The best podcasts about Survivorship in Cancer Culture

I'm an audio marketing specialist, music supervisor and creative. I love music podcast, nuanced storytelling and afrofuturism. As we approach the end of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I decided to spotlight some inspirational podcast recommendations from award-winning physician, author, and cancer survivorship expert, Dr. Stacy Wentworth (Assistant Professor of Radiation Oncology at Wake Forest School of Medicine and practicing radiation oncologist).

Conversations about Cancer by Dr. Stacy Wentworth "When my hospital combined with another health system, most meetings involving the merger were task-focused, leaving little time to get to know people from the “other side.” On a call a few weeks into this new relationship, I asked a co-worker what podcast she was listening to and she mentioned If Books Could Kill which was still in its infancy. I noted the strange title but didn’t listen until it appeared as a suggested pod on my phone. I was on my commute to work so I figured what the heck and pushed play. I was hooked, which is what I emailed her later that day. I love getting to know people this way. A conversation around podcasts or books is especially attractive to me as I am not great at small talk. I excel at the deep, the heavy and the hard. I guess this is an occupational hazard of being an oncologist. I find that what someone is reading or listening to brings up what someone is feeling, which is a conversation where I feel the most comfortable. As a result of my aversion to small talk, I often find myself holed up in a corner at parties explaining the intricacies of living wills or sympathizing over the burden of caring for a spouse with dementia. When people open the door and share their struggle, I form a connection with them and hope they feel the same. The opposite happens when I realize the introductions are over and the lovely person sitting across from me pauses, expecting me to continue a normal conversation. Ummm…can we just start at second base? How do you feel about your mother? Authors and cancer survivors Kelly Corrigan and Kate Bowler described this feeling on Kate’s podcast Everything Happens: Kelly: This kind of superficial, small talk is exhausting and makes my eyes cross. Kate: I didn’t realize how intolerant I am of extended small talk until I was in a group setting the other day and everyone was being normal to each other and exchanging the kind of information that you typically exchange. And then there was just like a microsecond pause. And I said, How many people here have been punched in the face? I mean, like really punched in the face. Just a nice table full of women. And then I realized maybe I’m not as good at small talk as I thought I was. Kelly: And I’m no good with small talk either. I’m so clumsy in the way I change the channel conversationally. They’ll be telling me about their Kalakaua marble counter. And I’ll be like, let me ask you something: When your mom’s coming to town, are you anxious or happily anticipating the event? Kate: Yes. Like diaries are out. Let’s get in there. I like that: Diaries out. Let’s get in there. What about you? Can you strike up a conversation with anyone and keep it superficial? Or do you bring your diary out and hope others will do the same? For those seeking deep conversation, come sit next to me and let’s chat. These podcasts come from the same place. No platitudes about the power of positive thinking, only the gritty truth of living in broken bodies and trusted sources to help navigate that life."