All Things Cancer | National Foundation for Cancer Research

National Foundation for Cancer Research
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Join Dr. Sujuan Ba, the CEO of the National Foundation for Cancer Research, as she sits down with leading scientists, advocates, researchers, and patients who are shaping the future of cancer research and care. In each episode, Dr. Ba explores the groundbreaking work, personal stories, and transformative ideas driving the fight against cancer. From cutting-edge oncology discoveries in the lab to the inspiring resilience of patients and advocates, All Things Cancer offers a unique perspective on the journey to cures and better lives for those impacted by cancer.

  1. 5d ago

    Breast Cancer Was Supposed to End by 2020. Fran Visco Explains What Happened.

    What does it take to turn a breast cancer diagnosis into a movement that changed how cancer research is funded? On this episode of All Things Cancer, Dr. Sujuan Ba, CEO of the National Foundation for Cancer Research (NFCR), sits down with Fran Visco, President of the National Breast Cancer Coalition (NBCC), for a candid conversation about patient advocacy, cancer research funding, and the push for bolder science. Fran was a lawyer, wife, and mother when she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1987. She went on to help build NBCC into one of the most influential patient advocacy organizations in the country. She explains how patient advocates earned a seat at the table in cancer research, from the Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research Program to Project LEAD, the science training program that has trained more than 2,600 advocates. The conversation also covers why researchers so often submit conservative proposals, why Fran believes it’s not how much money is spent on research but how it’s spent, and what it will take to fund high-risk, high-reward science. She shares the story behind the Artemis Project and its effort to develop a preventive breast cancer vaccine, reflects on NBCC’s bold goal to end breast cancer by 2020, and explains why patient advocates need to speak up to Congress as federal research funding comes under pressure. Whether you’re a cancer patient, survivor, caregiver, researcher, advocate, or donor, this episode offers a clear look at how patients can influence cancer research, funding, and policy.

  2. Sep 4

    The Awkward Mistake That Sparked a 25-Year Cancer Research Partnership

    From a graduate student who couldn't reliably spell "genetics" to the scientist who provided the first experimental evidence for the class of gene now called "tumor suppressors" — Dr. Webster "Web" Cavenee's career changed how we understand and treat cancer. In this episode, Dr. Cavenee sits down with NFCR President & CEO Dr. Sujuan Ba to trace a friendship and scientific partnership that's spanned more than 25 years — starting with a name Cavenee accidentally botched at a conference podium. From there, the conversation moves through his landmark discovery of the first tumor suppressor gene, the family who inspired it, and a moment in a Stockholm operating room that changed the direction of his entire career. They also dig into the origin story of GBM AGILE — the adaptive clinical trial model that took over a decade, $100 million, and no shortage of skeptics to get off the ground, and is now running in more than 100 institutions across the U.S., Europe, Australia, and Canada. A conversation about risk, collaboration, and what it actually takes to move cancer research from the lab to the patient.

  3. Aug 28

    From Frogs to Algorithms: The Unlikely Duo Rewriting Breast Cancer Research

    What happens when a cancer biologist and a mathematician become research partners? In this episode of All Things Cancer, Dr. Lisa Coussens and Dr. Elana Fertig sit down to talk about the unlikely collaboration transforming how we understand breast cancer. Lisa's path wound through art school, marine biology, and an early stint at Genentech before she became a leading cancer biologist. Elana came to science through a love of puzzles and math, eventually applying data science to weather prediction before turning her tools toward cancer research. Funded by an NFCR grant that encouraged cross-disciplinary partnerships, the two built a collaboration Lisa describes as "like a marriage" — one that combined enormous, complex datasets with the computational tools to make sense of them. They discuss what they found when combining four different anti-cancer therapies in a breast cancer model, why basic science funding matters now more than ever, and what AI can — and can't — realistically do for cancer treatment.

  4. Jul 31

    He Held Her Foot Through Every MRI For 7 Years — Then She Was Gone

    When Tom Clark's wife Bernadette — a nurse and his high school sweetheart of over 50 years — began showing subtle, out-of-character symptoms, she was the one who suspected something was seriously wrong before any scan confirmed it. She was right: a brain tumor, later diagnosed as glioblastoma (GBM), one of the most aggressive cancers there is. In this episode of All Things Cancer, Tom sits down with Dr. Sujuan Ba, NFCR's President and CEO, to share the full arc of Bernadette's journey — from that first stumble on a mountain trail to brain surgery, chemo, hospice care at home, and the promise he made to keep going. Tom opens up about caregiving, faith, grief, and why he's now dedicated to helping other families facing GBM navigate what he and Bernadette went through. This is a story about love, persistence, and what it means to show up for someone completely — even when there are no easy answers. All Things Cancer is available anywhere you listen.

  5. Jun 26

    The Cancer That Has No Symptoms — Until It's Too Late

    Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the world — and the most survivable, if you catch it early. Dr. Ron Shore has spent 34 years and 28,000 patient screenings proving it. In this episode, he breaks down the three types of skin cancer, why melanoma can be silent until it's deadly, and the simple screening habits that could save your life. If you've ever skipped your annual skin check, listen to this first. Dr. Shore also shares his five essential tips for protecting yourself: get a thorough annual exam from a knowledgeable dermatologist, return for check-ups every six to twelve months, wear SPF 50 or higher whenever you're in the sun, encourage older loved ones with visible sun damage to get screened, and if you spot something new or unusual — don't wait, see a doctor now.

  6. May 11

    He Spent 3 Weeks Unplugged at the Bottom of the Grand Canyon — While Accidentally Revolutionizing Cancer Treatment

    What happens when a curious biochemist follows his wife to California, falls in love with whitewater rafting — and accidentally makes one of the most important cancer discoveries of the 20th century? In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Tony Hunter, the 2025 St. Gyorgi Prize winner and Salk Institute legend, whose 1979 discovery of tyrosine phosphorylation laid the foundation for over 80 cancer drugs in use today. We talk about the moment the scientific world accepted his discovery, why America's cancer research dominance is now under serious threat, the "valley of death" killing promising treatments before they reach patients, and what AI can — and can't — do for the future of cancer medicine. Equal parts science, adventure, and a warning the research world needs to hear.

  7. Apr 9

    Your Mammogram Can Now Predict Cancer Before You Have It -- Here's the Doctor Making It Happen

    What if you could know your breast cancer risk at 25 and actually do something about it? Dr. Funmi Olopade, a trailblazing oncologist at the University of Chicago, has spent 30 years rewriting the rules of breast cancer care, and she believes we can eradicate it as a cause of premature death within a decade. In this episode, she breaks down how AI, genetic testing, and a simple blood test are transforming early detection, why too many women are still being failed by a broken system, and what every woman should be doing right now, no matter their age. This is a conversation that could change how you think about your own health.

  8. Mar 6

    Doctors Gave Her 3 Years to Live. She Changed Cancer Research Instead.

    At age 37, Kathy Giusti was diagnosed with multiple myeloma and told she had just three years to live. Instead of accepting that fate, she turned urgency into action and founded the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF), transforming how cancer nonprofits accelerate drug development. Today, more than 15 therapies have been approved for multiple myeloma and survival rates have more than doubled. In this episode of All Things Cancer, Dr. Sujuan Ba speaks with Kathy Giusti about her new book Fatal to Fearless, the leadership and strategy required to drive progress in cancer research, and how collaboration between nonprofits, academia, industry, and regulators can speed lifesaving treatments to patients. They also explore the future of cancer research, including venture philanthropy, data sharing, AI-driven discovery, and why patients must be empowered to advocate for themselves in a complex medical system.

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Join Dr. Sujuan Ba, the CEO of the National Foundation for Cancer Research, as she sits down with leading scientists, advocates, researchers, and patients who are shaping the future of cancer research and care. In each episode, Dr. Ba explores the groundbreaking work, personal stories, and transformative ideas driving the fight against cancer. From cutting-edge oncology discoveries in the lab to the inspiring resilience of patients and advocates, All Things Cancer offers a unique perspective on the journey to cures and better lives for those impacted by cancer.

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