After being diagnosed with bone cancer, Dana Vaughns refused to own his cancer, and instead triumphed over the disease.    Now a 10-year survivor, he recently joined 109 of his colleagues from Bristol-Myers Squibb in riding 225 miles each as part of the V Foundation’s Coast 2 Coast 4 Cancer ride.   “(Participating in events like this is) important because we ensure that we're staying in front of t...

In this month’s episode of CURE Talks Cancer Podcast: Nursing Edition, we had the chance to follow up with Chasity M. Washington, MPH, CHES, director of the Center for Cancer Health Equity at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, after sitting down with her at the 3rd Annual School of Nursing Oncology to discuss her presentation on health equity. In this episode, we were able to t...

After being diagnosed with grey zone lymphoma – a very rare type of cancer – Jenna Benn Shersher was isolated due to her compromised immune system. However, it didn’t take long for thousands to join her on her journey when a video of her doing the twist in the ICU went viral.   Following her experience, she founded Twist Out Cancer, an organization that provides psychosocial support to individuals...

In less than 48 hours, Nancy Cohen was given news that would change the rest of her life: She went to the doctor thinking (and hoping) she had pneumonia, but instead received a lung cancer diagnosis.    Cohen, a non-smoker, says she was also exercising more regularly to lose weight and did not see her diagnosis coming. “I was literally in the best shape of my life. So I was just in disbelief,” she...

In this week’s episode of the “Cure Talks Cancer” podcast, we spoke with Joan DelFattore, Ph. D., about how she overcame the physician bias she encountered during her cancer treatment.  DelFattore may not have a spouse or children, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t have the fighting spirit of a pack of wolves. Over a long career in academia, she’s built deep, meaningful connections with extended f...