Thom Mrozek, a 12-year survivor of pancreatic cancer, diagnosed on the unique day of Leap Day. Thom's diagnosis day has become symbolic of his extraordinary journey—rare, remarkable, and filled with unexpected turns. As he celebrates each leap year, he also marks another year of survival, another year of making a difference, and another year of cherishing the gift of time. His story is a profound testament to resilience, courage, and the unwavering human spirit.  This episode is dedicated to Tom Gregory and his wife Debbie.  ..read more

Pamela Acosta Marquardt and Julie Fleshman have both been profoundly impacted by the loss of their parents to pancreatic cancer, which fueled their dedication to creating change. In 1996, Pam faced the loss of her mother after a six-month struggle with the disease. Confronted by the lack of resources and support for pancreatic cancer, she was driven to take action, ensuring that individuals and families affected by this illness would have access to vital information, resources, and hope. Similarly, Julie's journey at PanCAN was ignited by personal tragedy when she lost her father just four mon ..read more

While facts are critical to understanding and treating the disease, feelings are equally important in shaping the patient's experience and approach to care. The podcast serves as a reminder that in the face of a challenging diagnosis, the fusion of facts and feelings guides not just survival, but the quality of life ..read more

Dr. Jose Trevino serves multifaceted roles one as the Surgeon-in-Chief at Virginia Commonwealth University Massey Cancer Center. He is dedicated to not only providing patient care and education but also contributing to the field of pancreatic cancer research.  Developing novel therapies and advancing research in health disparities related to pancreatic cancer are crucial efforts that can have a significant impact on improving outcomes for patients.  Clinical trials play a crucial role in advancing medical research and improving healthcare outcomes. We had a honest in depth talk with ..read more

Losing someone can make the holiday season incredibly tough. It's okay to feel sad during these times. Finding ways to honor and keep the memories of our loved ones alive by sharing stories about them can be a beautiful way to keep their spirit alive during the holidays and help us through the grieving process. Guest Stephannie Ruvalcaba Ho shared some ways to remember our loved ones only on OC Talk Radio livestreamed from @UCI Beall Applied Innovation Center. Not everyone is up to the Holiday cheer, this episode is dedicated to St James in Newport Beach “Annual Blue Christmas” service on Thur ..read more

Andrea O'Donnell is a certified Nutritional Therapy Practitioner and owner of Rising Roots Nutrition. She started her business after years of struggling with her own health issues.  She went to the doctors but felt she was not being heard or supported by doctors. Wanting to bring her daughter into a healthier lifestyle and wanting to help others after her mother's diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, Andrea started her company.  You can contact Andrea at  andrea@risingrootsnutrition.com ..read more

"I was determined not to let cancer control my life.” Laurie MacCaskill a Professional Speaker, Motivator, Patient Advocate, Cancer Life Coach and a 17-year pancreatic cancer survivor shares her journey and some invaluable tools she developed to help in her fight with the world’s toughest cancer ..read more

Why volunteer for a cancer that has such a dismal outcome? Bringing awareness being around people that you share something in common with helped her to heal having a voice helped her to feel empowered.  Stephannie was the Caregiver for her Grandmother in the non tradional sense.  She would visit her, read to her, dance for her or just hold her hand and talk with her. Stephannie's favorite event is PurpleStride, this year she had a different role, she was able to speak with people attending and was able to share her story and hear their story.  In talking to people they expressed ..read more

Amy Reiss, the Patient and Family Support Coordinator from the Hirshberg Foundation previewed their 17th Annual Symposium on Pancreatic Cancer (in collaboration with the UCLA Hirshberg Center for Pancreatic Diseases) that was held at UCLA's Luskin Conference Center March 11, 2023. Watch the 17th Annual Symposium https://youtu.be/OgMZ-TqgrCc SAVE THE DATE: The 18th Annual Symposium on Pancreatic Cancer is on Saturday, April 13!  Registration opens in January 2024 ..read more

When a guest is unable to come, as sorry as we are, that gives Paul and I the opportunity to talk and do a little catch up.  We covered a large range of topics like the Hirshberg Symposium, Taking a Leap of Faith, PanCAN's PurpleStride OC, November Awareness, is COVID still affecting the pancreatic cancer community, mask vs no mask.         ..read more