Kidney Cancer Unfiltered

We're closing out Season 5 of Kidney Cancer Unfiltered with a deep dive into Men’s Mental Health. Masculinity and cancer can be a complicated mix, but emotional well-being isn't a gendered concept, it’s a human one. Dennis Heffern, LCSW and Marc Olivares, MA, MS, LPC-S join host Annamaria Scaccia to break down: ✨ Why "pushing through" can work against your healing ✨ Using a "strengths-based appr...

Grief doesn't look the same for everyone. It shows up in waves, in silence, and sometimes, it becomes the force that moves you forward. This week on Kidney Cancer Unfiltered, host Annamaria Scaccia sits down with Ritchie Johnson, MBA, BSN, RN, President and Founder of the Chris “CJ” Johnson Foundation. After losing her son to Renal Medullary Carcinoma (RMC), Ritchie turned his legacy into a missio...

There’s no playbook for facing fertility while navigating kidney cancer. 🧡 Survivor Janelle Moxley joins host Annamaria Scaccia to share her journey through IVF, recurrence, and the questions no one prepares you for... "I kind of wondered: cancer was hard on me, why can't pregnancy be easy? Why is that hard too?" A must-listen for anyone walking this road. Visit  kidneycancer.org  for m...

Caregiving is a marathon of the heart. On the latest Kidney Cancer Unfiltered, Sara Benitez, LCSW, OSW-C of Moffitt Cancer Center shares with host Annamaria Scaccia how to navigate the terrain, including: 🎙️ Why "hard" conversations matter 🎙️ Maintaining your identity 🎙️ Resources for YOU Visit  kidneycancer.org  for more support and resources. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for...

Cancer takes so much, but it shouldn’t take your sense of self or your right to intimacy. In our latest episode, "Sex After Cancer: Desire, Communication, and Self-Love," host Annamaria Scaccia is joined by the incredible Ebonie Michelle, MPH, Founder of Prowl The LAB. They dive into the vulnerability of navigating new physical sensations, the power of self-love, and why choosing yourself is the f...

How do we express the things that feel impossible to put into words? In our season 5 premiere episode, The Art of Healing, host Annamaria Scaccia and Kayla Fulginiti of Elephants and Tea dive into the power of creative expression. From the rhythm of pottery and knitting to the physical release of dance and movement — it’s about meeting yourself where you are and releasing the expectations that oft...

In this season's final episode, host Annamaria Scaccia talks to Dr. Kara Goldman, a reproductive endocrinologist at Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine. Dr. Goldman helps break down everything you need to know about fertility preservation after cancer — from navigating conflicting medical advice to making empowered choices about your future family. Whether you’re newly diagnosed or years...

Anxiety after  #kidneycancer ? You’re not alone. In episode 7 of Kidney Cancer Unfiltered, Dr. Tracy Murray from  Ochsner Health  shares with host Annamaria Scaccia why getting professional help matters, simple ways to ease anxiety, and the truth about not having to “be strong” all the time. Visit  kidneycancer.org  for more support and resources. Hosted on Acast. See acas...

Cancer at Work — What are your rights? Joanna Fawzy Doran, Esq., CEO of  Triage Cancer , joins host Annamaria Scaccia to discuss the legal and practical challenges people face when navigating cancer and employment. From understanding protections under laws like FMLA and ADA to knowing what isn't guaranteed, this episode is packed with essential info — plus resources for free legal and financi...

Can You Be Fit with One Kidney? Kidney cancer survivor Josh Silva shares with Annamaria Scaccia how an incidental diagnosis at 31 changed his life — and how fitness, gratitude, and being present have shaped his healing. He speaks candidly about survivor’s guilt and reminds others: Your cancer experience is valid, no matter what it looked like. Visit  kidneycancer.org  for more support an...

Mari Galle, L. Ac, DACM & founder of Moving Beyond Cancer Collaborative joined Annamaria Scaccia on Kidney Cancer Unfiltered to discuss the importance of integrative oncology care — approaches that support the whole person, not just the disease. Galle emphasized that healing isn’t one-size-fits-all and encourages patients to build a care plan tailored to their needs, including modalities like...

In this episode of Kidney Cancer Unfiltered, we spotlight the often-overlooked experiences of Native American communities in the context of kidney cancer. Experts Dr. Monica Yellowhair of the Arizona Cancer Center and Dr. Ken Batai of Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center share research findings on health disparities, barriers to care, and the need for culturally respectful treatment in tribal...

In this week's conversation, host Annamaria Scaccia sat down with Haley Pollack, Executive Director of Bright Spot Network , to talk about what it really means to parent through a cancer diagnosis. Haley shares personal stories, practical wisdom, and a powerful reminder: you don’t have to be perfect — you just have to be present. They cover everything from embracing mac & cheese for dinner to...

Kidney Cancer Unfiltered returns for season 4 with host Annamaria Scaccia. In our season opener, survivor Maritza Giordano shares the emotional rollercoaster of her kidney cancer diagnosis — including how one misinformed phone call left her believing she was being scheduled for chemo and radiation. The truth? It was a mix-up about genetic testing. Joined by her surgeon, Dr. Suzanne Merrill of Colo...

Cancer doesn’t just affect patients — it impacts families, too. In the final episode of Kidney Cancer Unfiltered season 3, host Annamaria Scaccia speaks with Jay Stilwell, CEO of the nonprofit organization Kesem, who shares how we can better support children when a parent has cancer and why early intervention matters. Visit  kidneycancer.org  for more support and resources. Hosted on Aca...

This week, Dr. Matthew Campbell from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center joins host Annamaria Scaccia in conversation about why bedside manners matter. From building trust to improving patient outcomes, compassionate care can make all the difference. Visit  kidneycancer.org  for more support and resources. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Host Annamaria Scaccia talks to Joel Stern, KCA Board member and a dedicated peer mentor, to discuss the importance of advocating for Palliative care. From pain management to quality of life, their conversation sheds light on why palliative care matters for kidney cancer patients. Visit  kidneycancer.org  for more support and resources. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more inf...

Host Annamaria Scaccia takes a deep dive into the connection between plastic pollution and kidney cancer with Dr. Laura Bukavina and Dr. Christopher Weight from the Cleveland Clinic. Bukavina and Weight explore how environmental exposures impact our health - and why we need to rethink our plastic consumption for the sake of our future and our health. Visit  kidneycancer.org  for more sup...

Host Annamaria Scaccia connects with Sean Healy to discuss how to navigate the holiday season while facing the challenges of cancer. The holidays can be a tough time for many, especially when dealing with loss, stress, or difficult memories. In this episode, Sean shares how shifting focus, giving back to others, and accepting tough emotions can help ease the emotional load. Visit  kidney...

In the first episode of Kidney Cancer Unfiltered season 3, host Annamaria Scaccia launches Season 3 with Claudia Tatum — a kidney cancer patient, advocate, and retired oncology nurse — who shares how her friends in the medical community have stepped up to support her throughout her journey, and how grateful she is for their compassion and guidance along the way. Visit  kidneycancer.org  ...

In this episode, Kidney Cancer Unfiltered host Annamaria Scaccia gathers her own family for an intimate conversation about going through the cancer experience together and the impact it had on all of them. With her partner Sam and son Kelly, the family talks through learning about Annamaria's kidney cancer and subsequent thyroid cancer diagnoses and what life has been like since then. As Annamaria...

Host Annamaria Scaccia talks with Katie Coleman and Dr. Pavlos Msaouel as they unpack Katie's stage 4 kidney cancer diagnosis at age 29. Katie shares her feelings of naivety and intimidation when she was first diagnosed, the long journey to trusting her treatment plans, and how she transformed her experience into her book, "Too Young for Cancer." Dr. Msaouel, a world-renown researcher and clinicia...

Heather Williams faced the unimaginable, receiving a rare kidney cancer diagnosis and finding out she was pregnant in the span on 13 days. Heather was just over a year into marriage to the love of her life and they hoped to start a family. With host Annamaria Scaccia, Heather shared the challenges of undergoing treatment for the rare type of kidney cancer called renal medullary carcinoma (RMC) whi...

Dr. Pedro Barata is a kidney cancer expert and genitourinary medical oncologist at the University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center in Ohio. He talks to host Annamaria Scaccia about the significant challenges of accessing quality oncology care in rural areas and how socioeconomic factors impact treatment outcomes as well as the role of social and case workers and the importance of building supportiv...

Raul Chavez is an 18-year kidney cancer survivor with an unclassifiable diagnosis. In conversation with host Annamaria Scaccia, Raul shared the emotional and mental toll of living life in three-month intervals, always wondering if he’ll receive a new lease on life with each scan. Raul described the post-traumatic stress he endured after his diagnosis and being in "survivor mode" during the first f...