The Cancer Project

When life handed Julia Johns a breast cancer diagnosis, she did what any comedian might do: she turned it into a standup show. Diagnosed in 2022, Julia underwent a mastectomy, chemotherapy, and radiation, finding unexpected ways to process her experience through humor while she was still actively fighting cancer. Her jokes were not a way of minimizing the fear, pain, or uncertainty of cancer; they...

Giulia Rozzi has built a career around saying the uncomfortable things out loud, and she brings that same honesty to her experience with breast cancer. After a bilateral mastectomy, radiation, hormone therapy, and multiple reconstruction surgeries, Giulia found herself navigating not only cancer treatment, but also the emotional impact of losing a part of her identity and trying to recognize herse...

Anne Hamilton was diagnosed with stage 3C breast cancer at thirty-five years old. Her treatment included chemotherapy, a bilateral mastectomy, radiation, and multiple surgeries. But for Anne, finishing treatment did not mean the cancer journey was over. She found herself facing fear of recurrence, survivor’s guilt, a changing relationship with her body, and the difficult question of how to truly l...

At 30 years old, Megan O’Neil knew something wasn’t quite right when she began experiencing pain in her chest. Due to her young age and overall health as an athlete, her concerns were initially dismissed by doctors. Megan persisted and eventually found a lump, leading to a conversation with her doctor about the increasing number of younger patients being diagnosed with cancer. She requested an ult...

n this episode of The Cancer Project, we sit down with ovarian cancer survivor and author Anna Focht. In 2015, what began as a routine annual appointment quickly changed Anna’s life when her doctor discovered a lump during a pelvic exam. Diagnosed with stage three B ovarian cancer, Anna underwent surgery followed by 18 weeks of chemotherapy while navigating treatment and trying to remain present f...

In this episode of The Cancer Project we are joined by Tenaciously Teal Board Chair and attorney Brooke Unruh. Brooke shares how her experiences with her close friend and law partner Anna, her mother’s cancer diagnosis, and her work with Tenaciously Teal have shaped the way she understands cancer, caregiving, family, and the importance of being there for others. Brooke reflects on walking alongsid...

The time after an engagement is typically filled with excitement, wedding planning, and dreaming about the future. But for Morgan Lunardi and her fiancé, AJ, that exciting chapter quickly took an unexpected turn when Morgan was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma. Shortly after their engagement, Morgan began experiencing troubling symptoms, including intense headaches and facial swelling. Scans reveal...

Twenty-three year old Valentina Prince was preparing to start veterinarian school in the fall when she experienced a sudden itch in her breast. Valentina thought nothing of it until she felt a new lump in her breast. She quickly made an appointment to have it looked at and suddenly found herself receiving a mammogram and being told this mass looks very abnormal and you need to schedule a biopsy as...

What exactly does a medical physicist do, and how does their work impact a cancer patient's treatment? On this episode of The Cancer Project Podcast, we sit down with Dr. Ali Fatemi, a board-certified medical physicist specializing in radiation therapy and MRI physics, to explore the technology and people working behind the scenes of modern cancer care. Dr. Fatemi breaks down how medical physi...

On this inspiring episode of perseverance and strength, we are joined by metastatic breast cancer thriver Elissa Kalver. Despite no family history of breast cancer, a sudden lump in her breast prompted Elissa to go to the doctor. Elissa shares with The Cancer Project how quickly she had to move from step to step of mammogram, ultrasound, and biopsy. She provides an honest and sincere glimpse into...

This week on The Cancer Project Podcast, we are honored to be joined by former ProCure Treatment Center President and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) cancer survivor, James Williams. In 2012, James and ProCure began the process of opening the ninth proton therapy center in the United States. In his role as President, James also assisted in the oversight and development of ProCure proton therapy cen...

Beginning in second grade, seven year old Katie VanArnam and her family knew something wasn’t quite right after she had been experiencing extensive pain throughout her body. After months of speculation and misdiagnoses, eight year old Katie’s test results revealed it was Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. On this inspiring episode of The Cancer Project Podcast, we are joined by the mother-daughter duo Katie V...

With over twenty years of experience, Dr. Ajay Bhatnagar joins The Cancer Project Podcast to discuss low-dose rate (LDR) Brachytherapy. His practice utilizes this unique procedure to treat localized prostate cancer for patients from all over the country.   Dr. Bhatnagar shares where his passion for brachytherapy began back in medical school at the University of Pennsylvania, and how at his practic...

On this sentimental episode of The Cancer Project Podcast, we welcome Peyton Washington! Peyton is the oldest daughter of Jenny Washington, former Vice President of Operations at the Oklahoma Proton Center who passed away from glioblastoma in June 2024.  We are honored to have Peyton on our podcast as we reflect on Jenny’s exemplary character and her relentless pursuit of helping people, both in h...

Pauls Valley native and former Oklahoma Football defensive back Karl Peters comes from a large family and is the second youngest of fourteen children. In this week’s episode of The Cancer Project Podcast, Karl reflects on his many fond memories growing up in a big family including following in his older brother's footsteps of playing defensive back for the University of Oklahoma.  With a famil...

In the summer before beginning her senior year of high school, Brooklyn Hawkins began experiencing daily fevers, shortness of breath, and overall physical fatigue. She found herself in-and-out of the doctors office, each time experiencing more concern for her growing symptoms. After continuing to advocate for herself, Brooklyn received scans that would reveal a Hodgkin's Lymphoma diagnosis at...

In this powerful and inspiring episode of The Cancer Project, we are joined by breast cancer survivor Priscilla Ballesteros. At age twenty-eight Priscilla was diagnosed with breast cancer while seventeen weeks pregnant. Priscilla sits down with Host David Raubach to share her testimony and cancer journey that included chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation. Priscilla courageously shares the process...

With a background in investment banking, Hadley Ford had never heard of proton therapy prior to meeting nuclear physicist Dr. John Cameron. Dr. Cameron was a true pioneer in making proton therapy more accessible to the United States as a groundbreaking cancer treatment. Hadley and Dr. Cameron joined forces, making their commitment and company official over breakfast with a napkin with one primary...

In this special episode of The Cancer Project Podcast, Dr. Mark Storey rejoins colleague David Raubach to reflect on his seven years at Oklahoma Proton Center and the next chapter of his career. Dr. Storey joined OPC in 2019 with a clear mission: to advance proton therapy while improving both patient outcomes and the overall patient experience in radiation oncology. As he begins this new season of...

Medical Director of Tennessee Oncology Proton Therapy Center, Dr. Jim Gray, has spent decades at the forefront of radiation oncology. In this episode, he reflects on the remarkable evolution of cancer treatment throughout his career—from the days of manually contouring treatment plans in medical school to today’s highly advanced technologies that allow for unprecedented precision. Having witnessed...

On this informative episode of The Cancer Project, host David Raubach sits down with longtime industry colleague and friend Marc Mlyn, President of U.S. Operations at RaySearch Laboratories. Drawing on decades of experience in radiation oncology, Marc has a unique ability to translate complex technologies and clinical concepts into understandable, real-world insights. In their conversation, David...

This week, The Cancer Project Podcast is joined by two-time cancer survivor Morgan Aquino. In the fall of 2024, Morgan’s husband insisted she go to the hospital after she began experiencing severe abdominal pain. Doctors quickly discovered a ruptured ovarian cyst and, during the evaluation, found a mass on her kidney. As a wife and mother of two, Morgan shares her mindset as she navigated an unexp...

In the second episode of our special two-part series, Dr. Shannon MacDonald rejoins host David Raubach to discuss the RADCOMP trial — the first randomized study comparing proton therapy and traditional photon radiation for breast cancer. With more than 1,200 patients enrolled, the phase III Radiotherapy Comparative Effectiveness (RADCOMP) trial is also the largest study to date directly comparing...

After COVID-19 changed protocols for all day-to-day life, medicine was no exception. In every effort to stop and slow the spread of COVID-19, many medical appointments previously in person turned into virtual visits. This was seen in medicine, school, and life in general. During this period, doctors such as Shannon found one silver lining: patients did not have to travel while undergoing great phy...

Country music singer songwriter Johnny Woods has a beautiful talent for expressing himself through music. Beginning his career in 2020, Johnny released his first single to radio titled, “Hurricane” and landed at #43 on the Texas country music charts. He quickly began paving his own path in the country music scene, releasing his first EP and began touring. Just as things continued to fall into plac...