Join us as we talk to Marty Walsh.

Marty was diagnosed with breast cancer at 53 after noticing blood coming from his nipple — something he initially dismissed as chafing. Having never realised men could get breast cancer, Marty shares how his diagnosis led to a mastectomy and the unexpected challenges of navigating a cancer experience where men are rarely represented. Marty highlights why greater awareness of male breast cancer is so important and why breast cancer awareness needs to include everyone.

In this episode, Marty opens up about the mental toll of cancer, admitting that despite having an incredible support network, he struggled more than he realised at the time. With his trademark humour, he reflects on the challenges of adjusting to life after surgery, the importance of early detection and how his experience has changed his perspective on life. Now passionate about encouraging men to pay attention to their bodies and speak up about their health, Marty wants everyone to understand that while male breast cancer is uncommon, it can happen. His message is simple: know what’s normal for you, don’t ignore changes, and get them checked. Because breast cancer doesn’t discriminate, and awareness needs to include everyone.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join us as we talk to Bianca Evans.

In 2023, after recently moving interstate and with a six-month-old daughter, Bianca was diagnosed with Stage 3 bowel cancer at just 30. What makes her story even more confronting is that she had been asking for a colonoscopy for almost 10 years because of her family history, but was repeatedly told she was too young. Suddenly, her whole world came tumbling down as she faced 588 hours of chemotherapy, major bowel surgery, an ileostomy and another six cycles of chemotherapy — all while raising a young daughter.

During treatment, Bianca met Elle, another young woman navigating bowel cancer, and the two quickly formed a deep friendship. Through their shared experience, they recognised the lack of support available for young women with cancer and began imagining what that support could look like. That vision became the Yellow Freesia Foundation, which now provides free psychologist-led support groups, mind and body workshops and a resource hub for women aged 18–45, whether they’re in treatment, beyond treatment or living with Stage 4 or metastatic cancer. Following Elle’s passing, Bianca has continued to bring their shared vision to life, building a community grounded in friendship, resilience and the belief that no young woman should have to face cancer alone.

Some resources below:

https://yellowfreesiafoundation.org/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join us as we talk to Bron Watson.

Bron is mum to five boys, a career in nursing for over 30 years. After spending decades caring for cancer patients, Bron became the patient herself when she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2017, going from diagnosis to surgery in just six days.

Five years later, just as Bron was waiting for breast reconstruction, she received a second diagnosis: multiple myeloma, a blood cancer that is currently considered incurable. We talk about “incurable” vs “terminal”, telling her five boys about her diagnosis at different ages, and why she believes we need to be more curious when someone has cancer — asking questions, acknowledging what they’re going through and not being afraid to talk about it. Bron also shares why patients need to become the CEO of their own healthcare, and how “I am as good as my last blood test” has become part of how she navigates life with cancer.

At the heart of this conversation is Bron's energy for the “what's next” — continuing to live, advocate for herself, support others and make the most of the life in front of her. This is a powerful conversation about living with incurable cancer, finding your identity beyond a diagnosis, and learning to focus on what comes next.

Some resources below:

https://www.mcgrathfoundation.com.au/

https://www.bcna.org.au/

https://myeloma.org.au/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join us as we talk to Sally Heys.

Sal found a lump while washing her underarms — and just two weeks later found out she was pregnant. At just 8 weeks pregnant, Sal was diagnosed with breast cancer after initially being told the lump was probably “pregnancy boobs”.

From what was initially thought to be early stage 1 cancer surgery revealed the cancer was actually Stage 3 HER2-positive, and suddenly the focus shifted from the baby to her own life.

Sal takes us through the incredible reality chemotherapy while pregnant, including the guilt of giving her unborn baby chemo treatment she needed to survive.

At 36 weeks, Louie — her “little warrior” — was born, and just three days later Sal had to begin immunotherapy.

But this story doesn’t end when Louie arrives or treatment finishes. We talk about the mental health aftermath, the guilt, losing trust in your body, fertility uncertainty and why finishing cancer treatment doesn’t automatically bring the relief or “sparkle” people expect. Sal’s story is raw, honest and incredibly powerful — and a reminder that sometimes surviving is only the beginning.

Some resources below:

https://www.mcgrathfoundation.com.au/

https://www.bcna.org.au/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join us as we talk to Carmen Scheffer.

Carmen noticed a bruise on her leg during a family holiday — the kind of thing most of us wouldn't look at twice. Over eight weeks, it grew, changed shape, took the feeling from her skin, and turned black. She was told to do what we are do with a bruise, to ice it and elevate her leg. What doctors didn’t know at the time was, it was angiosarcoma, a rare cancer most people have never heard of.

Weeks and months trying to get scans and answers led Carmen to fly home to Sydney for the care she couldn't get in Canada, and within a week had answers and a treatment plan. Fifteen rounds of chemo. A life changing above-knee amputation. Another nine more rounds of chemo. Then the hardest part began — mourning her body, her ability, the life she used to have — all while waiting for NDIS funding to receive a prosthesis just to start rebuilding.

Two years on, she's looking at turning what she's been through into something for others: a platform that would give newly diagnosed sarcoma patients the practical guidance she wishes she'd had.

This is a conversation about being dismissed, about fighting for a diagnosis across two health systems, and about how cancer changes people in ways many of us could never imagine.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join us as we talk to Chris Clarke.

Chris was 36, fit, healthy, and living an active life with his young family in Sydney’s Northern Beaches when a family holiday to Byron Bay changed everything. What started as a gastro bug quickly escalated into emergency hospital transfers, surgery, and a diagnosis that no one saw coming — Stage 4 bowel cancer.

In this episode, Chris shares the raw reality of navigating a life-altering diagnosis with no symptoms, no family history, and no warning signs. Recorded while hooked up to his 12th and final round of chemotherapy, he opens up about undergoing major surgery, the physical and emotional toll of full-dose treatment, the invisible mental weight of cancer.

Chris’s story is also one of extraordinary resilience and advocacy. Mid-treatment, he ran a full marathon coming off a chemo cycle and returned to treatment just two days later — raising over $20,000 for bowel cancer awareness in the process. Now, he’s using his voice to push for change, appearing in media, lobbying at Parliament House, and advocating for earlier screening access for young Australians.

This episode is a powerful reminder that cancer doesn’t always look the way we expect it to — and that no symptoms does not mean no cancer.

June is Bowel Cancer Awareness Month, and Chris’s story is one every young Australian needs to hear.

Some resources and links below:

https://www.bowelcanceraustralia.org/

Fundraising: https://challenge.bowelcanceraustralia.org/page/ChrisClarke-94758725

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join us as we talk to Noel Carmona.

Noel Angelo Carmona never expected a persistent cough to change his life. But after coughing to the point of unconsciousness, the Hunter Valley husband and father admitted himself to hospital — where he was diagnosed with Thymic Carcinoma, a rare cancer affecting just one in a million people in Australia.

In this raw and powerful episode of The Big C Podcast, Noel shares the reality of navigating a cancer so rare there is no clear treatment roadmap. Over the past three years, he has undergone surgery, four types of chemotherapy, immunotherapy, two failed clinical trials, and radiation — all while facing the emotional, physical and financial toll of a system that often leaves rare cancer patients behind.

Noel opens up about paying nearly $3,000 every three weeks for treatment not covered by the PBS, the heartbreak of failed clinical trials, and why he’s now using his voice to advocate for better access, awareness, and support for rare cancer patients across Australia.

This episode is about resilience, family, mental health, and the fight for a fairer system — even when the odds are one in a million.

Some resources below:

https://www.rarecancers.org.au/

https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1DnJqAiFdw/?mibextid=wwXIfr

https://www.facebook.com/share/g/14dybFgPcjV/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.