The holidays are upon us, which means Mariah Carey has come out of hibernation, Alvin and the Chipmunks still want their hula hoop, and people in Miami are singing about snow in 70-degree weather. But, for those of you who can’t stand one more strain of Jingle Bell Rock on your long road trip to visit family, we have just the thing.

What better way to pass the time during your holiday travels than listening to inspiring stories of people who’ve conquered cancer? Here, we’ve compiled a list of some of our most popular episodes from Season VI of our Your Stories podcast series, which features candid conversations between patients, doctors, advocates, researchers, and the loved ones who conquer cancer with them.

Spreading the News About Colorectal Cancer Research 

Guests: Craig Melvin, Dr. Kimmie Ng 
Host: Dr. Don Dizon 
NBC journalist Craig Melvin’s 43-year-old brother, Lawrence Meadows, passed away from colorectal cancer in 2020. Since then, Craig has made it his mission to increase public awareness and raise support for colorectal cancer research. Along with two-time Conquer Cancer grant recipient and colorectal oncologist Dr. Kimmie Ng, Craig joins this episode to emphasize the vital importance of advancing this area of cancer care. Hosted by Dr. Don Dizon, Craig and Dr. Ng discuss the stigmas surrounding colorectal cancer and how donor support is bringing new research discoveries to patients.

Thinking Pink and Beyond 

Guests: Athena Jones, Dr. Judy Garber 
Host: Dr. Clifford Hudis 
When you see pink ribbons, you might think of breast cancer advocacy. But long before people began thinking pink, breast cancer remained fairly stigmatized. Today, the conversation around breast cancer has skyrocketed, thanks in large part to a huge collective of advocates, doctors, and patients around the world. Dr. Judy Garber, scientific director of the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, and Athena Jones, CNN reporter and two-time breast cancer survivor, chat with Conquer Cancer’s executive vice chair Dr. Clifford Hudis about what everyone can learn from the rise in breast cancer advocacy.

“It's Treatable”

Guest: Lillian Kreppel 
Host: Brenda Brody 
Lillian had to advocate for herself and seek a second opinion before receiving a delayed diagnosis: HPV-related stage II anal cancer. During treatment, she found stark limitations in HPV information, including lack of public awareness, inadequate guidelines for cancer screening, and a lot of HPV-related social stigma. Now a survivor, Lillian leads the HPV Cancers Alliance, an advocacy organization she co-founded to help improve HPV education. In this episode, she shares key lessons for patients navigating screening and treatment, debunks stigmas and myths surrounding HPV, and highlights the importance of patient advocacy.

Dentistry to Oncology 

Guest: Dr. Chi Viet 
Host: Dr. Don Dizon 
For patients with oral cancers, treatment is often just the beginning of their journey. Even after they emerge cancer-free, many still face a long journey to a restored quality of life. As a maxillofacial surgeon and oncologist, Dr. Chi Viet helps her patients to not only conquer this rare cancer, but to more effectively manage pain along their road to recovery. In this episode, Dr. Viet reflects on transitioning from dentist to cancer surgeon, summarizes the impact of her Conquer Cancer-funded research, and shares how her own patients help to advance rare cancer research for current and future patients.

A Boulder Approach to Conquering Cancer

Guest: Dr. Favia Dubyk  
Host: Dr. Mark Lewis 
Athlete, professional climber, reality show participant, competitor, physician, and cancer survivor: Dr. Favia Dubyk embodies the definition of conqueror. But facing advanced-stage lymphoma during her second year of medical school caused a major setback in Favia’s athletic life. Even today, having appeared on extreme sports competition shows like NBC's American Ninja Warrior, Favia continues to feel the effects of cancer. In this episode, Favia discusses the kinds of emotional support she found most helpful during lymphoma treatment and why it matters for patients to appreciate the little things in life.