The Cancer Mavericks: A History of Survivorship

The Cancer Mavericks: A History of Survivorship

Before hashtags, wristbands, or bell-ringing ceremonies, cancer survivors were left with nothing—no plan, no path, no voice. So they built one from scratch. The Cancer Mavericks is the untold story of the rebels, misfits, and outsiders who refused to accept the status quo. Over the last 50 years, they turned personal trauma into public action—and sparked a movement that forced the system to care. It’s not a history lesson. It’s a reckoning. Hosted by award-winning advocate and producer Matthew Zachary, The Cancer Mavericks pulls back the curtain on the people who made survivorship matter—before anyone even said the word.

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Episodes

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Introducing: The Cancer Mavericks
May 7, 2021

Introducing: The Cancer Mavericks

Before survivorship was a word, it was a fight. In this special preview, host Matthew Zachary lays the groundwork for The Cancer Mavericks—a documentary series about the people who refused to be statistics and built a movement instead. If you think you know the story of cancer, think again. See Pr…
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EP1: The Big C Wasn’t Always on TV
June 4, 2021

EP1: The Big C Wasn’t Always on TV

Back when doctors didn’t even say the word “cancer” out loud, let alone tell patients they had it, survivorship wasn’t a movement. It wasn’t even an idea. It was shame, silence, and stigma. In this premiere episode, host Matthew Zachary kicks off The Cancer Mavericks with a gut-punch history of ho…
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EP2: You’re Cured, Good Luck
July 1, 2021

EP2: You’re Cured, Good Luck

Before Facebook groups, Slack channels, and TikTok cancer diaries, connecting as a survivor meant classified ads, rotary phones, and maybe a mimeograph machine if you were lucky. In Episode Two, The Cancer Mavericks rewinds to the 1970s and '80s—when the War on Cancer was flooding labs with cash, …
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EP3: The Navigator and the Negotiator
Aug. 5, 2021

EP3: The Navigator and the Negotiator

What happens when a street-smart surgeon and a no-BS survivor team up to change the rules of cancer care—forever? In this episode, we meet two people who took radically different paths to the same goal: making survivorship a right, not a privilege. Dr. Harold Freeman was a breast cancer surgeon a…
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EP4: You’re Not ‘Cured’ — You’re Just Not Dead
Sept. 10, 2021

EP4: You’re Not ‘Cured’ — You’re Just Not Dead

What if surviving cancer was just the beginning of the real fight? In this episode, we dig into the dirty little secret of cancer care: post-treatment survivorship is often a medical no-man’s-land. Once the last scan is clean and the bell is rung, patients are left to figure out what “getting back…
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EP5: The Young Adult Cancer Revolution: When the Next Generation Got Loud
Oct. 8, 2021

EP5: The Young Adult Cancer Revolution: When the Next Generation Got Loud

For decades, cancer care had a massive blind spot: young adults. If you were diagnosed between the ages of 15 and 39, you were basically invisible—too old for pediatrics, too young for geriatrics, and completely off the radar of clinical trials, support systems, and survivorship planning. In this…
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About the Host

Matthew Zachary Profile Photo

Matthew Zachary

Producer

Dubbed "The People's Voice in Healthcare" by People Magazine, Matthew Zachary turned a brain cancer diagnosis at 21 into a global movement for patient empowerment. He beat the odds and became a powerhouse advocate for patient rights, giving a voice to millions overlooked by traditional healthcare.

As the founder of Stupid Cancer, he launched the young adult cancer movement, pioneering a new era of patient advocacy. In 2007, he created The Stupid Cancer Show—the first-ever healthcare talk radio show before podcasts were even a thing—building a global community for cancer survivors.

His groundbreaking podcast Out of Patients and the award-winning documentary The Cancer Mavericks cemented him as the "Podfather of Healthcare" and one of the most trusted, irreverent voices in the industry.

Now, as Principal of Matthew Zachary Worldwide, he leads a media, consulting, and think tank agency disrupting healthcare marketing with bold, empathy-driven storytelling. His work spans digital health, life sciences, entertainment, and nonprofit advocacy—challenging the system, amplifying patient voices, and driving real change.

With millions of downloads, hundreds of keynotes, and a sharp GenX edge that blends wit with wisdom, Matthew empowers patients to reclaim their stories while helping organizations embrace authentic, lived-experience storytelling.

Matthew is also... still standing.