Cancer Connections

Welcome to "Sex, Drugs, and Rock & Roll," a multi-part series where we talk with experts about three topics that often do not get discussed during treatment.

In this final installment of the series, we talk to surgeon, musician, and author Dr. Nimesh Nagarsheth about the role music can play in a patient's journey. Dr. Nagarsheth is the author of "Music and Cancer: A Prescription for Healing," a...

This episode is Part 2 of our two-part conversation about the use of two drugs in a person's cancer journey which may be considered alternative to many people, cannabis and psilocybin. In this second episode we focus on psilocybin by talking to Mark Geyer, PhD, Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry and Neurosciences Emeritus at the University of California San Diego (UCSD), who directs the Neuropsychopharmacology Unit of the V...

This episode is Part 1 of our two-part conversation about the use of two drugs in a person's cancer journey which may be considered alternative to many people, cannabis and psilocybin. In this first episode we focus on cannabis by talking to Dr. Carey Clark, PhD, RN, and Chair of the Medical Cannabis Certificate Program at the Pacific College of Health and Science in San Diego. Dr. Clark is also the former president of the Ame...

Welcome to "Sex, Drugs, and Rock & Roll," a multi-part series where we talk with experts about three topics that often do not get discussed during treatment.

This episode is Part 2 of our two-part conversation about sex after cancer. We talk to Leslie Heron, a nurse and a nurse practitioner with over 37 years of direct patient care experience. Leslie is board certified in family practice, and as a nurse coach...

Welcome to "Sex, Drugs, and Rock & Roll," a multi-part series where we talk with experts about three topics that often do not get discussed during treatment.

To begin with, we're talking about sex and sexuality after cancer, which our participants tell us are very important topics for them but that they struggle to discuss with others. We’re dedicating two episodes to approach the subject of Sex and Canc...

Clinical trials are critical for advancing more effective treatment options for cancer, and participating in a clinical trial can be one of the most impactful steps a patient can take in the course of their treatment. That's why the team at Clearity works to educate women diagnosed with ovarian cancer about clinical trial availability, enrollment, and participation.

Fortunately, many others share this commitment and p...

Ever feel like someone else has taken over your brain? Ever wonder why sometimes you can be so focused and methodical and other times the complete opposite? The cancer experience can sometimes fell like a roller coaster with stress and uncertainty around each turn. Sometimes it’s hard to show up the way you’d like.

In this episode, Jill Bolte Taylor, Ph.D., Harvard-trained neuroanatomist and author of the best-selling memo...

Cancer Connections introduces “The Cancer Roadmap, Part 2,” the second of two episodes exploring the shared experience many cancer patients have.

Understanding the Cancer Roadmap may help to normalize the feelings and emotions associated with a cancer diagnosis as well as help patients know what to expect. Many people describe the feeling of not knowing, of dealing with the mystery of cancer, as being such a difficult aspe...

Cancer Connections introduces “The Cancer Roadmap, Part 1,” the first of two episodes exploring the shared experience many cancer patients have.

Understanding the Cancer Roadmap may help to normalize the feelings and emotions associated with a cancer diagnosis as well as help patients know what to expect. Many people describe the feeling of not knowing, of dealing with the mystery of cancer, as being such a difficult aspe...

Our guest this episode is Dr. Beth Karlan, recent recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Gynecologic Cancer Society (IGCS), and a surgeon who has three decades of experience treating women with ovarian cancer.  

You're going to want to find a quiet space to enjoy this interview, because it's our most content-packed episode yet, covering topics that will be useful to anyone with an inte...

On this episode of Cancer Connections, Clearity's founder, Laura Shawver, talks with Clearity's Scientific Director, Deb Zajchowski, about how much the field of cancer testing, treatment and research has changed in the 15 years since Laura was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2006. These two women, pioneers in their field, explain topics like PARP inhibitors, immune oncology and the difference between “hot” and “cold” tum...

In our first three episodes, we heard from expert physicians about the connection between stress and disease, people who have defied the odds in exceptional ways, and how addressing death thoughtfully may bring unexpected joy. But how do these ideas about the connection between stress and disease square with someone who is actually living with a cancer diagnosis every day?

In this episode of Cancer Connections, we talk wi...

It's not just you—nobody wants to talk about death. Not only is it an uncomfortable topic to bring up, but also, as palliative care expert Dr. BJ Miller explains, it's nearly impossible to capture in words the range of feelings one can have about such a momentous and personal life event.

But if we don't talk about it, what are we missing out on? Can we find joy and meaning in life by having a conversation about death?...

Are spontaneous healers medical flukes? Or is there something we can learn from them and apply to our own lives? Dr. Jeffrey Rediger, author of "Cured: The Life-Changing Science of Spontaneous Healing," talks with us about what he's learned from studying these kinds of cases for the past 15 years. Some of the topics we cover:

• Why it's so important to explore the link between disease and mind
• How personal belie...

Join us as we talk with renowned public speaker and best-selling author Dr. Gabor Maté about the well-documented link between stress and illness. In this episode, Dr. Maté and host Hillary Theakston discuss:

• How to talk about stress and illness in a compassionate way that doesn't shame or blame
• Chronic stress and its impact on the body
• How the way we talk about illness influences the way we treat it
• Why we need to fo...

Welcome to a new space where we can have the kinds of conversations that are not happening often enough alongside a cancer diagnosis—conversations about things like the connection between stress and wellness, or how to cope with death anxiety,  or how clinical trials work today. We're sitting down with scientists, doctors, advocates, and patients for discussions that are thought-provoking, empowering and fact-based.