Stopping the Stigma

What do esophageal cancer, testicular cancer, lung cancer, cervical cancer, and colon cancer have in common? Each carries some type of stigma or taboo—whether because they're linked to behavioral causes or because they affect portions of the anatomy traditionally deemed private. The impact of these stigmas can be detrimental: In some cases, stigmatized cancers receive less research funding, resulting in fewer treatment innovations for patients. Moreover, stigmas often result in patients hesitating to seek critical diagnostic care, increasing the risk that their cancer won't be caught until it's too late.

April is National Cancer Control Month, which aims to cut the U.S. cancer death rate in half by 2028. Although better cancer screening is a vital step toward that goal, many people do not get screened—a structural problem made worse by cancer stigmatization.

In this episode of the Your Stories podcast, we're joined by Dr. Stacy Wentworth, an award-winning oncologist and cancer survivorship expert. As medical director of cancer survivorship at Atrium Wake Forest Baptist Health Comprehensive Cancer Center, she has two decades of experience with leading patient-centered care teams in diverse settings. Dr. Wentworth is also the founder of her weekly Substack, Cancer Culture. In this forum, she explores how personal, scientific, and sociocultural factors shape attitudes toward cancer, including the various stigmas and difficult conversations that may come with it.