Podcasts about Genetic testing

In 2020, Emily Mendenhall drove from Washington, DC to Okoboji, Iowa, a town of 800 that swells to 200,000 every summer, and walked into a pandemic that looked nothing like the one dominating national headlines. Inside gas stations and bars, masks marked you as an outsider. In one stop, a man told her family they would not be served if they kept theirs on. Her 6 year old daughter cried, confused. Mendenhall, a medical anthropologist at Georgetown University, did what she always does. She started asking questions. Over months, she interviewed neighbors, former classmates, and local officials, including her own brother in law who helped lead the local COVID response. The result became Unmasked, a case study in how community identity, economics, and politics shaped public health decisions in real time. That work led directly into her latest book, Invisible Illness: A History, from Hysteria to Long COVID, where she tracks a much older problem. Patients with chronic illness, especially women, often fail to meet medicine's demand for proof. Without a clear diagnosis, they lose access to care, insurance coverage, and legitimacy. Mendenhall argues that long COVID did not create this failure. It exposed it.This conversation centers on how healthcare systems reward certainty and punish complexity. Long COVID clinics send patients to 17 specialists without resolution. Insurance structures require diagnoses that many conditions cannot provide. Medical training still struggles to integrate trauma, mental health, and chronic disease into a coherent model of care.Mendenhall brings lived experience into the conversation. After COVID, she dealt with months of fatigue and escalating anxiety that altered her baseline health. She does not claim the label of long COVID, but she understands how quickly the system becomes harder to navigate once symptoms stop fitting clean categories. The stakes are not theoretical. In the United States, access to healthcare, disability benefits, and treatment still depends on whether a condition can be measured, coded, and reimbursed. For millions living with invisible illness, the burden of proof becomes the illness itself.RELATED LINKSEmily MendenhallInvisible Illness: A History, from Hysteria to Long COVIDScience PoliticsGeorgetown UniversityFEEDBACKLike this episode? Rate and review Out of Patients on your favorite podcast platform. For guest suggestions or sponsorship email podcasts@matthewzachary.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

As Christians, we need to stay informed about the rapidly changing world of fertility treatments, genetic testing, and IVF before making decisions or forming opinions. Join C.L. as we explore the powerful story behind the Boozer family, wrestle with difficult questions about life, embryos, technology, and God's will, and seek biblical wisdom for navigating one of the most important ethical conversations of our time.

Welcome to the Komen Health Equity Revolution series on Real Pink — where patients, advocates, researchers and community partners come together to talk honestly about what's standing in the way of breast health equity, and what we're doing to change it. June is Pride Month — a time to celebrate identity, community and the courage it takes to live authentically. Today's conversation sits right at the heart of that. Because advocating for yourself, knowing your body and refusing to be dismissed, that's not just a health message. That's a love letter to who you are. Our guest today is Shelby Smith. She was 30 years old when she noticed something felt off. No family history of breast cancer. Young, healthy, going about her life as a wife and mom to a 7-year-old daughter. But she trusted herself — and that decision changed everything. Shelby faced a 12-centimeter tumor, a bilateral mastectomy, 16 rounds of chemo and 15 rounds of radiation. She did her own research, built her own notebook, asked her own questions — and came out the other side with a message she wants every young woman to hear: Know your normal. And when something doesn't feel right, advocate for yourself. Key Takeaways: Trust your instincts when something feels off Self-advocacy can change outcomes Being informed helps patients navigate treatment Cancer can affect more than physical health Including loved ones in the journey matters Chapters 00:00 Introduction: Shelby's Breast Cancer Story 02:07 Discovering a Lump and Seeking Answers 04:37 Diagnosis, Testing, and Receiving the News 10:07 Research, Self-Advocacy, and Navigating Treatment 17:33 Identity, Family, and Talking to Her Daughter 24:46 Life After Treatment and Advice for Young Women Learn more at realpink.komen.org and komen.org Real Pink, by Susan G. Komen, shares real stories and expert insights to support people navigating breast cancer, from diagnosis through survivorship.

At 25, Jace Yawnick was building a career in health and wellness sales, chasing growth, status, and the usual young adult fantasy of getting somewhere fast. Then his body stopped cooperating. Fatigue turned into chemotherapy. The diagnosis was primary mediastinal B cell non Hodgkin lymphoma, and the rest of his life split into before and after. Now in remission, he talks about cancer the way people actually live it, not the way nonprofits package it. He gets into survivorship, mental health, young adult isolation, and the deadening absurdity of prior authorization. One of the sharpest parts of the conversation lands on a simple American insult disguised as policy: treatment innovation means very little when insurance can still deny the scan, the drug, or the next step. Jace has seen that firsthand, including during routine monitoring after active treatment. This episode tracks what happens when a young cancer patient becomes a public voice and refuses to play mascot. It covers oncology, insurance, remission, advocacy, and the long mental hangover that follows survival. It also names the part too many institutions dodge: the system works great right up until it doesn't, and when it fails, patients get handed the bill, the panic, and a camera if they want anyone to care. RELATED LINKSJace Beats CancerJace Yawnick on LinkedImConquer Cancer ArticleCURE Today ArticlePyure BrandsFEEDBACKLike this episode? Rate and review Out of Patients on your favorite podcast platform. For guest suggestions or sponsorship email podcasts@matthewzachary.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A breast cancer diagnosis may feel like it changes your entire life in an instant, but it doesn't get to define who you are or make all your choices for you. On today's episode of Real Pink, we're joined by Amanda Sangemino, a remarkable young woman whose diagnosis came at an age when cancer was likely the last thing on her mind. What began with a concern that was initially dismissed ultimately led her to trust her instincts, advocate for herself, and make a series of personal decisions about her treatment and future. Throughout the process, she was determined not to let fear and cancer make every decision for her. Today, she'll talk about the choices that she made about fertility, surgical options and maintaining an active lifestyle and why trusting yourself can be one of the most powerful tools you have. Key Takeaways: Mindset can play a powerful role during treatment Trust your instincts and advocate for yourself Maintaining normalcy can be empowering Don't let cancer make every decision for you A strong support system makes a difference Chapters: 00:00 – Amanda's Breast Cancer Story Begins 01:28 – Finding a Lump and Receiving a Misdiagnosis 04:22 – Seeking a Second Opinion and Getting Answers 07:00 – Why Self-Advocacy Matters for Young Women 10:00 – Fertility, Menopause, and Treatment Decisions 14:43 – Choosing Surgery, Staying Active, and Building Support 23:09 – Amanda's Final Advice Learn more at realpink.komen.org and komen.org Real Pink, by Susan G. Komen, shares real stories and expert insights to support people navigating breast cancer, from diagnosis through survivorship.

Drop us some Fan Mail. Thanks!Question: Our daughter is 11 months old and was adopted through an open adoption. We have a relationship with her birth mother, but don't yet feel it's the right moment to ask about family history, and her birth father is completely unknown to us. We do know that both birth parents are Hispanic, but beyond that, we have no additional information about her heritage or background. We want her to grow up with as rich a sense of her identity and heritage as possible. What guidance do adoption professionals offer around using genetic testing like 23andMe or AncestryDNA for adoptees? Is there an age-appropriate time to do this, or is it better to wait and let her decide for herself when she's older? Are there any other considerations unique to the adoptee experience we should keep in mind?Resources:Genetic Testing for Adoptees: Key Considerations and BenefitsGenetic Testing for Adoptees - Is It Worth It?Genetic Testing and Genealogy for AdopteesListen here to learn more about our Executive Director, Linda FioreSupport the showPlease leave us a rating or review.  This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them.Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:Weekly podcastsWeekly articles/blog postsResource pages on all aspects of family building

At 20 years old, newly arrived from Puerto Rico and trying to build a future in science, Benjamin Suarez Jimenez found himself sitting in front of two senior faculty members accused of plagiarism. He knew the material. He had done the work. His mistake came from failing to cite class notes during an exam because nobody had told him that was expected. In a matter of minutes, he watched what felt like his entire career flash before him.On this episode of Standard Deviation, host Oliver Bogler examines the hidden architecture of academic science through the experiences of Dr. Benjamin Suarez Jimenez, Assistant Professor at the University of Rochester and a neuroscientist studying PTSD, anxiety, trauma, and spatial cognition through virtual reality and video game environments.Benjamin traces his path from Puerto Rico to the mainland United States, through the NIH, Columbia University, and eventually to leading his own laboratory. Along the way, he encountered a series of barriers that had little to do with scientific ability and everything to do with access to unwritten rules. From academic gatekeeping to grant writing expectations, he learned that success in biomedical research often depends on knowledge that never appears in a textbook.Oliver explores how those invisible obstacles shape careers, influence research funding, and determine who gains access to opportunity. The conversation also examines the Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Program at the Life Science Editors Foundation, which pairs scientists from underrepresented backgrounds with experienced scientific editors. Through that mentorship, Benjamin transformed a critical grant proposal into a successful pilot award that helped launch an NIH R01 application.The discussion extends beyond one scientist's experience. Benjamin describes helping a former mentee navigate dissertation roadblocks that threatened her graduation, illustrating how institutional bureaucracy can delay careers and discourage talented researchers. Together, they explore the hidden administrative burden, cultural barriers, and bias that many scientists carry alongside their research, and what happens when someone who receives support turns around and opens the door for others.RELATED LINKSLife Science Editors FoundationBenjamin Suarez Jimenez LabDr. Benjamin Suarez JimenezBenjamin Suarez JimenezFEEDBACKLike this episode? Rate and review Out of Patients on your favorite podcast platform. For guest suggestions or sponsorship email podcasts@matthewzachary.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Dr. Sarah Matt trained as a burn surgeon, working in a field where patients arrive with catastrophic injuries and survival depends on speed, skill, and resources. She left the bedside after confronting a limit that medicine does not like to admit. One physician can only see so many people in a day. The system surrounding those patients decides the rest. She moved into health technology, held leadership roles in startups, and built global infrastructure at Oracle to scale care across populations. Then she watched billions of dollars in digital health and AI initiatives stall out when they hit real clinical environments.This episode follows that pivot from surgeon to strategist and back into direct patient care in rural New York, where she now treats uninsured patients, migrant workers, and communities pushed to the margins. The conversation centers on a persistent failure across healthcare systems. Products get built for regulators, executives, and investors instead of the people who use them. The result shows up in failed adoption, broken workflows, prior authorization delays, and rising physician burnout.The discussion cuts through health policy language and lands on lived consequence. The system rewards speed over usability, scale over trust, and compliance over care. Patients absorb the fallout. Physicians carry the liability. The incentives remain intact.RELATED LINKSDr. Sarah MattThe Borderless Healthcare RevolutionThe Clinical RealistJessica FedererSovatoFEEDBACKLike this episode? Rate and review Out of Patients on your favorite podcast platform. For guest suggestions or sponsorship email podcasts@matthewzachary.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today on National Cancer Survivor's Day, we're joined by a remarkable performer whose strength, vulnerability, and resilience have inspired millions around the world. She has taken the stage as a backup vocalist for numerous top artists and most recently dazzled the crowds on the biggest tour in music history with global superstar Taylor Swift. However, audiences were moved even more deeply when she chose to publicly share something far more personal – her breast cancer journey. After Jeslyn Gorman's diagnosis become known through The Eras Tour docuseries, fans witnessed the emotional reality of navigating cancer while stepping away from a career and community she loves so deeply. From continuing to tour in the early days of diagnosis, to facing treatment side effects and returning to the stage immediately following treatment, her story is one of courage, grace and resilience. Today, Jeslyn opens up about the support she received, what survivorship looks like now and most importantly, shares an empowering message for young women about listening to their bodies, advocating for their health, and never underestimating the importance of early detection. Key Takeaways: Early detection can save lives. You can experience joy and fear at the same time. A strong support system makes a major difference. Recovery is gradual and requires patience. Cancer changes your life, but it doesn't define it. Chapters 00:00 – Jeslyn's Breast Cancer Diagnosis 05:24 – Continuing to Perform After Diagnosis 07:38 – Going Public With Her Cancer Story 13:22 – Breast Health and Self-Advocacy 18:07 – Support From Family, Friends, and the Tour Community 22:17 – Staying Positive During Treatment 25:17 – Chemotherapy and Physical Recovery 31:49 – Hair Loss and Identity Learn more at realpink.komen.org and komen.org Real Pink, by Susan G. Komen, shares real stories and expert insights to support people navigating breast cancer, from diagnosis through survivorship. 37:29 – Life After Treatment and Survivorship

How Young Lupus Patients Can Cope With Physical And Mental Health Issues Lupus is a chronic condition where a person's immune system attacks their healthy tissue. But while the physical toll is obvious, the extreme mental health issues that can arise are too often ignored. Our experts this week explain the connection between lupus and mental health, and discuss a program that's finally addressing these issues in young patients. Guests:  Natoshia Cunningham, Red Cedar Distinguished professor & associate professor in the Department of Family Medicine, Michigan State University, founder, TEACH Program Isabella Colindres, consumer advocate, TEACH Program Host and Producer: Kristen Farrah   Genetic Testing Is The Key To Optimizing Your Health Health optimization has become a huge focus in recent years, but many people are skipping the foundational step – genetic testing. Knowing the core of who you are helps direct you to the best medicine, diet, and exercise for you. Our expert explains the benefits of genetic testing and how to make sure you're getting quality results. Guest: Dr. Puya Yazdi, Chief Science & Medical Officer, SelfDecode Host: Greg Johnson Producer: Kristen Farrah Facebook: ingoodhealthpodX: @ ingoodhealthpodIG: @ingoodhealthpodYouTube: @ingoodhealthpodSpotify Apple Podcast In Good Health PodcastSubscribed to the newsletterFull ArchiveContact UsBecome an Affiliate Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Genetic Testing Is The Key To Optimizing Your Health Health optimization has become a huge focus in recent years, but many people are skipping the foundational step – genetic testing. Knowing the core of who you are helps direct you to the best medicine, diet, and exercise for you. Our expert explains the benefits of genetic testing and how to make sure you're getting quality results. Guest: Dr. Puya Yazdi, Chief Science & Medical Officer, SelfDecode Host: Greg Johnson. Producer: Kristen Farrah Facebook: ingoodhealthpodX: @ ingoodhealthpodIG: @ingoodhealthpodYouTube: @ingoodhealthpodSpotify Apple Podcast In Good Health PodcastSubscribed to the newsletterFull ArchiveContact UsBecome an Affiliate Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Linda Petticrew is one determined woman. She’s worked hard and many long hours to build a stunning career as an Executive Assistant to some of the top CEO’s in the city. But her real strength tenacity was when she faced breast cancer, not once but twice. Diagnosed at a young age, she fought and won her battle and then twenty years later had to fight it again. During this episode, Linda talks about her experience. And she gets candid about her treatment in the workplace and the difference an employer can make in the life of someone dealing with treatment. Support The Rose HERE. Subscribe to Let’s Talk About Your Breasts on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart, and wherever you get your podcasts. Key Questions Answered 1.) How does maintaining a positive attitude and having a strong support system help in coping with a cancer diagnosis? 2.) Why are regular check-ups and screenings important for early detection and treatment of cancer? 3.) How can genetic testing provide valuable information for making informed decisions about preventive measures? 4.) What is the impact of cancer, beyond the individual and their entire family? Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Linda's Background 01:27 The Power of Executive Assistants and Supportive Work Environments 08:14 Maintaining a Positive Attitude and Overcoming Challenges 12:29 Genetic Testing and Preventive Measures 16:13 The Impact of Cancer on Family and Relationships 21:28 Prioritizing Family and Looking Towards the Future 23:17 Hope for a Cancer-Free FutureSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the late 1980s, a child exposed to fallout from the Chernobyl disaster lay in a hospital bed while doctors told his family there were no clear answers and no reliable path forward. Decades later, that same child, Yan Leyfman, walks into exam rooms as a hematology oncology fellow, expected to deliver clarity inside a system that still runs on delay, uncertainty, and institutional self preservation.This episode traces the throughline from early life shaped by radiation exposure and hospice level uncertainty to a career inside academic medicine, translational research, and oncology media. Yan built his identity around survival and usefulness, moving from patient to physician while carrying the memory of what it feels like to sit on the other side of the table. He helped launch MedNews Week during the COVID crisis to push back on misinformation and expand access to medical knowledge, stepping into a public role while still in training.The conversation stays grounded in the friction between personal narrative and system reality. Clinical training demands efficiency, hierarchy, and emotional distance. Cancer care demands time, clarity, and human connection. Those forces collide in real patient encounters where prior authorization delays, insurance barriers, and fragmented care pathways shape outcomes as much as any treatment protocol.Yan speaks openly about mentorship, belonging, and the drive to make meaning out of survival. The discussion pushes further into what the healthcare system actually rewards, what it quietly strips away, and how quickly empathy can erode under institutional pressure. The episode also examines the role of medical media, where education, industry influence, and narrative control often blur together.This is a conversation about identity under construction, about what happens when someone who remembers powerlessness steps into a role that carries authority, and about whether that memory can survive long enough to change anything.RELATED LINKSYan Leyfman on LinkedInYan Leyfman on InstagramSurviving ChernobylFEEDBACKLike this episode? Rate and review Out of Patients on your favorite podcast platform. For guest suggestions or sponsorship email podcasts@matthewzachary.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Debi Bryk has spent over eight years using functional genomics in clinical practice — and what she found changed everything about how she works with clients. In this conversation, Debi walks through the MaxGen Labs WORX panel, breaks down methylation in plain English, explains why MTHFR is only one piece of a much larger puzzle, and reveals why jumping straight to methylated B vitamins without knowing your COMT status can leave you feeling dramatically worse. She also unpacks how genetic variants in toxic response to plastics, pesticides, and seed oils can explain why some people develop chronic illness in environments that don't seem to affect others — and what you can actually do about it. Debi also explores the emerging role of lithium orotate in ADHD and Alzheimer's prevention, why low choline may be driving the mood and cognitive crisis more people experience every day, and shares her clinical framework for sequencing testing that dramatically accelerated healing and reduced costs for her clients by eliminating the guesswork entirely. Use code BEAUTIFULLYBROKEN for a discount on MaxGen Labs testing at MaxGen Labs.  Episode Highlights  [00:00] Understanding Genetic Variants and Their Impact [09:40] The Power of Genetic Testing [19:21] Methylation and Its Role in Health [29:04] Epigenetics: Environment and Gene Expression [32:17] Understanding B12 Levels and Genetic Implications [33:31] Genetic Risks: Alzheimer's and Toxins [36:33] Precision Medicine and Personal Health [38:21] Neurotransmitter Dynamics and Mental Health [38:52] The Role of MAO and COMT in Neurotransmitter Regulation [43:33] The Impact of Supplements on Mental Health [47:07] Nutritional Insights: Choline and Creatine [48:32] The Importance of Comprehensive Testing [50:09] Future of Peptide Research and Safety Concerns [54:17] Closing Thoughts on Health and Wellness   Upgrade Your Health MaxGen Labs: https://maxgenlabs.com/BEAUTIFULLYBROKEN   Code: BEAUTIFULLYBROKEN LightPathLED: https://lightpathled.pxf.io/c/3438432/2059835/25794 Code: beautifullybroken Silver Biotics Wound Healing Gel: https://bit.ly/3JnxyDD 30% off with Code: BEAUTIFULLYBROKEN StemRegen: https://www.stemregen.co/products/stemregen?_ef_transaction_id=&oid=1&affid=52 Code: beautifullybroken     . CONNECT WITH FREDDIEWork with Me: https://www.beautifullybroken.world/biological-blueprintWebsite and Store: (http://www.beautifullybroken.world) Instagram: (https://www.instagram.com/freddie.kimmelYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@beautifullybrokenworld Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This episode originally aired in November 2023. When someone has metastatic breast cancer, it is scary for them - and for you! What can you do to really help? What should you say? Is it better to just listen? Today's guest received a de novo metastatic diagnosis in January 2021 and then elected to retire early from a 30-year technology sales career in order to slow life down and to focus on family, friends and thriving with MBC. Carlee Dixon's surprise diagnosis also inspired her to learn as much as possible about breast cancer and take every opportunity to educate friends and acquaintances about breast cancer prevention and the day to day reality. Today, Carlee is here to shed some light on how to best support those who are living with metastatic breast cancer.

Matthew Zachary is a brain cancer survivor, healthcare advocate, founder of Stupid Cancer and We the Patients, and host of Out of Patients. In April 2026, he returned to the stage at Merkin Hall near Lincoln Center for his first solo public piano concert in almost 22 years while launching his debut book, We the Patients: Understanding, Navigating, and Surviving America's Healthcare Nightmare.What unfolded became far larger than a concert.Over 2 hours, survivors, clinicians, advocates, nonprofit founders, journalists, pharmaceutical sponsors, and healthcare insiders gathered in one room to reflect on 30 years of survivorship, institutional failure, accidental advocacy, and the emotional afterlife of cancer. The evening moved through original piano performances, live chapter readings, and deeply personal conversations about infertility, disability, financial toxicity, insurance denials, grief, burnout, and what happens when patients spend decades navigating systems designed around transactions instead of continuity.Guests including Wendell Potter, Maimah Karmo, Craig Lustig, Shelly Fuld Nasso, Tamika Felder, and others reflected on how the modern cancer advocacy movement emerged largely because patients built parallel systems where healthcare infrastructure failed to meet human needs. The conversation explored how prior authorization, reimbursement incentives, administrative fragmentation, and institutional distrust continue shaping the patient experience across oncology and survivorship.The performance also marked a deeply personal milestone. After brain cancer compromised his left hand at age 21, Zachary spent 6 months rehabilitating both hands to return to public performance for the first time in over 2 decades. The result became part concert, part civic gathering, and part historical record of a generation of survivors who refused to disappear quietly.RELATED LINKSMZLIVE Official WebsiteMZLIVE YouTube VideoFEEDBACKLike this episode? Rate and review Out of Patients on your favorite podcast platform. For guest suggestions or sponsorship email podcasts@matthewzachary.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Mitch and Amanda have recorded 208 Holy Health podcast episodes so far and this is the first official one where they talk pets! They share Lily's story and her Degenerative Myelopathy diagnosis as well as some other struggles Lily has had. They also talk about breeding, puppy mills, and why it's important to rescue. Finishing things off, they share about different types of food - kibble, cooked, or raw and what they feed Lily, and why. If you have furry friends, this is an episode you won't want to miss!DM Substack PostDr. Judy Morgan CookbookPodcast for more Lily talkConnect with us!YoutubeEmailInstagramMitch - SubstackMitch - InstagramMitch - FacebookAmanda - WebsiteAmanda - YoutubeAmanda - InstagramAmanda - Substackholyhealth222@gmail.comPlease share the show and leave a rating and review!

In December 1996, a 37 year old pharmaceutical executive sat in a Borders bookstore reading medical textbooks on the floor, trying to understand a disease she had never heard of. Multiple myeloma carried a three year prognosis. Her daughter was 18 months old. Her father had just died of cancer. Within weeks, she pushed her doctors to say the quiet part clearly. This would likely end her life before her child entered kindergarten.Kathy Giusti refused to accept passive survival. She built a plan while the system offered fragments. She interviewed oncologists and fertility specialists at the same time. She pursued IVF to have a second child while preparing for treatment. She stayed employed to keep insurance coverage. Every decision carried financial, medical, and emotional risk.That same urgency exposed a deeper failure. Cancer research moved slowly. Academic centers guarded data. Clinical trials lacked coordination. Patients entered a system that demanded compliance without providing clarity. Giusti responded by building the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation, not as a support group, but as an operating engine to accelerate drug development, fund research, and force collaboration across institutions.This episode tracks the tension between individual agency and systemic failure. Giusti describes how patients navigate diagnosis, insurance barriers, and fragmented care in real time. She explains how data, genomics, and clinical trials reshape cancer treatment while still leaving patients responsible for decisions they are not trained to make. She addresses disparities in access, the limits of early detection, and the reality that progress in oncology often depends on speed, funding, and alignment of incentives.The conversation moves between lived experience and structural critique. It names the cost of delay, the burden placed on patients to act as their own advocate, and the tradeoffs required to push a system forward that still protects itself first.⸻RELATED LINKSKathy GiustiMultiple Myeloma Research FoundationFatal to FearlessAmerican Society of Hematology⸻FEEDBACKLike this episode? Rate and review Out of Patients on your favorite podcast platform. For guest suggestions or sponsorship email podcasts@matthewzachary.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It's Women's Health Month — which means a lot of awareness messaging and a lot of conversation about why women's health matters. But today, we're going a level deeper. Because awareness doesn't save lives. Action does. Infrastructure does. Investment does. And honest conversations about why the system isn't working equally for everyone — those matter too. My guest today is Jenica Patterson — a neuroscientist turned health systems architect who is doing the hard work of figuring out why women's health is so chronically underinvested and what it will take to fix it. She leads the Women's Health Network at the Milken Institute, one of the most powerful cross-sector coalitions in this space. Before that, she built a $113 million federal program at ARPA-H (the Advanced Research Project Agency for Health) specifically designed to fast track innovation in women's health. Komen is focused on breast health access — and the sobering reality that where you live and what you look like still determine whether you get a timely mammogram, an accurate diagnosis or the best possible care. Jenica has the research, the relationships and the conviction to tell us exactly why that is — and what's possible. Key Takeaways: Women's health inequities are systemic, not individual. Nearly 30% of U.S. counties do not have a mammography machine. Women's health has historically been underrepresented in research and clinical development. Innovation alone is not enough without integration. Momentum in women's health is growing. Chapters 00:00 Jenica Patterson's journey from neuroscience to women's health systems leadership 05:45 Why women's health is at a major inflection point 08:40 The shocking mammography access gaps across the United States 14:02 Why solving women's health requires system-wide integration 20:03 Where momentum and hope are growing in women's health equity Learn more at realpink.komen.org and komen.org breastcancer #survivorship #womenshealth #cancersupport #realpink Real Pink, by Susan G. Komen, shares real stories and expert insights to support people navigating breast cancer, from diagnosis through survivorship.

  Genetic testing is no longer a distant, specialized tool reserved for rare disease clinics or academic centers. It's showing up in pediatric practice. For example, pediatricians are increasingly considering genetic diagnoses in children with developmental delays outside the normal range. A NICU graduate may already carry a genetic diagnosis when they see their pediatrician after discharge. What does the practicing pediatric provider need to understand about ordering and interpreting genetic tests?  In this episode, we unpack how community pediatricians can make sense of the world of genomics. Joining us for this robust conversation are Austin Larson, MD, and Margarita Saenz, MD. Dr. Larson is a pediatric medical and biochemical geneticist. He is the Medical Director of Precision Medicine Clinical Informatics, as well as the Director of the Mitochondrial Care Network Clinic at Children's Hospital Colorado. Dr. Saenz specializes in clinical genetics and dysmorphology. She is the Medical Director of Precision Medicine Education and Family Engagement. They both are faculty members at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. Some highlights from this episode include: Recent advances making genetic testing more accessible to patients  How the rise of exome and genome sequencing has changed the diagnostic approach in pediatrics  Secondary findings and how they should be discussed in advanced Practical advice for a pediatrician who feels overwhelmed to order and interpret these tests  For more information on Children's Colorado, visit: childrenscolorado.org. 

At 19, Shlomit woke up unable to speak. The right side of her body went numb. An emergency room sent her home and called it stress. That moment did not end in a diagnosis that changed policy or triggered reform. It sent her into a decade long pursuit of understanding how the brain fails language and how the healthcare system fails patients who cannot advocate for themselves.Shlomit trained as a speech language pathologist and spent years inside acute care hospitals and ICUs, performing endoscopies and treating patients with brain injury, stroke, and dysphagia. She watched medical teams rotate in and out, deliver dense updates, and leave families nodding without comprehension. She stayed behind and translated. Every day, patients told her she was the only one who explained what was happening. That gap is not an accident. Hospital systems optimize for throughput, not understanding. Patients move through beds based on cost, not readiness. Discharge planning becomes a financial decision wrapped in clinical language. A stay under 48 hours can shift the insurance burden dramatically, leaving patients exposed to higher out of pocket costs. Shlomit left the system and built Patient Path NYC, a private patient advocacy service. She now spends 15 to 20 hours a week per client reading charts, coordinating care teams, and translating medical decisions into plain language. Her work sits in the uncomfortable space between healthcare policy and lived experience. Families pay out of pocket to understand their own care. Hospitals benefit from the clarity she provides while maintaining the same structural incentives that created the confusion.This conversation tracks the human cost of fragmented care, the economics behind discharge decisions, and the quiet reality that patients who cannot communicate clearly often lose control of their own outcomes.RELATED LINKSShlomit LibertyShlomit Liberty on LinkedInPatient Path NYCBoard Certified Patient AdvocateFEEDBACKLike this episode? Rate and review Out of Patients on your favorite podcast platform. For guest suggestions or sponsorship email podcasts@matthewzachary.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) affects 1 in 250 individuals, and genetic testing for patients and families is an important part of diagnosis and management. Guest Seth Martin, MD, reviews FH risk factors, at what ages and when genetic testing is recommended, and the roles of a genetic counselor and other team members.Related resources:NLA Statement on Genetic Testing: https://www.lipid.org/nla/genetic-testing-dyslipidemia FH Diagnosis: Dutch & Simon Broome criteria: https://familyheart.org/diagnostic-criteria-for-familia-hypercholesterolemia2 AHA criteria: https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/JAHA.119.013225Familial Hypercholesterolemia Resources from PCNA:* What is Familial Hypercholesterolemia patient fact sheet: https://pcna.net/resource/what-is-familial-hypercholesterolemia-fact-sheet/* What is Homozygous Familial Hypercholesterolemia (fact sheet for families): https://pcna.net/resource/what-is-homozygous-familial-hypercholesterolemia-fact-sheet/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

View the Show Notes Page for This Episode Become a Member to Receive Exclusive Content Sign Up to Receive Peter's Weekly Newsletter In this episode, Peter explores the complex and often misunderstood world of genetic testing, building a practical framework for understanding what these tests can and cannot actually tell us about health and disease. He explains why some genetic findings can be genuinely life-changing while many others offer information that is far more probabilistic than deterministic, and why directly measuring the phenotype is often more valuable than inferring risk from DNA alone. Peter examines where genetics can provide meaningful insight across the major disease categories and where its predictive power is far more limited than many people assume. He also discusses how to think critically about different types of genetic tests, how to interpret results in the proper context, and how to avoid the common trap of accumulating more genetic information without gaining greater clarity or actionable insight. We discuss: Genetic testing: understanding what it can reveal, where it falls short, and how to think about its clinical value [1:45]; The Human Genome Project: why decoding DNA did not immediately unlock the mysteries of disease [4:15]; The limitations of genetic testing: probabilistic risk, interpretive uncertainty, and the importance of phenotype [9:30]; Questions to ask when considering genetic testing [15:45]; Genetic testing in cardiovascular and metabolic disease: when genotype adds value beyond phenotype [17:00]; Genetic testing for inherited cardiac conditions: identifying hidden risk beyond routine screening [21:45]; Genetic testing for cancer risk: inherited syndromes, clinical utility, and the limits of consumer testing [24:00]; Genetic testing for neurodegenerative disease: risk prediction, planning, and the challenge of limited actionability [28:45]; Functional medicine genetic testing: the gap between biological plausibility and clinical evidence, and the supplement protocols that aren't supported by evidence [32:45]; Pharmacogenetics: using genetic testing to guide medication selection and safety [38:45]; A framework for evaluating genetic tests according to effect size and clinical actionability [41:45]; The major types of genetic tests, and how each should be matched to the clinical question being asked [43:30]; Interpreting genetic test results: choosing the right testing laboratory and understanding what the findings actually mean [49:45]; Framework summary: why genetic testing is most valuable when it is guided by a clear question, matched with the appropriate test, and capable of meaningfully influencing decisions [56:45]; and More. Connect With Peter on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube

Menopause – it may be the most unwanted time in a woman's life. It arrives with a vengeance, forcing all kinds of emotional, hormonal and bodily changes onto women as they approach their 50s. But for women going through breast cancer treatment, it can arrive even earlier and be even more unwanted. The good news is no one has to suffer in silence. Today's guests are Dr. Makeba Williams, the incoming president of The Menopause Society, and Claudia McConnell, a breast cancer survivor who was forced into menopause during breast cancer treatment at age 37. Key takeaways Breast cancer treatment can trigger sudden and emotionally overwhelming early menopause Menopause symptoms after cancer treatment are real, serious, and treatable. Mental health support is a critical part of breast cancer survivorship care. Open conversations help reduce stigma and empower women to seek support. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to breast cancer and menopause realities 04:29 Claudia's breast cancer diagnosis and sudden menopause at 37 15:42 Why survivors shouldn't suffer through menopause symptoms alone 19:20 New menopause treatments and advances for breast cancer survivors 21:07 Sleep disruption, insomnia, and menopause management strategies 24:07 Estrogen creams, vaginal health, and treatment decision-making 30:19 BRCA2, talking to children about cancer risk, and family support 39:05 Final advice for women navigating menopause after breast cancer Learn more at realpink.komen.org and komen.org breastcancer #menopause #survivorship #womenshealth #cancersupport #realpink Real Pink, by Susan G. Komen, shares real stories and expert insights to support people navigating breast cancer, from diagnosis through survivorship.

In 2020, developmental biologist Dr. Crystal Rogers drove the country roads outside Davis, California crying between grant rejections, wondering whether she was about to lose her lab, her career, and the scientific future she had spent years building. She had already done what academia tells young scientists to do. She earned the credentials. She landed a faculty position at UC Davis. She built a lab. Then the real test began.On this episode of Standard Deviation, Dr. Oliver Bogler examines the unspoken rules that determine which scientists survive academic research and which quietly disappear from it. The conversation follows Crystal Rogers and cancer biologist Dr. Michelle Mendoza as they collide with the “Hidden Curriculum” of biomedical science: the unwritten rhetoric, institutional signaling, and grant writing strategies that often decide who receives funding, tenure, and long term stability.Michelle Mendoza entered a tenure track position at the Huntsman Cancer Institute while raising 3 children, navigating a divorce, and trying to secure major NIH funding during COVID. What looked like objective scientific review turned out to depend heavily on persuasion, presentation, and insider fluency. Established researchers could promise massive research agendas based on reputation alone. Junior investigators faced a completely different standard.Oliver traces how the Life Science Editors Foundation and its JEDI program intervened by pairing scientists with former editors from journals including Cell and Nature. The work had little to do with commas or grammar. Editors challenged logic, structure, and scientific framing before grant reviewers could destroy an application in public.Both researchers eventually secured career defining grants. One realized she would keep her job and not have to move her family. The other celebrated by ordering a personalized “DEV BIO” license plate and driving through Davis blasting nineties hip hop and Beyoncé.The episode exposes how biomedical research funding rewards institutional fluency as much as scientific talent, and how hidden systems inside academic medicine continue shaping who gets to stay in science long enough to make discoveries.RELATED LINKSDr. Crystal Rogers LinkedInDr. Crystal Rogers Faculty PageDr. Crystal Rogers LabDr. Michelle Mendoza LinkedInDr. Michelle Mendoza Faculty PageHuntsman Cancer Institute Mendoza LabLife Science Editors FoundationFEEDBACKLike this episode? Rate and review Out of Patients on your favorite podcast platform. For guest suggestions or sponsorship email podcasts@matthewzachary.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In 2008, Katy Talento walked away from Capitol Hill and into a Catholic convent. Within a year, she walked out. Within another decade, she sat inside the White House shaping health policy. Somewhere in between, she got labeled “infertile” after a single cycle of testing and spent years believing it.That label stuck. The pain that came before it never got investigated. Doctors offered birth control and moved on. No one asked why her body was struggling. No one followed the thread.Talento built her career inside the very systems she now critiques. She worked on federal health policy, global disease programs, and later advised the Trump administration on healthcare reform. She helped advance price transparency rules in a system where hospitals can still list 457 different prices for the same service.Then she left.Now she builds employer health plans that bypass insurers, PBMs, and traditional networks. Her approach replaces insurance contracts with direct payment, nurse navigators, and cost sharing models that promise simplicity but raise hard questions about risk and protection.This conversation sits in that tension.Talento describes a healthcare system shaped by layered incentives, where insurers, hospitals, and intermediaries profit from complexity. She argues that employers hold the leverage to disrupt it. The host pushes on what happens when patients fall outside those structures, when contracts disappear, and when community based models fail.The episode moves through infertility, misdiagnosis, insurance design, and the mechanics of employer sponsored care. It tracks how policy decisions made in Washington ripple into exam rooms, billing departments, and family lives.It also confronts a harder truth.Even insiders who understand the system can still get caught in it.RELATED LINKSAllBetter HealthKaty TalentoThem Before UsAn Arm and a LegRelentless Health ValueFEEDBACKLike this episode? Rate and review Out of Patients on your favorite podcast platform. For guest suggestions or sponsorship email podcasts@matthewzachary.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Learn how genetic testing helps inform cancer screening and prevention plans, when testing is most valuable, and how your personal and family history fit into the bigger picture. We'll break down genetic counseling, hereditary cancer risk, and what test results actually mean for you and your family.  Learn more about Dr. Pim Suwannarat  

While menopause is often associated with aging, many women facing breast cancer experience it suddenly and much earlier than expected—bringing a wave of physical and emotional changes. From managing intense symptoms to confronting fears about future family-building, the journey can feel overwhelming. On today's episode, we are joined by Melody Johnson, a nurse practitioner who specializes in caring for women navigating these exact challenges. She will help us understand how treatment-induced menopause differs from natural menopause and the strategies available to cope with side effects while already carrying so much. We'll also take a closer look at fertility—an especially emotional and complex issue for younger women diagnosed before they've had the chance to start or grow their families. Whether you're newly diagnosed, supporting someone who is, or simply want to better understand this critical aspect of women's health, this conversation is here to inform, support, and remind you: you are not alone on this journey. What You'll Learn: • The difference between treatment-induced and age-related menopause • Common symptoms and why they can feel more severe during cancer treatment • How to manage menopause side effects alongside a breast cancer diagnosis • Fertility preservation options, including egg freezing and when to consider them • Why self-advocacy is critical when discussing fertility with your care team Chapters: 00:00 Introduction to treatment-induced menopause 01:29 Melody Johnson's background in oncofertility 02:45 What to expect from menopause symptoms 05:05 Key differences between induced and natural menopause 06:24 Managing symptoms during treatment 08:29 Fertility concerns for younger women 10:25 Is treatment-induced menopause permanent? 11:53 Questions to ask your doctor 13:24 Why these conversations matter 14:48 Final advice for women navigating fertility after diagnosis Learn more at komen.org and realpink.komen.org BreastCancer #Fertility #Menopause #WomensHealth #Oncofertility #CancerSupport #ReproductiveHealth #RealPink Real Pink, by Susan G. Komen, shares real stories and expert insights to support people navigating breast cancer, from diagnosis through survivorship.

In a wooded campground cabin in the early 2000s, 19 year old Ben Unger stood in the doorway and watched 20 naked men form a circle around a crying teenager. A counselor held up two tangerines and shouted, “These are your balls.” The exercise claimed to cure same sex attraction by forcing young men to “reclaim” their masculinity from overbearing mothers. Phones had been confiscated. Parents had paid thousands of dollars. Religion supplied the script. Pseudoscience supplied the props.Ben had grown up in an Orthodox Jewish community in Brooklyn and later studied in Israel to become a rabbi. When he admitted he felt attracted to men, rabbis told him to eat 7 figs a day, immerse in a ritual bath 5 times daily, or marry a woman and trust that “if there's friction, it works.” At 19, he entered conversion therapy through an organization called Jews Offering New Alternatives to Homosexuality, known as JONAH. He left with depression, religious trauma, and 6 months of silence toward the mother he had been taught to blame.Years later, represented by the Southern Poverty Law Center, Ben helped sue JONAH for consumer fraud in a landmark New Jersey case. The argument centered on evidence, not theology. Sexual orientation cannot be changed. The jury deliberated for 3 hours and ruled against the organization. The verdict helped reshape how states regulate conversion therapy and protect minors from psychological harm disguised as treatment.Today, Ben runs Buff Personal Training in New York City, a gym built on autonomy, mental health, and self respect. His story traces the arc from institutional control to self authorship. The conversation examines religion, LGBTQ rights, conversion therapy, consumer protection law, and the lasting cost of being told your identity is a disorder.RELATED LINKSBen Unger on LinkedInBen Unger on InstagramBUF Personal TrainingSouthern Poverty Law CenterJONAHFEEDBACKLike this episode? Rate and review Out of Patients on your favorite podcast platform. For guest suggestions or sponsorship email podcasts@matthewzachary.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today's conversation is one that so many mothers will feel deep in their bones because it talks about what happens when life asks you to be the one who needs care. Our guest today has lived that shift in a profound way. In the midst of raising her young children, navigating the everyday chaos and fiercely advocating for her youngest daughter, Nylah, who was born with congenital heart disease, Nisha Jaime was suddenly diagnosed with breast cancer. There is an emotional whiplash to being the strong one for your child and then suddenly needing that same strength for yourself. Nisha will talk to us about what that was like and how she balanced it all with the help of her village. We'll talk about the ongoing realities of survivorship, including things like scanxiety and continued care and how her children are involved in her journey. Most importantly, we'll hear how she has turned her experience into support for other mothers walking a similar path and why that mission matters so deeply to her.

This episode covers: Cardiology This Week: A concise summary of recent studies Genetics and genetic testing in HCM Asymptomatic aortic valve stenosis Statistics Made Easy: Mediation analysis Host: Wilfried Mullens Guests: JP Carpenter, Caroline Coats, Marc Dweck Want to watch that episode? Go to: https://esc365.escardio.org/event/2564 Want to watch that extended interview on asymptomatic aortic valve stenosis, go to: https://esc365.escardio.org/event/2564?resource=interview   Disclaimer  ESC TV Today is supported by Novartis through an independent funding. The programme has not been influenced in any way by its funding partner. This programme is intended for health care professionals only and is to be used for educational purposes. The European Society of Cardiology (ESC) does not aim to promote medicinal products nor devices. Any views or opinions expressed are the presenters' own and do not reflect the views of the ESC. All declarations of interest are listed at the end of the episode. The ESC is not liable for any translated content of this video. The English language always prevails.  ESC TV Today uses a range of tools and resources (including AI) to support content production. All content is reviewed and approved by the editorial team. Statements and opinions expressed by guest speakers are their own.    Declarations of interests Stephan Achenbach, Yasmina Bououdina, Antonio Greco and Nicolle Kraenkel have declared to have no potential conflicts of interest to report. Carlos Aguiar has declared to have potential conflicts of interest to report: personal fees for consultancy and/or speaker fees from Abbott, AbbVie, Alnylam, Amgen, AstraZeneca, Bayer, BiAL, Boehringer-Ingelheim, Daiichi-Sankyo, Ferrer, Gilead, GSK, Lilly, Novartis, Pfizer, Sanofi, Servier, Takeda, Tecnimede. John-Paul Carpenter has declared to have potential conflicts of interest to report: stockholder MyCardium AI. Davide Capodanno has declared to have potential conflicts of interest to report: Abbott Vascular, Bristol Myers Squibb, Daiichi Sankyo, Edwards Lifesciences, Novo Nordisk, Sanofi Aventis, Terumo. Caroline Coats has declared to have potential conflicts of interest to report: in the last 5 years, consultant/advisor to Bayer, Bristol Myers Squibb, Cytokinetics, Sanofi, Roche Diagnostics. Marc Dweck has declared to have potential conflicts of interest to report: consultancy fees from Novartis, Silence, and AstraZeneca related to aortic stenosis and development of a medical therapy. David Duncker has declared to have potential conflicts of interest to report: lecture honoraria from Abbott, Astra Zeneca, Biotronik, Boehringer Ingelheim, Boston Scientifics, Bristol Meyers Squibb, CVRx, Daiichi Sankyo, Medtronic, Microport, Pfizer, Sanofi, Zoll. Konstantinos Koskinas has declared to have potential conflicts of interest to report: honoraria from MSD, Daiichi Sankyo, Sanofi. Felix Mahfoud has declared to have potential conflicts of interest to report: research grants from Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (SFB TRR219), Deutsche Gesellschaft für Kardiologie (DGK), Deutsche Herzstiftung, Ablative Solutions, ReCor Medical. Consulting fees, payment honoraria lectures, presentations, speaker, support travel costs: Ablative Solutions, Astra-Zeneca, Novartis, Inari, Recor Medical, Medtronic, Philips, Merck. Steffen Petersen has declared to have potential conflicts of interest to report: consultancy for Circle Cardiovascular Imaging Inc. Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Emma Svennberg has declared to have potential conflicts of interest to report: Abbott, Astra Zeneca, Bayer, Bristol-Myers, Squibb-Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson.

Think PFIC is only a pediatric disease? Think again. Progressive Familial Intrahepatic Cholestasis (PFIC) was long considered a condition exclusive to children. However, breakthroughs in genomic sequencing are revealing a hidden population: adults with "unexplained" cholestasis who are actually living with undiagnosed PFIC variants. Early identification is the difference between manageable care and irreversible liver damage. In this interview episode Dr. Aparna Goel, Stanford School of Medicine, and Dr. Laura Bull, UC San Francisco, break down the adult phenotype of PFIC and how clinicians can close the diagnostic gap. What You'll Hear In This Episode: The Adult Phenotype: Why adult cases often present as "indolent" or mild compared to the severe jaundice seen in infants. Diagnostic Red Flags: When to move beyond standard autoimmune panels and look for genetic markers. Genetic Testing 101: A comparison of targeted gene panels vs. whole exome sequencing for the most efficient diagnosis. The Power of a Name: How a specific PFIC diagnosis changes everything—from family counseling to starting life-altering IBAT inhibitors.

The Marina Coast Water District is reviving an old desalination plant to boost water supply. And, the International Olympic Committee is reintroducing a mandatory genetic test for athletes competing in women's sports at the 2028 LA Games.

Europe's borders in the Middle Ages were created by one man, and he wasn't even born in the Middle Ages, nor was he Christian. It was Emperor Diocletian, who ruled Rome from 284 to 305. His reforms that chained tenant farmers to land created the blueprint for feudalism. He split the empire, which established the East-West divide. Lastly, his shift from static Roman legions to mobile armies set the stage for the warrior kingdoms that would dominate the early Middle Ages. Today, new genetic analysis of skeletal and tooth remains is revolutionizing how we understand this transformation—a high-status woman buried around 550 in Britain was born in Norway according to her childhood tooth enamel, proving the "barbarian invasions" were actually century-long migrations averaging just three miles per day. Today's guest is John Haywood, author of The Making of the Middle Ages: An Atlas of Europe. We discuss how Europe from 500-700 was ruled by warrior kingdoms with mobile courts that constantly traveled—only shifting to fixed courts and proper imperial administration after Charlemagne established counties, libraries, copyists, and the emporia trading centers where workshops and markets flourished. Haywood also explains how Ravenna's independence from Byzantium portended the rise of papal power, why towns collapsed from Roman populations of thousands to mere hundreds unless a bishop resided there, and how the density of churches and monasteries north of the Alps exploded between 600 and 1200 as the Catholic Church consolidated power across formerly pagan Germanic territories.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Drew Flugstad-Clarke never planned to work in brain cancer. She planned to play Division I soccer at Georgetown. She planned to paint. She even tried investment banking, answering emails at 4am in a cubicle that never slept. Then in June 2022 her father, Jim, was diagnosed with glioblastoma at 57. He died 1 day shy of 7 months later, just before his 58th birthday. His symptoms began with emotion, not seizures. A steady HR executive suddenly cried. His golf game slipped. By the time he entered the hospital for a scan, he did not leave without surgery. A subway poster for a 5K became a lifeline. Drew showed up. She found a community. She later joined the American Brain Tumor Association as Community Manager for the Eastern Region. This conversation walks through anticipatory grief, caregiving in real time, strategic numbness, and what it costs to curate hope when the median survival clock is already ticking.RELATED LINKSDrew Clark Flukestad on LinkedInTopor StudiosAmerican Brain Tumor AssociationGeorgetown University Women's SoccerFEEDBACKLike this episode? Rate and review Out of Patients on your favorite podcast platform. For guest suggestions or sponsorship email podcasts@matthewzachary.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A Central Valley city may have skipped some procedural steps before opening a new ICE detention facility. Blanket genetic testing returns to for the upcoming L.A. Olympics. LA Kings Captain Anze Kopitar played his last game this weekend. Plus more from Evening Edition. Support The L.A. Report by donating at LAist.com/join and by visiting https://laist.comSupport the show: https://laist.com

What does it take to turn the most terrifying moment of your life into a movement? For Yvonne McLean Florence, it started with discovering a lump she acted on right away. Yvonne is a HER2-positive breast cancer survivor, ordained minister, Worship in Pink Ambassador, former founder of Sisters R Us Circle of Survivors (SRUCOS) and is currently the reigning Ms. Pennsylvania Senior America 2025. But before all of that, she was a wife, a mother, a grandmother — and suddenly, a patient. In this powerful episode of Real Pink, Yvonne joins host Adam Walker to talk about what it felt like to receive a life-changing diagnosis, how her faith in God, family and friends carried her through chemotherapy and Herceptin infusions, and why she didn't stop when treatment ended. She'll share how she's bringing the conversation about breast health into churches across Philadelphia through Worship in Pink, what it means to build a Cancer Survivorship Resource Nook inside a congregation, and why she would like every survivor to discover how they can also reach back. This episode is part of our Health Equity Revolution series, which lifts up the voices, stories and solutions of the communities most impacted by breast cancer disparities.

Janine Durso spent 30 years inside pharmaceutical advertising shaping healthcare narratives before becoming a belief strategist and founder of The Believist. In November 2024, during a routine Zoom coaching session, she felt what she called a sharp, terrible pain in the right side of her head. Within hours she was in surgery for a ruptured brain aneurysm. She does not remember the ambulance, the ICU, or the first weeks that followed. She spent 5 weeks in intensive care, then 10 days relearning how to walk, calculate simple change, and manage basic cognition. Doctors later placed a stent and continue monitoring a second unruptured aneurysm.This episode traces the moment she told her husband something broke in my brain, the 14 days doctors called touch and go, and the slow mental rebuild that followed. It also examines insurance barriers that require 2 direct relatives with aneurysms before screening coverage, and why she now lobbies in Washington for change.RELATED LINKSJanine DursoThe BelievistBrain Aneurysm FoundationWhite Plains HospitalDr. Jared CooperFEEDBACKLike this episode? Rate and review Out of Patients on your favorite podcast platform. For guest suggestions or sponsorship email podcasts@matthewzachary.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

After losing her mother to de novo metastatic breast cancer, Elise turned grief into long term advocacy and board service at The Rose. She demystifies modern metastatic care, clinical trials, and lifelong treatment while urging women of every age to push for screenings and answers. Support The Rose HERE. Subscribe to Let’s Talk About Your Breasts on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart, and wherever you get your podcasts. 10 Key Questions Answered 1. How Elise became involved with The Rose board and metastatic breast cancer advocacy. 2. What happened during her mother’s initial breast cancer diagnosis and why it was classified as de novo metastatic. 3. How metastatic breast cancer treatment looked in the early 1990s, including bone marrow transplant approaches. 4. What key advances have changed metastatic breast cancer care since her mother’s time, such as genetic testing and subtype specific treatments. 5. How clinical trials for metastatic breast cancer usually work today and why they rarely involve placebo without treatment. 6. Why metastatic patients often need lifelong treatment and careful monitoring to stay on effective therapy as long as possible. 7. How advocacy groups and steering committees at MD Anderson direct research funds toward metastatic specific projects. 8. Why self advocacy and persistence with providers can be critical, especially for younger women seeking mammograms or additional testing. 9. How Elise balances her volunteer work, legal background, and family life while staying active on multiple boards and committees. 10. What message she wants women and families to remember about screening, self care, and not putting their own health last. Timestamped Overview 00:00 Board recruitment and early connection to The Rose02:30 High risk programs, navigation, and genetic testing03:45 Mother’s de novo metastatic diagnosis and treatment in the 1990s08:30 Limited options then versus today’s targeted therapies10:00 Role of subtyping, genetics, and clinical trials now11:30 How trials work, ongoing treatment, and progression13:00 Starting early mammograms and self advocacy in her 30s17:30 Younger women, “too young” barriers, and trusting your body21:30 Advanced breast cancer steering committee and research funding24:30 Boot Walk fundraising and metastatic specific projects28:00 Broader volunteer work and intensity of patient needs31:00 Navigation, uninsured women, and final call to advocateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

People who had radiation treatment to the chest area for certain types of cancer early in life have an increased risk of breast cancer later in life. Today, we welcome a special guest back to the show, Amy Colver. Amy is Manager of Health Information & Publications at Komen and an oncology certified, licensed independent social worker who has worked in the oncology space, so she knows more about cancer from an educational standpoint than most. Today, she is here to share that she's also a cancer survivor and lives with the reality that a treatment she had for lymphoma in young adulthood put her at a higher risk of breast cancer. She'll talk to us about how to process risk and what ongoing care, screening and emotional resilience really looks like. Above all, Amy knows the power of turning awareness into action, and how understanding your risk factors can become more of a source of empowerment than fear.

Send us Fan MailWhy does it take five years to diagnose a child with a genetic disease when the answer is available in 48 hours?In this clip from our episode “How Genomics Is Transforming Rare Disease Care”, host John Driscoll and guest Katherine Stueland, CEO of GeneDx, expose one of the most frustrating gaps in pediatric medicine today.

Rebecca Benghiat holds a JD, passed the bar, and skipped corporate law to build mental health systems instead. She now serves as Chief of Staff and Head of Impact at Inner Foundation, where she helps direct capital toward emerging adults ages 18 to 30 and asks a hard question every day: Is this actually working?In this conversation, she dismantles the myth of easy fixes. She explains why mental health measurement resists clean metrics, why a PHQ 9 score starts a conversation but never finishes one, and why “scale” often flatters institutions more than it helps people. She breaks down how impact investing shapes care delivery, why schools need networked systems not slogans, and why friction might be developmentally necessary.The stakes are real. Vulnerable families navigate snake oil, glossy apps, and pay to play algorithms while carrying the burden of choice in crisis. Benghiat lives inside that complexity and refuses to simplify it.RELATED LINKSRebecca BenghiatInner FoundationAspen Ideas HealthThe Jed FoundationFEEDBACKLike this episode? Rate and review Out of Patients on your favorite podcast platform. For guest suggestions or sponsorship email podcasts@matthewzachary.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Dr. Natalie Crawford, MD, is a double board-certified OB-GYN and reproductive endocrinologist. We discuss how to improve hormone health at any age and the importance of fertility markers not just for pregnancy, but as a powerful window into overall health, vitality and longevity. We discuss hormone replacement therapy, egg freezing, IVF, and what biomarkers like AMH really indicate. Plus, how anti-inflammatory diets and specific supplements can be beneficial and the impact of microplastics and certain fragrances on hormones. We also discuss lesser-known factors that deplete male and female fertility, vitality and health. This conversation highlights how better understanding of hormones and your reproductive markers can empower better informed choices at every stage of life. Read the show notes at hubermanlab.com. Thank you to our sponsors AG1: https://drinkag1.com/huberman David: https://davidprotein.com/huberman BetterHelp: https://betterhelp.com/huberman Eight Sleep: https://eightsleep.com/huberman Function: https://functionhealth.com/huberman Timestamps (00:00:00) Natalie Crawford (00:02:26) Fertility as a Health Marker, Infertility (00:05:34) Perimenopause, Menopause, Hormone Replacement Theory (00:11:01) Sponsors: David & BetterHelp (00:13:35) Hormone Therapy, Extending Ovarian Lifespan (00:19:11) Plastics, Toxins & Fertility (00:22:02) Does Prior Pregnancy Make Conception Easier?, Secondary Infertility (00:29:02) Testing Sperm; Pregnancy Loss & Conceiving Again, Fertility Testing (00:38:17) Sponsor: AG1 (00:39:40) Menstrual Cycle, Egg Number & Quality, AMH Test (00:48:17) Tool: AMH Test; Fertility Education & Patient Choices (00:53:13) Tool: Tracking Ovulation; Ovulation Disorders (00:55:11) AMH Test Cost; Genetic Testing & Patient Choice (01:01:13) Does Egg Freezing Cause Early Menopause?, In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) (01:05:29) Egg Freezing, IVF, Ethical Concerns; Embryo Banking (01:15:21) Sponsor: Eight Sleep (01:16:39) Egg Freezing, Cost & Patient Choices (01:21:22) Concieving After Hormonal Birth Control, IUD or Depo-Provera (01:27:17) Pregnancy Termination & Concieving Again (01:29:28) Support Egg Quality, Tools: Ovulation & Avoiding NSAIDs; 5 Lifestyle Non-Negotiables (01:34:03) Sleep, Melatonin; Cold Plunge (01:38:41) Curcumin, NAD/NR, CoQ10, Supplements for Prenatal Care & Sperm Health (01:42:05) Sponsor: Function (01:43:16) Fertility Research into Supplements & Lifestyle Factors (01:48:21) Inflammation, Red Light (01:53:12) Cannabis & Detriments to Egg & Sperm Health (01:58:57) Nicotine, Smoking, Egg Health & Sperm Count; Healthy Lifestyle Practices (02:02:21) GLP-1s, PCOS, Endometriosis; Human Growth Hormone (02:10:58) Platelet-Rich Plasma; Paternal Age & Sperm Quality; Biotin (02:17:27) Endocrine Disruptors, Fragrances, Receipts, Tool: Fragrance-Free (02:22:48) Patient Education & Empowerment; Inflammation, Celiac Disease (02:25:40) Anti-Inflammatory Diet, Protein, Fiber, Red Meat (02:33:25) Zero-Cost Support, YouTube, Spotify & Apple Follow, Reviews & Feedback, Sponsors, Protocols Book, Social Media, Neural Network Newsletter Disclaimer & Disclosures Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Millions of women in the U.S. can access no cost screening mammograms, but if the patient is at a higher risk of breast cancer or the mammogram reveals an abnormality, the cost of imaging makes it unattainable for many. Komen has worked with state legislature to eliminate the patient's out-of-pocket costs. Unfortunately, not all states have passed such laws, and federal legislation is still pending. Susan G. Komen's Center for Public Policy is championing legislation that addresses this significant flaw in health care insurance coverage and ensuring all people have access to high-quality, affordable care. Here today to discuss Komen's public policy is Deandrea Newsome, Regional Manager of State Policy & Advocacy at Susan G. Komen. Learn more about how you can support the ABCD Act here: https://www.komen.org/how-to-help/advocacy/action-center/?vvsrc=%2fcampaigns%2f128891%2frespond%3f_gl%3d1*3b3ivi*_gcl_au*MTk3NTA1Mjk2My4xNzcwMDU5MTYy*_ga*MjUzMDUxNzk3LjE3NTYyMzI0NjI.*_ga_HGS8BJYTKQ*czE3NzU3NTExODEkbzkkZzEkdDE3NzU3NTExOTgkajQzJGwwJGgxMTE2ODQ1MzE2*_fplc*WTlIZnY0dVc3ZEpvZFZmQWElMkJpNUh6T2lNUlhTOHJWJTJGV3RyckU5OFJ0b0k5WkhJamh0RjE2c2JoVkRwbjVNcDE1SnB6d0ZnVDBTYUxhZnRwYmluZm1QSlU1bElSU05JY2ZudWZZMmd4TmxJRkROYVB6RWF1SzhNZmEwZ1FGdyUzRCUzRA..

At age 12, Dr. Chrystal Starbird stood by a pond after turning her mother in to the police. She watched tadpoles and fish move beneath the surface and found a strange kind of order. Science became her refuge long before it became her career. Years later, she built that refuge into a profession. She now serves as an Assistant Professor at the University of North Carolina, studies structural biology tied to cancer and Alzheimer's disease, and won Cell's first Rising Black Scientist Award in 2020. On paper, she fits the model of success. In practice, she had to fight for basic access at every stage.Conference travel required upfront cash she did not have. Networking favored pedigree over merit. Mentorship often depended on who knew your name in the room. Chrystal learned those rules, then chose to break them open for others.Oliver Bogler examines what Chrystal calls the advocacy tax. She has delivered over 70 invited talks. Nearly 40 percent focus on equity, mentorship, and policy. Academic reward systems do not count that labor toward tenure. She still does it.Through her leadership at the Life Science Editors Foundation, Chrystal helped build the JEDI program, which pairs underrepresented scientists with editors from journals like Cell and Nature. The program has supported over 100 awardees with more than 1,000 hours of mentorship. This episode exposes how biomedical science rewards output while ignoring the work required to make the system accessible. It also shows what happens when the people most affected refuse to step back.RELATED LINKSDr. Chrystal StarbirdStarbird LabLife Science Editors FoundationJEDI ProgramFEEDBACKLike this episode? Rate and review Out of Patients on your favorite podcast platform. For guest suggestions or sponsorship email podcasts@matthewzachary.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

At 19, Jansher Naim went from sharp stomach pain to a Stage 4 fibrolamellar diagnosis that few doctors see and even fewer young adults survive. He pushed through 41 rounds of chemotherapy, a Whipple surgery, and months of isolation while his friends kept moving through normal college life. In the studio, Jansher sits beside his mother Sadia Siddiqui, who refused early defeat and helped overhaul his care team when the first plan offered little optimism. Now a Computer Science student at Columbia, Jansher lives in the uneasy space between remission and risk, managing fertility decisions, travel for ongoing care, and the strange pressure to look fine at 22. Together they describe what it takes to grow up fast inside a system that rarely knows what to do with young adults who refuse to disappear.RELATED LINKSJansher NaimSadia SiddiquiFibroFighters FoundationColumbia UniversityFEEDBACKLike this episode? Rate and review Out of Patients on your favorite podcast platform. For guest suggestions or sponsorship email podcasts@matthewzachary.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We're excited today to welcome Dina Farris and her husband, Caleb, to the podcast. Dina and Caleb navigated her breast cancer diagnosis, together, one test at a time, and just weeks before their wedding. We know that breast cancer disproportionately affects the patient, but it also deeply affects the loved ones and family members who are among the biggest supporters.

Jessica Federer built her career inside the rooms where science, money, and power collide. As the first female Chief Digital Officer at Bayer, she helped steer a 120,000 person global company through the rise of digital medicine while confronting a harder truth: women were excluded from U.S. clinical trials until 1993. In this conversation, she explains how decades of “first in man” research shaped drug development, why women experience side effects at nearly 2x the rate of men, and how guidance on sex based differences did not arrive from the FDA until December 2025. She shares what it means to sit on a Yale Institutional Review Board, why clinical trial stipends over $3,000 get taxed, and why she believes participants deserve tax credits instead. From GLP 1 profits to $40,000,000 women's health funds that barely move the needle, this episode names the gaps and the opportunity hiding inside them. RELATED LINKSJessica Federer on LinkedInJessica Federer on InstagramYale School of Public HealthHealth of Women Investor SummitFEEDBACKLike this episode? Rate and review Out of Patients on your favorite podcast platform. For guest suggestions or sponsorship email podcasts@matthewzachary.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The risk of getting breast cancer increases as you get older, but breast cancer can happen at any age. Today's guest is Abby. Abby was diagnosed with Stage 3 luminal B invasive ductal carcinoma breast cancer at the young age of 31 with no prior family history. She is mom of a 4-year-old, a DIYer and spends time trying to live a more simple, happy life. This episode originally aired on May 27, 2024

Monique Gore Massey spent 2.5 years cycling through New York City emergency rooms while her body shut down. Fevers hit 105. Her weight dropped from 122 pounds to 72 in 3 months. Hair fell out in clumps. No one ran an ANA test. Doctors blamed stress, old sports injuries, migraines. When a physician finally named it lupus, she added that she hoped it was not. Months later, Monique heard the words “get your affairs in order.”In this episode, Monique details living with lupus nephritis, pericarditis, fibromyalgia, and the daily math of survival. She recounts arriving at a patient conference shortly after coming off crutches and requesting elevator access for support, only to face resistance at a health summit that claimed to center patients. She breaks down what it costs when industry extracts lived experience for free and calls it engagement. Listeners will hear what invisible illness looks like in real time, how bias delays diagnosis, and why advocacy without strategy leaves patients exploited instead of respected.RELATED LINKSMonique Gore MasseyLupus Foundation of AmericaFEEDBACKLike this episode? Rate and review Out of Patients on your favorite podcast platform. For guest suggestions or sponsorship email podcasts@matthewzachary.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.