Episode Details

A triple board-certified hematologist, medical oncologist and clinical informaticist reveals why most cancers aren't inherited, the everyday blood-work red flags that get missed, and the exact questions that turn a "negative" result into real peace of mind.

If you've ever skipped a screening because "it doesn't run in my family," this one is for you. My guest is better know to his social following as TheOncDoc, and he wastes no time busting that myth: the vast majority of cancers aren't inherited at all. They're largely a disease of age, time and exposure, which means the everyday choices you make in your 40s, 50s and 60s matter more than most of us were ever told.

We get real about what a "clear" mammogram actually means when nearly half of women have dense breasts, the red flags hiding in your routine blood work, and how to advocate for yourself when you know something isn't right (I also share my own story of a lump that two doctors brushed off).

Then we dig into the science of insulin as a growth signal, why glucose regulation is getting so much attention from oncologists, and the simple, no-prescription-needed habits that move your risk in the right direction. It's “10% Toxic” in action: do your best, skip the panic, and sleep well knowing you're doing the most you can.

In this episode, you will learn:

• Why 85–90% of cancers aren't inherited, and why "it doesn't run in my family" is not a reason to skip screening
• The dense-breast blind spot: why 40–50% of women can get a "negative" mammogram that misses something, and what contrast-enhanced mammography adds
• The questions to ask after a "negative" biopsy so you know it actually sampled the right area
• Anemia as an early warning: why new, unexplained low hemoglobin should always prompt the question "Why am I anemic?"
• How a healthy appetite is actually a reassuring sign, and which persistent changes (fatigue, bowel habits, appetite) warrant a call to your doctor
• Why albumin trending down on your standard blood panel is worth a closer look
• Multi-cancer blood tests, decoded: what tests like Galleri can and can't tell you
• Why cervical cancer is called "the one cancer that shouldn't exist," and how screening intervals are really set
• Insulin, explained: why this hormone acts as a growth factor and what that means for glucose regulation and cancer risk
• The heart-rate "snack" strategy, the two-nights-a-week alcohol shift, and other habits that add up over decades

About Our Guest Expert:

Dr. Sanjay Juneja is a triple board-certified hematologist, medical oncologist and clinical informaticist serving as Vice President of AI & Medical Informatics for Tempus AI, where he leads clinical AI strategy and implementation initiatives that bridge cutting-edge artificial intelligence with real-world oncology practice. He is the author of We Need to Talk About Cancer: An IMPORTANT Book for Patients, Family, and Friends and a master's candidate at Stanford Medical in clinical informatics management.

Dr. Juneja maintains an active clinical practice with Citrus Oncology. He serves on the Editorial Board of the peer-reviewed journal AI in Precision Oncology and is the co-founder of two startups, including TensorBlack Inc., an AI education and consulting company focused on oncology applications. He was named Targeted Oncology's inaugural 2024 Oncology Icon, was invited to the White House's 2023 Healthcare Leaders in Social Media Roundtable, and has been featured in The Washington Post, WIRED, Bloomberg and PBS.

Through his platform as "TheOncDoc," Dr. Juneja has built a global following of more than 750,000 subscribers. His podcast series on AI and healthcare has topped 5 million downloads in more than 110 countries.

🌐 Website