Like many patients with advanced cancer, Steven struggles with nutrition, the effects of chemotherapy and depression. But luckily, from the early days, he's helped by some wonderful palliative care providers, especially Dr. Mindy.

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Shoshana struggles to maintain healthy boundaries with her dad, who is pushing back against his doctor’s advice. Meanwhile, she prepares to undergo preventative surgery for the first time, to reduce her risk of cancer. And as she and her sister, Ariel, are both sent into a surgical-menopause tailspin, they discover that experts do not agree on hormone therapy.

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Now that Steven’s cancer has tested positive for the BRCA mutation, Shoshana and her sister Ariel must get tested. And when both of their tests come back positive, they’re both faced with a choice: speak to their doctors about additional screening or undergo preventative surgery to reduce their risk of developing the cancers that have plagued their family.

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We’re taking a quick pause to acknowledge the importance of today's election. We’ll be back next week with a new episode! In the meantime, come join the conversation on Instagram @beforewegopodcast. 

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Shoshana launches a nonprofit, End Well, to address end-of-life issues, bringing together an incredible community of celebrities, caregivers, healthcare providers, artists, and many others to come up with solutions to make dying easier. And as her own father becomes more sick, she discovers that she can turn to that community for help and advice.

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Shoshana describes her experiences as a young doctor and the series of encounters with the end of life that make her believe we're doing it all wrong. A pivotal moment with a terminal patient who chooses to die at home sparks her determination to change how doctors approach death and dying. Shoshana questions why, despite death's inevitability, meaningful conversations about illness and end-of-life wishes are so rare in healthcare… and society.

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Shoshana reflects on the death of her paternal grandmother, Joy Ungerleider, who died of the same cancer Steven now faces. The family learns that Steven's cancer is BRCA-related, and hope rises with the possibility that targeted therapy may offer him many months, if not years, of quality life. But he would first need to endure several months of harsh chemotherapy.

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Dr. Shoshana Ungerleider's world shifts when her father calls to say that he has been diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer. As they navigate uncharted emotional terrain, Shoshana and her father explore options, including one they hadn’t before considered – medical aid in dying. But before they can decide, doctors tell Steven that something about his past might offer him hope.

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