Happy New Year!!!! To kick off 2026 the ladies bring back some amazing friends Abby — Episodes 22 & 52, Stacey — Episodes 24 & 64, Molly — Episode 36, Alison — Episodes 38 & 39, Cara — Episode 85 for a community discussion.

This episode held space for both the heavy and the hopeful.

Together, we dove into the awkward, often painful moments of communication that cancer patients experience, even when the intentions behind the words are good.

Through honest conversation, shared laughter, and real vulnerability, we unpacked phrases that stuck with us for all the wrong reasons, explored how they made us feel, and offered guidance on how supporters can communicate with more care, awareness, and empathy.

This was a learning experience for us all. We shared our hurts openly, but just as importantly, we talked through how those same sentiments could have been expressed differently, giving our listeners practical, compassionate tools to better communicate.

What made this conversation especially powerful was how often our experiences overlapped. Many of us had heard the same phrases, felt the same reactions, and carried similar emotional weight, proof that these moments are common, and that small changes in language can make a meaningful difference.

In this episode of Let’s Talk Fng Cancer Spotlight episode, we sit down with Dee Dee West, a colon cancer survivor whose journey reshaped not only her life, but her purpose.

Dee Dee takes us back to life before cancer. The routines, the assumptions, and the moments she now looks at differently. She shares how she discovered her cancer, what the diagnostic and treatment process really looked like, and the physical and emotional toll that came with it. We talk candidly about mental health during and after cancer, the realities of survivorship, and how relationships can shift when illness enters the picture.

Beyond survival, Dee Dee has become a powerful voice in colon cancer advocacy, using her platform to educate, raise awareness, and encourage others to listen to their bodies and advocate for their health. Through her advocacy work, she is helping change the narrative around colon cancer .

We also explore how creativity became part of Dee Dee’s healing. She shares how launching her jewelry business allowed her to reconnect with herself, channel meaning into creation, and turn survival into something tangible and beautiful.

This episode is honest, grounding, and deeply human — a reminder that survivorship is not an endpoint, but an ongoing journey of rebuilding, redefining, and reclaiming your life.

Follow Dee Dee’s advocacy journey on Instagram: @colonfluencer

Dee Dee's Etsy Shop:

Sea West Studio

In this month’s “What’s New” episode, we kick things off with some joy — catching up on life, sharing big updates, and celebrating JULIA AND MATT GETTING MARRIED! 🥂✨

From there, we dive into the latest breakthroughs happening across the cancer research world. Each of us covers a different area of emerging science, treatment advancement, or clinical insight — and as always, we break it down in a way that’s real, relatable, and rooted in hope. 🧬 Julia: Understanding Carcinoid Tumors, 💨 Leah: How Far Lung Cancer Treatment Has Come — Especially in the Last 2 Years, 🔬 Colette: Pancreatic Cancer Breakthrough — Cryptic Peptides Reveal New Targets

Sources Below:

Mayo Clinic Carcinoid Tumors

Cleveland Clinic Neuroendocrine Tumors

AACR Old New Borrowed and Blue, approaches for non small cell carcinoma

The Lancet - Lung cancer treatment: 20 years of progress

Pancreatic Cancer Breathrough

The full research paper is titled:

“Pancreatic cancer–restricted cryptic antigens are targets for T cell immunotherapy.”

Published in Science.

DOI: 10.1126/science.adk3487

Lead authors: Zackery Ely and Zachary Kulstad

Senior authors: Tyler Jacks and William Freed-Pastor

This was summarized in the MIT News article:

“Biologists identify targets for new pancreatic cancer treatments”

Written by Anne Trafton

Published May 8, 2025