The Other Shoe: Cancer Risk & CF

People with CF are used to waiting for the other shoe to drop—but a cancer diagnosis? That one still lands with a thud. In this episode, Ahmet—who kicks things off with a story that somehow involves gelato, a heat dome, and a medical conference in Italy—and Andrea sit down with Dr. Steve Freedman and Dr. Chelsea Lau to talk about something that’s been in the medical literature for decades, but is still rarely discussed: cancer risk in CF.

As more people live longer with CF—many well into adulthood and post-transplant—questions about increased cancer risk are becoming more urgent. Steve and Chelsea walk us through the science behind CFTR as a tumor suppressor gene, how chronic inflammation and disrupted gut environments may set the stage for certain cancers, and why the modulator era, while revolutionary for lungs, might not offer the same protection in the GI tract.

We talk screening, colonoscopies, and what we do (and don’t) know about breast, pancreatic, and post-transplant lymphoma risks. Andrea asks about cancer diets specific to CF, and Steve tries not to geek out about mice and microbiota.

Also: organic produce, telomeres, and a musical finale you might want to skip—but shouldn’t.