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Cancer Stories: The Art of Oncology

Cancer Stories: The Art of Oncology

American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 100 Episodes Aug 11, 2026

The award-winning podcast JCO Cancer Stories: The Art of Oncology invites you on an intimate journey with heartfelt narratives, poignant reflections, and thoughtful dialogues. Hosted by Dr. Mikkael Sekeres, the podcast explores the hidden emotions, intense experiences, and resilient strength of clinicians, caregivers, and those living with cancer. This podcast is essential for nourishing the "art" behind the science of oncology.

Episodes

Forty: The Desert as a Metaphor for Living
Forty: The Desert as a Metaphor for Living Aug 11, 2026 20:26 Listen to JCO's Art of Oncology poem, "Forty" by Frantz Berthaud, who is Senior Vice President of Oncology Services at University Medical Center of El Paso. The poem is followed by an interview with Berthaud and host Dr. Mikkael Sekeres. Berthaud discusses grief, survival, and mortality in his poem, which honors his sister's life and battle with cancer. LINK TO FULL TRANSCRIPT
He Was Always There​: When a Brother Speaks Truth About His Sister's Cancer
He Was Always There​: When a Brother Speaks Truth About His Sister's Cancer Jul 28, 2026 28:58 Listen to JCO's Art of Oncology article, "He Was Always There" by Dr. Vangipuram Sai Shreya, who is a postgraduate resident in General Medicine at Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research in Chennai, India. The article is followed by an interview with Vangipuram and host Dr. Mikkael Sekeres. Dr. Vangipuram reflects on how not every patient is on the chart. LINK TO FULL TRANSCRIPT
Taking Responsibility: How Caregiving Shaped an Oncologist's Approach to Her Work
Taking Responsibility: How Caregiving Shaped an Oncologist's Approach to Her Work Jul 14, 2026 31:41 Listen to JCO's Art of Oncology article, "Taking Responsibility" by Dr. Katherine Hicks-Courant, who is a gynecologic oncologist at Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health. The article is followed by an interview with Hicks-Courant and host Dr. Mikkael Sekeres. Dr Hicks-Courant shares how caring for her father with ALS unexpectedly shaped how she approached her work as a gynecologic oncologist. LIN
The Small Cemetery Within: The Patients We Carry With Us Long After They're Gone
The Small Cemetery Within: The Patients We Carry With Us Long After They're Gone Jun 23, 2026 25:04 Listen to JCO's Art of Oncology article, "The Small Cemetery Within" by Dr. Hakan Onder, who is a Medical Oncologist at University of Health Sciences Antalya Training and Research Hospital. The article is followed by an interview with Onder and host Dr. Mikkael Sekeres. Dr Onder reflects on the unseen emotional burden carried within oncology, where each clinical encounter leaves a lasting imprint
A Shopping List: When the Grocery Store Aisles Unite a Patient and Her Doctor
A Shopping List: When the Grocery Store Aisles Unite a Patient and Her Doctor Jun 9, 2026 31:40 Listen to JCO's Art of Oncology article, "A Shopping List" by Dr. Michael Krasovitsky, who is a medical oncologist at St. Vincent's Hospital in Sydney, Australia and senior lecturer at the University of New South Wales. The article is followed by an interview with Krasovitsky and host Dr. Mikkael Sekeres. Dr. Krasovitsky shares a story of nourishment, serendipity and the unexpected bonds that conn
Indistinguishable from Magic: When Fantasy and Science Fiction Meet the Science of Medicine
Indistinguishable from Magic: When Fantasy and Science Fiction Meet the Science of Medicine May 26, 2026 28:45 Listen to JCO's Art of Oncology article, "Indistinguishable from Magic" by Dr. Michael Slade, who is a medical oncologist at Washington University School of Medicine. The article is followed by an interview with Slade and host Dr. Mikkael Sekeres. Dr Slade shares the challenges of day-to-day clinical practice in oncology through the lens of speculative fiction and how we struggle, as physicians an
Room 402: Visiting the Same Hospital Room as a Family Member, and Then as a Doctor
Room 402: Visiting the Same Hospital Room as a Family Member, and Then as a Doctor May 12, 2026 25:03 Listen to JCO's Art of Oncology article, "Room 402" by Dr. Jessica Moore, who is a resident physician in internal medicine at Boston Medical Center and BU school of Medicine. The article is followed by an interview with Moore and host Dr. Mikkael Sekeres. Dr Moore shares how a medical student transforms the grief of losing her aunt in Room 402 into a compassionate and humanistic approach to caring
The Liver We Share: A Medical Student Becomes a Living Donor for His Wife
The Liver We Share: A Medical Student Becomes a Living Donor for His Wife Apr 28, 2026 27:43 Listen to JCO's Art of Oncology article, "The Liver We Share" by Ryan Wexler, who is a medical student at Boston University School of Medicine. The article is followed by an interview with Wexler and host Dr. Mikkael Sekeres. Wexler shares his first encounter with a hepatectomy, which comes full circle when he becomes a living liver donor for his wife with metastatic pancreatic cancer, reshaping h
The Good Oncologist: Doctoring Lessons from the Art of Oncology
The Good Oncologist: Doctoring Lessons from the Art of Oncology Apr 14, 2026 36:31 Listen to JCO's Art of Oncology article, "The Good Oncologist: Doctoring Lessons from the Art of Oncology" by Zaltz, et al. The article is followed by an interview with Dr Erica Kaye and host Dr. Mikkael Sekeres. Kaye shares how their qualitative analysis of narrative essays authored by cancer care professionals offers insights into what it means to be a "good oncologist." LINK TO FULL TRANSCRIPT
The Power of "I Don't Know": Why Admitting Uncertainty is an Oncologist's Greatest Strength
The Power of "I Don't Know": Why Admitting Uncertainty is an Oncologist's Greatest Strength Mar 24, 2026 23:43 Listen to JCO's Art of Oncology article, "The Power of "I Don't Know" by Dr. Sondos Zayed, who is a radiation oncologist at The Ottawa Hospital and an assistant professor at the University of Ottawa, Canada. The article is followed by an interview with Zayed and host Dr. Mikkael Sekeres. Dr Zayed shares a reflection on the unexpected power of saying "I don't know," and how honest uncertainty can d
When Cancer Becomes a Headline: Reflections from the Clinic
When Cancer Becomes a Headline: Reflections from the Clinic Mar 10, 2026 24:41 Listen to JCO OP's Art of Oncology Practice article, "When Cancer Becomes a Headline: Reflections from the Clinic" by Dr. Carlos Stecca. The article is followed by an interview with Stecca and host Dr. Mikkael Sekeres. Dr Stecca reflects on the impact of the public illness and death of Brazilian singer and actress Preta Gil on his patients with colorectal cancer and on his own practice as a medica
Mother's Grief: Loss Through the Lens of Motherhood
Mother's Grief: Loss Through the Lens of Motherhood Feb 24, 2026 30:37 Listen to JCO's Art of Oncology article, "Mother's Grief" by Dr. Margaret Cupit-Link, who is an assistant professor of pediatric hematology/oncology at Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital of St. Louis University. The article is followed by an interview with Cupit-Link and host Dr. Mikkael Sekeres. Dr Cupit-Link shares a pediatric oncologist's experience of a patient's death through the new lens o

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