Kicking Cancer's Ass

Are you facing cancer treatment and wondering what you can do right now to improve your results? This isn’t about being a warrior; it’s about being smart . I’m Joelle Kaufman, host of Kicking Cancer’s Ass , and I’m sharing the proven physical and psychological strategies—what I call “prehab”—that can actually improve your response to treatment by up to 30%...

Why does cancer recovery leave you so damn tired — even when your scans are clear? Dr. Amy Morris, former cancer pharmacist, ovarian cancer survivor, and founder of Cancer Freedom Program , reveals what’s really behind post-cancer exhaustion — and how to get your energy (and your life) back. In this episode of Kicking Cancer’s Ass , host Joelle Kaufman and Dr. Morris dig into: Why post-cancer fati...

Cancer makes you feel like everything is being taken from you — your routines, your certainty, your identity. But what if it didn’t have to take your hair? In this episode of Kicking Cancer’s Ass , Roxanne shares the exact method she used to keep her hair through chemotherapy… twice. After losing her hair the first time, she approached her second diagnosis differently — and found one thing she cou...

When cancer crashes into your life right before a holiday, everything changes. Suddenly the day that’s “supposed” to be about gratitude, food, and connection becomes a minefield of pitying looks, whispered conversations, and emotional overwhelm. I know this feeling deeply. My family has faced two cancer diagnoses right before Thanksgiving—first my mom, twenty years later my sister. At the time, my...

The FDA just removed a major warning label from hormone therapy — a sign that science around women’s hormones is changing fast. But what does this shift really mean for people who’ve faced cancer or want to protect their long-term health? In this episode, Dr. Mary Ann Martin (“The Hormone Hacker”) joins us to unpack how hormones, food, and stress all shape your body’s internal environment — and wh...

Why does waiting for scan results feel like your nervous system is vibrating? Because your brain hates uncertainty more than bad news—and it’s trying to protect you by preparing for every worst-case scenario. In this episode, Joelle shares what happened on January 3rd, 2023, when a routine imaging appointment turned into an MRI, then a biopsy, then surgery delay—all while the “what ifs...

What happens when a doctor tells you “it’s not good” and you’re only 42? Miguel Rueda got one of the rarest prostate cancer diagnoses possible—2% of 2% of cases—at an age when most men don’t even get screened. His urologist told him if it were him, he’d just live out what time remained. That phone call came nine years ago. Miguel runs marathons now. His kids cal...

Why does hearing “it’s malignant” make you want to scream, cry, or punch a wall—sometimes all in the same hour? Your body just learned about a threat that’s been there for a while, and your nervous system jumped into fight or flight before your brain could catch up. That’s not weakness. That’s biology. In this episode, Joelle walks you through what’s happe...

When treatment ended, no one offered me survivorship care. It was just — “You’re done. Be grateful.” In this episode, Dr. Mindy Goldman , Chief Clinical Officer of MIDI Health and UCSF Professor Emeritus, reveals the truth behind The Survivorship Lie : why 80% of OB-GYNs aren’t trained in menopause care, how women fall through the cracks between oncologists and gynecologists, and what every surviv...

The day before my preventive mastectomy, I got a call that changed everything. The surgery was cancelled — because cancer was already here. In this solo episode, I share what that moment taught me about power. Because even when cancer takes control, you still have choices. I walk you through the three swings that helped me reclaim mine: Letting people in — on my terms Becoming my own best-informed...

When bestselling author Cara Lockwood was dropped by her publisher in the middle of chemotherapy, she could have given up. Instead, she discovered a mindset that helped her survive cancer — and rebuild her life. In this episode of Kicking Cancer’s Ass , Cara and host Joelle Kaufman talk about what it really means to find strength when everything feels uncertain, how laughter can coexist with fear,...

Telling your family you have cancer might be the hardest conversation of your life. Joelle Kaufman has lived it — as both the child of a survivor and a parent with cancer. When Joelle found out she had cancer, she had to tell her three kids — ages 21, 19, and 15 — and then her parents, including her mom, a 43-year survivor. In this raw, heartfelt episode, Joelle shares the real conversation , what...

 When you hear the words “It’s malignant,” your world stops. Everything you thought you knew about control, safety, and your future suddenly disappears. In this raw and hopeful conversation, bestselling author Cara Lockwood — known for her 35+ romance novels — shares how one moment changed everything: the phone call that shattered her world, and the sentence that helped her rebuild it — “Canc...

What if the hardest part of cancer isn’t chemo—it’s finding the words to tell your partner? Joelle Kaufman knows this moment intimately. Walking to her husband’s office after her biopsy results, she recalls: “He looked up from his desk and his eyes just filled. He didn’t ask. I didn’t have to explain. I just nodded.” In this raw, honest episode, Joelle rev...

When cancer hits, everyone calls you a “fighter.” But this isn’t a battle — it’s a curveball. And no one crushes curveballs alone. In this powerful episode, host Joelle Kaufman shares how she refused to face her diagnosis solo — and built her power team instead. You’ll learn how to create your own lineup of support: from your medical squad and mental health pros to your life crew and “joy squad” w...

When your phone rings and you hear the words “it’s malignant,” your world stops. Your body reacts before your brain can — fear, anger, disbelief, numbness — all of it hits at once. In this deeply personal episode, Joelle Kaufman shares the exact moment she heard those words on a Zoom call, the wave of emotions that followed, and the three steps that helped her find her footing when everything felt...

When you share your diagnosis, everyone suddenly has something to say — a “miracle cure,” a diet to try, or the dreaded “stay positive.” Most mean well, but their words can land like blame instead of comfort. In this episode, Joelle Kaufman shares how to protect your peace and power when good people give bad advice. You’ll learn simple, real-life ways to handle unhelpful comments without guilt — a...

How do you handle watching cancer touch three generations of your family? Benjamin Kaufman found out when his mom received her stage two breast cancer diagnosis during his junior year of college—3,000 miles away. As the son of host Joelle Kaufman, Benjamin shares the raw experience of being a college student when your parent has cancer. His response reveals three powerful insights for building con...

How do you make doctors see you when they keep saying “don’t worry” and you know something’s wrong? Michelle Audoin asked her surgical team to show her what reconstruction looks like on a Black woman’s body. They had nothing. When she pushed for a CT scan, her “stage zero” diagnosis became stage four. Her invisibility in the medical system nearly cost her...

How do you know if that supplement your sister swears by will help you—or interfere with the chemo that’s supposed to save your life? Dr. Lise Alschuler, board-certified naturopathic oncologist and breast cancer survivor, breaks down what most oncologists won’t tell you: killing cancer cells isn’t enough. Your body creates a tumor microenvironment—and conventional treatment often...

Are you hiding your cancer symptoms because you think that’s what tough guys do? Paul learned the hard way that the biggest mistake men make isn’t physical—it’s emotional isolation. After beating stage four colorectal cancer once, Paul thought he had it figured out. Exercise through chemo, stay positive, power through. Then cancer returned, and he discovered something that change...

Why do men with cancer have lower survival rates than women? Paul Apodoca thought he knew what “fighting like a man” meant until stage four colorectal cancer taught him otherwise. When a routine colonoscopy turned into a death sentence conversation in a single afternoon, Paul discovered the most dangerous myth about masculinity and cancer. Paul went from CEO managing teams to patient l...

What if most cancer isn’t about bad luck, but about inflammation you can control? Dr. Mary Ann Martin, endocrinologist turned “Dr. Hormone Hacker,” reveals how four lifestyle changes can slash your cancer risk by 78% naturally. In this conversation, she shares the shocking truth about why less than 10% of doctors order the one test that catches diabetes earliest, why your morning...

What happens when cancer defines your family for 40 years—and you’re still finding reasons to laugh? Richard Willmore was seven when his father’s cancer diagnosis turned their family from “the neighborhood hub where everyone hung out” into “the sad family getting dinners delivered.” Thirty-eight years later, his dad is still fighting, and Richard has become some...

What if the way we’ve been treating metastatic cancer is completely backwards? Dr. Dawn Lemanne, an oncologist who’s revolutionizing treatment resistance, challenges everything standard oncology accepts as inevitable. After decades of failed large randomized trials, she’s proving that resistance can be reversed using evolutionary biology principles borrowed from agriculture. &#82...