Living Cancer

Living Cancer

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The radio companion to Ken Burns' PBS documentary series, Cancer: The Emperor of All Maladies uses individual stories of patients and researchers to take you inside the shifting science of cancer treatment and explain how our understanding of this disease is changing rapidly. WNYC Studios is a liste…

WNYC Studios


    • Apr 4, 2015 LATEST EPISODE
    • infrequent NEW EPISODES
    • 18m AVG DURATION
    • 18 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from Living Cancer

    Pregnant With Cancer: One Woman's Journey

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 4, 2015 8:59


    Mary Harris found out she was pregnant the day before she had scheduled surgery for breast cancer. This is her radio diary.

    The Cancer Show: Part 2

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 3, 2015 50:45


    In the second hour of "The Cancer Show," the stories we tell about cancer: on stage, on the big screen, and online.

    The Cancer Show: Part 1

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 27, 2015 51:44


    Over the last 2,500 years, cancer has shifted from a disease in the shadows to one at the center of scientific research and public discussion. In the first of two special episodes, On the Media dives deep into the way we talk about cancer: in the news, in the hospital, and in our private lives.

    Medical Bills Linger, Long After Cancer Treatment Ends

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 27, 2015 8:41


    A woman's family is stuck with medical charges for care she received after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Negotiating relief from the bills has become a part-time job for her daughter.

    Precision Medicine

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 26, 2015 33:51


    Dr. Harold Varmus discusses the study of genomics in cancer treatment with Brian Lehrer and The New York Times "Living With Cancer" columnist Susan Gubar fields calls on how to talk to people with cancer.

    The Scariest Video Game Villain Of All: Cancer

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 26, 2015 9:50


    After a couple lost their young child to cancer, they found comfort in an unexpected place: by making a video game about their son.

    Why Doctors Are Trying A Skin Cancer Drug To Treat A Brain Tumor

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 26, 2015 7:48


    A drug that's effective in patients with certain forms of melanoma is being tested as a treatment for other cancers whose genetic code contains an identical mutation.

    Cancer Changed Ken Jeong's Comedy

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 25, 2015 23:47


    After years of working as a physician, Ken Jeong quit to pursue acting. Then his wife was diagnosed with breast cancer, and he found himself needing to think like a doctor again.

    A Woman's Journey From Cancer Diagnosis to 'Professional Patient'

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 25, 2015 8:38


    Advances in cancer treatments have made some forms of the disease a chronic condition. But protracted treatment, even when successful, comes at a high personal toll for patients and their families

    The Story of Cancer

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 24, 2015 33:46


    In "Cancer: The Emperor of All Maladies," Ken Burns and Barak Goodman tell the comprehensive story of the disease and our quest to understand it, treat it, and cure it.

    How 2 Children With Leukemia Helped Transform Its Treatment

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 24, 2015 7:45


    Cancer treatment for kids has changed dramatically since the 1960s. Back then, doctors experimented with approaches that seemed promising but were also potentially toxic. Some survivors look back.

    The War On Cancer Hasn't Been Won

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 23, 2015 6:24


    Medical researchers have made only modest progress treating the most common cancers since the war on cancer was declared in 1971. The disease has proved far more complicated than doctors had hoped.

    What Causes Breast Cancer? These Mothers and Daughters May Hold a Clue

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 11, 2015 7:40


    Many things raise the risk for cancer, including exposure to various toxins and radiation. But our knowledge about the range of chemicals and compounds that can trigger cancer is limited.

    Changing Cancer Treatment

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 10, 2015 32:51


    A leading researcher in immunotherapy and one of his patients discuss the treatment and how it could radically change cancer treatment.

    Cancer Patients And Doctors Struggle To Predict Survival

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 10, 2015 7:45


    After being diagnosed with cancer, people often ask one question first: "How long do I have?" Doctors usually overestimate the time, and patients often don't understand it's a range, not one number.

    Prostate Cancer Survival Divides White & Black Men

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 9, 2015 8:09


    Black men are more than twice as likely as their white counterparts to die from prostate cancer. A former patient and a doctor treating prostate cancer explains why.

    Harnessing Immune System to Fight Cancer

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 9, 2015 7:49


    Our immune systems constantly fight off disease protecting us from colds, flu and infection. An experimental treatment called immunotherapy is helping patients' immune systems fight off cancer.

    Son's Rare Cancer Leads Family On Quest For Cure

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 9, 2015 11:16


    When a child falls ill with cancer, many of the drugs that might help are either experimental or unapproved for use in kids.

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