CURE Talks Cancer

In conjunction with Skin Cancer Awareness Month, we spoke with two doctors on the basics of the disease. Dr. Ali Hendi, a Maryland based dermatologist and spokesperson for The Skin Cancer Foundation, helped to educate individuals about the common causes, myths, and signs associated with the disease, as well as how to conduct self-exams. Moreover, Dr. Jeremy Brauer, a spokesperson for the Skin Cancer Foundation, was a part of a survey that found a lack of awareness specifically around cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma, discussing why this may be the case.

Patients with cancer and survivors know firsthand how important sleep is to the recovery process in treatment and beyond. But as many people are currently learning, rest is sometimes hard to come by, particularly while navigating the COVID-19 pandemic. This week, we spoke with Dr. Kathryn Ruble, director of the Life Clinic and Leukemia Survivorship Program at the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, about the role that sleep plays in recovery from cancer, and how to practice good sleep hygiene to mitigate the impact of life-changing events like cancer and pandemics, and to get some much-needed rest.

For some, a cross-country trip consists of many stops to marvel at the breathtaking views found at any of the many national monuments found along the way. For one patient with ovarian cancer, however, a cross-country trip that began in Oregon and ended in Maine meant so much more than just taking in the sights.

In this week’s episode, we spoke with Donna Wiegle, a cervical cancer survivor who is currently living with ovarian cancer, who, last summer, trekked across the country on a teal and white Harley Davidson motorcycle to raise awareness about ovarian cancer. 

It took Wiegle almost two and a half years to receive her ovarian cancer diagnosis, and as she notes, the sooner the cancer is detected the better. As a result of her experience, she wanted to find a way to inform as many women as possible about the symptoms of ovarian cancer so others could be diagnosed sooner rather than later. 

By the end of her journey, Wiegle had rode more than 6,000 miles, handed out more than 700 pamphlets on the symptoms of ovarian cancer, and raised more than $55,000 for ovarian cancer charities. 

While much of the country remains on lockdown as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, nutrition has become an increasingly important area of focus, particularly for patients with cancer and survivors.  This week on the CURE Talks Cancer podcast, we spoke with Rachel Wong, an oncology dietician from Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, who offered some tips on how to shop safe and smart, and shared some of her go-to recipes with us. 

In sports, there is a particular passion for winning. ESPN college basketball broadcaster Dick Vitale shares that same passion for winning, but off the court. As a longtime champion to achieve victory over cancer, Dick has been helping the V Foundation in its mission for a cure since the beginning, focusing his efforts specifically on pediatric cancer research. After helping the late Jim Valvano on to the stage at the 1993 ESPYS to make his iconic speech to never give up, Dick has since raised millions of dollars for pediatric cancer research – helping the V Foundation in awarding nearly $50 million specifically to the cause.  In this episode, Dick spoke to CURE about Jimmy V and his involvement with the V Foundation, how inspiration from his 5-year old neighbor diagnosed with brain cancer has furthered his mission to fight pediatric cancer, and why others, too, should never give up in fighting the disease. For more information, visit www.v.org.

Research has found that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender – or LGBT – communities are disproportionately affected by cancer. And now that the COVID-19 pandemic is adding stress to an already vulnerable population, organizations like the National LGBT Cancer Network are here to help educate and advocate for this at-risk group.  This week, we’re speaking with Deputy Director Scout about what he and his team are doing, not just to help shed light on the unique issues faced by LGBT patients with cancer, but to help them navigate life through a global pandemic, too. 

In this episode of the “CURE Talks Cancer” podcast, sponsored by Regeneron and Sanofi Genzyme, we spoke with Dr. Anthony Rossi, a Moh’s surgeon at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City, about the different types of skin cancer and how individuals can be proactive about screening. The type of skin cancer a person gets is determined by where the cancer begins. The three major types of skin cancers are basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma – which are grouped together as non-melanoma skin cancers – and melanoma. Other types of skin cancer include cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans, Merkel cell carcinoma and Sebaceous carcinoma. Basal cell carcinoma, the most common type of skin cancer, can look like a flesh-colored round growth or a pinkish patch of skin, while squamous cell carcinoma can look like a red firm bump, scaly patch. Melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, can develop within a mole that is already on the skin or it can appear suddenly as a dark spot on the skin that looks different from the rest. Rossi highlighted the importance of early detection of each of these skin cancer types by knowing the ABCDE’s – asymmetry, border, color, diameter and evolvement of moles.

Metastatic breast cancer has allowed Susan G. Komen Central and Southern New Jersey board member Melissa Surdez to find purpose not just in inspiring others with cancer, but in helping them cope with the COVID-19 pandemic as well. 

After being treated for aggressive triple positive stage 3 metastatic breast cancer in 2010 at the age of 40, Surdez thought her experience with cancer was complete, until two years later, when pain that she attributed to her gall bladder turned out to be the return of her cancer. 

But thanks to immediate and aggressive treatment that she remains on to this day, she is here eight years later, “living her best life with stage four breast cancer”. Here, Surdez talked with us about how Komen helped her find a community, and how her experience as a patient has prepared her for navigating treatment and making connections through a global pandemic.

This week, we spoke with voice actor Rob Paulsen, who was diagnosed with stage 3 metastatic squamous cell carcinoma in 2016 after discovering a lump on his neck. Known for his roles on animated series like Animaniacs, Pinky and the Brain and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Paulsen has made a living with his voice for more than three decades. But he wasn’t about to let throat cancer stop him from bringing happiness to people of all ages with his portrayal of characters like Yakko, Pinky, and Donatello.

Now cancer-free, Paulsen is stepping into a new role as the 2020 Head and Neck Cancer Alliance celebrity spokesperson with the same enthusiasm that has made him a voice acting legend in his own time. He plans to raise awareness about the disease by sharing how his experience helped him find a reason to smile, even when times get tough.

Myeloproliferative neoplasms, or MPNs, are a type of blood cancer that is often not heard about, which is why it is important for patients to speak with their doctors to learn more. MPNS – essential thrombocythemia, myelofibrosis and polycythemia vera – begin with an abnormal change, or mutation, in a stem cell in the bone marrow, which leads to an overproduction of any combination of white cells, red cells and platelets. In this special edition of the “CURE Talks Cancer” podcast, we teamed up with our sister publication “OncLive on Air” to speak with a patient-doctor duo on the disease. Learn more from Dr. Ruben A. Mesa, director of the Mays Cancer Center at UT Health San Antonio MD Anderson, and Antje Hjerpe, a patient diagnosed with essential thrombocythemia in 1992. The pair discuss myeloproliferative neoplasms – what they are, how they’re treated and how patients can talk to their doctors to be their own best advocates.