Cancer, Challenges, and Championing Those Who Can't Speak Up | Ep 274

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What does it truly mean to support those who face discrimination because of disabilities or serious illness? This powerful episode dives deep into the reality of how society often treats its most vulnerable members.

Justin Alan Hayes, founder of Voices for Voices, delivers a heartfelt exploration of the exploitation and discrimination faced by people with disabilities, challenges, and serious illnesses like cancer. Drawing from personal experiences with family members battling advanced cancer, he examines the painful reality that some individuals and organizations actually target vulnerable people rather than supporting them. The parallels between disaster exploitation and taking advantage of those with disabilities reveal a disturbing pattern in human behavior that demands our attention and action.

This episode serves as both a call to awareness and a promise of support. Voices for VoicesⓇ stands firmly against any discrimination, creating a platform where everyone's story deserves to be heard, regardless of ability or circumstance. Whether you're personally affected by disability or illness, or supporting someone who is, you'll find validation, understanding, and community here. As Justin eloquently states, "We're all in humanity together, doesn't matter how we look, our abilities, our challenges."

Ready to be part of a movement that celebrates human dignity in all its forms? Join us at Voices for VoicesⓇ, where we're committed to being "a light where there is none." Reach out to share your story or that of a loved one – together, we can create a world where everyone feels valued, supported, and truly heard.

Chapter Markers
0:00 Welcome to Voices for VoicesⓇ
3:41 Supporting Those with Disabilities
9:26 Confronting Discrimination and Exploitation
13:44 Understanding Cancer and Its Challenges
21:55 Being a Light in Difficult Times
32:28 Call to Share Your Story

#CancerAwareness #FightCancer #CancerSupport #ChampionTheVoiceless #HealthAdvocacy #EndCancerStigma #SurvivorStories #SpeakUpForOthers #EmpowermentThroughAdversity #MentalHealthInCancer #CommunitySupportSystem #HopeAndHealing #ResilienceInChallenge #NonprofitAdvocacy #TogetherAgainstCancer #TikTok #Instagram #VoicesforVoices #VoicesforVoicesPodcast #JustinAlanHayes #JustinHayes #help3billion

Cancer, Challenges, and Championing Those Who Can't Speak Up | Ep 274

The rollercoaster beckons -
One red flag summoned a call to arms
and here I am, again.
The carriages are crammed
but there is space made for me
amongst an army of well-meaning medics
and fellow fear-filled faces
heading to an unknown destination.
It moves so fast and
I’m afraid to near it
yet, I am reassured that it is there
That there is a ride, to take
trusting there will be light at the end
as there was, before.
All I can do is hold on
and hope I am not not flung
into the abyss below -
A chasm of collective fear,
threatening to consume me.
That is not who I am.
Unsteady in my knowing
I take a step towards this familiar ride,
to release what no longer serves me
Forced onwards, I fight to stay present
It is my only means of control.
My mind is both enemy and friend -
an internal battle that I cannot lose.
Peace, my greatest weapon

Written and read by Helen J. Aitken ©2023
https://www.instagram.com/hjd_poems/

Turbulence

If you’ve ever looked at a wellness gadget and thought, “Is this really going to help me?”—you’re not alone. In this episode of The Breast Cancer Recovery Coach Podcast, we explore the science behind a popular wellness tool: vibration plates, also known as whole-body vibration therapy (WBV).

Whether you’re in recovery from breast cancer, managing post-treatment fatigue, experiencing bone loss, or dealing with sluggish digestion, you’ll discover how this gentle, low-impact tool could support your healing journey.

We’ll dive into clinical research, explain how vibration plates work, and walk through the many potential benefits—from muscle strength and bone density to circulation, lymphatic drainage, and yes—even bowel regularity.

You’ll also hear practical guidance on how often and how long to use a vibration plate safely and effectively—without overdoing it.


Breast cancer, vibration plate benefits, whole body vibration therapy, vibration plate after breast cancer, improve bone density naturally, support digestion after cancer, muscle strength post-treatment, lymphatic drainage, cancer recovery tools, low-impact fitness for cancer survivors, fatigue recovery after cancer



#413 Vibration Plates For Breast Cancer Recovery - Muscle Bone and Bowel Benefits You Should Know About

This episode is such an exciting one, and honestly, it might just change the way you think about what you eat—especially if you’ve ever felt confused or overwhelmed about what’s “safe” or supportive after a breast cancer diagnosis.

I’m talking about two powerful cellular processes that are important for us to understand: autophagy and angiogenesis.

These are what researchers call hallmarks of cancer—but they’re also incredible opportunities for healing. And the best part?

You don’t need to fast for days or eat perfectly to support them. You just need to make some smart, loving food and lifestyle choices—and I’ll walk you through what those are.

We’ll talk about how to support your body’s natural clean-up system (autophagy) and how to regulate the way your body builds blood vessels (angiogenesis)—all through everyday foods, simple habits, and ditching the all-or-nothing mindset.

#414 Smart Food Swaps For Breast Cancer Recovery - The AA Nutrition Plan

In this episode of The Breast Cancer Recovery Coach, we’ll dismantle three of the most common—and misleading—nutrition myths that many women encounter after a breast cancer diagnosis.

Whether you’re in active treatment or navigating life post-cancer, this conversation offers clarity, compassion, and practical advice rooted in science, not fear.

#415 Nutrition Myth-Busting After Breast Cancer - What You Need to Know

If you've ever found yourself hurt, frustrated, or emotionally drained because someone didn’t do what you thought they should—especially after you asked—this episode is for you.

In this conversation, I’m talking about a powerful concept I use with my clients all the time, called “the manual.” It’s the invisible rulebook we write in our minds about how other people should behave and what their actions (or lack of action) mean about us.

But here’s the catch: no one else has a copy of that manual. And when people don’t follow our unspoken rules, we end up making it mean something painful—like “they don’t care,” or “they don’t love me.” That pain builds up, and it affects our emotional and physical health, especially when we’re healing after something as life-changing as breast cancer.

So in this episode, I’m sharing how to spot when you’re living by a manual, how to burn it, and how to replace it with something far more powerful: clear, loving boundaries that support your peace and your healing.

#416 Finding Your Peace After Breast Cancer - Burning The Manuals

#417 Healing Smarter After Breast Cancer - Using Research and Experience to Guide Your Choices

DACA AI ASCULTAT ASTA IMI CER SCUZE (NO HATE TOWARDS FEMTANYL OR DIZO)

NASTYWERKKKK X Una mia suta lei (CANCER LA URECHI WARNING)

DRAVEN HAS CANCER

BUFFALO, NY - July 7, 2025 – A new #research paper was #published in Volume 16 of Oncotarget on June 17, 2025, titled “Genetic characteristics of blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm: A single institution experience.”

In this study, a research team led by first author Fei Fei and corresponding author Michelle Afkhami from the City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center investigated a rare and aggressive type of blood cancer called blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm (BPDCN). Their research uncovered frequent mutations in key genes and identified CCDC50 as a potential biomarker for diagnosis and disease monitoring. These findings could help improve how this cancer is detected and treated in the future.

BPDCN most often affects older adults and is known for its rapid progression and poor survival rates. The researchers performed genetic sequencing on 21 patients to better understand the disease. They found that two genes, TET2 and ASXL1, were frequently mutated in these patients and were linked to worse survival, especially in those over 65 years old.

“Our study revealed that TET2 (57%) and ASXL1 (33%) were the most frequently mutated genes, followed by NRAS (29%), SRSF2 (14%), ZRSR2 (14%), and KMT2D (14%).”

The study also discovered that a gene called CCDC50 was expressed at much higher levels in BPDCN samples compared to other blood cancers, such as acute myeloid leukemia and chronic monomyelocytic leukemia. This suggests that CCDC50 may help clinicians distinguish BPDCN from other similar diseases. Importantly, CCDC50 levels dropped significantly in patients whose disease went into remission, highlighting its potential as a tool for tracking disease activity over time.

Researchers further observed that patients who received stem cell transplants lived longer than those who did not, reinforcing the importance of this treatment approach. However, BPDCN remains a challenging disease with an overall poor outlook, making these findings an important step toward better care.

This research provides new insights into the genetic changes behind BPDCN and points to CCDC50 as a promising marker to improve diagnosis and monitor treatment success. Larger studies will be needed to confirm these results and bring these discoveries closer to use in routine medical practice.

DOI - https://doi.org/10.18632/oncotarget.28742

Correspondence to - Michelle Afkhami - mafkhami@coh.org

Video short - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUjr3uU3onI

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Keywords - cancer, Blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm (BPDCN), Next-generation sequencing (NGS), CCDC50

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Oncotarget

Key Genetic Alterations and Biomarker for Blastic Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cell Neoplasm

Scribbler of poems, narrator of words. Author of guinea pig tales.

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Oncotarget is a primarily oncology-focused, peer-reviewed, open access journal. Papers are published continuously within yearly volumes in their final and complete form and then quickly released to Pubmed.

Oncotarget is now indexed by MEDLINE, PubMed and PMC/PubMed.

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New tracks tagged #cáncer