S**t We Deal With Shorts: Time Burden with Dr. Jill Tirabassi
"You hear things like, 'living with cancer is a full-time job.' And actually this was an interesting study where we looked to see what truly is the time burden for people living with either metastatic breast or ovarian cancer... The time spent waiting and traveling for care often exceeded the amount of time receiving care. Most days, participants had a home cancer-related task to do—80% of days. The median was about 209 minutes per week doing cancer related tasks at home."
— Dr. Jill Tirabassi explores new research quantifying the invisible labor of living with metastatic cancer
Front Row Seat: We'll Never Cure Cancer Without AI, Say Steve Brown & Lisa Booth
When Steve Brown's doctors missed his rare blood cancer for months, he turned to AI for answers. The system he built spotted the warning signs immediately—the same lab results his physicians had dismissed.
Now, as CEO of CureWise, Steve and patient advocate Lisa Booth are pioneering a new approach to cancer care: using AI agents trained as specialist doctors to help patients navigate treatment options, find clinical trials, and advocate effectively with their oncologists.
"There's a gap between what's possible and what most people are getting," Steve explains. "Cancer isn't just one disease. Everybody has their own unique version of it."
Lisa, an 11-year metastatic breast cancer survivor, adds: "My oncologist sees 600 patients. CureWise empowers me to show up to that seven-minute appointment with the right questions already researched and the clinical trials already identified."
This conversation explores how AI is transforming patient empowerment—and why knowledge might just save your life.
Live Chat: The Courage to Choose Life on Your Terms with Dar Finkelstein
"One of my MBC friends said to me, 'You're feeling guilty about making people cry, but you've instilled in them so much joy and what they're doing, what you're seeing is them sharing the joy back to you.' And she said, 'It looks like tears, but that's their love coming back to you.'"
—Dar Finkelstein on accepting loved ones' grief
Podcasters Roundtable: Change Your One Thing with Gary Thompson
We don't have to change everything. We just have to change our one thing. And if we each indeed change our one thing, then we will have changed everything. My ideal audience is someone looking for their one thing and realizing that whatever it is, whenever they find it, to just follow their heart, follow their passion, and go for it. We as an individual person have the capacity to create great change. Love is neither big nor small. It's always enough
Podcasters Roundtable: Melissa Berry on Fashion Meets Cancer Advocacy
Melissa Berry, founder of Cancer Fashionista and host of "Dear Cancer, I'm Beautiful," joins us to discuss building beauty and wellness resources for cancer patients. From her background as a fashion publicist to creating an evergreen podcast library, Melissa shares why looking like yourself matters, how she selects topics, and what keeps her connected to advocacy. We explore inclusive language for metastatic patients, financial toxicity, intimacy after cancer, and the power of podcasting as a tool for community building.
Live Chat: Shining a Light on MBC with Tami Bowling
When a life-changing diagnosis led Tami Bowling to advocacy, she fueled the movement to Light up MBC. In this episode, Tami shares her personal experience, the origins of LightUp MBC and LightUp MBC Live, and how lighting up landmarks is bringing hope, awareness, and vital research funding to the metastatic breast cancer community.
Podcasters Roundtable: Samira Daswani, Host of The Patient from Hell
In this episode, hosts Victoria Goldberg and Abigail Johnston sit down with Samira Daswani, host of "The Patient From Hell" podcast, for a candid and insightful conversation about patient advocacy, storytelling, and the evolving landscape of cancer care. Samira shares her path from reluctant podcast guest to passionate host, highlighting the importance of amplifying patient voices and democratizing information for those navigating cancer diagnoses—especially in communities where open discussion is rare.
The discussion delves into the challenges of reaching diverse audiences, the power of authentic, minimally edited conversations, and the need for both scientific and personal perspectives in patient-centered content. The trio reflects on the shifting attitudes in cancer communities, the critical role of support networks, and the ongoing mission to educate and empower patients worldwide. The episode wraps up with ideas for future collaborations and a shared commitment to making a meaningful impact through storytelling and advocacy.