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Andrew Sweeney, now 35, was aware of his risk for colorectal cancer – his mother had had been diagnosed with it when she was 41. When he was 31, a CT scan at University of Michigan Health’s University Hospital revealed that Sweeney had a mass in his colon and potential metastases in his liver and lymph nodes. A colonoscopy confirmed that he had stage 4 colorectal cancer. After 1.5 years of chemotherapy, his care team began discussing how they could remove the damaged parts of Sweeney’s liver. They developed a colorectal cancer liver transplant protocol from a deceased donor and Sweeney was the first patient to undergo a liver transplant in Michigan for colon cancer. After minor recurrences of tumors in his lung in 2024, which were treated by surgery and radiation, his scans have been clear. For more episodes, visit the Cancer Aware podcast website. A transcript of this episode can be found here. Cancer Aware is a part of the Michigan Medicine Podcast Network and is produced by the Michigan Medicine Department of Communication. You can listen to Cancer Aware wherever you get your podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After a patient has a biopsy, the samples are sent to pathology to determine if it is cancerous or not as well as how aggressive it might be. Many patients will see their results before hearing from the medical team in their patient portal – leaving them anxious or confused on what it all means. Pathologist, Dr. Cathyrn Lapedis, talks about the role of pathology in a patient’s care plan, as well as new ways to help patients when they get results before their physician is able go over to help them with anxiety and to be better informed about their potential diagnosis. Participant: Cathyrn Lapedis, MD Resources: People find medical tests hard to understand, increasing overall worry Pathologists aid in patient understanding and quality of care For more episodes, visit the Cancer Aware podcast website. A transcript of this episode can be found here. Cancer Aware is a part of the Michigan Medicine Podcast Network and is produced by the Michigan Medicine Department of Communication. You can listen to Cancer Aware wherever you get your podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Those with an elevated prostate-specific antigen test are referred for a biopsy of their prostate to help diagnose prostate cancer or other prostate concerns. This can bring anxiety and discomfort for the patient.  Dr. Chad Ellimoottil, a urologist and division chief of men’s health and reconstruction at Michigan Medicine, shares information on prostate biopsies. He discusses those who need it, forms of biopsy, and the latest in performing them. For more episodes, visit the Cancer Aware podcast website. A transcript of this episode can be found here. Participant Chad Ellimoottil, MD Additional Resources Prostate-specific antigen test Prostate cancer Cancer Aware is a part of the Michigan Medicine Podcast Network and is produced by the Michigan Medicine Department of Communication. You can listen to Cancer Aware wherever you get your podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When treating for localized prostate cancer, surgery and radiation are usually what people hear about. However, there are other treatments that could be options under a heading of focal therapy. Dr. Andrew Wood, a urologic oncologist with the University of Michigan Health Rogel Cancer Center’s Weiser Center for Prostate Cancer talks about these options and which patients could benefit from them. Participant Andrew Wood, MD You can learn more about Cancer Aware on our website. A transcript of this episode can be found here. Cancer Aware is a part of the Michigan Medicine Podcast Network and is produced by the Michigan Medicine Department of Communication. You can subscribe to Cancer Aware on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Four University of Michigan faculty members have served as president of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, a rare distinction that only two other institutions can claim. ASCO is the world's leading professional organization for physicians and oncology professionals caring for people with cancer. In this episode, Nicole Fawcett, director of communications for the Rogel Cancer Center, sat down with four past ASCO Presidents and talked about the importance of the society, the impact it has had on cancer care and research as a whole and the impact here at U-M. Participants: Allen Lichter, MD, FASTRO Doug Blayney, MD Dan Hayes, MD Lori Pierce, MD   You can learn more about Cancer Aware on our website.   A transcript of this episode can be found here.   Cancer Aware is a part of the Michigan Medicine Podcast Network and is produced by the Michigan Medicine Department of Communication. You can subscribe to Cancer Aware on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the United States, unnecessary tests and treatments not only drive-up health care costs but may also contribute to a waste of valuable resources and avoidable patient harms. Today we talk with Michigan Medicine assistant professor of surgery Dr. Lesly Dossett, M.D., MPH about an effort to reduce such practices through a process called de-implementation. You can learn more about Dr. Dossett here. You can learn more about Cancer Aware on our website. A transcript of this episode can be found here. Cancer Aware is a part of the Michigan Medicine Podcast Network and is produced by the Michigan Medicine Department of Communication. You can subscribe to Cancer Aware on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In recent years, researchers have been studying the relationship between pets and overall cancer patient health outcomes. Today we talk with University of Michigan investigators Dr. Nina Francis-Levin, Ph.D., MSW, and Dr. Jess Francis-Levin, Ph.D. who are taking a closer look at this relationship within in the LBGT community. You can learn more about Dr. Nina Francis-Levin here. You can learn more about Dr. Jess Francis-Levin here. You can learn more about Cancer Aware on our website. A transcript of this episode can be found here. Cancer Aware is a part of the Michigan Medicine Podcast Network, and is produced by the Michigan Medicine Department of Communication. You can subscribe to Cancer Aware on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or wherever you listen to podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode of Cancer Aware, we are talking with Maria Silveira who is a palliative care specialist at Michigan Medicine and the Ann Arbor Veterans Affairs. She has over 20 years of experience working in the hospital and in clinic, taking care of patients with serious illness, supporting them and their families through what is often the toughest time of their lives. She helps train the next generation of palliative care and hospice physicians and nurse practitioners, and she does research in symptom management. You can learn more about Dr. Silveira here. You can learn more about Cancer Aware on our website. A transcript of this episode can be found here. Cancer Aware is a part of the Michigan Medicine Podcast Network, and is produced by the Michigan Medicine Department of Communication. You can subscribe to Cancer Aware on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or wherever you listen to podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s estimated that one in three Americans experience medical cost distress, and many fear the high cost of debt will leave them financially destitute. As a result, many may decline needed treatments or therapies. Here to address this issue is Dr. Mark Fendrick, Professor of Internal Medicine and Professor of Health Management and Policy in the U-M School of Public Health. Dr. Fendrick directs the Value-Based Insurance Design Center at the University of Michigan and his research focuses on how clinician payment and consumer engagement initiatives impact access to care, quality of care, and health care costs. The transcript can be found here. Cancer Aware is a part of the Michigan Medicine Podcast Network. You can subscribe to the Cancer Wise podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or wherever you listen to podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Drs. Elena Stoffel and Jennifer Griggs, co-principal investigators of the Michigan Genetic Hereditary Testing (MiGHT) Study, discuss the importance of knowing your family health history. Additional resources: MiGHT Study Family History Tool Rogel Cancer Center Genetics Genetic Testing For Inherited Risk For Cancer The transcript can be found here. Cancer Aware is a part of the Michigan Medicine Podcast Network. You can subscribe to the Cancer Wise podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or wherever you listen to podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Michigan Medicine neurosurgeon, Nicholas Szerlip, discusses cancer metastasis to the spine and how the Rogel Cancer Center is addressing this through their Metastatic Spine Oncology clinic. The transcript can be found here. Cancer Wise is a part of the Michigan Medicine Podcast Network. You can subscribe to the Cancer Wise podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or wherever you listen to podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, head and neck surgical oncologist Andrew G. Shuman, M.D., FACS, HEC-C, discuses the current cancer drug shortages and how they’re impacting patient care nationwide. Additional resources: https://www.rogelcancercenter.org/news/archive/combatting-critical-drug-shortages The transcript can be found here. Cancer Wise is a part of the Michigan Medicine Podcast Network. You can subscribe to the Cancer Wise podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or wherever you listen to podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

University of Michigan Health Rogel Cancer Center, surgical oncologist, Dr. Melissa Pilewskie, sits down and talks to us about surgical options for breast cancer. The focus being on helping women determine whether lumpectomy or mastectomy is appropriate for them and their type of breast cancer. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

University of Michigan School of Public Health professor, Dana Dolinoy, explains the role of epigenetics in environmental exposures and health. The epigenome is the instruction book that tells our genes when and how to turn on - and how to react to environmental influences. Researchers at the University of Michigan Health Rogel Cancer Center and School of Public Health are studying how changes in the epigenome could be early indicators of cancer in a statewide study called MI-CARES. Get the transcript of this podcast here. To find out more or to join the movement, visit https://micares.health/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fourth-year radiation oncology resident Dr. Jamie Takayesu, discusses her research on whether health care providers talk to women receiving radiation for genitourinary cancer about sexual health and function as much as they do men. Listen to her break down the multifaceted disparity and suggests some potential solutions to bridge the gap. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.