Not Your Grandma‘s Cancer Show

Newly Diagnosed? This episode is for you!

If you're newly diagnosed with cancer, welcome, you're in the right place.  
In this episode, members of the Shine community share their top tips and what they wish they knew when they were in your position. We have two great guests, Matt, diagnosed just last year with bowel cancer, shares his whirlwind entry into the world of cancer and how important humour is, and Ceinwen, co-founder of Shine Cancer Support, shares the breadth of her knowledge. Having met hundreds of newly diagnosed younger adults she reminds us that however we are feeling we aren't alone and we're not doing it wrong.  

Living with genetic cancers

Tatum explores what it's like to carry a 'cancer gene' and speaks to Helen, who carries the BRCA gene, and Cara who has Lynch syndrome. 
Cara developed bowel cancer at 32 for which she was successfully treated. She later developed early stage womb cancer and had a hysterectomy and oophorectomy during the pandemic. Her father had also had bowel cancer. 
Three generations of Helen's family have been affected by cancer, including her mother who died of breast cancer in the 1990s. Helen tested positive for the BRCA1 gene mutation as a child and later developed ovarian cancer. 
Both Cara and Helen discuss what it's like to live with the constant awareness of cancer and how they continue to process their experiences.

Neurodiversity and cancer - how neurodivergence affects how we experience cancer

Tatum speaks to Dr. Char Goodwin and Neil MacVicar, both of whom are neurodivergent and have been diagnosed with cancer.
The quote Char references is from Dr Jac den Houting  @JacdenHouting  TED talk https://www.ted.com/talks/jac_den_houting_why_everything_you_know_about_autism_is_wrong?language=en

Stories of breast cancer

October is breast cancer awareness month and in our latest podcast Tatum speaks to three members of Shine's community about their experiences of the UK's most common cancer.  She speaks to Kate, who was diagnosed in lockdown and Hannah who was diagnosed with breast cancer after an earlier cancer diagnosis. Tatum also speaks to Dror about what it's like to be a man living with advanced breast cancer. 

And now for the science bit: frontiers of cancer research with Prof Gerard Evan

This month, we're delighted to speak to Prof Gerard Evan who is based at the UK's Francis Crick Institute and is one of the world's leading cancer researchers. Prof Evan talks to Tatum about why cancers occur, how we can treat them, and why there are many reasons to be hopeful for the future of cancer treatment. Fun fact: you have more cells in your body than there are stars in a thousand Milky Way galaxies.
Like what you hear? Join us *in person* on 14 October at Shine Connect, the UK's only conference for younger adults with cancer. Find out all the details and register here. 

Talking about cancer, sex and intimacy

In this episode, Tatum chats to Sarah and Cheryl of the Cancer, Sex and Intimacy Project which is now a partner of Shine Cancer Support. Sarah and Cheryl talk about what inspired them to work on the topics of sex and intimacy after cancer and also unpick whether advice not to sleep in the same bed as your partner means you can have sex on the couch....
Cheryl and Sarah will be joining us at Shine Connect (Shine's annual conference) in October 2023. 
You can check out Cancer, Sex and Intimacy on Instagram @sex_cancer_intimacy and read their booklet here. 
 
Cheryl's story: 00:01:20
Sarah's story: 00:02:20
Differences between men and women in approaching sex after cancer: 00:17:29
Reigniting pleasure: 00:23:17
 

Going Out Out! The Pride and Cancer episode

To celebrate London Pride, our podcast this month is looking at how we can navigate the desire to go OUT OUT for Pride while also managing cancer and all the things that brings with it. Tatum is joined on the podcast by Scott, who lives with multiple myeloma, and Indigo who is living with the effects of kidney cancer treatment. 
00:00:00 - Intro
00:00:54 - Scott's story 
00:11:56 - Indigo's story 
 
Topics:
- LGBTQI+
- Pride
- Multiple myeloma
- Kidney cancer
- Coping with long-term conditions

Talking about infertility: Part 2, Stories of Infertility after Cancer

In this podcast, we explore what it's like to be left infertile after cancer. Tatum talks to Amanda, Katy and Gemma about their experiences of cancer diagnoses, treatment, fertility preservation and adjusting to the thought of a life without children.
00:00:00 - Intro
00:01:17 - Amanda's story
00:15:04 - Katy's story
00:31:42 - Gemma's story
 
Topics:
- Breast, ovarian and womb cancer
- Cancer diagnosis
- Treatment
- Fertility preservation
- Life without children
- Living with infertility
- Coping strategies

Talking about infertility: Part 1

Tatum speaks to Dr. Cheryl Fitzgerald, a consultant gynaecologist in reproductive medicine in Manchester, and Shine volunteer Hannah, about the ways in which cancer and cancer treatment can affect fertility. They discuss the emotional impact of post-cancer (in)fertility and also provide some really useful tips for shaping discussions with healthcare practitioners. 

Exercise after cancer

May is Shine's Exercise after Cancer Month and on the podcast we've got two great guests: exercise specialist and breast cancer survivor Carolyn Garritt, author of Get Your Oomph Back, and size-inclusive personal trainer Gemma Saeger, who also lives with multiple myeloma. They discuss the ins and outs of exercise after cancer, including why it's important and where to get started if you're not feeling motivated.