The Positive Gene Podcast

The Positive Gene Podcast | Hereditary Breast Cancer Series, Episode 1

When we hear about hereditary breast cancer, BRCA1 and BRCA2 are often the first genes that come to mind. But hereditary breast cancer risk is much more complex, and understanding your genetic information can make a significant difference in how you approach your health.

In the first episode of our 10-part hereditary breast cancer series, host Sara Kavanaugh wel...

As patient advocates, we have the opportunity to help shape healthcare policy by sharing our lived experiences with the people making decisions that affect our lives.

In this episode of The Positive Gene Podcast, host Sara Kavanaugh sits down with Tennessee State Representative Bob Freeman for a candid conversation ab...

Episode Summary In this episode of The Positive Gene Podcast, Sara Kavanaugh sits down with therapist, BRCA1 previvor, and podcast host Sara Champie for a deeply honest conversation about the emotional realities of hereditary cancer risk. Together, they explore the layers of fear, grief, agency, trauma, identity, and healing that can emerge after genetic testing and prevention decisions.

Sara Champie shares her personal journey aft...

As we close out Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, this episode marks the final installment in our series on Lynch syndrome and hereditary cancer risk. If you haven’t yet, I encourage you to go back and listen to the earlier episodes—each one offers a powerful and important perspective on what it means to understand and navigate inherited cancer risk.

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Diane Hardesty’s story is one that clearl...

This episode is part of a five-part series on living with Lynch syndrome, focused on raising awareness and sharing perspectives from patients, advocates, and organizations working to improve outcomes in hereditary cancer.

In this episode, Sara Kavanaugh speaks with Joan Rush, co-founder of the Jacqueline Rush Foundation, an organization dedicated to raising awareness of Lynch syndrome among b...

Lynch Syndrome Series - This episode is part of a five-part series on living with Lynch syndrome, released in recognition of Lynch Syndrome Awareness Day on March 22.

In this episode, Sara Kavanaugh speaks with Jennifer Mercer, founder of Lynch Syndrome Awareness and Education, a nonprofit dedicated to increasing awareness and helping families better understand hereditary cancer risk.

• Family his...

Lynch Syndrome Series

In recognition of Lynch Syndrome Awareness Day on March 22 each year, The Positive Gene Podcast is featuring a five-part series exploring what it means to live with Lynch syndrome; from diagnosis and treatment to advocacy, prevention, and long-term survivorship.

Note: This episode includes brief discussion of depression and suicidal thoughts. Please listen with care. Support resources are included below.

Epis...

This episode kicks off a five-part series on living with Lynch syndrome, released in recognition of Lynch Syndrome Awareness Day on March 22.

When host Sara Kavanaugh was first diagnosed with hereditary cancer mutations, including Lynch syndrome, there were few voices sharing what life with inherited cancer risk actually looked like.

One of the first organizations she discovered was AliveandKick’n. What stood out immediately ...

Episode Summary In this episode of The Positive Gene Podcast, Sara sits down with Aliza Friedlander, a BRCA1-positive previvor and advocate with the Cancer Vaccine Coalition. Aliza shares her unusual path to genetic testing, what shifted after her sister’s breast cancer diagnosis, and how she ultimately decided on risk-reducing surgery. Together, they unpack what “cancer vaccines” really mean (and why this researc...

This special, urgent episode of The Positive Gene Podcast steps outside our normal publishing schedule because the stakes could not be higher. Congress is considering the Patent Eligibility Restoration Act (PERA) — a bill that would once again allow companies to patent human genes and biomarkers, reversing the 2013 Supreme Court decision that made genetic testing more accessible, competitive, and affordable.

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In today’s conversation, we dig into the part of cancer conversations that rarely makes headlines -  hereditary cancer risk, prevention, and the systemic barriers that keep people from getting the care they need.

My guest, Jennifer Thompson, MS, CGC is a board-certified genetic counselor and founder of HealthyGene, a digital genetic counseling clinic designed to remove barriers to hereditary cancer risk a...

In this episode of The Positive Gene Podcast, Maddie Williamson, a genetic counselor and BRCA1 carrier, joins host Sara Kavanaugh to discuss what it means to navigate hereditary cancer risk as a member of the LGBTQ+ community.

Drawing from both personal experience and professional expertise, Maddie shares the challenges and insights that come with balancing genetic risk, identity, and access to care. The conversatio...

In this moving episode of The Positive Gene Podcast, host Sara Kavanaugh sits down with author Tiffany Graham Charkosky, whose forthcoming memoir Living Proof: How Love Defied Genetic Legacy shares her deeply personal journey through Lynch Syndrome, family loss, and the power of love and resilience.

Tiffany reflects on how discovering her genetic risk reshaped her understanding of health, motherhood, and legacy and how she’s ...

Earlier this year, musician Peter Cornell — brother of the late Chris Cornell — received a diagnosis no man expects: breast cancer. Testing revealed he carries a CHEK2 mutation, which increases the risk for breast, prostate, and other cancers.

In this raw and powerful conversation, Peter shares how his wife first discovered the tumor, his treatment experience at Vanderbilt, and the profound impact of genetic testing on ...

Episode Overview

Season changes can stir up a lot - especially if you’re living with hereditary cancer risk. In this conversation, Lisa Jacobs shares her framework of “graceful grit” - meeting hard moments with both courage and softness. We talk scanxiety, decision fatigue, and how simple, repeatable practices (breath, micro-goals, ritual, curiosity) help you feel present and grounded before screenings and big hea...

Summary In this episode of The Positive Gene Podcast, host Sara Kavanaugh takes the mic on the road in London with Dr. Stefania Vicari and Dr. Hannah Ditchfield of the University of Sheffield. Together, they explore how research into social media is reshaping what we know about hereditary cancer, advocacy, and the very word previvor.

Why does this matter? Because our digital footprints tell powerful stories — and understandin...

Episode Summary: In this Season 3 premiere of The Positive Gene Podcast, host Sara Kavanaugh sits down with Kristina Coccoluto — a BRCA1 previvor, Abbott World Marathon Majors Six Star Finisher, and passionate advocate — to explore what it means to face genetic risk and still run forward with purpose.

Kristina shares her deeply personal journey: growing up surrounded by cancer, the emotional weight of testing and preven...

In this insightful episode of The Positive Gene Podcast, host Sara Kavanaugh sits down with Dr. Brian Shirts, Associate Professor of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology at Vanderbilt University and founder of ConnectMyVariant.org. Together, they explore the powerful potential of family-based genetic outreach as a pathway to preventing hereditary cancer.

Dr. Shirts shares the pivotal research discoveries and patient stories that...

Colorectal Cancer Awareness, Genetic Risk, and Breaking Barriers to Screening with Dr. Frederick Gandolfo, Board-Certified Gastroenterologist & Host of The Real GI Doctor Show

Episode Overview: In this episode, we’re tackling a tough but critical topic—March's Colorectal Cancer Awareness, genetic risk factors like Lynch Syndrome, and why so many people delay or avoid screening. I sit down with Dr. Frederick Gandolfo...