Article Category: Health & Wellness

It’s never too late for those with cancer to quit smoking

Smoking cessation program developed by WashU Medicine researchers at Siteman Cancer Center is more effective at prolonging life than some chemotherapies

Around 25% of people with cancer in the U.S. are active smokers when they are diagnosed, and studies have found that many of them continue to smoke during treatment. This may be due in part to a common misconception — even among some doctors — that quitting won’t help much if a person already has cancer, particularly if it’s at an advanced stage.

Now, a study led by Li-Shiun Chen, MD, MPH, ScD, a professor of psychiatry at WashU Medicine in St. Louis, shows that kicking the habit after starting cancer treatment is well worth it — and what’s more, smokers with the most advanced cancers glean the biggest benefit from quitting, more than doubling their survival time.

Patients in Chen’s study had help quitting through a smoking cessation program developed and administered at Siteman Cancer Center, based at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and WashU Medicine. The program offers a unique approach to cancer care by integrating smoking cessation interventions into patients’ cancer treatment plans. Delivering all treatment on-site eliminates hurdles involving time and transportation.

Chen’s findings were published Oct. 9 in the Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network.

“WashU Medicine and Siteman are the leading frontier to ensure every cancer patient is offered tobacco treatment as part of their cancer care, using a novel, informatics-enabled, point-of-care model,” said Chen, who also directs the Tobacco Treatment Program at Siteman. “By showing that it’s never too late, even for the sickest patients, we hope to inspire all cancer centers and patients to include smoking cessation support as part of routine cancer care to improve survival.”

In the study, Chen and her collaborators followed 13,282 adults who received outpatient oncology care during a six-month period at Siteman. The team recorded each participant’s smoking status at their initial visit, then tracked cessation rates over the next six months along with survival over the next two years. Of 1,725 patients who reported at their first visit that they smoked, about one-fifth of them quit within the following six months.

Across all cancer types and stages, the researchers found that the probability of survival two years after patients’ initial oncology visit was 74% among those who continued smoke, versus 85% among those who quit. This benefit was driven mainly by patients with late-stage cancers (stage 3 or stage 4), among whom quitting was associated with a bigger increase in survival rate over this time period compared to people with early-stage cancer (stage 1 or stage 2).

Examining the results another way, the researchers found that for patients with stage 3 or 4 cancer who kept smoking, 85% were alive at 210 days. In comparison, of those who quit, 85% were still alive at 540 days. That’s nearly a year of additional days of life.

“Advanced-stage cancer patients often feel hopeless,” said first author Steven Tohmasi, MD, a resident in the Department of Surgery at WashU Medicine. “If they feel they have limited time, some doctors might not actively encourage patients to quit smoking or may prioritize patient comfort over cessation efforts.

But when we’ve shown patients our data, it gives them hope and motivates them to want to quit. An extra year of life is a long time for patients who may have been told they only had months to live.”

The Fourth Pillar of Treatment

Siteman’s team-based approach to tobacco care was developed as part of the National Cancer Institute’s Cancer Center Cessation Initiative, which is focused on helping NCI-designated cancer centers incorporate evidence-based tobacco treatments into clinical care. The goal, in essence, is making smoking cessation “the fourth pillar of cancer treatment, alongside surgery, radiation and chemotherapy,” Tohmasi explained.

Siteman’s smoking-cessation program uses electronic health records to identify patients who smoke and gauge their interest in quitting. A nurse or medical assistant then offers assistance with quitting during their visit, such as access to phone- or text-based counseling, an app designed to help them quit, referral to a smoking-cessation group, and medications to support quitting.

In earlier research, Chen showed that the program helped more cancer patients quit successfully than previous methods had. In a related study, Chen also found evidence that quitting smoking could improve treatment efficacy and boost survival rates. But Chen said she faced some professional pushback at the idea of following that research thread further.

“People told us that we were wasting time — that we should work on smoking cessation in patients who aren’t already so sick,” Chen said. “Smoking is also highly addictive, and it’s hard for people to quit. So we needed to be sure the effort would be worthwhile for patients and for their care teams.”

In the new study, Chen and Tohmasi analyzed the outcomes of all Siteman patients seen over the designated six-month period — a group that included patients with all kinds of cancers at all stages who came from across the St. Louis metro area and southern Illinois, representing an array of demographic backgrounds. This differentiated the study from some previous research on smoking cessation in cancer patients that focused only on certain cancer types and never examined the benefit of smoking cessation on survival in people with advanced cancers.

By linking cancer survival to tobacco use for all cancer patients across severity levels and including patients who were never, former or current smokers, Chen and Tohmasi were able to gain a broad perspective on smoking cessation and the important role of Siteman’s integrated treatment program.


The program has been scaled and adapted for several of Siteman’s partner health centers. Based on the program’s success, the model was implemented in 14 clinics affiliated with Siteman Cancer Center across eastern Missouri and southern Illinois starting in July 2025. Nationally the program has been disseminated through EpicShare, where it continues to prove both cost-effective and successful in supporting smoking cessation.

Starting in September 2025 with the support of a $1.6 million NCI grant, Chen and colleagues Alex Ramsey, PhD, an associate professor of psychiatry at WashU Medicine, and Ross Brownson, PhD, the Steven H. and Susan U. Lipstein Distinguished Professor in WashU’s School of Public Health, launched a pragmatic clinical trial on tobacco treatment, including smoking cessation. The trial aims to compare how different care models can scale and sustain tobacco use treatment among cancer survivors in different care settings serving cancer survivors across eight states. The trial will be conducted with research partners at four regional hubs: WashU, the University of Pennsylvania, Vanderbilt University Medical Center and the St. Louis VA Medical Center.

Learn more about smoking cessation tools available to Siteman patients and members of our community.

For Your Health: 15 small steps with big rewards

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Surveys show that most of us place a high priority on our health and wellness. That’s probably not surprising to hear. But as common a goal as improving health is, it can sometimes feel like a mystery how we can actually work toward it, with busy days filled with work, family and other important activities.

Luckily, small changes can have meaningful health benefits, and those benefits grow over time.

Try these 15 simple tips that focus on behaviors most of us could start today.

  1. Stock up on frozen vegetables. They’re easy, ready when you need them and as healthy as fresh options when they have no added salt or sugar.
  2. Place fruit where you can see it — on the counter, top shelf of the refrigerator or your desk. Make it as easy as possible to choose these snacks over less-healthy ones.
  3. Keep a reusable water bottle filled and close by. Plain water is the healthiest and easiest way to stay hydrated.
  4. Add a mini walk — a micro break — to your day. Park at the far end of the lot, get off the bus a stop or two early, or walk to the end of the block and back. Any extra steps we take count toward better health and provide a little “me” time.
  5. Take a short phone break. Staying connected is important — so is time away from the phone, even for just a little while. Put your phone in another room or in a drawer and give yourself the chance to explore other ways to enjoy the day.
  6. Stand up for 10 minutes. Cutting back on sitting and other sedentary activities has a lot of benefits. If you spend much of the day sitting, try to take regular standing breaks.
  7. Make that doctor’s appointment you may have been putting off. Whether it’s for a health screening, to keep track of a condition, or to get you or your kids caught up on vaccines, these types of visits can have really important benefits.
  8. Read some ingredients lists. It’s best to cut back on ultra-processed food. And one way to do that is to avoid foods with long ingredients lists that are filled with words we don’t recognize.
  9. Go to a park. Spending time in green spaces has proven benefits for physical and mental health.
  10. Say “no, thank you” to whipped cream. Many coffee drinks can come with whipped cream and other extras. It’s best to enjoy coffee without these — at least most of the time. They can add a lot of sugar, unhealthy fats and calories.
  11. Give plain yogurt a try. It can take a little getting used to, but plain yogurt is usually better for us than the higher-sugar, highly flavored yogurts. A great way to start is by mixing half plain yogurt with half flavored yogurt or adding fresh or frozen berries for natural sweetness and flavor.
  12. Pick something new from the produce aisle. Break the regular routine and try a fruit or vegetable you’ve never had before. You may just find a new favorite.
  13. Set out your workout clothes the night before. Make it as easy as possible to get dressed and out the door for your morning walk or gym class.
  14. Say “yes” to sleep. Good sleep helps with many parts of health and wellness. So, when it’s time for bed, make it a priority so you can get the seven to nine hours most adults need.
  15. Visit smokefree.gov. If you smoke and want to quit — or are just curious about quitting — this is a great place to start. There are also resources for supporting family and friends who may want to quit.

A great thing about these small changes is that they can often be relatively easy to make as well as to keep up over time. While it’s good to have bigger, longer-term health goals — like walking 30 minutes every day or cutting out sugary drinks — these types of smaller changes help build toward those and can be a powerful start.

It’s your health. Take control.

For Your Health: Should you sip or skip your favorite summer drink?

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For something so simple, there can be something surprisingly enjoyable about a cold drink on a hot day.

It can quench our thirst, cool us down and just taste great.

And during these warm months when we need to drink more than usual to stay hydrated, it’s important to choose drinks that we like, but it’s also important to choose drinks on the healthier side.

Figuring out which drinks hit that sweet spot, though, isn’t always easy. To help with that, I spoke with Yikyung Park, a nutrition researcher and professor in the Division of Public Health Sciences at WashU Medicine, for her insight on which popular summer drinks are easy to say “yes” to — and which ones we should try to limit.

Plain water. “The best choice!” she said. Zero calories and refreshing, with nothing extra. From the kitchen tap or bottle filling station, it’s basically free — and easy to find. Keep a reusable, plastic-free bottle in your pack or on your desk, so water’s always in easy reach.

Fizzy water. “As good as plain water.” It can cost more but also be a nice twist on plain water. Choose unsweetened versions.

Iced tea and iced coffee. “A good choice, but avoid drinking too much.” There can be some health benefits from drinking coffee, but caffeine can be a problem with both tea and coffee. And try to keep milk, cream and sugar to a minimum. The calories and saturated fat can add up quickly.

Coconut water. “It has electrolytes, which can be helpful when we’re sweating a lot, but choose those with no added sugar.”

Fruit juice. “Good option, but be sure to choose 100% fruit juice, not a fruit-flavored drink.” And even for 100% juice, it’s best to drink it only once in a while. While 100% juice has some vitamins and minerals, it also has about as much sugar as soda.

Lemonade. “Very refreshing — and a summer classic — but watch out for sugar content.” Like juice, it can have as much or more than soda. So, it’s best to have it only sometimes.

Sugary soda, energy drinks and sports drinks. “These types of sugary beverages are not a good option. They’ve been linked to an increased risk of weight gain, diabetes and other chronic diseases. Many sodas and energy and sports drinks also contain a high amount of caffeine, which can be problematic for many people, especially children.” Combined with the warm temperatures of summer, the caffeine can also lead to dehydration. Sugary drinks are popular, but they’re best to avoid, particularly for kids.

Diet soda. “Since there’s no sugar in diet soda, it seems a better option than sugary drinks, but that’s not the case.” It’s best to limit them as well. Diet sodas contain caffeine and artificial sweeteners, which have been linked to poor health outcomes in some studies.

Blended coffee drinks. “These are an unhealthy combination of sugar and caffeine, plus they can be very high in calories!” Iced coffee or cold brew with just a splash of milk is a healthier alternative.

Bubble tea. “A fun drink for summer, but best to limit. It contains a high amount of caffeine and calories.”

Beer, hard seltzers and other alcohol. “Alcoholic beverages can lead to dehydration — and they have other well-known, serious health effects.” Alcohol increases the risk of cancer as well as injury, suicide, liver disease, mental illness and even infectious disease. As much as beer and other drinks can be a traditional part of summer celebrations, the healthiest approach is not to drink. Try nonalcoholic beer for a better option that tastes like the real thing.

Enjoying our favorite drinks with family and friends — or in a quiet moment alone — can be a special part of summer. Day-to-day, though, try to choose healthier drinks overall. It’s the best way to stay hydrated and can give a real boost to our long-term health.

“Except for plain water, it’s best to drink all other beverages in moderation or less,” Park concluded. “Most we shouldn’t drink every day.”

It’s your health. Take control.

Bennett named Evens Professor of Women’s Health

WashU Medicine breast cancer imaging specialist Debbie L. Bennett, MD, chief of breast imaging at Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology (MIR), was installed Aug. 14 as the Ronald and Hanna Evens Endowed Chair in Women’s Health at Barnes-Jewish Hospital.

Bennett oversees screening and diagnostic mammography services at Siteman Cancer Center, based at WashU Medicine and Barnes-Jewish Hospital, and is a member of the breast cancer specialist team. As a member of several national panels, she is helping shape national guidelines and policies relating to breast imaging and cancer screening. She is also a co-author on the most recent version of the ACR Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System Atlas, the international standard for breast imaging reporting. Bennett was named chief of breast imaging in 2020.

“We’re forging history and moving forward with new techniques that support women,” said Pamela K. Woodard, MD, the Elizabeth E. Mallinckrodt Professor of Radiology and director of MIR. “Debbie has been a mentor to many residents who have chosen breast imaging as their career.”

A physician committed to providing high-quality care throughout the community, Bennett specializes in the diagnosis of benign breast conditions and breast cancer. Her research focuses on the early diagnosis of breast cancer and the impact of screening mammography on population outcomes, and she is a co-investigator on multiple collaborative research projects focused on mammogram-based risk prediction, risk reduction interventions and use of novel technologies to reduce benign biopsies.

At her installation ceremony, Bennett presented “Building Community Through Breast Imaging,” in which she discussed the evolution of MIR’s breast imaging section. “This is the house that Barbara built,” she said, referring to Barbara Monsees, MD, professor emeritus of radiology, who was the first chief of breast imaging and later the inaugural Ronald and Hanna Evens Endowed Professor of Women’s Health. The impact of her decades-long career is still felt today, with accomplishments including co-developing the Joanne Knight Breast Health Center and launching the mammography van in 1986 — bringing breast cancer screening to underserved areas across the region.

Established in 2004 by The Foundation for Barnes-Jewish Hospital, the Ronald and Hanna Evens Endowed Chair in Women’s Health honors the distinguished career of Ronald Evens, MD, longtime MIR director who oversaw a time of booming growth for the department. He held many other leadership roles, including president and CEO of St. Louis Children’s Hospital, president of Barnes-Jewish Hospital, vice chancellor for financial affairs at WashU and vice president of Washington University Medical Center. Hanna Evens is a 1960 graduate of Barnes Hospital School of Nursing and a former nurse at St. Louis Children’s Hospital.

Bennett was installed in a ceremony held at WashU Medicine. She punctuated the night with the nexus of her medical philosophy: “Always bring it back to the patient.”

For Your Health: Staying cool and sun-safe this summer

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Food sizzling on the grill is one of the classic sounds of summer — right up there with kids splashing in sprinklers and the crack of a bat at the ballpark.

That sizzling can also be a good stand-in for how we might feel outside on a sweltering day.

With a little planning, though, we can make our time in the sun feel cooler and more comfortable — and much better for our skin.

“Any amount of tan, and certainly sunburn, represents damage to the DNA of our skin cells,” said Dr. Aubriana McEvoy, a dermatologist at WashU Medicine in St. Louis. “And the more sun people get over their lives, the more of a chance there is for damaged cells to turn into skin cancer, which can affect our quality of life and, in some cases, the length of our lives.”

Too much sun can also lead to wrinkles, coarse skin and discoloration, making our skin look older than it is, she added.

Some simple steps can go a long way toward lowering the risk of skin cancer while keeping our skin looking healthier as well. And everyone can benefit, from those with fair skin to those with darker skin.

Sunscreen is a great place to start. Choose one with Sun Protection Factor (SPF) 30 or higher and be sure to use a generous amount, about an ounce for an adult at the pool — reapplying every couple hours. There are a lot of sunscreen options these days, so try out a number of them to find one you and your family like.

“My favorite sunscreen is the one you will wear,” McEvoy said.

Clothes are another way to stay sun-safe. Long-sleeved shirts, pants and wide-brimmed hats do a great job covering skin and don’t need to be reapplied like sunscreen. And there are many inexpensive, lightweight options that are specifically made to protect from the sun and that have their own rating, called Ultraviolet Protection Factor (UPF). As with sunscreens, the higher the UPF number, the greater the protection.

The combination of clothes and shade from trees or sun shelters can be particularly important for kids. Sunscreen is not recommended for children under 6 months old. And older kids can be so active that it can be hard to keep them well-covered in sunscreen, McEvoy added.

Shade and lightweight, loose-fitting clothes can also help with staying cool and feeling good on a hot day summer day. And it’s hard to overstate the importance of drinking enough water. It can be easy to get behind on our hydration, especially on a fun-filled outing with family and friends. Try to keep a bottle close by filled with plain water or low-sugar sports drink mix. Make it as easy as possible for you and your family to stay hydrated.

For many of us, summer is the best time of year, in no small part because we get to spend so much time enjoying long days and warm weather outside. And that’s an important part of life, McEvoy feels. Also important, of course, is doing so safely and healthfully.

When asked for one of her favorite tricks for staying cool and sun-safe in summer heat, she replied:

“If I’m at the playground or park with my kids, I’ll wear a sun-protective shirt and just wet it down. That keeps me way cooler and protects me from the sun.”

For Your Health: Make wellness part of spring cleaning

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There’s always the same 24 hours in a day, but somehow when we hit spring, it can seem like we get some extra time. With more daylight and warmer weather, the days can just feel like they’re expanding.

And with that shift can come a boost in our energy and motivation to tackle lingering projects on our to-do lists: Rearranging cluttered closets, cleaning out junk drawers and more. But outside of classic spring-cleaning tasks, this can also include some important — and often pretty simple — steps to improve our health.

For many of us, health screenings may be the most common items on this list. These tests can help find risk factors and diseases earlier when they’re easier to treat or prevent.

They include the types of screening tests that may first come to mind — a mammogram looking for breast cancer, a colonoscopy looking for colon cancer or a CT scan looking for lung cancer. But they also include other types of screenings for conditions that increase the risk of diseases. These include blood tests for cholesterol levels, blood sugar and certain infections. It can also include tracking blood pressure, mental health and weight.

Keeping up to date with vaccinations is also key, even when we’re well past our school days. Vaccines can help us avoid certain diseases — including some cancers — and make some diseases less severe. And on top of protecting ourselves, vaccines also help protect our loved ones and our communities.

To get started, here’s a general preventive care checklist, based on stage of life. Of course, it’s important to talk with a health-care provider for more specific recommendations based on your age, health and medical history and family history. Those at increased risk of certain conditions may get different tests or be tested — or receive follow-up care — earlier and more often.

Screenings & Vaccinations for Young Adults

  • Cancer screenings: Cervical cancer (women, begin at age 21)
  • Other health screenings: Blood sugar (begin at age 35), blood pressure, blood cholesterol, weight, depression, hepatitis B and C (usually a one-time blood test), tobacco use, family history
  • Vaccinations: Ask a health-care provider about any vaccines you may need. Some vaccines, like the flu vaccine, are good to get every year.

Screenings & Vaccinations for Midlife and Older Adults

  • Cancer screenings: Breast cancer (women, begin at age 40), cervical cancer, colon cancer (begin at 45), lung cancer (in those who smoke or used to smoke, begin at age 50), prostate cancer (men, discuss testing with a doctor, begin at age 40 for Black men or others at high risk, at age 45 for men at regular risk)
  • Other health screenings: Blood sugar, blood pressure, blood cholesterol, bone density (women, at age 65), weight, depression, hepatitis B and C (usually a one-time blood test), tobacco use, family history
  • Vaccination: Ask a health-care provider about any vaccines you may need. Some vaccines are started in midlife or later, such as the pneumococcal vaccine (at age 50) to protect against pneumonia.

This can seem like a lot when listed out. But many of these can be taken care of during a single visit with a provider, and only a small number of tests or vaccinations should be done every year.

So, as we work through our spring-cleaning lists, we should add to our peace of mind by taking some straightforward steps that can have a large benefit for our health and wellness. And that’s certainly springtime well spent.

It’s your health. Take control.

For a list of preventive care tailored by age, visit the health.gov tool, MyHealthfinder.

For Your Health: Move more, live better

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It’s likely no surprise to read that physical activity is good for us. In fact, it may be hard to go a full day without seeing something positive about exercise and physical activity on the news or social media.

What can sometimes get lost in all that, though, is how wide-ranging the benefits of physical activity can be.

Better-known benefits include helping us live longer and keeping weight in check, as well as lowering the risk of heart disease, stroke, cancer and other chronic diseases.

But physical activity can also have an impact on many other areas, including some that may sound a little abstract but might feel like they have a more direct effect on our day-to-day lives. One of these is how we feel about our lives, which is often referred to more technically as quality of life.

While the research world has specific definitions of quality of life depending on what is being studied, one way to look at it is as an overall measure of how we feel life is going, across many different parts of it. It’s something very personal, and something we define for ourselves.

“Scientifically, there’s ‘global’ quality of life, which generally encompasses an individual’s judgment of their satisfaction with life,” said Elizabeth Salerno, a behavioral scientist at WashU Medicine in St. Louis who specializes in physical activity research. “Then there’s health-related quality of life, which includes physical, mental and social aspects of well-being.”

And the evidence that physical activity can boost these quality-of-life measures is just as strong as it is that activity can lower the risk of chronic diseases, Salerno added. “Findings from multiple studies have demonstrated that people who receive physical activity interventions have better quality-of-life outcomes over time compared to those who did not get the interventions,” she said.

It’s likely that the more physical activity we get, the bigger boost we get to our quality of life. At the same time, any amount of activity may also help.

Recommended guidelines to get 150 minutes or more of physical activity each week is a great goal to work toward. But just moving more, whatever our starting point, likely has benefits too. Walking, cycling and gym classes are classic examples of physical activity. But gardening and dancing are types of activities that can also be included. And we can creatively piece these exercises and activities together throughout our busy days and weeks.

“Any bit of activity counts towards your ‘total,’ ” Salerno said. “That means that a quick five-minute walk to the store or a 60-second jog up or walk down the stairs contributes to better health. Structured, goal-oriented exercise is still important, but maintaining a physically active lifestyle as much as possible is crucial.”

Regular activity can help improve quality of life in a number of ways. Among those, it can improve mood, provide an energy boost, help with flexibility and mobility and just generally keep us healthier.

But there is still much to learn about how physical activity benefits quality of life, Salerno said. One theory is that we may build strong social connections when, say, we’re walking or taking a gym class with others — and that can impact how we see our positions in life.

“It underscores the importance of enjoying what we do when we move our bodies,” Salerno said.


“Whatever keeps us coming back for more — and fits neatly into the unique structures of our lives — is likely to pack the biggest punch when it comes to optimizing our life satisfaction.”

For Your Health: Spilling the beans on coffee and health

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For the morning coffee drinkers out there, a recent study found there may be one more reason to enjoy that first cup of the day. In a study of over 40,000 people in a national health survey, researchers found that morning coffee drinkers had a lower risk of dying prematurely than non-coffee drinkers. And the biggest beneficiaries might be those who drank coffee only in the morning rather than throughout the day.

Of course, these findings are from a single study, so further research is needed on the timing of coffee drinking. At the same time, this new study adds to a large and growing amount of research showing that coffee drinking overall can have many health benefits.

That could sound a little surprising. For whatever reason, coffee can still feel like one of those things we enjoy but that may not be good for us.

Yet coffee has over 1,000 compounds that could aid health. Among other possible benefits, these compounds could help improve the gut microbiome, ease inflammation, help with DNA repair and help control blood sugar.

And studies have linked moderate coffee drinking with a lower risk of stroke, heart disease, diabetes, gallstones, Parkinson’s disease and some cancers. It may even help with longevity. And many of these possible benefits seem to include decaf as well as regular, caffeinated coffee.

Coffee drinkers in the U.S. average around two cups a day — within the range of up to two to four eight-ounce cups (or up to 400 milligrams of total daily caffeine) that’s likely safe for most adults, according to the federal Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Depending on the type of coffee and how it’s made, an eight-ounce cup of brewed coffee can have around 95–180 milligrams of caffeine.

For women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, general recommendations are lower — often under 200 milligrams of caffeine a day. Women who are pregnant, wanting to become pregnant or breastfeeding should talk to a health-care provider about how much coffee or caffeine is safe for them.

Keeping it simple is usually the best approach when it comes to coffee drinks. Choose black, unsweetened coffee — or with just a little sugar and splash of milk. Try to limit specialty coffee drinks that have a lot of added sugar, unhealthy fats and calories, which can offset some of the benefits we may be getting from our coffee.

Unsweetened coffee can also be a great alternative to sugary soda, fruit drinks, energy drinks and other less-healthy, high-sugar options.

For something so many of us enjoy — and that’s so integrated into daily and social routines — it’s nice to know that moderate coffee drinking can be a healthy part of most people’s days.

And that may make our next morning cup taste that much better. Enjoy.

‘This is Cancer’ Season 4: New stories of hope and perseverance

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.”

For Your Health: Healthy eating tips for National Nutrition Month

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March is National Nutrition Month, prompting me to wonder how often this column focuses on the links between what we eat and our health and well-being.

The short answer is: a lot. Over the years, it’s been fairly rare that we don’t address eating in one way or another.

What we eat may play a small role in one condition or a bigger role in another, but the overall message has been that choosing healthier foods and drinks is one of the best things we can do for our health.

This not only can help us live longer, it also can help lower the risk of heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, dementia and cancer — among other serious conditions. Healthy eating can also help us keep weight gain in control, which brings many additional benefits.

Admittedly, though, in a time of nonstop news and social media influencers, it can be hard to know what “healthy eating” exactly means.

The good news is, when we take a step back, the basics of a healthy diet are pretty simple — and they haven’t changed much over the past few decades.

Overall, the main focus is on eating more healthy foods from plants while cutting back on foods high in sugar and unhealthy protein. Try to:

Choose more fruits and vegetables — Make fruits or vegetables a part of every meal. While fresh options are great, frozen and many canned versions are good choices too, as long as they’re low-sodium and unsweetened.

Choose more whole grains — A lot of nutrients, and health benefits, get stripped from whole grains when they’re processed for foods like white rice and white bread. Try to choose 100% whole-wheat bread, whole-grain pasta, oatmeal and other foods labeled “whole-grain” or “100% whole grain.”

Choose more healthy drinks — Opt for healthy options to stay hydrated, including unsweetened tea and coffee, fizzy water or plain water flavored with a splash of lime juice. Sugary soda and similar drinks are linked to weight gain and obesity. And many specialty coffee drinks can have a lot of calories and added sugar.

Choose more healthy fats and oils — Instead of cooking with butter, lard or other oils high in saturated fats, try to choose options like canola and olive oils, which are higher in healthy unsaturated fats.

Limit fast food and other processed foods — Although convenient, fast food and processed foods are typically high in calories, salt and unhealthy fats. We don’t need to avoid them totally but cutting back is the healthiest choice.

Limit red and processed meats — Choosing healthier protein options like chicken, fish, beans and nuts, is healthier than picking red and processed meats.

Limit alcohol – zero is best — Alcohol has a lot of risks, including increasing the chances of developing several cancers. So, not drinking alcohol is the healthiest choice overall. Alcohol-free versions of beer and other drinks can be good alternatives to try – and something I’ve been enjoying lately.

It’s pretty remarkable that one of the more powerful tools we have for improving our health and lowering the risk of many diseases is something we do every day.

It’s not always easy to put healthy eating into practice, but we don’t need to tackle it all at once. Small changes to one or two areas can make a difference, and we can build from there.

It’s not a race; it’s a step-by-step journey — fueled with healthy food.