January is Cervical Cancer Awareness Month, and today’s episode is about what we can do now and what’s finally changing for the better.

In this conversation, we break down:

• What cervical cancer is and how it develops
• Why screening and HPV vaccination save lives
• Common myths that still prevent people from getting protected
• And a practice-changing clinical trial that’s redefining treatment for people with high-risk cervical cancer

We also dive into newly released data from a major international phase 3 trial showing that adding immunotherapy to standard chemoradiation helps people with high-risk, locally advanced cervical cancer live longer and lowers the risk of recurrence—a breakthrough that’s been decades in the making.

This episode is about access, prevention, informed choice, and real hope, without fear-based messaging or medical jargon.

• How cervical cancer forms
• Who is at higher risk
• Why early detection makes such a difference

Learn more:

Cleveland Clinic – Cervical Cancer Overview

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/12216-cervical-cancer

• Updated cervical cancer screening recommendations
• Pap tests vs HPV testing
• Why screening intervals have changed—and why that’s a good thing

Source:

American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG)

Updated Cervical Cancer Screening Guidelines

https://www.acog.org/clinical/clinical-guidance/practice-advisory/articles/2021/04/updated-cervical-cancer-screening-guidelines

• What HPV is and how it relates to cervical cancer
• Why the HPV vaccine is about cancer prevention, not behavior
• Addressing common myths with science, not shame

Sources:

Society of Behavioral Medicine – 7 HPV Vaccine Myths

https://www.sbm.org/healthy-living/7-hpv-vaccine-myths

CDC – HPV Vaccine Safety

https://www.cdc.gov/vaccine-safety/vaccines/hpv.html

We break down results from a major phase 3 international study (KEYNOTE-A18 / ENGOT-cx11 / GOG-3047) that found:

• Adding pembrolizumab (Keytruda) to standard chemoradiation
• Improved overall survival and progression-free survival
• For people with high-risk, locally advanced cervical cancer
• With a manageable and well-understood safety profile

This research is now being recognized as practice-changing and is expected to redefine the standard of care.

Cervical cancer is one of the most preventable cancers, yet people still fall through the cracks due to:

• Misinformation
• Barriers to screening
• Limited access to care

This episode centers education, compassion, and autonomy—because knowledge should empower, not scare.

• American Association for Cancer Research – Cervical Cancer Awareness Month

Happy New Year!!!! To kick off 2026 the ladies bring back some amazing friends Abby — Episodes 22 & 52, Stacey — Episodes 24 & 64, Molly — Episode 36, Alison — Episodes 38 & 39, Cara — Episode 85 for a community discussion.

This episode held space for both the heavy and the hopeful.

Together, we dove into the awkward, often painful moments of communication that cancer patients experience, even when the intentions behind the words are good.

Through honest conversation, shared laughter, and real vulnerability, we unpacked phrases that stuck with us for all the wrong reasons, explored how they made us feel, and offered guidance on how supporters can communicate with more care, awareness, and empathy.

This was a learning experience for us all. We shared our hurts openly, but just as importantly, we talked through how those same sentiments could have been expressed differently, giving our listeners practical, compassionate tools to better communicate.

What made this conversation especially powerful was how often our experiences overlapped. Many of us had heard the same phrases, felt the same reactions, and carried similar emotional weight, proof that these moments are common, and that small changes in language can make a meaningful difference.

In this episode of Let’s Talk Fng Cancer Spotlight episode, we sit down with Dee Dee West, a colon cancer survivor whose journey reshaped not only her life, but her purpose.

Dee Dee takes us back to life before cancer. The routines, the assumptions, and the moments she now looks at differently. She shares how she discovered her cancer, what the diagnostic and treatment process really looked like, and the physical and emotional toll that came with it. We talk candidly about mental health during and after cancer, the realities of survivorship, and how relationships can shift when illness enters the picture.

Beyond survival, Dee Dee has become a powerful voice in colon cancer advocacy, using her platform to educate, raise awareness, and encourage others to listen to their bodies and advocate for their health. Through her advocacy work, she is helping change the narrative around colon cancer .

We also explore how creativity became part of Dee Dee’s healing. She shares how launching her jewelry business allowed her to reconnect with herself, channel meaning into creation, and turn survival into something tangible and beautiful.

This episode is honest, grounding, and deeply human — a reminder that survivorship is not an endpoint, but an ongoing journey of rebuilding, redefining, and reclaiming your life.

Follow Dee Dee’s advocacy journey on Instagram: @colonfluencer

Dee Dee's Etsy Shop:

Sea West Studio

In this month’s “What’s New” episode, we kick things off with some joy — catching up on life, sharing big updates, and celebrating JULIA AND MATT GETTING MARRIED! 🥂✨

From there, we dive into the latest breakthroughs happening across the cancer research world. Each of us covers a different area of emerging science, treatment advancement, or clinical insight — and as always, we break it down in a way that’s real, relatable, and rooted in hope. 🧬 Julia: Understanding Carcinoid Tumors, 💨 Leah: How Far Lung Cancer Treatment Has Come — Especially in the Last 2 Years, 🔬 Colette: Pancreatic Cancer Breakthrough — Cryptic Peptides Reveal New Targets

Sources Below:

Mayo Clinic Carcinoid Tumors

Cleveland Clinic Neuroendocrine Tumors

AACR Old New Borrowed and Blue, approaches for non small cell carcinoma

The Lancet - Lung cancer treatment: 20 years of progress

Pancreatic Cancer Breathrough

The full research paper is titled:

“Pancreatic cancer–restricted cryptic antigens are targets for T cell immunotherapy.”

Published in Science.

DOI: 10.1126/science.adk3487

Lead authors: Zackery Ely and Zachary Kulstad

Senior authors: Tyler Jacks and William Freed-Pastor

This was summarized in the MIT News article:

“Biologists identify targets for new pancreatic cancer treatments”

Written by Anne Trafton

Published May 8, 2025

When bestselling author Cara Lockwood was diagnosed with Stage 1 breast cancer in 2023, she didn’t look for inspiration in solemn pamphlets or dusty medical books. She looked for laughter, swearing, and straight talk — the kind of encouragement you get from your funniest, most unfiltered friend. In "There’s No Good Book for This but I Wrote One Anyway: The Irreverent Guide to Crushing Breast Cancer" (Oct. 1, 2025), Cara shares the gritty, absurd, and often hilarious truth about treatment, recovery, and life after a double mastectomy, chemo, and reconstruction.

Part Memoir. Part Pep Talk. Part Screaming Into the Void.

For Patients, Survivors, and the People Who Love Them

Laugh, Cry, and Then Laugh Again

Fighting for a Cure — One Book at a Time

Get your copy Below:

https://caratanamachi.com/no-good-book-for-this

https://caratheauthor.com/

Find Cara on Social Media

https://www.instagram.com/cara.the.author/

https://www.facebook.com/AuthorCaraLockwood/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/cara-lockwood-563b5040/

https://www.tiktok.com/@caratanamachi

🌟 September is HUGE for cancer awareness 🌟

This month shines the spotlight on:

🩸 Blood cancers

🎗️ Childhood cancer

🌸 Gynecologic & ovarian cancers

👨 Prostate cancer

🦋 Thyroid cancer

In my latest What’s New solo episode, I’m diving into:

✅ Breakthrough drugs giving blood cancer patients longer remissions

✅ A 12-year-old’s inspiring story of targeted therapy success

✅ CAR-T therapies expanding into ovarian cancer

✅ New prostate cancer screening guidelines

✅ The rise of precision medicine & theranostics

✅ Futuristic innovations like synthetic drug factories inside the body 🤯

💪 Research is moving fast, and awareness saves lives. Tune in to learn, get inspired, and spread the hope.#LetsTalkFnCancer #CancerAwarenessMonth #CancerResearch #Podcast #CancerBreakthroughs

sources:

• Blood cancers: Eli Lilly’s Jaypirca helps CLL/SLL patients live longer without progression; CAR-T therapy delivers remission for aggressive lymphoma 【web†source】.
• Childhood cancer: A 12-year-old’s brain tumor stabilized after a targeted melanoma drug via the ZERO program in Sydney 【web†source】.
• Gynecologic & ovarian cancers: CAR-T therapy expands into solid tumors; Eli-002 cancer vaccine shows strong KRAS-targeted immune responses 【web†source】.
• Prostate cancer: Proposed guidelines could lower PSA screening age to 40, paired with MRI for more precise detection 【web†source】.
• Thyroid cancer: Theranostics—blending diagnostics and therapy—emerges as a precision medicine frontier 【web†source】.
• Broader innovations: New immunotherapies, remote clinical trials, synthetic drug factories, and research to prevent recurrence in breast cancer 【web†source】.

• Reuters — Lilly’s blood cancer drug meets main goal in late-stage study
• Daily Telegraph — 12-year-old Sydney boy’s inspiring brain tumour journey
• Fraunhofer — CAR-T cells fight solid tumors
• New York Post — Cancer vaccine may prevent recurrence of pancreatic/colorectal tumors
• The Australian — Prostate cancer guideline update
• Wikipedia — Theranostics overview
• Reuters — BioNTech/Bristol Myers immunotherapy trial
• Cure Today — New clinical trials launch as cancer studies advance
• The Times —

🌟 Spotlight Episode: Anne’s Story 🌟

This week on Let’s Talk Fng Cancer*, we spotlight Anne — a triple positive breast cancer survivor with an incredible story of strength and healing.

Anne began her treatment right at the start of COVID, enduring her diagnosis during one of the most isolating times imaginable. After completing treatment, she faced another life-altering challenge: a divorce.

Through it all, Anne found her path forward. She embraced therapy, focused on her health, and — during recovery — discovered the sport of curling, which gave her both joy and community. Today, she’s standing stronger than ever, with a powerful message about resilience and rebuilding life after cancer.

Her journey shows us that survivorship is about more than getting through treatment — it’s about finding new strength, purpose, and connection. 💪✨

Kaiser, Dr Bodai- Cancer Recovery and Survivorship

In this powerful episode of Let’s Talk Fng Cancer*, Colette and Julia sit down with Karen, who was diagnosed in April 2024 with lymphoma of the brain. What followed was months of intensive chemotherapy, a stem cell transplant at Stanford, and the battle of a lifetime.

Karen courageously shares her journey — from the frightening first symptoms to the shock of diagnosis, the grueling treatment process, and ultimately celebrating her one-year remission anniversary. She opens up about:

• How her diagnosis was discovered after unusual tremors led to an MRI
• The impact of treatment on her independence, daily life, and family
• Her visualization techniques during chemo that gave her strength and hope
• The importance of her medical team, her grandchildren, and her work “babies” in keeping her fighting spirit alive
• The emotional shift of going from “cancer patient” to reclaiming her life after treatment

Karen’s story is one of resilience, gratitude, and the power of never giving up.

🎧 Tune in for this inspiring conversation — and a reminder to celebrate every milestone, no matter how small.

Resources for Listeners:

• Leukemia & Lymphoma Society – Lymphoma of the Brain
• American Cancer Society – Understanding Brain Lymphoma
• CancerCare – Support Services for Lymphoma Patients
• Stanford Health Care – Stem Cell Transplant Information