The Cancer Project

When Maddison Fletcher was diagnosed with rectal cancer, her world changed in ways she never could have imagined. As a wife, mother, and assistant principal, she suddenly found herself facing an overwhelming journey filled with uncertainty, difficult treatments, and fears she never expected to confront. From 30 proton radiation treatments to emergency surgery and the unexpected challenges of chemotherapy, Maddison experienced firsthand just how physically and emotionally demanding cancer can be.But through the darkest moments, she never had to face it alone. The unwavering love of her husband and the joy of her daughter, McCall, became sources of strength and hope. Surrounded by an incredible community of family, friends, colleagues, and people who showed up when she needed them most, Maddison discovered the power of allowing others to carry her through the hardest days. Their kindness, encouragement, and generosity helped remind her that she was never a burden and never alone.One particularly meaningful moment came when Maddison embraced the words, “I am the storm.” Inspired by the encouragement of those around her, the quote became a powerful reminder that even in the face of uncertainty and fear, she could recognize her own strength and resilience. It became a message of empowerment, reminding her that she could face the storm and find strength within herself.In this heartfelt conversation, Maddison opens up about the fears, unexpected challenges, and emotional realities of navigating cancer as a young mother. She shares how finding joy in the smallest moments, leaning on her community, and learning to be gentle with herself helped her keep moving forward. Her story is a powerful testament to the strength found in love, faith, and the people who stand beside us when life feels impossible.Episode Resources:Oklahoma Proton Centerhttps://www.okcproton.com/https://www.instagram.com/okprotoncenter/https://www.facebook.com/OKProtonCenterThe Cancer Project Podcasthttps://www.instagram.com/the_cancerprojecthttps://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61581844363126https://www.tiktok.com/@protonguy

What happens when you bring together three women who have faced cancer and believe there is still room for laughter, joy, and connection along the way? In this episode of The Cancer Project Podcast, host David Raubach sits down with Elissa Kalver, Giulia Rozzi, and Julia Johns to talk about the power of humor during some of life’s most difficult moments. Each woman brings her own experience with cancer, comedy, and the cancer community to a conversation that is as heartfelt as it is funny.The three guests are part of the team behind Cancer Is A Joke, a stand-up comedy event in Los Angeles, California, that brings comedians and the cancer community together for a good cause. The event is a fundraiser for We Got This, a nonprofit made for cancer survivors by survivors. Through comedy, the event creates space for people affected by cancer to come together, laugh, and find moments of joy while supporting programs that help the cancer community. As the guests explain, Cancer Is A Joke is about more than putting on a comedy show. It is about making sure people navigating cancer have access to experiences that allow them to feel connected, supported, and included.Throughout the conversation, Elissa, Giulia, and Julia share why humor can be such a meaningful coping tool, how dark humor can help people process the realities of cancer, and why it is important to meet people wherever they are in their journeys. They also discuss the friendships and community that have grown out of their shared experiences, the importance of hearing directly from people who have lived through cancer, and the need to make room for joy alongside the seriousness of a diagnosis.This episode is a thoughtful and often hilarious look at what it means to live with cancer, not simply get through it. Because while cancer is undeniably serious, the people experiencing it deserve opportunities to laugh, connect, and enjoy life along the way. Join Elissa Kalver, Giulia Rozzi, and Julia Johns for a conversation about finding humor in unexpected places and turning laughter into something that gives back.Episode Resources:Cancer Is A Jokehttps://wegotthis.org/pages/cancer-is-a-jokeOklahoma Proton Centerhttps://www.okcproton.com/https://www.instagram.com/okprotoncenter/https://www.facebook.com/OKProtonCenterThe Cancer Project Podcasthttps://www.instagram.com/the_cancerprojecthttps://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61581844363126https://www.tiktok.com/@protonguy

A lung cancer diagnosis can be overwhelming at any age, but for younger adults, it can bring a unique set of challenges that extend far beyond treatment. From navigating fertility and family planning to managing financial stress, finding emotional support, and understanding the latest research, young patients often have needs that traditional cancer care may not fully address.In this episode of The Cancer Project, host David Raubach sits down with Dr. Narjust Florez and Taryn Lipiner of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute’s Young Lung Cancer Program to discuss how they are working to change that experience. Dr. Florez and Dr. Jaclyn LoPiccolo co-founded the program and serve as its co-directors, bringing together clinical care, research, and individualized support to better serve younger people diagnosed with lung cancer. Together with their team including Taryn Lipiner, they are helping patients navigate the many challenges that can come with a diagnosis at a young age.Their work goes beyond medical treatment. The program helps connect patients with fertility services, social work, psychological support, financial assistance, food resources, and other services based on their individual needs. Through tools like a patient resource binder, ongoing communications, and connections to other support organizations, the team helps patients find practical answers and a trusted point of contact throughout their cancer journey. They also recognize that younger patients may be balancing careers, relationships, parenting, and major life decisions while trying to process a diagnosis that can feel isolating and unexpected.The conversation also explores the importance of research in improving our understanding of lung cancer in younger adults, including the role of inherited genetic mutations and the potential for more personalized approaches to care. The team is working to connect the experiences and needs of patients with research that can help shape better support and treatment in the future. And while the Young Lung Cancer Program is based at Dana-Farber in Boston, its mission reaches beyond the walls of the hospital, helping patients navigate resources and connections that may benefit them wherever they live.This episode highlights why cancer care must address the whole person, not just the disease. The Young Lung Cancer Program is helping young patients feel less alone, better informed, and more supported as they navigate life with cancer. It is a conversation about the importance of accessible resources, meaningful research, and compassionate care that meets patients where they are.Episode Resources:Young Lung Cancer Program:https://www.dana-farber.org/cancer-care/treatment/thoracic-lung-cancer/programs/young-lungYLCP Research & Clinical Trials:https://www.dana-farber.org/cancer-care/treatment/thoracic-lung-cancer/programs/young-lung/support-and-resourcesContact Information:[email protected] Proton Centerhttps://www.okcproton.com/https://www.instagram.com/okprotoncenter/https://www.facebook.com/OKProtonCenterThe Cancer Project Podcasthttps://www.instagram.com/the_cancerprojecthttps://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61581844363126https://www.tiktok.com/@protonguy

In 2019, at just 35 years old, Keriann Engle was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer. An avid runner who had spent years challenging herself through marathons and ultramarathons, Keriann suddenly faced a journey that would change her life. After undergoing a mastectomy, reconstruction, chemotherapy, and radiation, she began rebuilding her strength, only to learn two years later that her cancer had spread to her liver. Now living with stage four metastatic breast cancer, Keriann shares how she has navigated the uncertainty of recurrence while continuing to pursue a life filled with purpose, adventure, and hope.In this empowering episode of The Cancer Project Podcast, Keriann opens up about the often overlooked mental health challenges of cancer, including anxiety, trauma, and the pressure to return to life as it was before diagnosis. Through therapy, medication, and learning to embrace a new normal, she discovered the importance of giving herself grace and seeking support. Her story highlights why cancer care must extend beyond physical treatment and why patients should never feel they have to navigate the emotional toll of cancer alone.Keriann also discusses the fear of recurrence, the anxiety surrounding surveillance scans, and the importance of looking beyond statistics when facing a diagnosis. After being frightened by online survival statistics, her oncologist reminded her that she was an individual, not a number. Today, after more than four years without detectable disease while continuing treatment, Keriann hopes to show others that a stage four diagnosis is not the end of the road. Even when cancer becomes a long term part of life, there is still room for joy, connection, and meaningful experiences.Through her continued love of running and growing involvement in the cancer community, Keriann offers a powerful reminder that life after a cancer diagnosis may look different, but it can still be a life well lived. Join us for an honest and inspiring conversation about resilience, mental health, and learning to move forward through uncertainty.Episode Resources:Support Metastatic Research: https://secure.qgiv.com/for/metresansupin/Oklahoma Proton Centerhttps://www.okcproton.com/https://www.instagram.com/okprotoncenter/https://www.facebook.com/OKProtonCenterThe Cancer Project Podcasthttps://www.instagram.com/the_cancerprojecthttps://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61581844363126https://www.tiktok.com/@protonguy

When life handed Julia Johns a breast cancer diagnosis, she did what any comedian might do: she turned it into a standup show. Diagnosed in 2022, Julia underwent a mastectomy, chemotherapy, and radiation, finding unexpected ways to process her experience through humor while she was still actively fighting cancer. Her jokes were not a way of minimizing the fear, pain, or uncertainty of cancer; they became a way to face those realities head-on, reclaim a sense of control, and keep moving through each difficult stage of treatment. Her journey eventually inspired her one-woman show, A Tale of Two Titties, where she shares the realities of cancer treatment with honesty, vulnerability, and plenty of laughs.In this episode of The Cancer Project Podcast, Julia joins host David Raubach to discuss how she navigated cancer with humor during some of the most difficult moments of her life. From writing jokes shortly after her diagnosis to performing while undergoing chemotherapy and appearing onstage with a bald head, Julia found ways to make room for laughter even when the outcome was uncertain. She reflects on the emotional and physical challenges of surgery, treatment, and survivorship, as well as the complicated experience of trying to stay hopeful while confronting the possibility of death. Behind the punchlines, Julia shares how comedy helped her communicate what she was going through, connect with others, and hold on to her identity beyond her diagnosis.Julia also discusses the importance of community, self-compassion, and recognizing that healing looks different for everyone. Her humor does not erase the difficult parts of her cancer journey; instead, it allows her to acknowledge them without letting them define her. Today, Julia continues to bring people together through comedy and her newest creation, The Littlest Late Show, a talk show experience starring kids. Thank you Julia for joining us on The Cancer Project and reminding us that laughter, community, and joy can coexist with fear and grief.Episode Resources:The Littlest Late Show:https://www.instagram.com/thelittlestlateshow/We Got This “Cancer Is A Joke” Stand Up Comedy Fundraiser:https://wegotthis.org/pages/cancer-is-a-jokeOklahoma Proton Centerhttps://www.okcproton.com/https://www.instagram.com/okprotoncenter/https://www.facebook.com/OKProtonCenterThe Cancer Project Podcasthttps://www.instagram.com/the_cancerprojecthttps://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61581844363126https://www.tiktok.com/@protonguy

Giulia Rozzi has built a career around saying the uncomfortable things out loud, and she brings that same honesty to her experience with breast cancer. After a bilateral mastectomy, radiation, hormone therapy, and multiple reconstruction surgeries, Giulia found herself navigating not only cancer treatment, but also the emotional impact of losing a part of her identity and trying to recognize herself again.Giulia speaks candidly about the overwhelming process of making life changing medical decisions while feeling like she did not have all the information she needed. Her experience taught her the importance of self advocacy, asking questions, seeking second opinions, and understanding that there is no single right way to move forward.She also opens up about body image, mental health, and the complicated emotions that can come with surviving cancer. After initially choosing to remain flat, Giulia eventually realized that reconstruction was important to her and underwent a less common flap procedure. Through it all, she learned that wanting to feel comfortable in your body does not make you vain or ungrateful.For Giulia, humor became a way back to herself. Her Substack, Seven Bodies, explores the many versions of her body and identity throughout her cancer journey, giving her a space to talk about the realities of cancer that are often left unsaid.Today, Giulia uses her voice to remind others that surviving cancer is not the end of the story. Her message is simple: ask everything, ask for help, ask for more time, and most importantly, ask for what you need.Episode Resources:Seven Bodies Substack:https://giuliarozzi.substack.com/We Got This:https://wegotthis.org/https://www.instagram.com/wegotthisorg/https://www.facebook.com/wegotthis.orgWe Got This “Cancer Is A Joke” Stand Up Comedy Fundraiser:https://wegotthis.org/pages/cancer-is-a-jokeOklahoma Proton Centerhttps://www.okcproton.com/https://www.instagram.com/okprotoncenter/https://www.facebook.com/OKProtonCenterThe Cancer Project Podcasthttps://www.instagram.com/the_cancerprojecthttps://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61581844363126https://www.tiktok.com/@protonguy

Anne Hamilton was diagnosed with stage 3C breast cancer at thirty-five years old. Her treatment included chemotherapy, a bilateral mastectomy, radiation, and multiple surgeries. But for Anne, finishing treatment did not mean the cancer journey was over. She found herself facing fear of recurrence, survivor’s guilt, a changing relationship with her body, and the difficult question of how to truly live again after cancer.That experience ultimately led Anne to create the Survivorship Collective, a community focused on the emotional, spiritual, and existential challenges of life after cancer. Through community, therapy, somatic healing, spiritual practices, and research based approaches, the Collective creates space for survivors to feel seen and understood. Anne believes healing is not necessarily the same as being cured. For her, healing is about belonging and finding connection with others who have walked a similar path.Anne also shares her personal experience with psilocybin and the research surrounding its potential role in helping people process some of the emotional challenges that can come with cancer. She emphasizes education, research, safety, and community as important parts of these conversations.This conversation is ultimately about what happens after treatment ends and the work of learning to live again begins. Anne offers a powerful reminder that no one should have to navigate survivorship alone, and that healing can come through community, connection, purpose, and the people who help us find our way forward.Episode Resources:The Survivorship Collective:https://survivorshipcollective.com/https://www.instagram.com/survivorshipcollective/Oklahoma Proton Centerhttps://www.okcproton.com/https://www.instagram.com/okprotoncenter/https://www.facebook.com/OKProtonCenterThe Cancer Project Podcasthttps://www.instagram.com/the_cancerprojecthttps://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61581844363126https://www.tiktok.com/@protonguy

At 30 years old, Megan O’Neil knew something wasn’t quite right when she began experiencing pain in her chest. Due to her young age and overall health as an athlete, her concerns were initially dismissed by doctors. Megan persisted and eventually found a lump, leading to a conversation with her doctor about the increasing number of younger patients being diagnosed with cancer. She requested an ultrasound, which was followed by a mammogram, biopsy, and ultimately a breast cancer diagnosis.Megan underwent chemotherapy and surgery and was declared cancer free. But with each passing year, follow up appointments brought a familiar anxiety as the possibility of recurrence lingered in the back of her mind. As Megan approached the five year mark, she experienced a sensation that was entirely new to her, yet she immediately knew something was wrong. Her cancer had returned.On this episode of The Cancer Project Podcast, Megan opens up about her experiences with cancer, the health complications that have accompanied living with metastatic cancer, and the ways cancer has changed her as a person. She also emphasizes the importance of cancer research and the need to continue advancing our understanding and treatment of the disease.Join us as Megan shares her honest and deeply personal story as the first episode of our special October series for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. We are incredibly grateful to Megan for sharing her story with such openness and courage, and for using her experience to advocate for others affected by cancer.Episode Resources:Support Metastatic Research: https://secure.qgiv.com/for/metresansupin/Oklahoma Proton Center:https://www.okcproton.com/https://www.instagram.com/okprotoncenter/https://www.facebook.com/OKProtonCenterThe Cancer Project Podcast:https://www.instagram.com/the_cancerprojecthttps://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61581844363126https://www.tiktok.com/@protonguy

n this episode of The Cancer Project, we sit down with ovarian cancer survivor and author Anna Focht. In 2015, what began as a routine annual appointment quickly changed Anna’s life when her doctor discovered a lump during a pelvic exam. Diagnosed with stage three B ovarian cancer, Anna underwent surgery followed by 18 weeks of chemotherapy while navigating treatment and trying to remain present for her family.Anna opens up about the physical and emotional realities of her cancer journey, from the toll of treatment and the challenges of recovery to the importance of family, friends, and community. She reflects on the small victories that helped her move forward, including the moment she was finally able to ride her bike again, and the uncertainty that can remain even after treatment ends.As Anna searched for ways to cope with her diagnosis, she found herself turning more deeply toward her faith. Through prayer, Bible reading, journaling, yoga, meditation, and time in nature, she began processing the emotions that came with cancer and discovering a greater sense of peace and purpose. That journey eventually inspired Psalm Trees, a collection of reflections and prayers shaped by her experiences with cancer, faith, sorrow, gratitude, and hope.Now 11 years beyond her diagnosis, Anna continues to support other cancer patients and advocate for greater awareness and research for ovarian cancer. She speaks honestly about the loneliness of cancer, the importance of hope, and the reminder that every patient is more than a diagnosis or a statistic. Her story is ultimately one of finding faith and purpose in the midst of uncertainty and using what she has experienced to help others keep moving forward. Episode Resources:Psalm Trees by Anna Focht:https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FHJG3HBR?lv=shuf&channelId=500&plpRedirect=mhFallbackOklahoma Proton Centerhttps://www.okcproton.com/https://www.instagram.com/okprotoncenter/https://www.facebook.com/OKProtonCenterThe Cancer Project Podcasthttps://www.instagram.com/the_cancerprojecthttps://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61581844363126https://www.tiktok.com/@protonguy

In this episode of The Cancer Project we are joined by Tenaciously Teal Board Chair and attorney Brooke Unruh. Brooke shares how her experiences with her close friend and law partner Anna, her mother’s cancer diagnosis, and her work with Tenaciously Teal have shaped the way she understands cancer, caregiving, family, and the importance of being there for others.Brooke reflects on walking alongside Anna through her breast cancer journey while balancing their friendship, partnership, and the responsibilities of keeping their business running. After Anna passed away in 2016, Brooke continued her involvement with Tenaciously Teal, an organization that supports cancer patients with some of the everyday expenses and challenges that can become overwhelming during treatment.Brooke also shares her family’s experience when her mother was diagnosed with lung cancer. She talks about the uncertainty that comes with waiting for answers, the overwhelming amount of information patients and families receive, and the importance of having someone alongside you during appointments to take notes, ask questions, and help process what the doctor is saying.As an attorney who focuses on estate planning, Brooke explains why planning ahead can be especially important for cancer patients and their families. She discusses healthcare directives, powers of attorney, wills, and other steps that can help families navigate difficult situations while also encouraging people to have the conversations they may be tempted to put off.Through her personal experiences, Brooke offers a thoughtful perspective on how cancer can change the way we see life and what matters most. From supporting someone through treatment to preparing for the unexpected, she reminds us that sometimes the smallest acts of compassion, preparation, and support can help carry some of the burden that comes with cancer.Episode Resources:Oklahoma Proton Centerhttps://www.okcproton.com/https://www.instagram.com/okprotoncenter/https://www.facebook.com/OKProtonCenterThe Cancer Project Podcasthttps://www.instagram.com/the_cancerprojecthttps://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61581844363126https://www.tiktok.com/@protonguy