The Cracking Cancer Podcast

In this essential episode, host Dr. Kyle Concannon and co-host Samantha Murrell break down the science, promise, and limitations of Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors (TKIs)—a class of highly effective, usually pill-form, targeted therapy.

Dr. Concannon explains that TKIs are molecular snipers, designed to attack the root cause of cancer by blocking the signaling from a mutated protein (kinase) that causes cells to divide uncontrollably. T...

In this essential episode of "Cracking Cancer," host Dr. Kyle Concannon, a medical oncologist, is joined by patient advocate Ashley Holt and Dr. Erin Baurle, a Clinical Health Psychologist specializing in oncology. They tackle the emotionally charged question: Does stress or trauma cause cancer?

Ashley, who was diagnosed with lung cancer shortly after a difficult divorce, shares her personal spiral of guilt and the psychological ...

In the conclusion of this vital two-part series, host Dr. Kyle Concannon, Dr. Allie Mungo (Thoracic Surgeon), and post-operative patient advocate Samantha Murrell delve into the risks, recovery, and long-term rationale for surgical resections in Stage IV cancer patients.

Dr. Mungo details the different lung surgeries (wedge, segmentectomy, lobectomy, pneumonectomy) and the critical surgical complexities, including the "stickiness" ...

In this riveting first part of a two-episode series, host Dr. Kyle Concannon, a medical oncologist, is joined in person by Dr. Allie Mungo, a thoracic surgeon, and patient advocate Samantha Murrell, who is just two weeks post-surgery for her Stage IV HER2-mutated lung cancer. They dive into the controversial topic of consolidative surgery—surgically removing residual tumor in patients with metastatic (Stage IV) cancer.

Samantha sha...

In this powerful episode of "Cracking Cancer," host Dr. Kyle Concannon sits down with co-host JJ Singleton, a colorectal cancer patient who has been undergoing continuous treatment for almost 10 years. JJ provides a raw, unfiltered look at the reality of treating cancer as a chronic disease, sharing his journey from a localized Stage II diagnosis to the devastating discovery of metastatic disease that required a decade of ongoing s...

In this revealing episode of "Cracking Cancer," host Dr. Kyle Concannon and co-host Samantha Murrell are joined by Kerry Wentworth, Chief Regulatory Officer at Nuvation Bio, to pull back the curtain on the pharmaceutical and biotech industry. Kerry, a veteran in the field, addresses the common perception that pharmaceutical companies are driven purely by financial metrics, stating that the primary mission is, in fact, patient-cente...

Testicular cancer is the most common form of cancer in men aged 15-35, but nobody is talking about it! Until today that is.

In this crucial episode of "Cracking Cancer," host Dr. Kyle Concannon is joined by Dr. Andrew Johns, a GU Cancer specialist from MD Anderson Cancer Center, and Jon Fox, a testicular cancer survivor. They tackle the vital topic of testicular cancer, shedding light on its biology, treatment, and remarkably high ...

In this crucial episode of "Cracking Cancer," host Dr. Kyle Concannon and patient advocate Samantha Murrell delve into Antibody Drug Conjugates (ADCs), a revolutionary class of targeted therapy. Samantha, who was treated with an ADC for her HER2 non-small cell lung cancer, shares her real-time experience with the drug's potent effects and cumulative side effects.

Dr. Concannon explains the sophisticated engineering behind ADCs: an ...

In this essential episode of "Cracking Cancer," host Dr. Kyle Concannon, a physician scientist and medical oncologist, sits down with patient advocate Samantha Murrell to demystify the role of the medical oncologist and how they fit into a patient's care journey. They clarify the distinct but collaborative roles of medical, surgical, and radiation oncologists.

Dr. Concannon provides an honest, behind-the-scenes look at the high-sta...

In this episode, Dr. Lauren Groner, a Cardiothoracic Radiologist and Health Services Researcher, demystifies the field of radiology and its critical, often unseen, role in oncology. Dr. Groner breaks down the differences between Diagnostic and Interventional Radiologists, explaining how the former interprets complex images (CT, MRI, PET, X-rays) to diagnose and stage disease, while the latter performs minimally invasive, image-guid...

In this timely episode of "Cracking Cancer," host Dr. Kyle Concannon, a physician scientist, speaks with patient advocate Ashley Holt about the challenges of navigating new, aggressive cancer surveillance technologies. Ashley, a survivor of Stage I non-small cell lung cancer with a ROS1 mutation, chose to go beyond the standard of care by incorporating the Signatera circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) blood test into her post-lobectomy m...

In this deeply personal episode of "Cracking Cancer," host Dr. Kyle Concannon and guest Sara Sandoval, a stage four metastatic breast cancer patient, explore the rarely discussed intersection of faith and a cancer diagnosis. Sara shares her journey of turning to her Catholic faith after her diagnosis, finding solace, strength, and a sense of control in an otherwise chaotic and frightening reality.

This conversation is not about rel...

Navigating a cancer diagnosis often means a barrage of medical terms and images that can be confusing and frightening. In this powerful episode of "Cracking Cancer," host Dr. Kyle Concannon sits down with guests Heidi Onda, a lung cancer survivor and founder of the White Ribbon Project, and Dr. Lauren Groner, a cardiothoracic radiologist, to demystify the world of medical scans.

Heidi shares her personal experience with "scanxiety"...

In this episode of "Cracking Cancer,"  Sara Sandoval, a stage four triple-positive metastatic breast cancer patient, and Whitney Lewis, an oncology pharmacist, provide an intimate and transparent look at taxane chemotherapies, a class of drugs commonly used in many cancer treatments.

Sarah shares her personal experience, offering a patient's perspective on the physical and emotional realities of treatment, from the initial shock of...

Lung Cancer Screening: Why You Should Get Checked and the Hope That Follows In this episode of "Cracking Cancer," Dr. Kyle Concannon, and guests, Dr. Lauren Groner, and seven-year lung cancer survivor Heidi Onda, tackle a critical public health issue: lung cancer screening. They explore the current guidelines for who should be screened, the science behind the low-dose lung CT, and the significant barriers—from patient anxiety to pr...

1. Who are the key players in cancer research?
2. How is it funded, and why does it feel like progress is so slow?