The Cancer Project

The time after an engagement is typically filled with excitement, wedding planning, and dreaming about the future. But for Morgan Lunardi and her fiancé, AJ, that exciting chapter quickly took an unexpected turn when Morgan was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma.Shortly after their engagement, Morgan began experiencing troubling symptoms, including intense headaches and facial swelling. Scans revealed a 13-centimeter mass in her chest. Because of the tumor’s location, doctors warned that a biopsy could require opening her chest to obtain a sample. As Morgan and AJ traveled to their wedding venue in Cabo to plan their special day, the possibility of such a serious procedure weighed heavily on them.Fortunately, doctors were able to complete the biopsy without opening Morgan’s chest. However, another complication meant she needed to begin chemotherapy a week earlier than planned. With their wedding less than a year away, Morgan decided to try cold capping during treatment in hopes of preserving her hair. The process uses extremely cold temperatures to restrict blood flow to the scalp and reduce hair loss during chemotherapy.Alongside chemotherapy, Morgan also underwent radiation while continuing to work full time and plan her wedding. She shares what it was like to navigate cancer treatment while preparing for one of the biggest days of her life, and how quickly she went from thinking about wedding details to becoming a cancer patient.Throughout her journey, Morgan leaned on other cancer survivors for advice, support, and answers to the questions that came with her diagnosis. Now, she is passionate about paying that support forward by helping others facing cancer, particularly when it comes to navigating treatment, fertility, and cold capping.Today, Morgan is cancer free and living the life she fought so hard to get back to. She and AJ are married and are now the parents of two beautiful daughters.Episode Resources:Oklahoma Proton Centerhttps://www.okcproton.com/https://www.instagram.com/okprotoncenter/https://www.facebook.com/OKProtonCenterThe Cancer Project Podcasthttps://www.instagram.com/the_cancerprojecthttps://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61581844363126https://www.tiktok.com/@protonguy

Twenty-three year old Valentina Prince was preparing to start veterinarian school in the fall when she experienced a sudden itch in her breast. Valentina thought nothing of it until she felt a new lump in her breast. She quickly made an appointment to have it looked at and suddenly found herself receiving a mammogram and being told this mass looks very abnormal and you need to schedule a biopsy as soon as possible. After difficulty finding a facility that could see her soon, her dad’s new job in Houston connected her to an oncologist that diagnosed her with stage three breast cancer.Valentina quickly began treatment at MD Anderson as the cancer had already spread to her lymph nodes. She received sixteen rounds of intensive chemotherapy, and jokingly referred to it as her “strawberry margarita” while trying to take a positive approach to treatment, determined to one day achieve her dream of becoming a veterinarian. In addition to chemotherapy, Valentina received immunotherapy, radiation, and had surgery as a part of her treatment plan. She shares honest details about the many complications she had throughout treatment including allergic reactions, burns from radiation, and lymphedema.After completing her intensive and exhausting treatment, Valentina rang the bell and spoke about the tidal wave of emotions she felt. She provides insight into what she wished she knew before undergoing treatment and her advice and mindset to those who are just beginning their cancer battle. Today, Valentina is cancer free and in her second year of veterinarian school at Michigan State University, continuing her dream of becoming what she affectionately refers to as a ‘dogtor’. Episode Resources:Valentina’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dogtorprince/Oklahoma Proton Centerhttps://www.okcproton.com/https://www.instagram.com/okprotoncenter/https://www.facebook.com/OKProtonCenterThe Cancer Project Podcasthttps://www.instagram.com/the_cancerprojecthttps://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61581844363126https://www.tiktok.com/@protonguy

What exactly does a medical physicist do, and how does their work impact a cancer patient's treatment? On this episode of The Cancer Project Podcast, we sit down with Dr. Ali Fatemi, a board-certified medical physicist specializing in radiation therapy and MRI physics, to explore the technology and people working behind the scenes of modern cancer care.Dr. Fatemi breaks down how medical physicists help ensure radiation treatments are delivered safely and accurately, and explains why MRI could play an increasingly important role in radiation therapy, particularly proton therapy. We also discuss the potential of combining MRI and proton therapy to better identify tumors and deliver highly precise treatment.The conversation also looks toward the future of cancer care and artificial intelligence. Dr. Fatemi shares why he believes AI won't simply replace doctors and medical physicists, but instead could change how they work, accelerate research, and give medical professionals more time to focus on solving complex problems. He also discusses the importance of validating and carefully testing new technology before it reaches patients.Finally, Dr. Fatemi shares his journey from Iran to Canada and the United States, his transition from researcher to clinical medical physicist and entrepreneur, and his passion for taking innovative ideas out of the laboratory and bringing them into the clinic where they can ultimately make a difference for patients.Episode Resources:Smart Medicine Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@SmartMedicinePodcastOklahoma Proton Centerhttps://www.okcproton.com/https://www.instagram.com/okprotoncenter/https://www.facebook.com/OKProtonCenterThe Cancer Project Podcasthttps://www.instagram.com/the_cancerprojecthttps://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61581844363126https://www.tiktok.com/@protonguy

On this inspiring episode of perseverance and strength, we are joined by metastatic breast cancer thriver Elissa Kalver. Despite no family history of breast cancer, a sudden lump in her breast prompted Elissa to go to the doctor. Elissa shares with The Cancer Project how quickly she had to move from step to step of mammogram, ultrasound, and biopsy. She provides an honest and sincere glimpse into the day she received her metastatic prognosis and the treatment plan that would follow. During her diagnosis, she was shocked to see more spots in her liver than in her breast as her husband hyperventilated into a paper bag next to her. As Elissa tackled her eight rounds of chemotherapy, she received many gifts of candles, blankets, and meals. She shares that while those gifts were extremely thoughtful from her loved ones, the items weren’t things she actually needed and began to brainstorm a way to benefit both the patient and supporters who desperately want to help their loved one through this journey. Elissa quickly landed on a registry where cancer patients could curate a list of things they need during treatment. Registries are used to celebrate things such as weddings and baby showers, why not to help with the bad times and not just the good times?From this idea, wegotthis.org was born. The first ever registry designed for cancer patients that provides one space for them to outline all their needs for loved ones asking how they can help. This site takes away the guessing game from the supporters while also not fatiguing the cancer patient from constantly having to think of what they need each time a loved one asks. Supporters can purchase items from their listed registry, collect donations, and streamline the process of how to help.In addition to creating wegothis.org, Elissa is an active advocate for cancer patients. She speaks honestly about her journey with metastatic cancer and why she prefers the term thriver instead of survivor. Elissa is both an informative and humorous voice on social media, continuing to help build communities and share resources for all those affected with cancer. Make sure to join us for her candid and educational episode!Episode Resources:We Got This:https://wegotthis.org/https://www.instagram.com/wegotthisorg/https://www.facebook.com/wegotthis.orgUPenn Medicine GLP-1’s & Breast Cancer Study:https://www.pennmedicine.org/news/glp-1-use-linked-to-lower-breast-cancer-incidenceOklahoma Proton Centerhttps://www.okcproton.com/https://www.instagram.com/okprotoncenter/https://www.facebook.com/OKProtonCenterThe Cancer Project Podcasthttps://www.instagram.com/the_cancerprojecthttps://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61581844363126https://www.tiktok.com/@protonguy

This week on The Cancer Project Podcast, we are honored to be joined by former ProCure Treatment Center President and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) cancer survivor, James Williams. In 2012, James and ProCure began the process of opening the ninth proton therapy center in the United States. In his role as President, James also assisted in the oversight and development of ProCure proton therapy centers in Oklahoma, New Jersey, and Washington.James describes his time working with ProCure and making proton therapy more accessible to cancer patients as one of the most rewarding and fulfilling roles he has ever had. He reflects with The Cancer Project Host and long time friend David Raubach on the beginnings of ProCure and the detail-oriented work that went into the managing of what is now the Oklahoma Proton Center. James provides insight on what his day-to-day was like at the centers, and practices he used that made all the difference in elevating patient care and experience.Later in life after transitioning out of cancer care, James began to notice some troubling symptoms including shortness of breath, extreme fatigue, and eventually collapsing before going to the emergency room. After bringing in Mayo, James was diagnosed with a rare form of blood cancer called myelodysplastic syndrome, also known as MDS. This cancer occurs when blood-forming cells in the bone marrow become abnormal and fail to grow into healthy, mature blood cells. James quickly needed chemotherapy that was followed up by a STEM cell transplant from his son to enable proper blood cell populations and growth.James courageously shares the full MDS journey from diagnosis, extensive time in the hospital for treatment, and how he continues to live with MDS today. After getting the myelodysplastic syndrome under control, James developed a relationship with the MDS foundation and speaks about his passion for what they do and his involvement on their board of directors. To learn more about myelodysplastic syndrome and the MDS Foundation please visit their website listed in resources below!Episode Resources:MDS Foundation:https://www.mds-foundation.org/https://www.instagram.com/mdsfoundation/https://www.facebook.com/MDSFoundationOklahoma Proton Centerhttps://www.okcproton.com/https://www.instagram.com/okprotoncenter/https://www.facebook.com/OKProtonCenterThe Cancer Project Podcasthttps://www.instagram.com/the_cancerprojecthttps://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61581844363126https://www.tiktok.com/@protonguy