Episodes

Most people are aware of common side effects of cancer treatment such as nausea and hair loss. However, most people who undergo cancer treatment develop complications that affect the mouth. Listen in as Alicia and Lizette speak with Dentist Dr. Nevin Waters, who founded his own practice in 1975 with the goal of treating each patient as he would have a family member. He is an active member of the American Dental Association and founder and board member of the Kansas Foundation of Dentistry for th...

Joseph Antin, MD Many may be familiar with graft versus host disease (GVHD) however, veno-occlusive disease (VOD), otherwise known as sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (SOS), is also one of the most frequently encountered complications after stem cell transplantation. Listen in as Alicia and Lizette from The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) speak with Dr. Joseph Antin, Chief of the Stem Cell Transplant Program of the Department of Medical Oncology at Dana Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and W...

Elizabeth Harvey, PhD Listen in as Alicia and Lizette from The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) speak with psycho-oncologist, Elizabeth Harvey. Elizabeth works with and supports cancer patients, their families and caregivers throughout their cancer journey. Elizabeth has spent over 20 years working in research for cancer drug development and also worked alongside the late Dr. Jimmie Holland, a Founder of psycho-oncology. Elizabeth shines light on the fact that many times there is failure to add...

Kimberly Alexander Describing her life as a ‘storybook’, Kimberly Alexander shares with Alicia and Lizette from The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society how her world was turned upside down after her late husband and NFL linebacker Elijah was diagnosed with multiple myeloma. What began as pain in his feet, usually disregarded due to his active lifestyle, Elijah was later diagnosed with Stage III-B multiple myeloma at 35 years old. Kimberly describes her transition to ‘caregiver’, how she continues to mai...

Listen in as Guest Speaker, Shona Lovie, from The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) speaks with Founder of Stupid Cancer, Matthew Zachary onsite at CancerCon 2018 in Denver, Colorado. Film composer and concert pianist by the age of 21, Matthew was confident about what his next steps would be until life threw him the proverbial curve ball. After feeling strange sensations in his left arm and ignoring it for some time, while also being told it ‘was all in his head’, Matthew was floored when he lea...

Listen in as Guest Speaker, Shona Lovie, from The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) speaks with Heather Juliet, a young adult survivor and an attendee onsite at CancerCon 2018 in Denver, Colorado. Heather knew something was wrong for many years but each time she went to the doctor she was met with ‘you’re fine’, ‘you’re too young’, or ‘you’re too healthy’. When symptoms became severe, she was diagnosed with stage 4 Hodgkin lymphoma. Being in the health and wellness field and describing herself a...

Listen in as Guest Speaker, Shona Lovie, from The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) speaks with Melanie Stachelski onsite at CancerCon 2018 in Denver, Colorado. Diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) at 29 years old after celebrating her first wedding anniversary, Melanie describes how staying in a good place mentally was one of her top priorities. Personally living through the reality that cancer patients need unique needs when it comes to mental health, she pursued a degree in counseling ...

Listen in as Guest Speaker, Shona Lovie, from The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) speaks with Sara Davenport, a young adult survivor and Blood Cancer panelist, onsite at CancerCon 2018 in Denver, Colorado. Having been diagnosed with thyroid cancer first and later with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, Sara talks about her journey, how she was introduced to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, fertility, long- term and late effects of cancer treatment, and the importance of patience during one’s journey. Sara ...

Pallawi Torka, MD Join us on this episode as Alicia and Lizette from The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) speak with Dr. Pallawi Torka, Assistant Professor of Oncology and Co-Program Director of the Hematology/Oncology Fellowship Program, at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer in Buffalo, NY. Dr. Torka speaks about her experience diagnosing and treating Hodgkin lymphoma and why shared decision making is necessary for patients to better understand their disease and treatment options. Dr. Torka exp...

Mother’s Day is a celebration honoring mothers, motherhood, maternal bonds, and the influence of mothers in society. In this episode, Alicia and Lizette from The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) speak with survivor Katy Ursta, a mother of two adorable young boys. Katy speaks about her diagnosis of Hodgkin lymphoma at age 30, and how she and her husband worked to keep their young family going, while maintaining normalcy around both their four year old and four months old sons. She speaks about t...

Daniel Epner, MD, FACP Caring for a patient means caring for the entire patient. Listen in as Alicia and Lizette from The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) speak with Dr. Daniel Epner, professor in the Department of Palliative Rehabilitation and Integrative Medicine from MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, TX, about his experience being an oncologist for nearly 20 years before moving into his current field of palliative medicine. While treating many patients with cancer, Dr. Epner began to rea...

In its early stages, cutaneous t-cell lymphoma (CTCL) may be mistaken for a skin condition like eczema. Many people have a hard time grasping how something that arises in the skin is actually considered a blood cancer. Listen in as Alicia and Lizette from The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) speak with Dr. Jasmine Zain, hematologist/oncologist at City of Hope in Duarte, CA, about how CTCL is not just one disease, how CTCL is diagnosed and treated, why dermatologists may be part of a person’s tr...

Rachelle Rachelle is a commercial actor, model, mother, wife and lymphoma survivor, who shares with Alicia and Lizette from The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) how her world changed after an annual visit to her OBGYN doctor. A lump which she attributed to one of the effects of pregnancy, ended up being something she never would have imagined. Having lost her father to kidney cancer, her approach to her follicular lymphoma diagnosis is one that intends to reframe the outlook of a cancer diagnos...

Good nutrition is important for cancer patients. Eating the right kinds of foods can help patients feel better and stay stronger. On this episode, Alicia and Lizette from The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) speak with nutrition educator, Margaret N. Martin, RD MS LDN CDE, about dietary information to keep in mind before, during and after active treatment. Cancer and cancer treatments can affect taste, smell, appetite and the ability to eat or absorb the nutrients from food. Margaret shares nut...

After crossing the finish line at the Madrid Marathon, Ethan Hawes felt a shooting pain in his hip. Assuming it was a result of the race, being diagnosed with multiple myeloma at the age of 22 years old was the furthest thing from his mind. Listen in as Alicia and Lizette from The Leukemia & Lymphoma (LLS) speak with Ethan about his journey and how being called ‘a trailblazer’ having been diagnosed with a disease that usually presents in people over 50 years old, would change his outlook on life...

Twenty-three years old and living in New York City, Glamour magazine Editor Erin Zammett Ruddy finds herself writing her biggest story yet when she is diagnosed with chronic myelogenous leukemia. Upon diagnosis, this writer, author, blogger and survivor, along with her husband Nick, make the brave decision to stop treatment three times in hopes of expanding their family. Listen in as Alicia and Lizette from The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) speak with Erin and Dr. Michael Mauro, hematologist...

La fatiga es el síntoma más frecuentemente reportado por individuos con cáncer. Sin embargo, la fatiga relacionada con el cáncer (CRF, por sus siglas en inglés) es muy diferente de la fatiga diaria. Escuche a Alicia y Lizette de La Sociedad de Lucha Contra la Leucemia y el Linfoma (LLS, por sus siglas en inglés) hablar con la trabajadora social médica jubilada y líder de trabajo social de oncología, Patrice Al-Shatti, MSW, LMSW. Patrice desarrolló los primeros materiales educativos para el pacie...

Fatigue is the symptom most frequently reported by individuals with cancer. However, cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is very different from daily fatigue. Listen in as Alicia and Lizette speak with Patrice Al-Shatti, LMSW, who shares how calling cancer-related fatigue a symptom does it as a disservice as it is actually considered a syndrome. She explains the difference between fatigue and cancer-related fatigue, the varying physiological and biological factors, and helpful strategies known to impro...

Listen in as Alicia and Lizette from The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) speak with Carma Bylund, Ph.D, a behavioral scientist with international expertise in healthcare communication, who shares how research has proven that good doctor-patient communication results in patients making more informed decisions, better quality of life, and better outcomes for patients. Carma provides ways how both healthcare professionals and patients can improve their communication as they discuss diagnosis and ...

After a cancer diagnosis, people with cancer and their loved ones may feel “out of step” during the holidays. A diagnosis can prompt new questions during this time, such as: How do I take care of myself during the holiday rush? How can I celebrate when I have so many other things on my mind? How can I manage my fatigue during such an active time of the year? Listen as Karen Hartman, Clinical Social Worker and Social Work Manager at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, speaks with Alicia and L...

Listen in as Alicia and Lizette from The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) speak with Timothy, an ALL young adult survivor, who shares how his culture, attitude and relationship with his healthcare team during treatment steered him towards a profession he would have never envisioned for himself. Download Transcript CLICK HERE to participate in our episode survey. Mentioned in this episode: Stupid Cancer, visit www.stupidcancer.org LLS Community, visit www.LLS.org/community Additional LLS Sup...

While studying for the nursing board exams, planning to retire from firefighting, and preparing to travel, Peter, an acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) survivor, and his caregiver and wife, Donna, share with Alicia and Lizette from The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) how a trip to the emergency room for extreme fatigue propelled them into their new roles of patient and caregiver. Download Transcript CLICK HERE to participate in our episode survey. Mentioned in this episode: LLS Online Chats...

Join Alicia and Lizette from The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) as they sit with Rebecca Nellis, Executive Director of Cancer and Careers. Learn about the rights of employees who have been diagnosed with cancer and how Cancer and Careers works to empower and educate people with cancer to thrive in their workplace, by providing expert advice, interactive tools and educational events. CLICK HERE to participate in our episode survey. Mentioned in this episode: Cancer and Careers, visit www.ca...

Listen in as Alicia and Lizette from The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) speak with Monica Bryant, COO & Co-Founder of Triage Cancer, who shares quality information on healthcare-related issues for those diagnosed with cancer. As a cancer rights attorney, she believes a patient’s life should not be in jeopardy due to a lack of information. Be sure to jot down notes as she gives us the 411 on cancer and insurance. Download Transcript CLICK HERE to participate in our episode survey. Additional...