In this episode, we dive deep into surgical support for cancer patients and share all the insider intel you might be missing out on. From what not to take before surgery (blood clotting is essential!) to the importance of inflammation in the healing process (yes, inflammation is actually your friend after surgery!), we cover it all.

Discover key nutrients, physical and occupational therapy recommendations, and even some mind-body strategies to boost your recovery. We’re talking macronutrients, micronutrients, supplements, and the best foods to eat before and after surgery. Also, we reveal a common supplement that we’re told to skip that might actually help with healing! This episode is packed with practical, easy-to-implement advice that you won't want to miss.

Past episodes we mentioned:

• Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Supplements 101
• Vitamin D: Supplements 101
• Calcium: The Low Down and the High Points
• Vitamin C: Supplements 101
• Magnesium: the Goldilocks Nutrient?
• Flax and Chia Seeds: Foods First
• Link to nutrient absorption chart of gut
• Find clinical trials on exercise as cancer supportive therapy

Products we mentioned (we may earn a small commission at no cost to you):
Juven
Ginger People
Tummy Drops

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Become a member of The Cancer Pod Community! Gain access to live Q&As, exclusive content, and so much more! Join us today!

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Writer, humorist, previvor, survivor, and breast cancer prevention advocate Gila Pfeffer joins Leah for a thoughtful, funny, and deeply honest conversation about loss, resilience, and finding humor in the most unlikely situations.

Gila talks about her memoir, Nearly Departed: Adventures in Loss, Cancer, and Other Inconveniences, how humor can be a survival tool during cancer treatment, and her cheeky Feel It on the First campaign that raises awareness of breast cancer screenings and risk reduction. Gila shares her experiences from undergoing a risk-reducing double mastectomy as a BRCA+ previvor to becoming a cancer survivor who is a powerful voice in breast cancer awareness.

This wide-ranging interview moves between generations—Gila’s experience as a daughter watching her mother go through cancer, and later as a mother facing her own diagnosis—highlighting the power of storytelling to help us make sense of what feels impossible. Honest, insightful, and refreshingly human, this episode is for anyone navigating cancer.

Follow Gila on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/gilapfeffer/

Subscribe to her Substack

Send your Feel It On the First pictures to Gila! gilawrites@gmail.com

Things mentioned in this episode:

Read Gila’s first publication in McSweeney’s An Open Letter to Tiffany & Co. About Their Advertising Campaign for the Ring That Helps Women Remember They Survived Cancer

The Tyrer-Cuzick Risk Calculator

Koning-Vera, compression-free mammography

Eleonora Deplinsky, MD Gynecologic medical oncologist https://www.instagram.com/drteplinsky

Robyn Roth, MD breast radiologist https://www.instagram.com/theboobiedocs

Sharsheret, a nonprofit dedicated to providing personalized support, education, and community for Jewish women facing breast and/or ovarian cancer.

Support the show

Become a member of The Cancer Pod Community! Gain access to live Q&As, exclusive content, and so much more! Join us today!

Check out our website! Looking for more information? We have blogs, merch, and all of our episodes listed by season and category.

Shop our favorite reads! We've joined with Bookshop.org to offer some of our fave books!

Have a comment or suggestion? Email us at thecancerpod@gmail.com

Follow us wherever you browse. We're always @TheCancerPod:

• Instagram
• Bluesky
• Facebook
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• YouTube

THANK YOU!!

Dr. Tina Kaczor and Dr. Leah Sherman discuss new diagnostic tools that can tell benign tumors from cancer in the pancreas, highlight the growing concerns over microplastics, and explore the link between ultra-processed foods and early colorectal cancer. They also highlight some amazing inventions by teenagers, like a melanoma-detection app and a skin-cancer-reducing soap. Last, they cover the benefits of hypnosis before breast cancer surgery and the health impact of commonly used chemicals in dry cleaning. This episode provides valuable insights for anyone interested in cancer prevention, early diagnosis, and overall wellness.

Soap for skin cancers invented by TIME's Kid of the Year, Hemen Bekele

A skin cancer detecting app invented by Richmond, VA high-schoolers

The dramatic increase in glyphosate use across the Midwest in the USA

The rising rates of cancer in young people around the world

Exposure of rat fetuses to glyphosate levels led to early cancer development

The rising rate of glyphosate exposure over time

Support the show

Become a member of The Cancer Pod Community! Gain access to live Q&As, exclusive content, and so much more! Join us today!

Check out our website! Looking for more information? We have blogs, merch, and all of our episodes listed by season and category.

Shop our favorite reads! We've joined with Bookshop.org to offer some of our fave books!

Have a comment or suggestion? Email us at thecancerpod@gmail.com

Follow us wherever you browse. We're always @TheCancerPod:

• Instagram
• Bluesky
• Facebook
• LinkedIn
• YouTube

THANK YOU!!