CURE Talks Cancer

Following his stage 3 melanoma diagnosis, Patrick called upon what he had learned to find hope. His first thought: Ok, what’s next? In this week’s episode, we spoke with Patrick, who is now a three-year melanoma survivor, about the importance of community and human connection to build hope after a cancer diagnosis. 

After losing her mother, grandmother and great aunt to breast cancer, Allyn Rose, a former Miss USA and Miss America contestant, chose to undergo a prophylactic double mastectomy. She went on to become the first woman who had undergone a mastectomy to be featured by Sports Illustrated. In this week’s episode, we spoke with Allyn about her family history with cancer and her advocacy work with the AIRs Foundation - a non-profit dedicated to financially helping women who have had a mastectomy to pay for breast reconstruction who could not otherwise afford it. “Having the opportunity to know your family history is a gift…and it is the best way to arm yourself moving forward,” she said.

For more information about the AiRS Foundation, visit airsfoundation.org.

In this week’s episode of the “CURE Talks Cancer” podcast, we spoke with a caregiver about support needed for others taking care of a loved one with cancer: They need it, too, she says. In a letter to her younger self – through Merck’s Your Cancer Game Plan “With Love, Me” campaign – Kristi, a caregiver to who her husband who was diagnosed with stage 3 HPV-related tonsil cancer in 2013, addressed the labels associated with a cancer diagnosis and the support she hopes others receive when caring for a loved one with the disease. “Nothing about cancer is going to be by the book – there is no book,” she says. “You can talk to other people who have experienced similar cancers, but just as every person is unique, so is their cancer. Inconsistency is going to become the only consistency.”

Rolf Benirschke was a placekicker for the San Diego Chargers when he was faced with a life-threatening challenge off the field: battling ulcerative colitis. Returning to the NFL, he went on to not only be the first NFL player ever to wear an ostomy appliance, but also a grateful patient. Since, Rolf has dedicated his life to patient advocacy and supporting the research and innovation that leads to new therapies for all diseases. He co-founded a patient engagement company as well as the Grateful Patient Project to continue to improve patient outcomes. In this week’s episode, we spoke with Rolf about his work to improve patient engagement and his advice on how individuals facing their own diagnosis can choose to become the victim or the victor in fighting their disease.

When he retired in 2010 after 30 years as a referee for the National Hockey League, Kerry Fraser looked forward to hanging up his skates and spending some well-earned time with his family. But seven years later, he was body checked by something he didn’t expect: a diagnosis of essential thrombocythemia, a rare blood cancer.  In this episode of CURE Talks Cancer, we talk with Kerry about his diagnosis, his advocacy work, and how he uses the lessons he learned on the ice and works with his winning team to conquer each day.

After being inspired by one of her patients, Harding Cranford, RN, OCN, an oncology nurse at the Levine Cancer Institute, wanted a way to connect the community with the patients she treated on the oncology unit. 

So, the nurse started "Bravery Bags," a program where people can donate items to those going through cancer that can act as a pick-me-up during treatment. What started as a small grassroots campaign spanned into donations coming from across the nation, brightening the days of hundreds of patients.

Read more: https://www.oncnursingnews.com/web-exclusives/educating-the-community-while-helping-patients-with-cancer

One pediatric oncology nurse’s experience came full circle when she herself was diagnosed with bladder cancer in 2010, and went on to serve as her husband’s caregiver for the same disease just six years later. In a letter to her younger self – through Merck’s Your Cancer Game Plan “With Love, Me” campaign – Karen opened up about her experiences as both a patient and caregiver, and how outside support helped. “And then one day, complete shock and disbelief. After two years, you’ll become the caregiver as your husband is diagnosed with bladder cancer. You’ll both realize this new journey is paved by what you learned and experienced,” she wrote.

It was one man’s passion for music that actually led to his multiple myeloma diagnosis. In 2012, Ryan Anthony received his cancer diagnosis at just 43 years of age – something that was sparked by chronic aches and pains while playing his trumpet. With this passion, he and fellow musicians created the Cancer Blows event, designed to raise both awareness and money to encourage research for cancers with a focus on blood cancers and multiple myeloma. For more information, visit cancerblows.com.

If you had the chance to write a letter to your younger self, what would you say? One melanoma survivor wishes just one thing: “I wish I knew what cancer would do forme, not tome.” In this week’s episode, we spoke with Trena – who recently participated in Merck’s Your Cancer Game Plan campaign, called “With Love, Me” designed to offer insights from patients and caregivers about the emotional, health and communication challenges of living with cancer. To learn more about the campaign, visit yourcancergameplan.com.

Information about myeloproliferative neoplasms – or MPNs – is hard to come by. Even a simple internet search about this rare group of blood cancers turns up little. But the MPN Research Foundation’s myMPN Patient Registry aims to change that.  This week on CURE Talks Cancer, we spoke with Robyn M. Scherber, Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Department of Hematology and Oncology at the UT Health San Antonio MD Anderson Cancer Center; Lindsey Whyte, myMPN Project Manager of the MPN Research Foundation; and Michelle Woehrle, Executive Director of the MPN Research Foundation about their work with the registry, and about a recent patient data analysis that is helping to shed new light on this family of diseases.