Episodes

Mirinda David Alejandro To kick off Caregiver Awareness Month, we invite you to join the conversation as we chat with three caregivers! Listen in as Alicia and Lizette speak with Mirinda, David and Alejandro about their varying caregiving roles. Mirinda, David and Alejandro will share how their loved ones’ acute myeloid leukemia (AML) diagnosis impacted their own lives. On this episode, they describe the changes they went through, where they found support, how they navigated insurance, what t...

Alan Kraimer Listen in as Alicia and Lizette speak with Alan Kraimer. Alan is an acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) survivor who owns a small medical supply distribution company in Georgia. In 2014, what Alan and doctors believed to be strep throat soon proved to be otherwise. It was not until his third visit to Urgent Care that he was referred to a hematologist in which he received his leukemia diagnosis. Join Alan, Alicia and Lizette as Alan shares how he was diagnosed, questions he had for hi...

Stan Friedman Listen in as Alicia and Lizette speak with Stan Friedman. Stan is a trial lawyer and mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) survivor from Savannah, Georgia. After receiving abnormal lab work and noticing swollen lymph nodes that his doctor pointed out, Stan was referred to a hematologist/oncologist for a bone marrow biopsy. Join them as Stan describes how he was diagnosed, the initial questions he asked his healthcare team, side effects that were both common and uncommon, the importance of sup...

Chuck Colletti On this episode, Alicia and Lizette speak with Chuck Colletti, a two-time survivor of Stage 4 follicular lymphoma. Chuck was diagnosed in early 2016 when he underwent 7 months of chemotherapy which put his cancer into temporary remission. Unfortunately, 7 months later, it returned in a more aggressive form. With options dwindling, he was accepted into a CAR T-cell therapy clinical trial. Listen in as he describes how this therapy impacted his life both emotionally and physically, ...

Micheline Toussaint, LCSW, RYT, SEP Survivor’s guilt is not an unusual reaction among those who have experienced a traumatic event, especially those impacted by cancer. Join in as Shona sits down with Micheline Toussaint onsite at CancerCon 2019. CancerCon is an annual conference held every year by Stupid Cancer, an organization that provides support to young adult cancer survivors. Micheline is an Oncology Therapist at Inova Dwight and Martha Schar Cancer Institute in Fairfax, VA. On this episo...

Rayne H. Rouce, MD On this episode, Alicia and Lizette speak with Dr. Rayne H. Rouce. Dr. Rouce is a pediatric hematologist and oncologist at Texas Children’s Cancer Center where she is a member of the Leukemia and Bone Marrow Transplant programs. She works as part of The Center for Cell and Gene Therapy at Baylor College of Medicine, focused on translating targeted T-cell therapies, and has been involved in every aspect of CAR T-cell development for clinical use. On this episode, Dr. Rouce expl...

Elissa Baldwin Join in as Shona sits down with Elissa Baldwin onsite at CancerCon 2019. CancerCon is an annual conference held every year by Stupid Cancer, an organization that provides support to young adult cancer survivors. Elissa is a young adult acute myeloid leukemia (AML) survivor. After a bone marrow biopsy two weeks earlier, she went on a solo trip to Europe and was diagnosed by email while staying in a hostel in Lisbon, Portugal. She was able to book an emergency flight back home to Po...

Rayne H. Rouce, MD Join Alicia and Lizette as they speak with Dr. Rayne H. Rouce. Dr. Rouce is a pediatric hematologist and oncologist at Texas Children’s Cancer Center where she is a member of the Leukemia and Bone Marrow Transplant programs. Specifically, she works as part of a research program called The Center for Cell and Gene Therapy at Baylor College of Medicine, focused on translating targeted T-cell therapies from the bench to bedside, and has been involved in every aspect of CAR T-cell...

Ellen Polamero, LCSW, OSW-C, ACHP-SW Join in as Shona sits down with Ellen Polamero onsite at CancerCon 2019. Ellen is a clinical social worker at City of Hope in Duarte, California. CancerCon is an annual conference held year by Stupid Cancer, an organization that provides support to young adult cancer survivors. This is the fourth year that Ellen has hosted a ‘Couples Coping with Cancer’ session at CancerCon and shares why it is important to her to provide this offering. On this episode, Ellen...

Jonathon B. Cohen, MD Like any therapy that is administered in oncology, there is great promise but also, unfortunately, several toxicities and side effects that must be understood and monitored. Join Alicia and Lizette as they speak with Dr. Jonathon B. Cohen, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia. On this episode, Dr. Cohen explains the potential side effects of chimeric antigen receptor T-cell the...

Mohammad Maher Abdul-Hay, MD Join Alicia and Lizette as they speak with Dr. Mohammad Maher Abdul-Hay, a hematologist and bone marrow transplant physician in New York, New York who is affiliated with multiple hospitals including NYC Health and Hospitals, Bellevue, and NYU Langone Hospitals. On this episode, Dr. Abdul-Hay explains how ALL is treated and addresses pre-treatment considerations. He also shares the long-term effects of treatment and the importance of getting a second opinion and open ...

Martha L. Arellano, MD There have been few advances in treatment for AML in 40 years. Why is acute myeloid leukemia (AML) so difficult to treat? What is the current treatment for AML? How is The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) striving to change that? How are targeted therapies being used for patients? Is immediate treatment for patients necessary for all AML patients? How does a patient’s ethnic background play a role in finding a matching bone marrow donor? Join Alicia and Lizette as they a...

Brent, Dawn and Logan As a junior in college and an intramural volleyball player who attributed the increasing pain in her right arm to the sport, Dawn Scott was forced to take notice when she woke up one day and realized that her arm was so swollen that she could not bend it. Although blood clots run in her family, there was a small voice that told her that it was something else. During her three-week admission time, she received her diagnosis of epithelioid hemangioendothelioma (EHE). Join in ...

Stephen and Rebecca Join Alicia as she speaks with young adult leukemia survivor, Stephen and his wife, Rebecca. This episode was recorded onsite at the filming of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s young adult reunion video, which you can access here. As Stephen prepared when he would introduce Rebecca to his parents, he realized that he was experiencing shortness of breath which prompted an emergency room visit. While in the ER, he received the shocking diagnosis of acute lymphoblastic leukemia...

Martha L. Arellano, MD Join Alicia and Lizette as they speak with Dr. Martha Arellano, Associate Professor of Hematology and Oncology and Program Director of the Hematology and Medical Oncology Fellowship Program at the Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. On this episode, Dr. Arellano defines acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and how it is diagnosed. She addresses questions about cause and prevention and how treatment is determined for younger vs older patients. Dr. Arel...

Mohammad Maher Abdul-Hay, MD Join Alicia and Lizette as they speak with Dr. Mohammad Maher Abdul-Hay, a hematologist and bone marrow transplant physician in New York, New York who is affiliated with multiple hospitals including NYC Health and Hospitals, Bellevue, and NYU Langone Hospitals. On this episode, Dr. Abdul-Hay defines and explains how acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is diagnosed and the risk factors and symptoms of ALL. He also stresses the importance of patients and families asking...

Marc Braunstein, MD Join Alicia and Lizette as they speak with Dr. Marc Braunstein, a Board-certified hematologist, medical oncologist at NYU Winthrop in New York, NY. This is episode four of our five- part episode series, ‘Removing Mystery from Myeloma‘. On this episode, Dr. Braunstein explains how management of myeloma differs between younger and older patients. He stresses how treatment is not solely based on age and shares the other factors that are taken into consideration when determining ...

Racquel Innis-Shelton, MD Join Alicia and Shona from The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society as they speak with Dr. Racquel Innis-Shelton, Associate Professor of Medicine and Director of the University of Alabama Multiple Myeloma Clinic at the University of Alabama. On this episode, Dr. Innis-Shelton describes the process for a bone marrow transplant, the difference between autologous and allogeneic transplant, how a patient is screened for transplant, post-transplant symptoms, and adjustments that ma...

Marc Braunstein, MD Join Alicia and Lizette as they speak with Dr. Marc Braunstein, a Board-certified hematologist, medical oncologist at NYU Winthrop in New York, NY. This is the second episode of five that will be part of ‘Removing Mystery from Myeloma‘ series. On this episode, Alicia and Lizette discuss the topics pertaining to myeloma patients and caregivers. Dr. Braunstein explains how a myeloma patient and caregiver should choose their hematologist, new treatment for myeloma and how it has...

Merissa Pemberton Join Alicia and Lizette as they speak with a young adult and Stage II Hodgkin lymphoma survivor, Merissa Pemberton. Having just finished her master’s degree, started her first full-time job, and moved into her first apartment on her own, Merissa believed life was finally settling down. After receiving an alarming call while on vacation, Merissa shares how her boyfriend (now husband), Jake, served as a tremendous pillar of strength during one of the most challenging times of her...

Ann LaCasce, MD Join Alicia and Lizette from The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society as they speak with Dr. Ann LaCasce, Program Director of the Dana-Farber/ Partners CancerCare Fellowship, the largest hematology/oncology training program in the country. On this episode, Dr. LaCasce explains the difference between chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL), CLL and its connection with Agent Orange exposure, resources available for Veterans, current and emerging therapies, ...

Racquel Innis-Shelton, MD Join Alicia and Shona from The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society as they speak with Dr. Racquel Innis-Shelton, Associate Professor of Medicine and Director of the University of Alabama Multiple Myeloma Clinic at the University of Alabama. This episode is the first of five that will be part of ‘Removing Mystery from Myeloma‘ series. On this episode, Dr. Innis-Shelton explains the difference between myeloma and multiple myeloma, risk factors that can affect someone’s chance o...

Ann LaCasce, MD Listen in as Alicia and Lizette chat with Dr. Ann LaCasce, a Program Director of the Dana-Farber/ Partners CancerCare Fellowship, the largest hematology/oncology training program in the country. While studying pre-med, Dr. LaCasce took additional classes that piqued her interest in art history. After managing an art gallery in New York for five years and returning to medical school, she found that being visually oriented allowed her to approach hematology with creativity while ca...

Robert Chen, MD Join Alicia and Lizette as they speak with Dr. Robert Chen about the treatment of mantle cell lymphoma (MCL). Dr. Chen is a hematologist/oncologist at City of Hope in Duarte, California. On this episode, Dr. Chen explains the different variables taken into consideration when choosing the proper treatment for a MCL patient. He also discusses induction chemotherapy, CAR T-cell therapy, and stem cell transplantation, explaining that although allogeneic transplant is potentially cura...