Kicking Cancer's Ass

Joelle Kaufman
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Kicking Cancer’s Ass is the weekly podcast giving cancer survivors, patients, and caregivers hope and power through stories, strategies, and science.

  1. Episode 43: There's a Drug That Prevents Breast Cancer — And It's Blocked

    4D AGO

    Episode 43: There's a Drug That Prevents Breast Cancer — And It's Blocked

    "30 times more women die from breast cancer than need a liver transplant because of UPA. And yet the drug is paused." What if the drug that could prevent your breast cancer is already on pharmacy shelves — and regulators won't let your doctor prescribe it for that purpose? Dr. Sasha Howell, a medical oncologist from Manchester who runs one of the UK's leading breast cancer prevention programs, joined Kicking Cancer's Ass at the 2026 Rise Up Conference. His team's research, published in Nature in December, shows that three months of Ulipristal acetate reduced pre-cancerous cell proliferation and produced measurable changes in breast tissue on MRI. European regulators suspended the drug after five women in nearly a million developed liver failure. Statins and hormonal contraceptives carry higher risks and remain widely prescribed. This episode covers why two-thirds of women who develop breast cancer have no family history, what a polygenic risk score actually measures, and how clinical trial participation often means better monitoring than standard care. If you're worried about breast cancer risk, start with thewisdomstudy.org  The Wisdom Study is open to anyone 30+ in the US who hasn't had breast cancer: thewisdomstudy.org. Polygenic risk scoring is available in the UK for roughly £500 (about $650 USD), though accessing someone who can interpret results and prescribe risk-reducing medication remains a gap almost everywhere outside specialized centers like Manchester. Kicking Cancer's Ass. We never chose the pitch, but we always choose the swing.

    36 min
  2. Episode 42: It's Emergency Contraception. It Reduces Breast Cancer Risk. Your Oncologist Has Never Heard of It.

    APR 14

    Episode 42: It's Emergency Contraception. It Reduces Breast Cancer Risk. Your Oncologist Has Never Heard of It.

    A drug that reduces pre-cancerous breast cells has been sitting in U.S. pharmacies for twenty years. OB/GYNs prescribe it every day. Most oncologists have never heard of it. Dr. Abigail Liberty, an OB/GYN at OHSU, attended a cancer prevention conference in Manchester where British researcher Dr. Sasha Howell (next week’s guest) presented findings on anti-progestins — drugs that block the progesterone receptor — showing significant reductions in pre-cancerous breast cells and changes in tissue stiffness that make it harder for dangerous cells to survive undetected. When the room asked why we weren't doing this everywhere, someone noted: this drug doesn't exist in America. Dr. Liberty stood up and said: actually, it does. It's called Ella. It's emergency contraception. And the reason it hasn't crossed into breast cancer prevention is politics, not science. In this episode: the biology of why progesterone may matter more than estrogen in breast cancer risk, the regulatory and social barriers keeping this drug from women who need it, and what to ask your doctor for today. The drug: Ella (ulipristal acetate, 30mg). Ask for advanced provision — a prescription before you need it. Kicking Cancer's Ass. We never chose the pitch, but we always choose the swing. Learn more about scalp cooling from episode sponsor - www.coldcap.com Learn more about UCSF RiseUp at https://riseup.ucsf.edu/  Learn more about ELLA: https://www.ellarx.com/

    25 min
  3. Episode 41: Sex After Cancer: What No One Tells Men

    APR 7

    Episode 41: Sex After Cancer: What No One Tells Men

    "If someone would have told me there was a vacuum erection device — I wouldn't have even had to have it in my hand yet. But if I had just known that was there, it might have kept me from having those thoughts." Three men — a stage four prostate cancer survivor dating in his 60s, a gay man navigating anal cancer and an ostomy, and a married man who overheard nurses discussing his own "male castration" before anyone explained his treatment options — break open the conversation that oncologists almost never start. This is what cancer does to male sexual identity, desire, and relationships, and more importantly, what actually helps. They dive deep into: How Mike fired his first physician after overhearing nurses discuss "male castration" for his case and built a full sexual function advocacy strategy with his surgical team Mike's post-prostatectomy toolkit: vacuum erection device, penile injections, a performance ring, and Viagra, including why morning use worked when evening use produced nothing Why three weeks of post-surgery incontinence pushed Mike to suicidal ideation and how learning the vacuum device existed could have changed that How Tim's hormone therapy ended his marriage and what the first woman he dated post-divorce taught him about decentering penetration completely Daniel losing the sexual role that defined his identity as a gay man and what rebuilding intimacy actually looked like with a partner who had been his caregiver The caregiver-to-partner trap: why Christian's protective instincts made sexual reconnection harder, and why that tension still surfaces a decade later What pelvic floor PT with biometric ultrasound feedback looks like and why Mike was doing every exercise wrong without the visual Why all three men say doctors are optimizing to save your life, not your intimate life, and what they each wish they had been told before treatment started

    1h 5m
  4. Episode 40: How to Keep Your Hair During Chemo (and How to Afford It)

    MAR 31

    Episode 40: How to Keep Your Hair During Chemo (and How to Afford It)

    "8% of female patients said they would forgo chemotherapy due to fear of hair loss. We actually had one of those patients that we worked with that became not a statistic anymore." Bethany Hornthal, co-founder and executive director of Hair to Stay — the only national nonprofit exclusively funding scalp cooling access for low-income chemo patients — built the infrastructure behind scalp cooling's FDA clearance and then stayed to solve the access problem nobody else was addressing. In this conversation, she breaks down the science, the insurance battle strategy, and the personal history that drove her to turn a napkin idea into an organization that has awarded over 8,000 subsidies and $5 million to patients across the country. They dive deep into: The clinical trial that forced FDA clearance: how a 2010–2015 study proved 69% of breast cancer patients could maintain at least 50% of their hair — and why there was no control group needed, because without scalp cooling, all patients would have been bald The two-mechanism science behind why scalp cooling works: vasoconstriction limits how much chemo reaches the follicle, while cellular chilling slows metabolism so fast-replicating cells become less vulnerable to chemo's targeting Why filing your insurance claim anyway — even expecting a denial — is the actual lever moving the industry: every appeal and state-level escalation is what's building the case for coverage, with 14 states now carrying pending legislation How Hair to Stay's targeted donor funds work in practice: segments by age, geography, and profession mean patients who don't qualify under standard income criteria may still have a path to a subsidy — with eligibility decisions returned within 24 hours The honest answer on AC/doxorubicin protocols: harder, not disqualifying — and why younger patients with unprocessed hair have shown better outcomes even on the most toxic regimens The privacy and control case that goes beyond vanity: a therapist in the episode describes how visibly losing hair changed how her patients treated her in session — affecting the quality of care she could deliver Save It Forward, the peer fundraising model where past patients run golf tournaments, gym classes, and cold plunges to fund the next person — every $1,000 raised covers one additional subsidy What to do if your care team never mentions scalp cooling: ask directly whether the facility bills insurance on your behalf, because facility-based billing is increasingly common and materially improves reimbursement odds compared to filing solo Learn more about scalp cooling from episode sponsor - www.coldcap.com Learn more about UCSF RiseUp at https://riseup.ucsf.edu/

    41 min
  5. Episode 39: The #1 Cause of Death in Cancer Survivors (Not Cancer)

    MAR 25

    Episode 39: The #1 Cause of Death in Cancer Survivors (Not Cancer)

    "The leading cause of non-cancer death in cancer survivors is heart disease. The treatments for cancer may be increasing your probability of getting heart disease.." Dr. Anju Nohria runs the Cardio-Oncology Program at Dana-Farber and Brigham and Women's Hospital. She's one of the few doctors whose entire job is protecting cancer patients' hearts while they fight for their lives.  In this episode, she tells Joelle exactly what questions to ask your oncologist, what to watch for, and what you can actually do to protect your heart during and after treatment. They dive deep into: Why heart damage from chemo is almost always silent, no symptoms, no warning, and why by the time you feel something, you've already missed the best window to act How to know whether your specific treatment is even risky for your heart, and what monitoring to ask for if it is, because one test does not fit all drugs A major study showed that colon cancer survivors who did structured exercise after finishing treatment, not gym workouts, just regular walking, had lower rates of cancer coming back and lived longer at eight years of follow-up What happens to your heart when cancer treatment forces you into early menopause overnight, and why your regular OB or endocrinologist may not be the right person to manage it Why stopping your blood pressure or cholesterol medication during chemo is one of the most common and most harmful things patients do without realizing it The one number Dr. Nohria says every cancer patient should track at home, and exactly what to do if it's too high How newer immunotherapy treatments may be creating a long-term heart risk that nobody fully understands yet, and what researchers are trying to figure out right now You fought hard to get through treatment. This episode is about making sure your heart is there for everything that comes next. Listen to more episodes:  Apple  Spotify  YouTube Website

    37 min
  6. Episode 38: Your Tamoxifen Dose Is Too High — And a Clinical Trial Proved It

    MAR 17

    Episode 38: Your Tamoxifen Dose Is Too High — And a Clinical Trial Proved It

    "The majority of cancer drugs are registered at the dose which is intolerable for the majority of women. It causes a lot of clinical and financial toxicity." Dr. Andrea De Censi has spent his career asking one question: what's the lowest dose that still works? His answer to that question changed how tamoxifen is prescribed—and now he's testing whether a common diabetes drug combined with skipping breakfast could make cancer treatment more effective. He joins Joelle to share what decades of prevention research has taught him, and why so much of it never reaches patients. They dive deep into: The clinical trial proving that a quarter of the standard tamoxifen dose reduces breast cancer risk by the same 50%—with no extra risk of serious side effects, and barely half an additional hot flash per day Why 30 to 50% of women stop taking tamoxifen altogether—and why lowering the dose is a real option worth asking your doctor about, even before official guidelines say so How metformin (a cheap, widely-used diabetes drug) blocks one of the main ways tumor cells get energy—and why pairing it with intermittent fasting cuts off the backup route too The simple eating window used in the trial: eat only between noon and 8pm, fast the rest of the time—and why women newly diagnosed with breast cancer stuck to it at a 100% adherence rate How researchers used a glucose monitor to confirm women were actually fasting—no morning sugar spike means no breakfast, full stop The WHO trial that was designed to prove synthetic hormones protect the heart—but instead showed they raised breast cancer risk and mortality, overturning decades of thinking about progesterone overnight A drug already used to shrink fibroids—liprystal—now showing early signs it may reduce breast cancer cell growth too Why once a drug loses its patent, research funding dries up even when there's still important work to do—and who ends up filling that gap Learn more about scalp cooling from episode sponsor - www.coldcap.com Learn more about UCSF RiseUp at https://riseup.ucsf.edu/ Get more stories, strategies, and science at www.kcapodcast.com

    31 min
  7. Episode 37: From brain tumor at 21 to America's first cancer rights lobby

    MAR 10

    Episode 37: From brain tumor at 21 to America's first cancer rights lobby

    "I found one anchor. It was unique to me." Matthew Zachary was 21, a piano prodigy, when a brain tumor diagnosis stripped him of nearly every bodily function and left him completely alone in a system that had no language for what he was. He went on to build the most successful AYA cancer ecosystem on the planet and now he's starting America's first cancer patient voter bloc. They dive into: Getting diagnosed over an answering machine in 1995 and the chance Friday-night meeting with a neurosurgeon who spent three hours with his family when no one else would Refusing chemo at 21 after a geneticist uncle discovered two recommended drugs would cause permanent hearing loss and nerve damage in his fingers, information his doctors never volunteered Why no cancer voter bloc has ever existed in America, why the organizations that could have built one never did, and what WeThePatients.org is doing about it The three protections he's building the movement around: a reimbursable nurse navigator in every cancer center, a state-law-protected cancer steward role, and hard bankruptcy protections before treatment even starts Why Hill Day should be killed, why he's going state-by-state before federal, and how 50 million cancer-affected Americans still have zero coordinated political power What it meant to be 21 in pediatric oncology in 1996 with no peers, no mental health support, and no survivorship programs, and why geography still decides the quality of care a young adult receives today The single anchor that converted his anger into fuel after diagnosis and why it was entirely his own https://www.wethepatients.org/

    48 min
  8. Episode 36: Nine Lines of Treatment and Still Running Marathons | Bill Thach

    MAR 3

    Episode 36: Nine Lines of Treatment and Still Running Marathons | Bill Thach

    "I normalize all my traumas according to my therapist. But seriously — how can you not normalize it? Because this is reality now. It's my normal now." Bill Thach was 33 when he was diagnosed with neuroendocrine carcinoma — a subtype occurring in roughly 1 in 100,000 cancer diagnoses — with a five-month-old daughter at home. He spent over five years managing it alone before finding Man Up to Cancer's Gathering of Wolves retreat when his eighth line of treatment failed. Now, a year later, he serves as Director of Diversity at Man Up to Cancer, reviews neuroendocrine abstracts for the DoD's congressionally directed medical research program, and runs marathons — not despite his diagnosis, but because of what running teaches him about living with the uncontrollable. They dive into: Why Bill avoided cancer support groups for over five years, and what finally changed How vulnerability gets weaponized by friends and family, and why an all-male space removed that risk Building culturally specific outreach for men of color rather than applying one message across all communities Choosing running over cycling as a deliberate mental conditioning strategy Why young adult patients need a multidisciplinary mental health team assembled at diagnosis, not after treatment ends The social pressure on cancer patients to appear well, and why Bill stopped managing other people's comfort Survivor's guilt and the adolescent and young adult (AYA) cliff: what finishing treatment actually looks like when your peers don't make it How advocacy work( chapter leadership, DoD research review, and university AYA panels) delivered more mental health improvement than any single treatment Gathering of Wolves Retreat: https://gow2026.manuptocancer.org/#/ http://www.manuptocancer.org/

    43 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
5 Ratings

About

Kicking Cancer’s Ass is the weekly podcast giving cancer survivors, patients, and caregivers hope and power through stories, strategies, and science.

Information

  • Creator
    Joelle Kaufman
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    56
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Joelle Kaufman
  • Show Website
    Kicking Cancer's Ass

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