Cancer for Breakfast

Cancer for Breakfast

By Cancer for BreakfastComedyScienceHealth & Fitness
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Cancer for Breakfast episodes

  • #ScreamingForScreening

    Hold onto your headscarves, y’all! The guidelines have changed, and the whitecoats think we should stop feeling it on the first. Don’t they know how much #cancerpeople love a hashtag?! Mmhmm—multiple medical orgs have put the kibosh on breast cancer screening until age 45. The gals (Amy and Stef, not a gross euphemism for boobs) are fired up and taking on big Cancer. Cancer dot gov, that is, AKA The American Cancer Society himself, and we won’t rest until there’s a mammogram machine in every Macy’s in America. Then, a listener shares about her newfound love…with a stage 4 renal cancer Romeo. Friends and fam are worried, but the heart wants what it wants. In the wise words of Zoë Kravitz’s dad, ya gotta let love rule! RATS dives deeper into the world of kidney cancer: what happens when your own immune system borks it? You take an immune checkpoint inhibitor, sweaty! 

    To learn more about immunotherapy for renal cell carcinoma, check out this article: https://www.uptodate.com/contents/systemic-therapy-of-advanced-clear-cell-renal-carcinoma#H2788680400

    Read Josie Rubio’s piece in NYT titled Dating While Dying: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/24/opinion/sunday/dating-while-dying.html

    And, correction: Josie had Hodgkin’s Lymphoma! Stef mistakenly said she had MBC. 

    Gotham Writers now offers the Josie Rubio Scholarship. Info here: https://blogs.gothamwriters.com/2021/04/19/the-josie-rubio-scholarship/

    To read the American Cancer Society’s new(ish) guidelines on breast cancer screening, visit https://www.cancer.org/cancer/breast-cancer/screening-tests-and-early-detection/american-cancer-society-recommendations-for-the-early-detection-of-breast-cancer.html

    Read stats on breast cancer under 40 diagnoses compiled by Young Survival Coalition:  https://www.youngsurvival.org/learn/about-breast-cancer/statistics

    The American College Of Radiology on the use of mammograms as a screening tool: https://www.acr.org/Media-Center/ACR-News-Releases/2018/New-Study-Cements-Fact-That-Mammography-is-a-Primary-Factor-in-Reduced-Breast-Cancer-Deaths

    The bizarre article about the efficacy of BSEs: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2376382/

    Make sure you’re following us on Instagram @cancerforbreakfast for ways to get involved with this #screamingforscreening stuff!

    Buy us a coffee and support the podcast at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/amyandstef
    Send us a letter! [email protected]
    Follow us on Twitter @cancerbreakfast 

    RATS theme song by Jessica Boudreaux of Summer Cannibals
    Theme music by Vyvyvyr




    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    54 min
  • Cancer for Bitchfest

    CANCER FOR BITCHFEST | We’ve been squirreling away your complaints big and small like precious little acorns, and they’ve finally grown into a mighty oak of objections! A pine of protest! A…gripevine? Anyway, we’re airing your grievances, from A (awkward convos with clueless doctors) to, well, X at least. (Exes who slide into your DMs post-diagnosis, that is!) Our precious listeners came through and it’s an hour of straight-up bitchin. But first? Stop the presses! Ya gals met IRL and are coming to you from Stef’s minivan. The good news: we still have a podcast. The bad news: Applebee’s was closed. The other news: we’ve coined a term for know-it-all #cancerpeople. Take a seat, Cancer Cathy; nobody needs your negativity! Then, RATS wants you lil sweeties with blood cancer to keep your covid (face)guard up. Studies show the vaccine is less effective-to-totally ineffective for you! Yikes, dude! 


    +  +  + 


    Guidance on blood cancers and covid-19 from LLS: https://www.lls.org/who-we-are/covid-19-vaccines-faq-patients-and-caregivers


    Covid-19 & blood cancer studies: https://cancerdiscovery.aacrjournals.org/content/11/7/OF4


    A round-up of post-mastectomy bras from Rethink Breast Cancer: https://rethinkbreastcancer.com/post-mastectomy-lingerie-love/


    Amy’s pedge willow recommendation: https://www.costco.com/brentwood-home-whitney-wedge-pillow-with-gel-memory-foam.product.100365598.html


    Buy us a coffee and support the podcast at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/amyandstef

    RATS theme song by Jessica Boudreaux 
    Theme music by Vyvyvyr
    Follow us  on Instagram @cancerforbreakfast
    Follow us on Twitter @cancerbreakfast 


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1 hr 8 min
  • Pride Parade: The Queerisode

    Did you know that LGBTQ+ people can be cancer people? You did. Oh. Well we sure hope you’re ready for an episode about the queer cancer experience. Stef (she’s here! She’s queer!) leads us and our furry little line of marching RATS on a pride parade rife with…increased morbidity, mortality, and poorer outcomes??? Maybe that explains the low attendance! In letters: the pain caused by being misgendered (over and over!) at the cancer center is hurting our community, and then we hear from a listener who can’t seem to convince her surgeons that she truly just wants to go flat, dammit! In a literal bummer of a segment, RATS tackles anal cancer and why it’s wreaking havoc on folks who enjoy bum stuff. HPV gets some of the blame, but homophobia earns a place on the podium, too. Lace up your roller skates and get ready to talk income inequality, bbs, because we’re #queeringcancer! 

    Prostate Cancer UK’s pamphlet mentioned in this episode is available here 

    To learn more about the RATS in this episode, visit https://cancer-network.org/cancer-information/gay-men-and-cancer/anal-cancer-hiv-and-gaybisexual-men/

    To register for the National LGBT cancer network’s survey findings report, visit https://cancer-network.org/out-the-national-cancer-survey/

    Rae Spoon’s Medium page: https://medium.com/@raespoon

    RATS theme song by Jessica Boudreaux
    Theme music by Vyvyvyr


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    46 min
  • Salt Fat Acid Cancer
    Real talk: did YOU know that “annoying and oblivious” can also be a trait of...other Cancer People?! (And no, we’re NOT talking about the astrological sign.) Amy wants “oldies” to be aware of what they say around “newbies;” venting is fine, but if you don’t have any steam to let out, maybe just close your lid. Then: flax and soy and cancer, oh my! WTAF is up with phytoestrogens and hormone receptor positive cancer? Is it actually hard to keep up with the science, or are our nutritionists just slacking, lacking, and need to go packing (off to do professional development, that is!) The gals read a letter from a sweet muffin who wants the straight dish on safe and beneficial foods. Would it kill the folks in charge to just make us a damn list, already? And are all of these ingredients really raising our recurrence risk? Stef lets us know if we can drink our smoothies in peace. Studies on rodents suggest it’s all in the delivery. And speaking of RATS, we get down to the nitty gritty of estrogen-binding foods. For isoflavones, it’s a game of date, marry, f…erment. As in miso, you dingleberry!!

    To learn more about flax and breast cancer, read this.
    To learn more about phytoestrogens and HR+ cancer check out this article from Providence Hospital’s integrative medicine department. 

    Amy’s fiber stats were close, but as promised here is the real deal: “The U.S. government recommends Americans consume 28 grams of dietary fiber a day, while the American Institute for Cancer Research advises even more — at least 30 grams.” From this article. 

    Clarity on recommended exercise:
    “Walking at about 3 mph (or 20 minutes per mile) is considered moderate intensity. The American Cancer Society recommends that adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous activity each week (or a combination of these).”

    RATS theme song by Jessica Boudreaux
    Follow us on Instagram @cancerforbreakfast
    Follow us on Twitter @cancerbreakfast
    $upport us at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/amyandstef

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    39 min
  • If It Makes You Happy
    Listen, we need to talk about your drinking. And our drinking. Do booze and cancer mix? Some of us feel judged by peers, family, and even ourselves for post-diagnosis merriment. Do you have fear and shame around cracking a beer? The gals ponder: can deciding to “live a little” cause us to “die a little” (more quickly)? Some listeners say “bottoms up!” while others just can’t hang with the more severe hangovers and guilt. Then, what’s with the pressure on cancer people to become exemplary, sober, organic-eating triathletes? Stef is the same person she was before; Amy considers becoming a spin instructor. What exactly is the REAL risk of dranking dranks AFTER diagnosis, when the horse is already out of the barn?  Should we all  just “ask a tail to hide”? In our premiere cancer-celeb gossip segment: this just in, Sheryl Crow and Lance Armstrong split! (In 2006!) And RATS asks: what makes alcohol so bad for our bods, anyway, and how do statistics even work? Plus, we share 5 great mocktail recipes. Just kidding—there are no great mocktails!

    To learn more about the RATS in this episode, check out this NYT article, and this one, too.

    RATS theme song by Jessica Boudreaux of Summer Cannibals
    Theme music by Vyvyvyr
    If you have a sec, rate or review us on Apple Podcasts, won't you? 

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    57 min
  • Rebranded Hoarders

    The gals celebrate Stef’s most recent scan results; after a long weekend of them playing very hard to get Stef wonders, is this MyChart glitchery, or oncologist witchery? In letters—more MyChart tricks, thanks to that uncaring bitch The Cares Act, for a listener dealing with thyroid cancer reoccurrence. Then, a daughter wants to know if her stage 4 mom is fleeing the nest for good, and when is it time to outsource the lawncare?  Everyone hates a bragging name dropper, but LISTEN... those queens from the huge podcast Forever 35 gave Cancer For Breakfast a sweet ass shout out. Do big heads kill cancer cells?! That would be convenient! RATS peeks into blood cancers. The good news: genetic testing is coming in strong! The bad news? Your rain boots might kill you in your sleep. What’s even IN your basic sunscreen? Hand sanitizer? Not you, too! Amy wonders why we even bother. Le sigh. 

    Did you know we have CFB merch? Get your own “Crying in my Nightgown” mug on our website, www.cancerforbreakfast.com 

    NO UPTAKE IN STEF’S BONES!!!
    NO UPTAKE IN STEF’S BONES!!!
    NO UPTAKE IN STEF’S BONES!!!
    NO UPTAKE IN STEF’S BONES!!!
    NO UPTAKE IN STEF’S BONES!!!
    NO UPTAKE IN STEF’S BONES!!!

    To learn more about the RATS in this episode, go here and here. 

    RATS theme song by Jessica Boudreaux 




    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    57 min
  • Cancer Magnet
    Is there anything better than a cancer bestie you can text at 2am? Not for our money, and Amy’s cancer dance card is full AF. Then: DCIS is no picnic and we’ve got the letter to prove it. Stef launches into mom-mode with tips on how YOU too can make friends. Spoiler: your community is probably still somewhere out there. “C” writes in with a familiar story of 2B BC misdiagnosed while breastfeeding. Can we Erin Brockovich the ubiquitous breastfeeding brush off, or what? Then, we’re playing cancer BINGO and boy does this game blow. The gals wonder: who is responsible for classifying some cancers as “easy?” The patriarchy? Amy’s bitchy friend? QUICK! What’s your gut reaction to melanoma? One Mississippi, two Mississippi…Stef’s got a stinky RATS for us to digest. P.U!

    To learn more about the RATS in this episode, visit this article

    RATS theme song by Jessica Boudreaux <3

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    47 min
  • My Own Ass Brain

    The gals are on the campaign trail, (fully vaccinated and ready to kiss some babies!) and they want YOU...to tell the dental hygienists and acupuncturists of the world to leave diagnosing cancer to the professionals, mmkay? Perhaps they need an inservice on medical trauma from us, the medically traumatized? Then, throw on your autumn sweaters for this listener letter: a cancer person contrasts the early days’ “I can do this!” attitude with her current reality of treatment, statistics, and fear. Can we write some cancer (anti-)fan fiction to combat her doomy daydreams? You bet! In RATS, Stef just wants to talk about pastry. Pastry-based artificial intelligence, that is! Will it revolutionize cancer diagnostics? One cannoli hope! 

    To learn more about the RATS in this episode, read this New Yorker article

    RATS theme song by Jessica Boudreaux of Summer Cannibals

    To buy music by Vyvyvyr, our theme song artist, visit their bandcamp!


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    49 min
  • Under The Bus
    Friends and fam: can't live with em, can't live (through our cancer diagnoses) without em. This episode is dedicated to the nearest and dearest of the diagnosed (ok, and the lookie-loos). Listen, sometimes we throw you under the bus, and sometimes you fall off the curb on your own. The gals name their least favorite cancer cliches and unhelpful platitudes and wonder: why can't anyone just announce a porch drop of Thai food?? We answer the age-old question: if a cancer person dies, did they lose the battle, or was it an ambush? Is it better to be "sorry" or pissed? Should we dump our crappy friends? In letters, we have some tips for an ex-Starbucks barista who wants to support her whole and capable friend. Is cocoa the answer...again? This week's RATS gets buzzed on electroacupuncture. After all this, are your ~loved ones~ still giving you grief? Tell Amy where to mail the dead skunk. 

    Unfortunately, there is SO much more we didn't get a chance to mention, which means we'll be doing a volume 2 in the future. Have something you'd like us to include? Hit us up at [email protected]

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1 hr 20 min
  • If You Give a Mom a Cookie
    Mother's Day is upon us, and we've got some Cancer for Breakfast in bed for you, Mom! This isn't your girlfriends' boozy brunch; we're talking medicine, mortality, and motherhood. You didn't think we'd sugarcoat it, did ya?? Amy wants her friends to feel the love even when their mamas are gone; Stef just wants a hammock. A series of beautiful letters hits cancer from one perspective to the next, and the gals talk kids' books--the good, the cringey, and the one where that pig's friends are total jerks. By special request, RATS covers breast cancer that appears during pregnancy and asks: who are you callin' a geriatric mother?

    Fear spiral risk: low-medium. Mentions of maternal death, childhood cancer, and the murder of George Floyd.

    To learn more about the RATS in this episode, read these papers and visit this link.
    Check out Hope For Two


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1 hr 8 min

About Cancer for Breakfast

From the publisher's feed

“If Car Talk was about cancer and hosted by two millennial women.”-Stef’s Oncologist’s Husband

“It’s honest, vulnerable, and unexpected.” -Portland Monthly 

Climb in, honey, we’ve…