In this episode, we sit down with Stephanie McNeil, Early Childhood Teacher, devoted mom, and author of the children’s book Where Is Ellie’s Hair? We talk about how a single phone call to a friend in crisis became something so much bigger than anyone expected.

When Stephanie's close friend Aimee’s four-year-old daughter Ellie was diagnosed with Rhabdomyosarcoma in May 2024, the world their family knew changed overnight. As Ellie began chemotherapy and her hair started to rapidly fall out, Aimee faced a question so many parents of young cancer patients face: how do I even begin to explain this to my child?

Stephanie searched for a book that could help, something uplifting, age-appropriate, and honest and came up empty. So she wrote one herself.

What started as a personal gift of love for one little girl quickly grew into a resource for families everywhere navigating the emotional weight of childhood cancer treatment. Where Is Ellie’s Hair? is more than a book , it’s a way to put the power of the conversation back in the hands of children and the families who love them.

All proceeds from the book go directly to Ellie and her family, as well as childhood cancer charities.

In this episode, Steph anie shares:

∙ The moment she knew she had to write this book

∙ How she approached hair loss with honesty and hope for a four-year- old audience

∙ What she wants families facing cancer to know

∙ How For Ellie has grown into a movement of support and awareness

This one will stick with you.

Purchase Where Is Ellie’s Hair? and support Ellie’s family and childhood cancer research:

forellie.com.au

Follow Ellie’s journey: @young.wild.and.strong

Follow For Ellie: @forellie.aus

This March, in recognition of Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, we’re breaking down three important topics in colorectal cancer research, treatment, and prevention.

Topics Covered:

The BREAKWATER Trial

We discuss the BREAKWATER clinical trial — a landmark study exploring frontline treatment for BRAF V600E-mutated metastatic colorectal cancer. We cover what the trial is testing, who it’s designed for, and why its early findings have the oncology world paying attention.

NEJM.org

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12197837/

Memorial Sloan Kettering & KRAS Research

MSK has been at the forefront of targeting the KRAS mutation — long considered “undruggable.” We break down what KRAS is, why it plays a significant role in colorectal cancer, and what MSK’s latest research means for patients and the future of treatment.

https://www.mskcc.org/news/new-colorectal-cancer-treatments-at-msk-aim-to-reduce-deaths-in-2026-and-beyond

Gut Health, Fiber & Colorectal Cancer Prevention

We explore the connection between gut health and colorectal cancer risk, including the important differences between soluble and insoluble fiber. We cover what each type of fiber does in the body, the best food sources for each, and why insoluble fiber in particular is a key player in colorectal cancer prevention.

https://health.clevelandclinic.org/whats-the-difference-between-soluble-and-insoluble-fiber

https://www.gastroclinic.com/diets/high-fiber-diet/

Why It Matters:

Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in the U.S. — but it is also one of the most preventable and treatable when caught early. Knowledge is your first line of defense.

Nothing in this episode constitutes medical advice. Please consult your healthcare provider with any personal health concerns.

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
• https://www.aacr.org/patients-caregivers/awareness-months/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