Episodes

Meredith Hemphill Ruden, DSW, LCSW Join us as we speak to Dr. Meredith Hemphill Ruden, who had an informative session at CancerCon on Parenting with Cancer. Meredith is a licensed clinical social worker, 13-year Melanoma cancer survivor and Executive Director of the Feather Foundation. In this episode, Meredith dives into the challenging topic of being a parent while dealing with a cancer diagnosis and treatment. After becoming a social worker following treatment, she started to notice that the...

Aaron Goldberg, MD, PhD Join us as we speak with Dr. Aaron Goldberg from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City. Dr. Goldberg discusses how secondary AML differs from AML and how treatment is determined. Secondary AML is a diagnosis of AML that has occurred after previous exposure to radiation or chemotherapy for another cancer or has evolved from a prior diagnosis of MDS, MPN or Aplastic Anemia. In this episode, Dr. Goldberg points out the major difference between secondary AM...

Kristin Fuhrmann-Simmons Join us as we speak to Kristin Furhrmann-Simmons, a caregiver and an LLS volunteer. Kristin talks to us about caring for her father who is a CLL survivor, and how she decided to join LLS’s advocacy efforts through our Office of Public Policy. For Kristin, it was a great way to connect with people in her community and share her family’s story. And she knew that for her dad, being as sick as he was, it was helpful to have her as his voice to bring forward some of the issu...

James Hoffman, MD Dr. Hoffman from the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami Health System in Miami, Florida speaks to us about Hodgkin lymphoma and its interesting history. Thankfully, Hodgkin lymphoma is now highly treatable and for the majority of people curable, but not for all. Dr. Hoffman talks to us about what makes Hodgkin lymphoma unique, as well as discusses emerging therapies and long term and late effects for both young adult and older patients diagnosed with Ho...

Ellin Berman, MD Join us as Ellin Berman, MD a leukemia expert from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center discusses the advancements in treatment for Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL). Dr. Berman explains how not all CLL is the same, as it is a heterogeneous disease which explains why one person’s CLL can act differently from another person’s CLL. Dr. Berman speaks about how some patients do not start treatment right away and why some patients may be good candidates for clinical trials. Every...

Roman Reigns We will be speaking with WWE Superstar, actor, and former professional football player, Joseph Anoai, who many may know as Roman Reigns. Apart from fighting opponents in the ring, Roman found himself fighting his biggest opponent yet after receiving his leukemia diagnosis back in 2007. Listen as Roman Reigns explains his cancer journey to our very own President & CEO, Dr. Louis DeGennaro. Download Transcript CLICK HERE to participate in our episode survey. Mentioned on this episo...

Mary J. Ninan, MD Dr. Mary Ninan speaks to Alicia, Lizette, and Edith about the most common subtype of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), known as Diffuse Large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). With over 70 subtypes of NHL, the priority when Dr. Ninan sees a patient with lymphoma is to confirm which subtype the patient has been diagnosed with in order to determine the best treatment plan. Dr. Ninan explains how lymphoma is staged, and various treatment options are discussed. The doctor also mentions how she a...

Lori Leslie, MD Has the Coronavirus (COVID-19) affected your non-Hodgkin lymphoma treatment? Join Alicia, Lizette and Edith as they speak with Dr. Lori Leslie about non-Hodgkin lymphoma and how patients have been receiving treatment during the coronavirus pandemic. Dr. Leslie is a part of the lymphoma division of the John Theurer Cancer Center in Hackensack NJ. She treats lymphoma and CLL clinically, is the director of the indolent lymphoma and CLL research programs and is heavily involved in t...

Brett Hagler Join this conversation as Alicia, Edith and Lizette sit down to chat with Brett Hagler. Brett is an author, cancer survivor, and CEO of New Story, an organization that pioneers solutions to end global homelessness by working to create the world’s first 3D-printed community. On this episode, Brett explains how his chondrosarcoma diagnosis helped to refine his focus and future goals, putting him on the path of creating something bigger than himself. Despite diagnosis, Brett challenge...

Stephen B. Thomas, PhD Join this insightful conversation as Alicia, Edith and Lizette sit down to chat with Dr. Stephen B. Thomas, one of the nation’s leading scholars in the effort to eliminate racial and ethnic health disparities. Dr. Thomas is a Professor of Health Policy & Management and Director of the Maryland Center for Health Equity at the University of Maryland School of Public Health. On this episode, Dr. Thomas explains structural determinants of health and defines ‘health disparity’...

Benjamin Lampson, MD Join Alicia, Lizette and Edith as they speak with Dr. Benjamin Lampson. Dr. Lampson is an instructor in medicine at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. On this episode, Dr. Lampson explains how mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is diagnosed and treated. Dr. Lampson gives his advice for MCL patients during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. He also shares the long-term effects of treatment, the future of treatment for MCL, clinical trials and when they are considered for treatment for ...

Viviana Onofre Join Alicia, Lizette and Edith as they speak with Viviana Onofre about her follicular lymphoma diagnosis that she received in November 2015. On this episode she describes minor signs that she noticed prior to being diagnosed, the importance of patients educating themselves about their diagnosis to help relieve anxiety, asking questions to better understand health insurance to avoid delays in treatment and how her diagnosis has helped her to shift perspective and embrace growth. ...

Shella Saint Fleur-Lominy, MD, PhD Join Alicia and Lizette as they speak with Dr. Shella Saint Fleur-Lominy, MD, PhD, a hematologist and physician scientist from NYU Langone Health in New York, New York. Dr. Saint Fleur-Lominy is triple board certified in internal medicine, hematology and medical oncology. On this episode, Dr. Saint Fleur-Lominy explains the signs and symptoms of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), tests and examinations that are used to detect and diagnose ALL, how ALL is trea...

Marni Amsellem, PhD May is Mental Health Awareness Month. The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) recognizes the unique issues faced by blood cancer patients and caregivers from the moment of diagnosis throughout survivorship. These include psychosocial and emotional effects such as relationship stress, anxiety, depression, survivor guilt and more, which are further compounded by current events. Increased awareness about mental health and cancer can help patients and caregivers best advocate for ...

Ruben A. Mesa, MD, FACP What does the effect of the virus have on blood cancer patients? What are hospitals doing to ensure cancer patients can still get treatment during this pandemic? What makes COVID-19 so different than other viruses? Has there been any progress made regarding treatment for COVID-19? Join us on this episode as Alicia and Lizette speak with Ruben A. Mesa, M.D., FACP who will answer these questions and more. Dr. Mesa is director of the Mays Cancer Center, home to the UT Healt...

Bishoy Tadros Listen in as Alicia and Lizette from The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society speak with Bishoy Tadros. Bishoy was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) at three years old. As an Egyptian immigrant with many things for his family to consider such as, where the best treatment would be and how to go about relocating, Bishoy describes his journey as a cancer survivor. He explains the challenges he faced both individually and as a family, his turning point which occurred in 2017 at...

Oya Gilbert Oya knew he was sick, but his inclinations were met with people telling him he was a hypochondriac. Oya recounts the moment in his life when he decided to increase his health insurance after being told by doctors that he was fine for many years prior. It was during the insurance company’s own testing that they told him something was wrong and instructed him to bring their results of his blood work back to his primary doctor. Through a series of tests, he later received his myeloma d...

Chelsea Keeler, MSW, LSW When you think about a pediatric patient, they are not a child living in a vacuum. They are part of a very complex system that is suddenly impacted by a cancer diagnosis. Psychosocial care helps to address every piece of that complicated system to successfully get patients the treatment that they need. Join Alicia and Lizette from The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS), as they speak with pediatric oncology social worker, Chelsea Keeler, from the Children’s Hospital of P...

Pallawi Torka, MD One of the most important reasons to seek a second opinion is to protect yourself from misdiagnosis. Researchers have found that the rates of misdiagnosis and mistreatment are higher than you might suspect. Join Alicia and Lizette from The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS), as they speak with Dr. Pallawi Torka, Assistant Professor of Oncology and Co-Program Director of the Hematology/Oncology Fellowship Program, from Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer in Buffalo, NY. Dr. Torka ...

Tim Card They say hindsight is always 20/20. Looking back, Tim Card remembers how his body may have been sending signals that something was wrong, but how he often attributed them to his active and busy lifestyle. Tim received his shocking lymphoma diagnosis after logging onto his medical portal, while awaiting test results. Tim is Penn State Cancer Institute’s first chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) t-cell therapy recipient, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma survivor and a father of 7. On this episo...

Monica Bryant, Esq. Did you know that if somebody is eligible for Medicaid and also eligible for COBRA coverage, some states may actually pay their private COBRA premium? Learn about this and more as Alicia and Lizette chat with Monica Bryant and ask her questions that many of you have asked! Monica is the Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer for Triage Cancer, a national non-profit organization that provides education on the practical and legal issues that may impact individuals diagnosed wi...

Gina DeLuca Eating a well-balanced diet is important, especially with a diagnosis of multiple myeloma. A proper diet during and after cancer treatment can help you feel better, maintain your strength, and positively impact recovery time. Listen in as Alicia and Lizette speak with Gina DeLuca. Gina is an Outpatient Oncology Dietitian for the Center for Cancer Care at NYU Winthrop Hospital. There, she provides individual nutrition counseling and group nutrition education presentations to patients...

Casey Biltz-Marsh Listen in as Alicia and Lizette speak with Casey Biltz Marsh. Casey is a high school mathematics teacher and acute myeloid leukemia (AML) survivor. With Spring Break approaching, Casey noticed her increasing fatigue however, attributed it to the demands of a high school teacher during that time. Casey realized something was very wrong when she attended a Garth Brooks concert with ‘standing room only’ tickets and found herself paying a nearby shoe shine station multiple times j...

Jason Khalipa Listen in as Alicia speaks with Jason Khalipa. Jason is a devoted father, world champion, and global businessman. Jason is a force of nature in the fitness world whose life was turned upside down when his daughter, Ava, was diagnosed with leukemia in 2016 at the age of 4. Jason and his wife, Ashley, dedicated themselves to the fight armed with a positive mindset and an emphasis on physical and mental strength. Join Jason and Alicia as he shares more about how Ava was diagnosed, wh...