Every dot is a person

This episode takes a powerful and human-centered look at the stories behind cancer data. While researchers often work with spreadsheets full of numbers and categories, each data point represents a real person with a complex, emotional journey.

The episode features intimate conversations with three cancer survivors:

• Johanna Kenney, who was diagnosed with breast cancer at an unusually young age
• Christina Sisti, whose cancer journey intertwined with her husband's own battle against head and neck cancer
• Grace Waller, who fought osteosarcoma as a teenager and participated in a clinical trial that later became standard treatment

Through their stories, listeners learn how cancer statistics and medical records often fail to capture the full depth of the patient experience - from the shock of diagnosis, through the challenges of treatment, to the ongoing reality of life after being declared cancer-free. The episode also explores the vital role of patient advocates in helping bridge the gap between researchers and the people they're ultimately trying to help.

It's a moving reminder that behind every clinical trial, every survival rate, and every data point is a human being with hopes, fears, and a story that deserves to be heard.