The C Word

National MP Nikki Kaye was just 36 when she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2016. After the shock announcement she had decided to retire after the election the C Word caught up with Nikki to talk about how breast cancer has impacted her life. October is breast cancer awareness month, Covid has impacted many cancer charities - if you can support a charity with a donation this month please consider Sweet Louise who support people with incurable breast cancer or Shocking Pink, a charity who support younger

For some people there's no greater insult than being called fat. We are conditioned to fear fatness, to have a larger body is meant to be shameful which fuels the billion dollar diet industry. How does fat bias impact access to good medical treatment? The C Word is joined by Dr Cat Pause, Massey University academic and fat activist to discuss the hurdles fat people face accessing adequate healthcare.

Every 48 hours a person dies from ovarian cancer in New Zealand. Māori women are three times more likely to die from cervical cancer, yet gynecological cancers are severely underfunded. For gynecological cancer awareness month the C Word is joined by Talk Peach founder Tash Crosby and chairman of Smear Your Mea, Eruera Keepa, to discuss the silent health crisis no one is talking about.

When Tatiana Hotere's husband Jason died three years ago she fell into a deep pit of grief, at times it felt like she was going crazy. She found an outlet in writing which has turned into her podcast Crazy Grief. The C Word sat down to chat about what Tatiana has learned about grief, why it's important to grieve in the way you need and not the way others want you to. And how being kind to yourself means putting yourself first.

American cancerlebrity Grace Lombardo joined the C Word to talk about how her relationship with her body has changed since her cancer diagnosis. Grace was the subject of the short documentary 'Grace' that followed her as she prepared to get a mastectomy tattoo.

"Nothing is certain but death and taxes'. Death is a taboo subject, especially when you've had cancer. In this episode Helen and Belinda meet two women who deal with death everyday. Laura Manson is a breast cancer survivor and funeral director in Takaha who believes the process of death is miraculous. Dr Sham Shah is a palliative care doctor in Auckland who helps clear up Helen's misconceptions about what palliative care involves.

Misinformation is rife at the moment so Helen and Belinda talk about how to navigate the sea of information and talk with Kate Hannah about the latest research from Te Pūnaha Matatini into how the 'infodemic' impacts certain groups.

As Auckland suddenly heads back into Level 3, and the rest of the country at Alert Level 2, The C Word revisits a theme familiar with anyone who has experienced cancer: Coping with the unknown

Palmerston North couple Lanz Blackman and Buffy Small are living with cancer. Eighteen months after intensive care nurse Buffy had breast cancer her wife Lanz was diagnosed. Not long into chemo treatment Lanz got the devastating news her cancer had spread. She shares her often hilarious account on her blog my Tits are trying to Kill Me and joined Helen via Zoom to talk about what it's like living with incurable cancer.

After their fifteen minutes of fame in the news, Helen and Belinda discuss how the cancer narrative is told and why Belinda hates being called a survivor.