February 15, 2025 • 7 mins
Famed psychologist and TV star Nigel Latta is encouraging Kiwis to get behind supporting gut cancer research following his own diagnosis.
Latta was diagnosed with stomach cancer in May 2024, and he's chosen to share his story publicly to help others in similar circumstances.
He's encouraging Kiwis to support Gut Cancer Foundation’s annual GIVE IT UP for Gut Cancer fundraiser - where people give up something tough for the month of March.
"What the foundation is asking people to do is give up something. So that could be sugar, alcohol, coffee, socks... through the month of March to raise funds and resources."
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Sunday Session podcast with Francesca Rudgin
from News Talks EDB.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Joining me now, however, is Kiwi psychologist and TV host
Nigel Letter. He is urging us all to give up
something next month in support of Gut cancer. For the
month of March the Gut The Gut Cancer Foundation is
running its give It Up campaign. Nigel himself was diagnosed
with stomach cancer in May last year, and he went
public with his diagnosis in September. He's put his support
(00:35):
behind the campaign and he joins me now, good morning, Nigel,
thank you for your time here.
Speaker 3 (00:40):
Good morning.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
Taught me through why you've got behind this fundraising campaign, well,
because I've got it.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
Yeah, it's like and now I have more of an
understanding of what the oncology rulers like. So I'd never
heard of a Gut Cancer Foundation before I kind of
got stomach cancer and they look after people with cancer
esophogy of Liverpool, bland bil duct pancreas, stomach and bowel cancer.
So they kind of do that whole the whole gut
thing which have takes a huge number of chemicals and
(01:09):
the thing that I've learned is that there's an oncology,
there is a huge inequity in terms of the sort
of healthcare that you can get. So if you have money,
you can get the wondericules and if you don't, you don't.
And so that's why the work that these guys do
is so important because it kind of covers off a
huge range of cancers and they're funding research into you know, detection, diagnosing,
(01:31):
trading cancers, and advocating as well, which is really important
because it's one of those things that you just kind
of know. Every so often you hear on the news
to some politicians saying we're going to fund ten new
cancer drugs and they fund for some stupid thing. But
when you're in it and you can see that that
big inequity between the stuff on the shaft that could
fix you, but if you don't have the money then
(01:54):
you can't get it, you know. And funding the research
into the earlier detection stuff is pretty important.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
Oh absolutely, because it's hard at the moment, isn't it
to get funding for research in New Zealand. So that's
a really vital part of what they do. Yeah, yeah, Hey, look,
when you are dealing with such a big, life changing
thing such as being diagnosed with cancer is going public
to raise awareness into sport campaigns like this, Is it
a hard thing to do Nigel? Or is it sort
of helpful a little way of me?
Speaker 3 (02:23):
Because kind of I've sort of been that for a
while now, and I think that there are some things
that I think it's helpful just for other people, Like
I want it helpful when people send me their stories
of I was diagnosed with six months and it's twelve
years later, Like those stories are good. They're not so
good ones that my husband's diagnosed as six months any
needed two they're not so they're so happy stories. But
(02:45):
it's got people that know there are other people out
there and to make it easier for people to talk
about because like it's just a it's just a thing.
Speaker 2 (02:53):
How does this fundraiser give it up for gat cancer work?
What are we asking people to do here?
Speaker 3 (02:59):
So basically annual fundraiser and it's the sort of major
fundraiser for the years that see works through the years.
So basically what what what the foundation and that some
people to do is to give up something? So that
should we sugar, alcohol, coffee, socks, i'n't socks for a
month may be quite hard for the month of March. Yeah,
much to raise funds and resources. So it's basically just
saying that there's this thing stuff. I quite like I'm
(03:20):
going to go that for months, and my friends and
family and people are going to kind of sponsor me
to do that, and at the end of it, I'll
seend them money off to the Cake Foundation.
Speaker 2 (03:28):
It's very simple and easy to do. Is there something
that you're going to give up for the campaign, Nigel.
Speaker 3 (03:33):
No, I figure I gave up not having cancer, so
I figure I'm out of that need I need to.
I'm happy to promote it. But it's like I've there.
I've had to give up alcohol already, so it's like, man,
because I used to really love margaritas. So I feel
like I've given up quite a lot. So I've seen
my role now as just being the mouthpiece.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
Now I think you can absolutely, you know, give it
a miss this March. Yeah, no, very much.
Speaker 3 (03:58):
Everyone else shouldn't. Everyone else should get on and get
on a bus. In fact, because one in three people
get cancer, and you always I think it's going to
be someone else, and then it could be just like us.
For it's a Monday morning and you're having what you
think is a routine endoscopy and they came out and go, oh,
you know your whole life. Yeah, that's so legan a
freaking change, and that can happen to anyone at any time.
(04:21):
So yeah, people could should should get on board and
support this and everybody if you can afford it, get
really good life insurance and get advice from an advisor
about doing that, and get health insurance if you can,
and get income protection if you can. All of those
things are important.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
Nigel, how are you doing? How is the treatment going?
Speaker 3 (04:39):
Pretty good? It's like, so cancer is cancer, snakes and ladders,
and you kind of have to learn to live with
the kind of the snakes when you're a beginner, snake's
pretty scary, and I've had even recently I've had some
sort of ealth ofly scary snakes. But then you're going
to have these ladders and so just problems with the
world and cancer, don't worry about there. It's it's like
(05:01):
it's a it's it's been it's been up and down.
But I've responded really well to treatment stuff so far,
and the first round of chemo did really well that
I've had some radiation stuff that's worked really well. I'm
back on a different chemo regime and it seems to
be working all right. So it's kind of living worth
Like whenever I see stuff, when I see stuff like
not Eve has terminal cancer, it's like, no, I freaking don't.
(05:22):
Not only has it incurable cancer. And that's very different
because you can live with something that's incurable. You can
manage it and kind of keep it, keep it at
a safe level. And that's kind of that's some questions.
I'm actually pretty good, Like I'm kind of looking at
I've spent the first few months doing nothing, and then
I wrote a book because I got so bored. And
(05:43):
now I'm getting back into work and going out the
speaking circuit again because it's like that's what I love
doing the most and it makes me feel alive. So
I'm doing good here. We're doing good.
Speaker 2 (05:51):
It's really good to hear. Do you think you can
be prepared for a diagnosis like this? I mean, someone
such as yourself psychologist, you understand resilience and all sorts
of things like that. Can you actually ever really be prepared?
Speaker 3 (06:03):
That you can't? And so it's like my wife and
I both clinical to gold, and there have both been
times where it just feels like the ground has been.
Like when we're first diagnosed, we didn't even know how
to talk to the kids about this stuff, and we
were like, we've got fifty years experience between. When this
stuff comes along, your brain just goes yeah, I'm just
I'm just gonna I'm just gonna unplug for a little bit. Yeah.
(06:26):
The only preparation you can do are the practical things,
and that is about, you know, getting we get a
health cheeks, all the insurance stuff, getting that in place
as much as you can afford put that stuff in place.
There's a lifeboat, and people think that they don't think
about it like that. They think that it's a kind
of a it's like almost like ice booed compensation. But
it's not. It's a lifeboat. It's the thing that will
make your life easier if you do get this bad diagnosis.
(06:48):
But no, nothing nothing, I mean I don't like most people.
You know, you go along, you get a little pain
or something weird, you think, so cancer, have cancer, And
so I was kind of thinking that I've been thinking
that on and a few years, as most people do.
Now it's like, no, I don't have to think about that,
because you know I do. I don't care, So that's
a cut. There's no mystery there. But you can't you
can't be prepared for it. You just you just the
(07:10):
best way, actually, one of the best ways that you
can prepare for it is just surround yourself with good
friends and your family and people that you love and
be kind to them and be nice because when it happens,
the are people who will be in your team and
who will keep your guts.
Speaker 2 (07:21):
Oh, Nigel, really nice to talk to you. You're behind
a fantastic cause. Give It Up for Gut Cancer, take care,
look forward to talking to you again soon. So Give
It Up for Gut Cancer runs through March this year.
You can find more information at gut cancer dot org
dot m Z.
Speaker 1 (07:38):
For more from the Sunday session with Francesca Rudkin, listen
live to news talks there'd be from nine am Sunday,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio
You're listening to the Sunday Session podcast with Francesca Rudgin
from News Talks EDB.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Joining me now, however, is Kiwi psychologist and TV host
Nigel Letter. He is urging us all to give up
something next month in support of Gut cancer. For the
month of March the Gut The Gut Cancer Foundation is
running its give It Up campaign. Nigel himself was diagnosed
with stomach cancer in May last year, and he went
public with his diagnosis in September. He's put his support
(00:35):
behind the campaign and he joins me now, good morning, Nigel,
thank you for your time here.
Speaker 3 (00:40):
Good morning.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
Taught me through why you've got behind this fundraising campaign, well,
because I've got it.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
Yeah, it's like and now I have more of an
understanding of what the oncology rulers like. So I'd never
heard of a Gut Cancer Foundation before I kind of
got stomach cancer and they look after people with cancer
esophogy of Liverpool, bland bil duct pancreas, stomach and bowel cancer.
So they kind of do that whole the whole gut
thing which have takes a huge number of chemicals and
(01:09):
the thing that I've learned is that there's an oncology,
there is a huge inequity in terms of the sort
of healthcare that you can get. So if you have money,
you can get the wondericules and if you don't, you don't.
And so that's why the work that these guys do
is so important because it kind of covers off a
huge range of cancers and they're funding research into you know, detection, diagnosing,
(01:31):
trading cancers, and advocating as well, which is really important
because it's one of those things that you just kind
of know. Every so often you hear on the news
to some politicians saying we're going to fund ten new
cancer drugs and they fund for some stupid thing. But
when you're in it and you can see that that
big inequity between the stuff on the shaft that could
fix you, but if you don't have the money then
(01:54):
you can't get it, you know. And funding the research
into the earlier detection stuff is pretty important.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
Oh absolutely, because it's hard at the moment, isn't it
to get funding for research in New Zealand. So that's
a really vital part of what they do. Yeah, yeah, Hey, look,
when you are dealing with such a big, life changing
thing such as being diagnosed with cancer is going public
to raise awareness into sport campaigns like this, Is it
a hard thing to do Nigel? Or is it sort
of helpful a little way of me?
Speaker 3 (02:23):
Because kind of I've sort of been that for a
while now, and I think that there are some things
that I think it's helpful just for other people, Like
I want it helpful when people send me their stories
of I was diagnosed with six months and it's twelve
years later, Like those stories are good. They're not so
good ones that my husband's diagnosed as six months any
needed two they're not so they're so happy stories. But
(02:45):
it's got people that know there are other people out
there and to make it easier for people to talk
about because like it's just a it's just a thing.
Speaker 2 (02:53):
How does this fundraiser give it up for gat cancer work?
What are we asking people to do here?
Speaker 3 (02:59):
So basically annual fundraiser and it's the sort of major
fundraiser for the years that see works through the years.
So basically what what what the foundation and that some
people to do is to give up something? So that
should we sugar, alcohol, coffee, socks, i'n't socks for a
month may be quite hard for the month of March. Yeah,
much to raise funds and resources. So it's basically just
saying that there's this thing stuff. I quite like I'm
(03:20):
going to go that for months, and my friends and
family and people are going to kind of sponsor me
to do that, and at the end of it, I'll
seend them money off to the Cake Foundation.
Speaker 2 (03:28):
It's very simple and easy to do. Is there something
that you're going to give up for the campaign, Nigel.
Speaker 3 (03:33):
No, I figure I gave up not having cancer, so
I figure I'm out of that need I need to.
I'm happy to promote it. But it's like I've there.
I've had to give up alcohol already, so it's like, man,
because I used to really love margaritas. So I feel
like I've given up quite a lot. So I've seen
my role now as just being the mouthpiece.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
Now I think you can absolutely, you know, give it
a miss this March. Yeah, no, very much.
Speaker 3 (03:58):
Everyone else shouldn't. Everyone else should get on and get
on a bus. In fact, because one in three people
get cancer, and you always I think it's going to
be someone else, and then it could be just like us.
For it's a Monday morning and you're having what you
think is a routine endoscopy and they came out and go, oh,
you know your whole life. Yeah, that's so legan a
freaking change, and that can happen to anyone at any time.
(04:21):
So yeah, people could should should get on board and
support this and everybody if you can afford it, get
really good life insurance and get advice from an advisor
about doing that, and get health insurance if you can,
and get income protection if you can. All of those
things are important.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
Nigel, how are you doing? How is the treatment going?
Speaker 3 (04:39):
Pretty good? It's like, so cancer is cancer, snakes and ladders,
and you kind of have to learn to live with
the kind of the snakes when you're a beginner, snake's
pretty scary, and I've had even recently I've had some
sort of ealth ofly scary snakes. But then you're going
to have these ladders and so just problems with the
world and cancer, don't worry about there. It's it's like
(05:01):
it's a it's it's been it's been up and down.
But I've responded really well to treatment stuff so far,
and the first round of chemo did really well that
I've had some radiation stuff that's worked really well. I'm
back on a different chemo regime and it seems to
be working all right. So it's kind of living worth
Like whenever I see stuff, when I see stuff like
not Eve has terminal cancer, it's like, no, I freaking don't.
(05:22):
Not only has it incurable cancer. And that's very different
because you can live with something that's incurable. You can
manage it and kind of keep it, keep it at
a safe level. And that's kind of that's some questions.
I'm actually pretty good, Like I'm kind of looking at
I've spent the first few months doing nothing, and then
I wrote a book because I got so bored. And
(05:43):
now I'm getting back into work and going out the
speaking circuit again because it's like that's what I love
doing the most and it makes me feel alive. So
I'm doing good here. We're doing good.
Speaker 2 (05:51):
It's really good to hear. Do you think you can
be prepared for a diagnosis like this? I mean, someone
such as yourself psychologist, you understand resilience and all sorts
of things like that. Can you actually ever really be prepared?
Speaker 3 (06:03):
That you can't? And so it's like my wife and
I both clinical to gold, and there have both been
times where it just feels like the ground has been.
Like when we're first diagnosed, we didn't even know how
to talk to the kids about this stuff, and we
were like, we've got fifty years experience between. When this
stuff comes along, your brain just goes yeah, I'm just
I'm just gonna I'm just gonna unplug for a little bit. Yeah.
(06:26):
The only preparation you can do are the practical things,
and that is about, you know, getting we get a
health cheeks, all the insurance stuff, getting that in place
as much as you can afford put that stuff in place.
There's a lifeboat, and people think that they don't think
about it like that. They think that it's a kind
of a it's like almost like ice booed compensation. But
it's not. It's a lifeboat. It's the thing that will
make your life easier if you do get this bad diagnosis.
(06:48):
But no, nothing nothing, I mean I don't like most people.
You know, you go along, you get a little pain
or something weird, you think, so cancer, have cancer, And
so I was kind of thinking that I've been thinking
that on and a few years, as most people do.
Now it's like, no, I don't have to think about that,
because you know I do. I don't care, So that's
a cut. There's no mystery there. But you can't you
can't be prepared for it. You just you just the
(07:10):
best way, actually, one of the best ways that you
can prepare for it is just surround yourself with good
friends and your family and people that you love and
be kind to them and be nice because when it happens,
the are people who will be in your team and
who will keep your guts.
Speaker 2 (07:21):
Oh, Nigel, really nice to talk to you. You're behind
a fantastic cause. Give It Up for Gut Cancer, take care,
look forward to talking to you again soon. So Give
It Up for Gut Cancer runs through March this year.
You can find more information at gut cancer dot org
dot m Z.
Speaker 1 (07:38):
For more from the Sunday session with Francesca Rudkin, listen
live to news talks there'd be from nine am Sunday,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio
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