For some families, cancer is in their genes. But this didn't stop Hattie Sherman from conquering it. Hattie is a third-generation survivor of hereditary breast cancer, with her mother, Molly, and grandmother having experienced the diagnosis as well. Fortunately, as cancer research continues to advance, treatments are vastly improving for each generation of patients.

In this episode, Hattie, Molly, and Dr. Patt join Your Stories host, Dr. Mark Lewis, for a candid conversation about the intergenerational impact of conquering cancer. They talk about the turbulence and challenges that breast cancer brings and explain why sustained support for cancer research is necessary for advancements in treatment to continue.

In 2022, one of our most popular Your Stories episodes was the conversation featuring Dr. Karen Winkfield, who is a Biden-appointed member of the National Cancer Advisory Board and one of the country's leading experts in advancing health equity. We are re-releasing this episode to highlight the lasting importance of addressing health disparities and working to eradicate structural racism in cancer research and oncology care. Dr. Winkfield unpacks why cancer risks are higher and survival rates are lower for Black people and discusses the health disparities facing people from disenfranchised communities.

Lillian Kreppel had to advocate for herself and seek a second opinion before receiving a delayed diagnosis: HPV-related stage II anal cancer. During treatment, she found stark limitations in HPV information, including lack of public awareness and patient education, inadequate guidelines for cancer screening, and a lot of HPV-related social stigma.

Now a survivor, Lillian leads the HPV Cancers Alliance, an advocacy organization she co-founded to help improve HPV education for patients, providers, and the public. She shares key lessons for patients navigating screening and treatment, debunks stigmas and myths surrounding HPV, and highlights the importance of patient advocacy and donor-funded research.

Less than 1% of patients diagnosed with glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) – the most aggressive type of brain cancer – live longer than a decade. But Molly is one of those rare survivors. Her best friend, Martha, and Martha's sister, Conquer Cancer board member Dr. Amy Peterson, fiercely supported Molly every step of the way.

Molly tells Your Stories host, Dr. Mark Lewis, how she navigated her experiences with cancer. Martha recounts how she supported Molly through her journey. And Dr. Amy Peterson discusses how cancer research informed Molly's course of care. Together, the trio celebrates the power of leaning on loved ones for support and shares why donor-funded research is vital to advance treatment for all patients.

When Liz Beisel's late father, Ted Beisel, passed away in 2021 from pancreatic cancer, she partnered with Swim Across America to help fund a Conquer Cancer Young Investigator Award. Dr. Peter Yu, an early-career oncologist and pancreatic cancer researcher, received this grant in 2022. This helped launch his promising research project to improve treatment and care for patients with pancreatic cancer.

Liz tells Your Stories host, Dr. Don Dizon, how memories of her dad motivate her to raise vital funds for research, and Dr. Yu shares how and why he works to advance pancreatic cancer care. Together, they reflect on why it matters to accelerate research for every patient.

Dr. Shanu Modi led DESTINY-Breast04, a groundbreaking study that resulted in FDA approval of a promising treatment that can improve survival for nearly 50% of all patients with metastatic breast cancer today. This Conquer Cancer grant recipient talks about the importance of patient participation in clinical trials, the necessity of donor-funded research, and the bright future of breast cancer care.

Imagine yourself or a loved one being diagnosed with cancer by a doctor who doesn't speak your language. How do you understand what's happening, what treatment options are, or how to make informed health care decisions? Before Dr. Jenny Ruiz became a pediatric oncologist, her first experience with kids and cancer came when a younger cousin was diagnosed with leukemia. Dr. Ruiz became a translator for her family, most of whom speak Spanish as a first language; her cousin's doctor spoke English. This experience showed her how life-threatening language barriers can be when patients and families with limited English proficiency must navigate cancer care. Now, the three-time Conquer Cancer grant and award recipient explores how language barriers impact survival rates in children with cancer. She tells Dr. Don Dizon why she works with young patients and how language-based research is vital to better care for all patients.

At the heart of Dr. Applebaum's neuroblastoma research is a determination to make treatments for kids with cancer easier and more effective. In this conversation with Dr. Yee, the oncologists offer hope on how cancer research is helping patients of all ages.

In 2017, Carly Flumer was a hospital primary care worker and health communication student in her mid- 20s when a few wellness exams revealed a lump in her throat. Follow-up scans forever transformed her young adult life: She was diagnosed with stage I papillary thyroid cancer at 27.

What followed, even as her scans showed no evidence of disease, was the beginning of a lifetime as a patient. Adolescents and young adult (AYA) patients (ages 15-39) with cancer face unique obstacles: financial barriers, social isolation and stigma, disruption to career and educational prospects, tolls on mental and emotional well-being, decisions around fertility, ensuring their voice is included in their care plans, and concerns of cancer returning later in life.

Carly shares her experiences with fellow AYA survivor, Dr. Mark Lewis, and explains why she now advocates for other AYA patients.

Mai had dreamed of being pregnant and having a child, but for years she knew something was off with her body — pain, fatigue, abnormal bleeding, irregular menstruation. It took follow-up appointments, second opinions, and her refusal to stop until she had an answer. Eventually, Mai received a diagnosis: ovarian cancer. Mai was only 26 when she was diagnosed. She survived, and her dream of becoming a mom came true, but she would face cancer again. Mai tells Dr. Don Dizon the difficult lessons she learned from having cancer as a young adult and how it transformed her into an advocate for herself and others.