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‘This is Cancer’ Season 4: New Stories of Hope and Perseverance

By Siteman Communications |
Portrait photo in blue tones of two people smiling in front of a podcast microphone

Siteman launches a new season of the award-winning podcast

​Morgan hadn’t reached her 45th birthday, so she hadn’t received a screening colonoscopy for colorectal cancer. But when she noticed unusual signs at age 41, she did exactly what she should have and sought medical evaluation.

Months of missteps turned into years of dismissive care, so Morgan realized it was time for a second opinion at Siteman Cancer Center, where she would soon receive leading-edge treatment for colorectal cancer, including a new approach to radiation therapy.

“To constantly be told that my pain was not as much as I said it was,” Morgan said about her experience before visiting Siteman. “I’m like, no, we need to talk about this more. I’m still having problems.”

Morgan’s story – which gets much more encouraging – kicks off the fourth season of “This is Cancer,” Siteman’s award-winning podcast.

 

Watch and hear Morgan’s story and past episodes here, on Apple Podcasts, Spotify – or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Every month through 2025, Siteman will drop a new episode exploring such topics as:

  • Being present as a parent while you, yourself, are undergoing cancer treatment
  • A new vaccine aimed at preventing the recurrence of one of the deadliest forms of breast cancer
  • New hope for children diagnosed with cancer
  • The secret life of men fighting cancer

In these episodes and more, patients and their loved ones, doctors and others affected by cancer will share their journeys – their gained wisdom, hard-earned knowledge, and vulnerabilities – to inform and encourage others in similar situations.

As Morgan says in the season 4 premiere (available here), persistence and her pursuit of the best care were key. With the support of her husband, Justin, and her Washington University physicians, including radiation oncologist Hyun Kim, MD, Morgan was able to course-correct her treatment plan so she could refocus on her future.

Said Kim, co-director of the Young-Onset Colorectal Cancer Program at Siteman:

“If the symptoms persist beyond just once or twice, if you’re having them for a couple of months, then you should say, ‘Oh, it wasn’t just a one-time thing.’ Secondly, patients need to advocate for themselves, which Morgan eventually did. And I think, as long as we keep those things in mind, then people will get the care that they need.”