In this powerful episode of Through The Pain, we dive deep into the lived realities behind diagnosis, treatment, and the emotional weight patients often carry in silence.

Too often, patients receive life-altering information without the context, clarity, or support needed to truly understand what’s happening to their bodies. In this conversation, Christelle Salomon and Wunmi Bakare unpack what that gap feels like—from confusion and isolation to the struggle of navigating complex medical systems that weren’t built with patient understanding at the center.

This episode goes beyond science and clinical terminology. It highlights the human experience behind the data: the loneliness of feeling unseen, the frustration of unanswered questions, and the importance of community, communication, and trust between patients and healthcare providers.

We explore why translating complex medical information matters, how advocacy changes outcomes, and what it means to truly listen to patients—not just treat them. This conversation is for patients, caregivers, advocates, clinicians, and anyone who believes healthcare should be rooted in empathy as much as expertise.

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed after a diagnosis, unsure of what questions to ask, or disconnected from the care process, this episode will resonate deeply. And if you work in healthcare, this is an essential reminder of why understanding lived experience is just as critical as understanding disease.

Watch, listen, and reflect—because real progress begins when patients are heard.

Rome sits down with Stephane Budel, Founding Partner at Decibio, a premier strategy consulting firm dedicated to advancing precision medicine. This conversation aims to demystify the complex world of NGS testing, providing patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals with a clearer understanding of how these powerful tools are revolutionizing cancer prevention, treatment, and long-term management.

Stephane offers a comprehensive overview of the NGS testing landscape, detailing its various applications from identifying hereditary cancer risks and early detection, to guiding personalized treatment with comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) and monitoring disease recurrence (MRD testing). They candidly discuss the persistent challenges in NGS adoption, which include lack of insurance coverage, and integrating these technologies into routine clinical workflows, particularly in community settings.

Key Takeaways:

• NGS Transforms Cancer Care: Next-Generation Sequencing is crucial for shifting from a reactive "sick care" model to proactive, precision medicine to prevent cancer. By enabling earlier detection and highly personalized treatments, NGS significantly improves patient outcomes, particularly when cancer is caught in its earliest stages.
• A Spectrum of NGS Tests: Patients have access to various NGS applications throughout their cancer journey, including germline testing for hereditary risk, early detection tests (e.g., multi-cancer early detection blood tests), comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) for treatment selection, and monitoring (MRD) tests for tracking disease and recurrence.
• The Future of Cancer Care: The integration of AI and multiomics (analyzing DNA, RNA, and proteins) will enhance diagnostic accuracy, personalize therapeutic strategies, streamline clinical workflows, and unlock deeper biological insights, further optimizing patient care in the coming years.

META DESCRIPTION Discover how NGS testing is changing cancer care! DeciBio co-founder Stephane Budel explains precision medicine and how genetic tests help treat and prevent cancer. Learn about different types of NGS tests, like liquid biopsies, and what they mean for you. This episode makes complex topics simple, giving patients and caregivers clear information on how to advocate for your health and understand the future of cancer care with precision medicine. Tune in to empower yourself with knowledge about NGS testing and personalized treatment options. We help you learn the language and build confidence to be a more effective advocate for a precision medicine approach to your healthcare.

This week we sit down with Sara Kavanaugh, the voice behind The Positive Gene Podcast, who shares her deeply personal story as a cancer pre-vivor. Discovering not one, but two gene variants that significantly increased her cancer risk, Sara transformed her fear and anxiety into powerful action. This conversation about genetics redefines what it means to face cancer risks empowered and illuminates how initial anxiety can evolve into profound personal power and a confident approach to healthcare.

Sara details the proactive and life-changing decisions she made using precision medicine. From preventative surgery to tailored screening protocols, all guided by her genetic testing results. We explore why she started her podcast and her dedicated advocacy work, emphasizing the critical role of genetic counselors and supportive communities like FORCE in navigating complex health information and fostering true healthcare ownership. This isn't just about her story; it's a blueprint for others to activate their personal power and confidence with precision medicine.

LINKS

• ⁠Her website⁠
• ⁠podcast links⁠
• ⁠NSGC.ORG find a GC⁠
• ⁠FORCE⁠
• Guidelines for screening for variant?
  • ⁠CDC Managing Risk for Cancers Related to Lynch Syndrome⁠
  • ⁠FORCE Gens by Syndrome⁠
  • ⁠FORCE CHK2 screening recommendations⁠

In this special New Year's episode, host Rome Madison steps into the interviewee chair, sharing the driving force behid his two-decade career in precision medicine with DNA Today Podcast host Kira Deneen. Rome recounts his unexpected entry into the field, and a self-taught pursuit of molecular science that led him to market groundbreaking cancer diagnostics.

Rome's reveals that his passionate mission to expand patient access was birthed when his own father was diagnosed with colorectal cancer. This coupled with the serendipitous fact that his father's surgeon and the hospital where he received care were also his clients, which ensured his father received the genomic insights few patients got access to at the time. Rome’s father today is a 20-year colorectal cancer survivor, which fuels his relentless fight to eliminate obstacles for people to acces genetic and genomic testing today.

Kira Dineen is a certified genetic counselor the host and executive producer of DNA Today, a weekly podcast that educates and engages listeners about genetics. Kira has produced over 300 episodes of DNA Today, interviewing experts in the field of clinical genetics and has won the Best 2020, 2021, and 2022 Science and Medicine Podcast Awards.

Listen for these powerful takeaways:

• The Power of Personal Experience: Rome's direct involvement in his father's colorectal cancer surgery and genomic testing profoundly solidified his lifelong mission to expand patient access to genetic and genomic testing.
• Persistent Access Barriers: Despite two decades of scientific advancement in precision medicine, significant hurdles such as outdated reimbursement policies, lack of provider awareness, and inherent biases continue to prevent equitable access.

The Imperative of Self-Advocacy: Rome emphasizes that accessible information and patient empowerment are crucial for navigating the complex healthcare system, enabling individuals to advocate for and ultimately receive personalized, genome informed care.

We’re taking a look back at the podcast's remarkable growth and engagement throughout 2025. Nearly 5000 podcast downloads, listeners in 59 countries and counting, and the expanding reach across platforms like YouTube and LinkedIn is helping us to reach more people who need to learn the language of precision medicine and build confidence to be more effective advocates for their healthcare. Rome also unveils exciting new website features designed to make this information more accessible, including a glossary of terms, a list of patient advocacy groups, and an advanced search function to find topics most important to you.

Adding a personal touch, Rome introduces his daughters and podcast contributors, Marloh and Zoi, offering listeners a chance to get to know the family behind the mission, and even includes a brief cameo from their beloved dog, Cyrus. The episode culminates with an inspiring interview featuring former NFL defensive lineman Tony Savage, a male breast cancer survivor and BRCA2 variant carrier, whose powerful story underscores the importance of proactive genetic testing to understand cancer risks. Before the interview, Rome outlines ambitious goals for the podcast's future, aiming to further expand its impact and advocate for greater integration of genetic insights in healthcare:

1. Syndicate Genetics for Healthcare Podcast episodes into Cancer Center Waiting Rooms/Hospital Wards – we want to repurpose our video content, particularly the patient testimonies, to be featured in cancer center waiting rooms and hospital cancer wards. These real-life stories and educational segments can engage, inform, and inspire patients during their healthcare journeys, turning solemn waiting times into opportunities for learning and connection.
2. Advocate for NFL's Crucial Catch Campaign to Include Genetic & Genomic Testing - This initiative would emphasize the importance of hereditary cancer testing, whole genome sequencing, and identifying high-risk variants early to inform proactive screening, prevention strategies, and ultimately, save lives by catching diseases when they are most treatable.

If you have connections within healthcare systems or ideas on how to license or syndicate our episodes AND/OR contacts within the NFL, or experience in large-scale health advocacy campaigns, we'd love to hear from you!

Send us an email at info@geneticsforhealthcare.com or DM us on any of our social medial platforms.

Rome reconnects with Dr Tabari Baker, medical affairs executive and pioneer in the Medical Science Liaison (MSL) role. We learn how MSL have become critical connectors to revolutionize patient access to precision medicine. As genetic and genomic testing, particularly NGS, becomes increasingly central to healthcare, MSLs serve as the vital resource to clinicians, translating complex clinical science into practical applications that directly benefit patients.

Discover how Dr. Baker's work and the broader MSL community empower clinicians to interpret and apply the fast-growing title wave of genomic insights, especially as precision medicine expands beyond oncology into areas like cardiology, neurology, and rare diseases.

Dr. Baker also shares invaluable insights and three essential tips for aspiring MSLs, drawing from his dynamic leadership style and passion for medical innovation and health equity. If you're curious about the unsung heroes who fast-track cutting-edge science to the patient's bedside, this episode offers a profound look into their critical role.

META DESCRIPTION

Want to know how patients get the newest gene treatments faster? Dr. Tabari M. Baker explains how Medical Science Liaisons help doctors understand the latest gene science. This includes new tests like NGS testing and precision medicine. MSLs make sure these new precision medicine treatments reach patients more quickly. They work in areas like cancer, heart, and rare diseases. Learn the language and build confidence to advocate for a precision medicine approach to your healthcare! #geneticsforhealthcare

In this powerful conversation Rome talks with breast cancer conqueror Mary Royal, who shares her deeply personal experience with the fear and anxiety of cancer recurrence. Mary’s story takes a pivotal turn when she’s introduced to MRD (Molecular Residual Disease) testing, a groundbreaking technology also known as circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) or form of liquid biopsy testing.

This innovative test detects minute fragments of cancer DNA shed by tumor cells into the bloodstream, often long before any symptoms appear or before traditional imaging scans can identify a relapse. MRD testing has potential to revolutionize the detection of cancer’s return after curative treatment by providing doctors 15-month (or more) lead time to catch a returning cancer at its earliest, most treatable stage, transforming what might have otherwise become an incurable situation into longer healthier life.

Mary's narrative is not just about her fight against cancer; it's a testament to overcoming fear, advocating for cutting-edge care, and championing a technology that promises to empower patients and redefine the future of cancer surveillance and treatment.

META DESCRIPTION:

Stop worrying if cancer will come back! Learn how MRD testing molecular residual disease (ctDNA/liquid biopsy) helps. Hear from Mary Royal, who beat breast cancer, about this special test. It finds tiny bits of cancer before a scan can. Learn how MRD testing can ease fear and anxiety and help avoid incurable cancer. We help you build the language and confidence to advocate for a precision medicine approach to your healthcare.

In this groundbreaking discussion, Rome talks with Dr. Ronan Kelly, Director of Scientific Discovery and Precision Medicine at Baylor University Medical Center, and Chief of Oncology for the Baylor Scott & White Healthcare System, the largest non-profit health system in Texas, spanning vast rural and urban landscapes.

Dr Kelly unveils how the visionary Texas Cancer Interception Institute is breaking down traditional barriers to empower patients with precision medicine insights, ensuring early intervention, improved cancer outcomes, and a future where proactive health management is the norm.

The institute is leveraging emerging diagnostics and cutting-edge technologies, including multi-cancer early detection blood tests (MCDs), at-home cancer screenings, and advanced AI analytics. By making these powerful tools accessible through patient-centric digital platforms and smartphone integration, BSW is not just performing tests but transforming the entire cancer diagnostic journey.

Key Takeaways:

• Proactive Interception: Discover how early detection through advanced diagnostics like MCD blood tests and at-home genetic screenings is the cornerstone of the national strategy to drastically reduce cancer mortality.
• Accessible Precision Medicine: Learn about the innovative use of smartphones, AI, and patient navigators to simplify access to cutting-edge tests, and guide patients through their diagnostic journey, even from home.
• Beyond Traditional Screening: Understand the shift from relying solely on imaging to integrating circulating biomarkers (blood, urine, cheek swab tests) for detecting a wider range of cancers earlier.

LINKS: Texas Cancer Institute