Your Stories: Conquering Cancer

Judith and Alan Kaur know more than most of us about the science of long-lasting love. And they use their unique experiences in the cancer community to advance research. In this episode of Your Stories, the Kaurs reveal their non-traditional approach to marriage and medicine. Judith, the first doctor to receive a Conquer Cancer grant more than 35 year ago and Alan,  who encouraged his wife to go to med school in the 1970s after they’d started their family, teach us that relationships aren’t unlike clinical trials:  If the participants are willing to do the work – to closely study their subjects, accept new information, and course correct when prompted by the heart and the mind -  the discoveries can change lives. Judith and Alan Kauer know more than most about the science of long-lasting love, and each use their unique experiences in the cancer community to advance research. In this episode of Your Stories, the Kauers reveal their non-traditional approach to marriage and medicine. Judith, the first doctor to

Doctor after doctor recommended a different treatment option to Marlene Portnoy’s husband, Steve, after he was diagnosed with a desmoid tumor. Research on the subject seemed out of reach until Marlene met Dr. Mrinal Gounder. Dr. Gounder is an oncologist treating sarcoma patients, and his understanding of desmoid tumors provided the answers they needed. In this episode of Your Stories, Marlene and Dr. Gounder recount how a rare disease brought them together and how their partnership is still improving treatment for patients like Steve.     Doctor after doctor recommended a different treatment option to Marlene Portnoy's husband Steve after he was diagnosed with a desmoid tumor. Research on the subject seemed out of reach, until Marlene met Dr. Mrinal Gounder. Dr. Gounder is an oncologist treating sarcoma patients, and his understanding of desmoid tumors provided the answers they needed. In this episode of Your Stories, Marlene and Dr. Gounder recount how a rare disease brought them together, and how their part

Life doesn’t stop when devastating things happen. Six-time cancer survivor Brittany Sullivan and her husband, John, know this all too well. Brittany’s first diagnosis came at age 3 and her most recent when she was 15 weeks pregnant. How do a husband and wife keep going when cancer lies in the shadows of their most joyous moments?The Sullivans rest in their faith, the miracles uncovered by modern medicine, and the divine direction of a pink Post-It note to conquer the fears of cancer without losing the hope that sustains their family. Life doesn't stop when devastating things happen. Six-time cancer survivor Brittany Sullivan and her husband John know this all too well. Brittany's first diagnosis came at age three and her most recent when she was 15 weeks pregnant. How do a husband and wife keep going when cancer lies in the shadows of their most joyous moments? The Sullivans rest in their faith, the miracles uncovered by modern medicine, and the divine direction of a pink Post-It note to conquer the fears of

A new house in the suburbs. A thriving business. A growing family. It was a charmed life for college sweethearts Robin and Dave Dubin until Dave was diagnosed with colon cancer at age 29. Cancer is part of Dave’s family history. Will it be part of his family’s future? The Dubins talk candidly about the decision to explore genetic testing for their sons and the anxiety that comes with having answers. A new house in the suburbs, a thriving business, a growing family, it was a charmed life for college sweethearts Robin and Dave Dubin until Dave was diagnosed with colon cancer at age 29. Cancer is part of Dave's family history. Will it be part of his family's future? The Dubin's talk candidly about the decision to explore genetic testing for their sons and the anxiety that comes with having answers. So you tell me a little bit about what it was like when we met. So we met as college sweethearts at Tulane University. We were 18. 19, I think. 19? All right. Just somewhere around there. We'll go with 19. We we

How does a patient find his voice? Dr. Mark Lewis was one week into his oncology fellowship training when he self-diagnosed his rare cancer. In this episode of Your Stories, Dr. Lewis shares with his friend and colleague, Dr. Jonathan Bleeker, how the many roles he’s played as caregiver, doctor, and patient – help him navigate the cancer community.     How does a patient find his voice? Dr. Mark Lewis was one week into his oncology fellowship training when he self-diagnosed his rare cancer. In this episode of Your Stories, Dr. Lewis shares with his friend and colleague, Dr. Jonathan Bleeker, how the many roles he's played as caregiver, doctor, and patient help him navigate the cancer community.   So John, I'm thrilled to have a conversation with you. In fact, this is our 10th anniversary of a friendship, because I met you right as we were starting our training as oncologists. So I'm always curious, and frankly, as long as I've known you, I don't know your reasons for going into medicine.   When you are introd

Will I lose my hair? It's a question most people ask when they begin treatment for cancer. When Sue Paxman, a young mother of four, was in treatment decades ago, she was especially bothered when her hair fell out. Claire Paxman tells her brother Rich about the moment she stood in the bathroom with their late mother, holding the scissors to help her cut her long, curly hair. Their mother's experience inspired the family's work in scalp cooling technology, a therapy that helps minimize hair loss for patients. They explain how scalp cooling works and recall their beloved mom in this episode of Your Stories. She was a fun-loving, beautiful, stunning lady. She just carried everything so well, full of life. Yeah. Always smiling, that's what I remember. Nothing ever got her down, which was pretty amazing to say what the lady went through. Always positive and sort of go-getter attitude. Nothing got in her way. That's what inspires me every day because with what she did go through, she never, ever showed that. She had

College. Senior Year. A cancer diagnosis. Before graduation, a crash course: Cancer 101. The student and patient, Addison, quizzes her doctor, Jason Luke, on the life-saving thesis he drafted on using immunotherapy as part of her cancer treatment. College, senior year, a cancer diagnosis. Before graduation, a crash course, Cancer 101. Student and patient, Addison, quizzes her doctor, Jason Luke, on the lifesaving thesis he drafted on using immunotherapy as part of her cancer treatment. What did it feel like to be diagnosed with melanoma when you were 21? It's kind of funny, I didn't really know what melanoma was. And I told my mom. And her reaction was probably more significant than me hearing it myself. And she found within the day the best melanoma specialists in the area on his day off. And I was seeing him by that afternoon. And so you went forward and had standard treatment with surgery and they took out a lymph node. How did that all go, and what did you think about that as you're going through? Mel

Lawrence Einhorn wanted to practice general medicine alongside the father he revered. Life interfered with that dream, but along the way, he discovered the cure for testicular cancer. In 1974, patients facing a disease with a then five-percent cure rate followed the lead of an ambitious but humble young scientist who had unwittingly concocted a miracle mix of chemotherapy. Dr. Einhorn, a Conquer Cancer board member and generous donor, speaks with friend and colleague Patrick Loehrer about his “walk on the moon” that outsmarted what was once the deadliest form of male cancer. Lawrence Einhorn, a physician and researcher, speaks with friend and colleague Patrick Loehrer about how growing up in Dayton, Ohio, he was inspired to become a physician because of his father's work as a doctor. At a relatively young age, Dr. Einhorn developed a breakthrough treatment for testicular cancer, combining a drug known as platinum with drugs already in use. This resulted in a cure for the once deadly disease. Dr. Einhorn is a

When Dr. Nizar Tannir ran out of treatment options for patients with Renal Medullary Carcinoma (RMC), a rare kidney cancer, he left his private practice to research a cure. To take on this uncommon disease, he would need the brightest young researchers and a community of supporters whose commitment to new discoveries is as relentless as his. He found an ally in Conquer Cancer researcher Dr. Pavlos Msaouel. In this episode of Your Stories, the friends and colleagues share the stories of patients who inspire their work and the breakthroughs they've discovered by leaving no stone unturned. I would like to ask you, Nizar, you went into private practice for many years. What made you come back into academia? I was in practice many years in rural Kentucky and had a very thriving practice and were seeing patients, young and old, blood disorders, as well as cancers of different types. In ‘92, I diagnosed my father with prostate cancer. I treated him in my practice and he did well for eight years from ‘92 till 2000. An

To help manage the stress of treating people with life-threatening diseases, doctors are trained to limit the emotions they invest in patients. As young oncologists, Dr. Rachna Shroff and Dr. Nina Shah followed professional protocol by the book. They kept patients at an arm’s length, in fear of blurring what they felt was an important line between doctor and friend. That all changed when each of their roles were reversed; the doctors became daughters to a parent with cancer. In this episode of Your Stories, the friends and colleagues discuss how their experiences on the other side of the bench inspired changes in the relationships they allow themselves to develop with patients. To help people manage the stress of treating people with life-threatening diseases, doctors are trained to limit the emotions they invest in patients. As young oncologists, Dr. Rachna Shroff and Dr. Nina Shah followed professional protocol by the book. They kept patients at an arm's length in fear of blurring what they felt was an impo

Cancer, a love story? Dr. Enrique Soto “fell in love” with geriatric patients and married it with his other passion: oncology. He speaks to his wife and colleague Yanin Chavarri about how patients (and the research partner he would eventually wed) inspire his work. Dr. Soto is the recipient of three Conquer Cancer grants and is a generous donor. Enrique Soto, a geriatric oncologist from Mexico, speaks to his wife and colleague, Yanin Chavarri, about what drew him to his field. Dr. Soto shares how the joy of his practice comes from the wisdom he garners from his patients. Dr. Soto's commitment to research solidified upon meeting his soon to be wife, Yanin, during his early years in research. He is the recipient of three grants funded by the Conquer Cancer Foundation and is a generous donor to the organization. Dr. Soto begins the segment by sharing what motivated him to focus on oncology. We all get into medicine to help people. Some do it more than others. But I think I just saw working with patients with c

A clinical trial prolonged Jane Coulbourne’s life, allowing her to work tirelessly for others before she died of cancer. Jane was a fierce patient advocate and a champion of research whose legacy is still impacting the quality of care patients receive. In this episode of Your Stories, Jane’s husband, Bill, talks to Jane’s friend, Susan Braun, about how Jane used her illness to help others. He recalls the joys and heartbreaks of loving and caring for his wife…in sickness and in health.

It’s January. Are you among the many people resolved to change your diet in the new year? Dr. Neil Iyengar and Dr. Nadja Pinnavaia commit to promoting healthy lifestyles every day in their work to prevent cancer and keep it from returning in patients who have already conquered it. In this episode of Your Stories, they prescribe lifestyle changes influenced by their expertise in disease intervention and share details about their partnership to simplify healthy living for breast cancer survivors. It's January. Are you among the many people resolve to change your diet in the new year? Dr. Neil Iyengar and Dr. Nadja Pinnavaia commit to promoting healthy lifestyles every day in their work to prevent cancer and keep it from returning in patients who have already conquered it. Dr. Iyengar is a leading oncology researcher studying the links between obesity and breast cancer. Dr. Pinnavaia left a career in finance to launch a meal and coaching service to transition people into a healthy way of life. In this episode o

On a Saturday morning, a wife wakes to telling signs that her husband is not well. Before Sunday comes, a devastating diagnosis:  A young father has a one percent chance of surviving. On a Saturday morning, a wife wakes to telling signs that her husband is not well. Before Sunday comes, a devastating diagnosis-- a young father has a 1% chance of surviving. The search is on for a life-extending treatment. Erin, who lost her husband Mike, and Erin's sister, Dana, share the deeply emotional experiences and daunting medical logistics of loving someone through a terminal illness. We hear from Erin first. Mike was brilliant. Had a PhD in genetics. He was 44 years old at the time he was diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer and given three to five months to live. He was a great dad and a great husband. He was quiet, but he was tough and stubborn as heck. And he was a big, strong, and somewhat intimidating guy. Do you remember the day that you found out that Mike had pancreatic cancer? That was a day that wa

“Just let me die.” That’s what Linda said after receiving her leukemia diagnosis. Not all patients believe they can conquer cancer.  Linda and her daughter, Marissa, relive the first day in the hospital and the year of medical house arrest that was part of Linda’s life-saving treatment. Just let me die. That's what Linda said after receiving her leukemia diagnosis. Not all patients believe they can conquer cancer. Linda and her daughter Marissa relived the first day in the hospital and the year of medical house arrest that was part of Linda's life saving treatment.   Let's start back at the beginning. How did you learn that you had leukemia?   Well, I had just retired from teaching. And I started feeling really very weak. I also wasn't eating anything, couldn't eat. I went to see my doctor the next day. She did bloodwork. Called later and said, you need to get to the hospital right away. So--   Off to the hospital.   --off to the hospital. And they did more tests. And I remember the doctor coming in and sayin

Stuart Spigel wanted to be a forest ranger. His mother…well, she had other plans. Dr. Stuart Spigel would become Nashville’s first oncologist. Though not the rustic wilderness he’d dreamed of exploring, cancer in the 1970’s was an uncharted field. In a conversation with son and fellow oncologist, David Spigel, you’ll hear candid insight into the ever-changing landscape of cancer care and how becoming a patient himself forever changed Stuart’s relationship with those he treated. Stuart Spigel wanted to be a forest ranger. His mother, well, she had other plans. Dr. Stuart Spigel would become Nashville's first oncologist. Though not the rustic wilderness he'd dreamed of exploring, cancer in the 1970s was an uncharted field. In a conversation with son and fellow oncologist David Spigel, you'll hear candid insight into the ever-changing landscape of cancer care, and how becoming a patient himself forever changed Stuart's relationship with those he treated. In my senior year of high school, my mother had me teste

When given a 50-50 chance of surviving blood cancer as a teen in the 1970s, Sophia believed she was going to survive. And Sophia was right. Fast forward to an eerie dream that nudges the then-30 something mom to seek a second opinion after a doctor dismisses her worries when she finds a lump in her breast. She was right again. Sophia candidly shares her experiences with her daughter, Kalli, who listens to the details of her mother’s diagnoses for the first time. Do you believe in a woman's intuition? When given a 50/50 chance of surviving blood cancer as a teen in the 1970s, Sophia believed she was going to survive, even when many around her began preparing for the worst. And Sophia was right. Fast-forward to an eerie dream that nudges the then-30-something mom to seek a second opinion after a doctor dismisses her worries when she finds a lump in her breast. She was right again. Sophia candidly shares her experiences with her daughter Kalli, who listens to the details of her mother's diagnosis for the first

Dr. Arti Hurria, ASCO board member, talks to her patient and friend, Margaret Sedenquist, about her career and what inspired her along the way.   Arti, how did you happen to decide to become a doctor?   Both of my parents had immigrated to the US, and both were doctors. So growing up, I was surrounded by medicine pretty much day and night. They were either studying or on call or taking calls. And so I really was immersed in the field from the very beginning and felt like the natural path that proved to be the right one.   How did you happen to go into geriatrics as such a young person?   I was incredibly fortunate. I had a mentor who was a geriatrician. And she had this love of caring for older adults. And I acquired that through watching her interact with her patients. That beautiful relationship that you develop with someone and learn about all that they've been through was very appealing to me and the idea that you were going to travel with them through the end of their life. I knew I wanted to be an oncol

Decades ago, when Deb Mayer began her career as an oncology nurse, a cancer diagnosis was discussed in a whisper. Few treatments existed to extend a patient’s life, and survivors were not a patient population the oncology community considered. Fast forward 40 years. The hard conversations about life and death no longer elude us. Mayer learned first-hand what it feels like for a patient with cancer to consider the worst – she too is a survivor. As the only nurse appointed to former Vice President Joe Biden’s Cancer Moonshot initiative, Mayer shares with friend and colleague, Kathy Knafl, why she lends her voice to the ever-growing group of conquerors in need of information and guidance on life after cancer. We hear from Deb first. Decades ago, when Deb Mayor began her career as an oncology nurse, a cancer diagnosis was discussed in a whisper. Few treatments existed to extend a patient's life, and survivors were not a patient population the oncology community considered. Fast forward 40 years. The hard convers

Matt and Dave Wiemer are identical twins, but the shared experience in losing their beloved father to brain cancer is starkly different. One brother became a caretaker. Miles away and unable to help, the other struggled with guilt. Five years after their father’s death, the brothers discuss the impact it had on their relationship. With humor and candor, they detail the resentment and frustration that cancer forces many families to face and share how they remain inspired by their dad. Matt and his family are passionate supporters of Conquer Cancer, and Dave is a member of the Conquer Cancer staff as well as a donor. Matthew and Dave Wiemer are identical twins, but the shared experience in losing their beloved father to brain cancer is starkly different. One brother became a caretaker. Miles away and unable to help, the other struggled with guilt. Five years after their father's death, the brothers discussed the impact it had on their relationship. With humor and candor, they detail the resentment and frustrati