The Cancer Mavericks: A History of Survivorship

Matthew Zachary Worldwide
  • 4.7 (49)
  • DOCUMENTARY
  • COMPLETE SERIES
The Cancer Mavericks: A History of Survivorship

Before cancer was a hashtag. Before survivorship was a talking point. Before anyone rang a damn bell—there were Mavericks. They didn’t look like heroes. They weren’t trying to go viral. They were patients, parents, doctors, punks, poets, and misfits who got sick, got angry, and got loud. They questioned authority, rewrote the rules, and turned personal trauma into public transformation. They didn’t wait to be invited into the room—they built new rooms. The Cancer Mavericks is a documentary podcast series about the people who made survivorship matter—before it had a name. From the National Cancer Act to the birth of the AYA movement, from grassroots organizing to celebrity activism, from chemo brain to the cancer Moonshot—this is the untold history of how patients forced the system to care. Created and hosted by 30-year brain cancer survivor and healthcare rebel Matthew Zachary, this isn’t a story about cancer. It’s a story about what people do after. Bold. Human. Unapologetically real.

Season 1

  1. EPISODE 1

    EP1: The Big C Wasn’t Always on TV

    Back when doctors didn’t even say the word “cancer” out loud, let alone tell patients they had it, survivorship wasn’t a movement. It wasn’t even an idea. It was shame, silence, and stigma. In this premiere episode, host Matthew Zachary kicks off The Cancer Mavericks with a gut-punch history of how cancer was once portrayed in media—if it was portrayed at all. From 1940s radio dramas and Bette Davis deathbed scenes to 1990s network TV and Hollywood’s “clean cancer” obsession, this episode unpacks how pop culture shaped what people thought cancer looked like, who was allowed to survive, and how little patients were told about their own disease. We meet the pioneers who broke the silence. People like Sidney Farber, the “father of chemotherapy,” and Mary Lasker, the ad-world power broker who dragged Congress kicking and screaming into the War on Cancer. These aren’t textbook characters. They’re real people who changed the future—while the present was still in the dark. And we hear directly from Matthew himself, who was diagnosed with brain cancer at 21 while studying to be a film composer. His life and his advocacy began not in a lab, but in a college dorm room with a numb hand, a blinking answering machine, and an appointment with a neurosurgeon who canceled Shabbos to deliver the news. This episode sets the tone for the entire series: honest, human, angry, smart, and necessary. Whether you’re a survivor, caregiver, researcher, student, or just someone who’s tired of sugarcoated stories—this is the podcast that tells it like it was, and why it still matters. KEY TAKEAWAYS Cancer was once so feared and misunderstood that doctors routinely hid diagnoses from patientsHollywood sanitized cancer stories with “clean” illnesses like brain tumors, avoiding the visual reality of chemo, surgeries, and sufferingSidney Farber’s leukemia trials with chemical warfare agents sparked the first real breakthroughs in treatmentMary Lasker leveraged her advertising savvy to turn cancer into a political priority, helping launch the National Cancer Act of 1971Matthew Zachary’s own diagnosis in 1995 shows how survivorship is deeply personal, and deeply influenced by who tells your story—and how FEEDBACK Like this episode? Rate and review The Cancer Mavericks on your favorite podcast platform. Explore more at https://cancermavericks.com See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    42 min

  2. EPISODE 2

    EP2: You’re Cured, Good Luck

    Before Facebook groups, Slack channels, and TikTok cancer diaries, connecting as a survivor meant classified ads, rotary phones, and maybe a mimeograph machine if you were lucky. In Episode Two, The Cancer Mavericks rewinds to the 1970s and '80s—when the War on Cancer was flooding labs with cash, but survivors were left wondering: what now? There were no after-plans. No safety nets. You got treated (if you could), you survived (if you were lucky), and then… nothing. We meet Fitzhugh Mullen, a radical physician turned accidental organizer, and Katherine Logan, one of the first cancer survivors to say, out loud, that life after treatment wasn’t enough. Together, they built the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship (NCCS)—a grassroots, pre-internet rebellion that demanded dignity, transparency, and a say in how survivors were treated by the medical system and society. This episode also spotlights the cancer survivor as part of larger social justice movements—from disability rights to civil rights—and shows how patient voice became political power. From the Black Panthers’ free clinics to the Young Lords’ takeover of Lincoln Hospital, we trace how survivors and community organizers shared DNA: no one was coming to save them, so they did it themselves. You’ll also hear from people who were told they were lucky to be alive—as if that meant they shouldn’t ask for more. They did anyway. This isn’t a nostalgia trip. It’s a reminder that survivorship is a human rights issue. And the fight didn’t start on Capitol Hill—it started with people in living rooms and church basements, demanding to be seen. KEY TAKEAWAYS Survivorship wasn’t part of the plan in early cancer care—patients were expected to disappear after treatmentThe National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship (NCCS) helped define survivorship as its own phase of care and advocacySurvivors began organizing using tools from other civil and disability rights movementsEarly advocates were often dismissed as ungrateful or demanding for wanting quality of life after treatmentFitzhugh Mullen and Katherine Logan pioneered a movement that laid the foundation for survivorship rights todayMarginalized communities often led the charge in demanding equitable care—through grassroots activism, not institutional permission FEEDBACK Like this episode? Rate and review The Cancer Mavericks on your favorite podcast platform. Explore more at https://cancermavericks.com See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    39 min

  3. EPISODE 3

    EP3: The Navigator and the Negotiator

    What happens when a street-smart surgeon and a no-BS survivor team up to change the rules of cancer care—forever? In this episode, we meet two people who took radically different paths to the same goal: making survivorship a right, not a privilege. Dr. Harold Freeman was a breast cancer surgeon at Harlem Hospital in the 1970s, where he saw poor Black women dying—not from advanced disease, but from late diagnoses, insurance red tape, and sheer neglect. So he stopped asking for permission. He opened clinics on Saturdays. He recruited locals, not lab coats. He created patient navigation—a now-standard model of care that started as an act of medical rebellion. Around the same time, Ellen Stovall was diagnosed with cancer at 24. She beat the disease but got no roadmap for what came next. So she made one. Ellen became a powerhouse policy advocate who took survivorship to Capitol Hill—turning personal trauma into federal testimony and leading the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship into national prominence. Their stories collide in the 1990s, when Freeman and Stovall joined forces to push survivorship into the mainstream—from local communities to the Institute of Medicine and beyond. This episode is about two different kinds of leadership. One rooted in the streets. One forged in the halls of government. Both born from lived experience—and relentless purpose. KEY TAKEAWAYS Dr. Harold Freeman pioneered patient navigation to eliminate care barriers in marginalized communitiesEllen Stovall reframed survivorship as a lifelong concern, not a postscript, and brought that urgency to WashingtonNavigation started as civil disobedience; it’s now a pillar of cancer careEllen’s policy work helped transform Freeman’s local idea into a national standardTogether, they showed that care must be accessible and accountable—and that survivorship is both a clinical and human rights issueFreeman and Stovall exemplified two ends of advocacy: community action and policy change FEEDBACK Like this episode? Rate and review The Cancer Mavericks on your favorite podcast platform. Explore more at https://cancermavericks.com See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    41 min

  4. EPISODE 4

    EP4: You’re Not ‘Cured’ — You’re Just Not Dead

    What if surviving cancer was just the beginning of the real fight? In this episode, we dig into the dirty little secret of cancer care: post-treatment survivorship is often a medical no-man’s-land. Once the last scan is clean and the bell is rung, patients are left to figure out what “getting back to normal” even means—if that’s possible at all. We hear from patients and pioneers who pulled back the curtain on life after cancer, exposing the physical, emotional, and financial wreckage that doesn’t make it into the brochure. From debilitating fatigue, chemo brain, and fertility loss to job discrimination and bankruptcy—survivors found themselves told they should be grateful... while falling apart. Leading the charge is Dr. Patricia Ganz, one of the first physicians to say out loud that survivorship is a medical specialty—and a broken one at that. We follow her 40-year journey advocating for quality of life research, survivor rehab, and the creation of actual survivorship clinics, not just exit paperwork and “good luck” wishes. Matthew Zachary brings it home with his own brutal reality check after treatment: no support, no rehab, no roadmap. Just the question: now what? This episode is a wake-up call. It’s not about beating cancer. It’s about what comes after—and why most of us weren’t ready for it. KEY TAKEAWAYS Survivorship doesn’t end with the last round of chemo—it often starts thereDr. Patricia Ganz pioneered survivorship as a field, pushing for real research into long-term effects and quality of lifeSurvivors face lasting trauma, cognitive issues, sexual dysfunction, and financial devastation—with little clinical recognition"Chemo brain" is real, and many patients had to convince their own doctors it wasn’t “just aging”Survivorship clinics, where they exist, are rare—but vitalSociety celebrates survival but often ignores the cost of staying alive FEEDBACK Like this episode? Rate and review The Cancer Mavericks on your favorite podcast platform. Explore more at https://cancermavericks.com See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    42 min

  5. EPISODE 5

    EP5: The Young Adult Cancer Revolution: When the Next Generation Got Loud

    For decades, cancer care had a massive blind spot: young adults. If you were diagnosed between the ages of 15 and 39, you were basically invisible—too old for pediatrics, too young for geriatrics, and completely off the radar of clinical trials, support systems, and survivorship planning. In this episode, Matthew Zachary introduces the origin story of the AYA (Adolescent and Young Adult) cancer movement—and how a pissed-off generation of young survivors said enough is enough. We hear from advocates like Tamika Felder and Lindsay Norbeck, who survived cancer in their 20s and were left to deal with infertility, dating trauma, career detours, and the brutal realities of trying to “just be normal” when your body, future, and finances were blown apart. We dive into fertility preservation battles, post-cancer sex lives that no one talked about, and the social isolation of being a survivor with no peers—because, until the mid-2000s, there wasn’t even a name for this group. Also featured: the rise of Planet Cancer and Stupid Cancer, online hubs that became lifelines. Communities forged in dark humor, rage, resilience, and inside jokes only survivors could understand. And of course, the brief but meteoric LIVESTRONG era—when yellow wristbands made survivorship cool, if only for a moment. This episode captures a time when young adults with cancer stopped asking to be noticed and started demanding change. KEY TAKEAWAYS AYA (Adolescent and Young Adult) cancer patients were ignored by the medical system for decadesSurvivors like Tamika Felder and Lindsay Norbeck spotlight the lasting toll: infertility, mental health, sex, and financial ruinNo fertility coverage? Survivors had to fight insurers just to freeze eggs before chemo1 in 3 AYA survivors experience sexual dysfunction; most never get told it might happenPlanet Cancer and Stupid Cancer built the first digital communities for young adult patientsThe LIVESTRONG boom gave AYA cancer visibility, but the movement was built long before the wristbands FEEDBACK Like this episode? Rate and review The Cancer Mavericks on your favorite podcast platform. Explore more at https://cancermavericks.com See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    42 min

  6. EPISODE 6

    EP6: Lights, Camera… Colonoscopy: Cancer Mavericks Go to Hollywood

    What happens when Hollywood gets cancer—and decides to do something about it? In this episode, we explore the power and pitfalls of celebrity advocacy in the cancer world. When Katie Couric got a colonoscopy on live TV, it wasn’t just a media stunt—it led to a 20% spike in screenings. That moment became known as the Katie Couric Effect, and it proved something: when a household name says, “get screened,” people actually listen. But it didn’t stop there. Katie co-founded Stand Up To Cancer alongside producer Laura Ziskin and others in the entertainment world who had lost friends and family. It became one of the most successful nonprofit disruptors in the field, funding research that directly led to multiple FDA-approved treatments—and permanently shifting how cancer fundraising looked and sounded. We also hear from Dr. Larissa Nekhlyudov on the high-stakes fallout of survivorship: financial toxicity, mental health breakdowns, and long-term effects that aren’t covered by a red carpet or a PSA. From Christina Applegate and Michael J. Fox to Patrick Dempsey’s grief-fueled Dempsey Center, this episode pulls back the curtain on how fame, storytelling, and real emotion collided to drive awareness—and sometimes distort reality. And of course, Matthew Zachary reflects on what it means when the public learns about cancer through celebrities—while millions of regular people fight the same battles in silence. This episode asks hard questions: Does star power save lives? Does it distract from structural failures? And how do we strike the balance between influence and honesty in a media-saturated world? KEY TAKEAWAYS Katie Couric’s live colonoscopy led to a measurable national increase in screenings—aka the Katie Couric EffectStand Up To Cancer raised hundreds of millions and backed research that resulted in 9 FDA-approved cancer therapiesLaura Ziskin used her Hollywood clout to drive collaborative science—and make research accountability sexyCelebrity activism can raise awareness, but may oversimplify the realities of treatment and survivorshipSurvivors still face long-term fallout like PTSD, financial ruin, and isolation—even if the spotlight moves onReal stories, told honestly (famous or not), are still the most powerful tool we have FEEDBACK Like this episode? Rate and review The Cancer Mavericks on your favorite podcast platform. Explore more at https://cancermavericks.com See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    40 min

  7. EPISODE 7

    EP7: The Inequity of Cure: Who Gets to Matter

    Cancer hits hard. But it hits some communities harder. Not because of biology—but because of broken systems, baked-in bias, and willful neglect. In this episode, The Cancer Mavericks zooms in on cancer disparities—how race, income, geography, and history shape who gets diagnosed early, who gets treated properly, and who gets left behind. This isn’t a new problem. It’s a crisis that's been ignored for decades. We meet Mary Lovato, a Native American woman from the Santo Domingo Pueblo in New Mexico who was diagnosed with leukemia and forced to travel 800 miles for care. Her experience sparked a movement for Native-led support systems and culturally competent survivorship programs—despite resistance, stigma, and underfunded Indian Health Services. We also hear from Maimah Karmo, the unstoppable force behind the Tigerlily Foundation, who survived breast cancer in her 20s and now fights for Black women to be seen, heard, and included in every part of the cancer conversation—from clinical trials to policy panels. Dr. Carmen Guerra breaks down why only 4% of clinical trial participants are Black—and what’s being done (and still not being done) to fix that. Spoiler: it’s not just about recruitment. It’s about trust, access, and making sure the front door is even open. This episode is a rallying cry. It’s about who’s left out of the system, who’s pushing back, and why equity isn’t a feel-good word—it’s the difference between life and death. KEY TAKEAWAYS Native American and Alaska Native cancer patients often lack access to local oncology services due to underfunded IHS programsMary Lovato’s advocacy led to the creation of Survivorship in Indian Country—support circles rooted in cultural traditionCancer stigma still silences too many in Indigenous communities; survivors like Mary had to build trust from scratchMaimah Karmo founded Tigerlily Foundation to ensure Black women are included in research, policy, and survivorship careOnly 4% of U.S. clinical trial participants are Black—due to barriers like transportation, insurance, and systemic mistrustThe Inclusion Pledge pushes organizations to make equity real, not performative FEEDBACK Like this episode? Rate and review The Cancer Mavericks on your favorite podcast platform. Explore more at https://cancermavericks.com See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    37 min

  8. EPISODE 8

    EP8: The Future Was Listening

    This is the finale—but it’s not the end. In this final chapter of The Cancer Mavericks, we connect the past to the present—and hand the mic to the next generation. The episode weaves together legacy and momentum, spotlighting the bridge between the trailblazers who fought to be heard and the advocates now rising with new tools, new platforms, and a louder voice than ever before. We hear from Dr. Lisa Richardson at the CDC, Dr. Catharine Young from the White House Cancer Moonshot, and leaders like Deanna Darlington and Dr. John Carpten who are reshaping the narrative of survivorship, equity, and community power. From TikTok to town halls, Instagram Lives to the halls of Congress, cancer advocacy no longer looks like it used to—and that’s the point. This isn’t a victory lap. It’s a relay race. And the baton is being passed, intentionally, urgently, and loudly. Host Matthew Zachary reflects on 30 years of survivorship and what it means to witness your life’s work echo into the voices of Gen Z, digital-first disruptors, and advocates who aren’t waiting for permission. From Mary Lasker to Mary J. Blige, from mimeograph machines to social media movements—this episode asks a simple question: what happens after the Mavericks? The answer: more Mavericks. KEY TAKEAWAYS Advocacy is no longer top-down—it’s grassroots, digital, and community-ledThe Cancer Moonshot continues the work of past pioneers with billions in research investmentsOrganizations like Tigerlily, links2equity, and others are reframing advocacy through intersectionality and media fluencyGen Z and millennial advocates are using new platforms (TikTok, Instagram, podcasting) to build trust and visibilityThe fight for equity, access, and empathy in cancer care is being led by people who’ve lived it—and who won’t settle for performative changeThe voices of the past were never lost—they were amplifiedThis series isn’t about nostalgia. It’s about what happens next FEEDBACK Like this episode? Rate and review The Cancer Mavericks on your favorite podcast platform. Explore more at https://cancermavericks.com See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    17 min
  9. [BONUS] Cancer Mavericks Goes to Hollywood (With My Mom)

    EPISODE 9 BONUS

    [BONUS] Cancer Mavericks Goes to Hollywood (With My Mom)

    Before there was a series, a movement, or a name—there was this conversation. In this special bonus episode, Matthew Zachary rewinds to what could’ve been the pilot for The Cancer Mavericks: a raw, funny, and unexpectedly deep conversation with his mom, Roz Greenzweig. A retired educator and lifelong cinephile, Roz doesn’t just remember every classic cancer movie ever made—she lived through one when her 21-year-old son was diagnosed with brain cancer. Together, they break down how Hollywood portrayed cancer for most of the 20th century: quietly, tragically, and with full glam. From Bette Davis fading out in Dark Victory to the sanitized tragedy of Love Story, Roz and Matthew trace the gap between the “beautiful deaths” on screen and the messy, terrifying, and absurd reality they lived off screen. This is part media criticism, part family therapy, and part origin story for a generation of advocates who didn’t see themselves in the movies—but showed up anyway. If you want to understand where The Cancer Mavericks came from, it’s not just policy and protests. It’s this: a mom who paid attention, spoke up, and never let the story end at the credits. KEY TAKEAWAYS Early portrayals of cancer in media prioritized aesthetics over accuracy—often avoiding the word “cancer” entirelyRoz Greenzweig's instinct, emotion, and pop culture lens helped her make sense of a terrifying diagnosisCaregivers often become advocates by necessity, not by choice—and usually without training or supportStorytelling in the home is just as powerful as storytelling in WashingtonThe roots of modern advocacy can often be traced to personal conversations, not public platformsThere’s no such thing as “just a movie” when you’re watching your life on screen FEEDBACK Like this episode? Rate and review The Cancer Mavericks on your favorite podcast platform. Explore more at https://cancermavericks.com See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    49 min

  10. SEASON 1 TRAILER

    Introducing: The Cancer Mavericks

    Before survivorship was a word, it was a fight. In this special preview, host Matthew Zachary lays the groundwork for The Cancer Mavericks—a documentary series about the people who refused to be statistics and built a movement instead. If you think you know the story of cancer, think again. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    4 min

Trailer

Hosts & Guests

4.7
out of 5
49 Ratings

About

Before cancer was a hashtag. Before survivorship was a talking point. Before anyone rang a damn bell—there were Mavericks. They didn’t look like heroes. They weren’t trying to go viral. They were patients, parents, doctors, punks, poets, and misfits who got sick, got angry, and got loud. They questioned authority, rewrote the rules, and turned personal trauma into public transformation. They didn’t wait to be invited into the room—they built new rooms. The Cancer Mavericks is a documentary podcast series about the people who made survivorship matter—before it had a name. From the National Cancer Act to the birth of the AYA movement, from grassroots organizing to celebrity activism, from chemo brain to the cancer Moonshot—this is the untold history of how patients forced the system to care. Created and hosted by 30-year brain cancer survivor and healthcare rebel Matthew Zachary, this isn’t a story about cancer. It’s a story about what people do after. Bold. Human. Unapologetically real.

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