Not only does cancer predate the practice of medicine, but it may also predate the human species entirely. In 2016, archeologists in South Africa unearthed a large 1.7 million years-old bone fragment, ultimately revealed to be the toe bone of

Stopping the Stigma

Apr 16th, 2024 35m 11s

What do esophageal cancer, testicular cancer, lung cancer, cervical cancer, and colon cancer have in common? Each carries some type of stigma or taboo—whether because they’re linked to behavioral causes or because they affect portions of the an

A Collaborative Approach to an Uncommon Cancer

Mar 19th, 2024 34m 39s

Imagine receiving a cancer diagnosis, only to immediately learn that not only has it spread to other parts of your body, but it’s also incredibly rare for it do so—so rare, in fact, that little to no research exists to inform your treatment. K

The Woman Whose Cells Lived On

Feb 20th, 2024 42m 3s

Henrietta Lacks: Her name is forever intertwined with Black history and medicine. Her cells are the source of the world’s first immortalized human cell line. Without her consent, her biological material was used to make groundbreaking advancem

“So Much to Do”

Jan 16th, 2024 43m 15s

Long before he was a world-renowned neurosurgeon, Dr. Alfredo Quiñones-Hinojosa was a 5-year-old boy selling food at gas stations in his native Mexico. But he wanted to dream bigger: At 19, he left his native Mexico in hopes of a better futu

A Boulder Approach to Conquering Cancer

Dec 19th, 2023 33m 28s

Athlete, professional climber, reality show participant, competitor, physician, and cancer survivor: Favia Dubyk embodies the definition of conqueror. But facing advanced-stage lymphoma during her second year of medical school caused a major s

Co-Survivors, Part 2

Nov 21st, 2023 35m 38s

By the time internet-comedy power-couple Kristin (“Lady Glaucomflecken”) and Will Flanary (“Dr. Glaucomflecken”) were 35, Will had survived cancer twice, along with a sudden cardiac arrest. Throughout these traumatic experiences, Kristin took

Thinking Pink and Beyond

Oct 17th, 2023 24m

You’ve seen them: the pink ribbons pinned to your senator’s suit jacket. Runners dressed in head-to-toe pink athletic gear, racing for a cure. Football players streaking down the field in pink cleats. It wasn’t always like this. Long before

From Chickens and Ice Cream to Clinical Trials

Sep 19th, 2023 14m 12s

As a little girl, Kenedi loves eating ice cream, drawing stories about her family’s chickens, and playing with her sister. But at age 7, after feeling sick for some time, a cancer diagnosis upended Kenedi’s life. Despite being the top disea

The More You Know

Aug 15th, 2023 34m 4s

Imagine you—or a loved one—receives a cancer diagnosis. Overnight, you find yourself trying to become an oncology expert, desperately looking for information about options. You stumble across a research paper that looks promising—if you could

Dentistry to Oncology

Jul 18th, 2023 33m 58s

For patients with oral cancers, treatment is often just the beginning of their journey. Even after they emerge cancer-free, many still face a long journey to recovery and restored quality of life As a maxillofacial surgeon and oncologist, Dr

Spreading the News About Colorectal Cancer Research

Jun 20th, 2023 34m 6s

NBC journalist Craig Melvin’s 43-year-old brother, Lawrence Meadows, passed away from colorectal cancer in 2020. Since then, Craig has made it his mission to increase public awareness and raise support for colorectal cancer research. Along with

Building a Bridge to Hope

May 16th, 2023 28m 30s

Support communities for people conquering cancer form a critical bridge between the worlds of social work and oncology and offer immense benefits for people transitioning from patient to survivor. Stephanie Stern, a licensed professional counse

From Disappointment to Discovery

Apr 21st, 2023 32m 19s

At just 19 years old, Anya was diagnosed with Erdheim-Chester disease (ECD), an extremely rare and incurable blood cancer. After three years of unsuccessful treatments, Anya was quickly running out of options. In this episode of our Your Storie

Generations of Courage

Mar 17th, 2023 31m 14s

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

Re-Release: A Conversation About Race in Cancer Care

Feb 17th, 2023 46m 32s

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

"It's Treatable"

Jan 20th, 2023 34m 35s

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

It Takes a Team

Dec 16th, 2022 34m 30s

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

Just Keep Swimming

Nov 18th, 2022 33m 48s

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

The DESTINY of Breast Cancer Care

Oct 21st, 2022 27m 19s

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

Learning How Language Saves Lives

Sep 16th, 2022 30m 34s

Helping her Spanish-speaking family communicate with their oncologist inspired Dr. Jenny’s Ruiz’s work in cancer care. This three-time Conquer Cancer grant and award recipient shares how her language-based research aims to improve survival rate

Childlike Hopes

Aug 26th, 2022 9m 39s

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 patient

Cancer as a Young Adult

Jul 15th, 2022 32m 11s

Even when young patients survive cancer, its challenges often remain with them for the rest of their lives. Carly Flumer survived thyroid cancer in her late 20s and learned invaluable lessons about communication between doctors and patients. No

"Thriving"

Jun 17th, 2022 31m 35s

Mai Achong was 26 when she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Though she survived and her dream of motherhood was fulfilled, the challenges of survival continue to haunt her. From parenting while in treatment to navigating health care systems,

Survivor's Guilt

May 20th, 2022 28m 23s

Bethany Hart was pregnant when she received a devastating diagnosis. She lost her baby, Hallie, as well as her fertility. Now cancer-free and an advocate for other survivors, Bethany shares how she created the family she’d dreamed about before