Overlooked: Women's Health Can't Wait

There are many positive developments in cancer treatments right now, and the overall survival rate for cancer across the board is ticking upwards. But there’s a shadow here. Survivorship is overlooked, and it comes with its own weight, creating a range of challenges: difficulties that are emotional or physical, sexual or financial. In this episode, Golda talks to Dr Mercedes Castiel about the shadow of cancer survivroship, what 'quality of life' means after cancer treatment, and the kinds of resources survivors and caregivers need.

This episode was recorded with a live audience at the Canadian Conference on Ovarian Cancer, organized by Ovarian Cancer Canada, and hosted by the Gynecologic Cancer Initiative at the University of British Columbia. It also features the experiences of three ovarian cancer survivors: Jackie Cherwenuk, Jenny Graham, and Leslie Fletcher.

For the backstory to this episode, links and other resources on survivorship, subscribe to the Overlooked newsletter:

https://overlookedpodcast.kit.com/posts

What to listen to next:

A narrative episode from season 1 about treatment for ovarian cancer: https://overlooked.simplecast.com/episodes/treatment

On 'previvorship', and preventing cancer when you're considered high risk: https://overlooked.simplecast.com/episodes/knowing-and-facing-your-cancer-risk-with-michelle-zimmerman

Also mentioned in the episode: First Person Health, a storytelling workshop. If you love Overlooked's style of audio storytelling and want to tell your own story in sound, learn more about the workshop, and sign up here: https://overlookedpodcast.kit.com/firstpersonhealth

ABOUT THE SHOW: Overlooked tells powerful stories about women's health conditions that don't get enough attention. The show is hosted by Golda Arthur, an audio journalist and producer. Learn more about the show here: https://bit.ly/TheOverlookedNewsletter

Follow the show, and episodes will come to you automatically.

DISCLAIMER What you hear and read on ‘Overlooked’ is for general information purposes only and represents the opinions of the host and guests. The content on the podcast and website should not be taken as medical advice. Every person’s body is unique, so please consult your healthcare professional for any medical questions that may arise.

Gynecologic oncologist Dr. Kemi Doll explains how clinical guidelines built without Black women in mind, and decades of dismissed symptoms means that Black women are twice as likely to die of endometrial cancer. Dr. Doll's newly released book, A Terrible Strength, The Hidden Crisis of the Black Womb and Your Survival Guide to Healing, digs even deeper into the crisis she's spent her career trying to solve. 

Read the backstory to this episode, and learn more about women's health by signing up for our newsletter here: https://overlookedpodcast.kit.com/posts

This episode was first published in May 2025.

Interested in telling your own health story in sound? Sign up for First Person Health, our narrative storytelling class here: https://overlookedpodcast.kit.com/firstpersonhealth

ABOUT THE SHOW: Overlooked tells powerful stories about women's health conditions that don't get enough attention. The show is hosted by Golda Arthur, an audio journalist and producer. Learn more about the show here: https://bit.ly/TheOverlookedNewsletter

Follow the show, and episodes will come to you automatically.

DISCLAIMER What you hear and read on ‘Overlooked’ is for general information purposes only and represents the opinions of the host and guests. The content on the podcast and website should not be taken as medical advice. Every person’s body is unique, so please consult your healthcare professional for any medical questions that may arise.

'First Person Health' is a storytelling workshop, and this episode features two moving pieces from women who took the class:

Patsy Day tells a devastating story about her stillborn child, and says that in the UK, "The underfunding of stillbirth research is a political act."

Leah Wittenberg tells a visceral story about a stomach infection caused by H. pylori that caused complications and sepsis, an abdominal perforation and emergency surgery.

First Person Health teaches women how to tell their story powerfully in sound. This is small-batch storytelling, so that each participant gets attention and support as they process their health experience. The last workshop for the year will take place this fall and space is limited to 6 participants. Learn more, and sign up for the next workshop here: https://overlookedpodcast.kit.com/firstpersonhealth

 

 

ABOUT THE SHOW: Overlooked tells powerful stories about women's health conditions that don't get enough attention. The show is hosted by Golda Arthur, an audio journalist and producer. Learn more about the show here: https://bit.ly/TheOverlookedNewsletter

Follow the show, and episodes will come to you automatically.

DISCLAIMER What you hear and read on ‘Overlooked’ is for general information purposes only and represents the opinions of the host and guests. The content on the podcast and website should not be taken as medical advice. Every person’s body is unique, so please consult your healthcare professional for any medical questions that may arise.

Teresa Arthur, whose story with ovarian cancer was the reason Overlooked was created in the first place, passed away on July 2nd, 2026. 

In this episode, Golda reflects on her mom’s passing, and re-introduces the very first episode of the podcast, going back to where this journey began. 

The first season of Overlooked was all about ovarian cancer, and to listen to the next episode in that series, ‘Diagnosis’ click here: https://overlooked.simplecast.com/episodes/diagnosis

To read and subscribe to the newsletter, click here: https://overlookedpodcast.kit.com/f8ebd706ad

To read Teresa Arthur’s obituary, click here: https://tjtracey.com/tribute/details/4181/Teresa-Arthur/obituary.html#tribute-start

ABOUT THE SHOW: Overlooked tells powerful stories about women's health conditions that don't get enough attention. The show is hosted by Golda Arthur, an audio journalist and producer. Learn more about the show here: https://bit.ly/TheOverlookedNewsletter

Follow the show, and episodes will come to you automatically.

DISCLAIMER What you hear and read on ‘Overlooked’ is for general information purposes only and represents the opinions of the host and guests. The content on the podcast and website should not be taken as medical advice. Every person’s body is unique, so please consult your healthcare professional for any medical questions that may arise.

This episode is a special collaboration with Cramped, a podcast hosted by the dynamic Kate Helen Downey. Golda and Kate talk about the language of pain, why women talk about their pain differently than men, and how our pain is so often dismissed. Also - what’s the point of the pain scale, anyway? 

You can listen to Cramped here: https://patreon.com/cramped

For more resources on the topics mentioned in this episode, read and subscribe to the newsletter here: https://overlookedpodcast.kit.com/f8ebd706ad

What to listen to next: Sharing a difficult story about cervical screening, with writer Brittany Chaffee - https://overlooked.simplecast.com/episodes/sharing-a-difficult-story-about-cervical-screening-with-writer-brittany-chaffee

ABOUT THE SHOW: Overlooked tells powerful stories about women's health conditions that don't get enough attention. The show is hosted by Golda Arthur, an audio journalist and producer. Learn more about the show here: https://bit.ly/TheOverlookedNewsletter

Follow the show, and episodes will come to you automatically.

DISCLAIMER What you hear and read on ‘Overlooked’ is for general information purposes only and represents the opinions of the host and guests. The content on the podcast and website should not be taken as medical advice. Every person’s body is unique, so please consult your healthcare professional for any medical questions that may arise.