CURE Talks Cancer

In this episode of the “CURE® Talks Cancer” podcast, Leanne Burnham, Ph.D., discusses the research she’s working on to address health disparities in Black men with prostate cancer after being inspired by her father’s diagnosis, and shares her own cancer survival story.

When U.S. beach volleyball Olympic medalist April Ross was just 19 years old, she lost her mother, Margie, to metastatic breast cancer. Despite this devastating loss, Ross drew inspiration from Margie’s unwavering spirit and continued to pursue her goals, ultimately winning a spot in the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.  In this week’s episode of the “CURE® Talks Cancer” podcast, we spoke with Ross about how the time she was able to spend with her mother motivates her to make the most of her time now, and why it’s so important for individuals who are undergoing cancer treatment to have a strong support system. 

This week on the CURE® Talks Cancer podcast, we’re chatting with an ovarian cancer survivor and teacher about how she maintained her sense of humor through treatment and why it’s important to remain connected to your friends and family, especially during your darkest moments. 

One pair – Dr. John Marshall and his wife, Liza – have been surrounded by cancer since John became an oncologist early on in their marriage. The duo never imagined the disease would dramatically change their world when Liza was diagnosed with stage 3 triple-negative breast cancer. John was without a doubt impacted by the unexpected diagnosis as he had to learn how to juggle between playing a caregiver and being a doctor at the same time, while Liza, the matriarch of the family who was always in charge of her own health, leaned on her husband for support and medical advice. In the book “Off our Chests: A Candid Tour Through the World of Cancer,” both John and Liza Marshall alternate sharing their perspectives on this challenging time. CURE and OncLive sat down with John and Liza to go beyond the pages in the book, as the couple discussed their journey – both together and separately – as well as the deep appreciation they now have for other, patients and their oncologists. “Off Our Chests: A Candid Tour Through the World of Cancer” will be released in hardcover format on April 6, 2021. Visit: https://www.amazon.com/Off-Our-Chests-Candid-Through/dp/1646870484. 

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In 2017, Sonia Su was a 24-year-old graduate student at Georgetown University who dreamed of travelling abroad and working for the government. 

During that time, she started experiencing chest pains. As her symptoms began to worsen, Su decided to visit the campus’ health center where she eventually received a diagnosis of costochondritis — inflammation of the cartilage that connects a person’s rib to their breastbone. Su was prescribed something for the pain, but her symptoms continued.

Su, who recently spoke with CURE®, said she was amid finishing finals and decided to wait until she was done to get a second opinion at an urgent care facility. After multiple tests — which included CT scans, X-rays and a biopsy — Su received a diagnosis of stage 2 primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma. The journey that would follow, according to Su, taught her many life lessons that will stick with her.

In this week’s episode of the “CURE® Talks Cancer Podcast,” she discusses how her disease recurred while she was on a fellowship in Taiwan and how her experiences led her to establish a nonprofit organization — called Kits to Heart — to give back to others who are also going through cancer.

“I was really inspired by my time when I was admitted for my final treatment two years ago ….,” she said. “I saw a care package that was left on my bed, and I had just assumed that it was, you know, part of the welcome package from the hospital. But it turns out, it was from a former patient who had been treated at that very unit one year prior and was doing well again. And so just seeing that message of hope really inspired me and motivated me to keep going. And I told myself right then and there that I would do the same thing once I got out of there. And so, I essentially took that idea to help solve those problems that I myself witnessed as a patient and founded what is now called Kits to Heart.” 

In this episode of the “CURE® Talks Cancer” podcast, we’re honoring Multiple Myeloma Awareness Month by speaking with Dr. Andrew Yee about the signs and symptoms of this rare form of cancer, what the current treatment paradigm looks like and what advice he has for newly diagnosed patients.

This week on the “CURE® Talks Cancer” podcast, we spoke with lymphoma survivor Nina Luker about what it was like to receive a diagnosis at age 24, and how sharing her story with nearly 200,000 supporters on TikTok and Instagram led her to find purpose with the Lymphoma Research Foundation.

This week on the “CURE® Talks Cancer” podcast, to kick off Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, we spoke with colon cancer survivor April Schack about what it was like to be diagnosed at age 36 and how she’s working with Fight CRC on a new campaign that aims to raise awareness about the disease, so that no one has to go through what she did.