708176196694798 Hiding the Burden of Cancer - Man Up to Cancer

Episode 87

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Published on:

21st Apr 2026

Hiding the Burden of Cancer

When you're a metastatic cancer patient and you've lived beyond the “expiration date” some people may have quietly assigned you, two things can be true at the same time:

1) I’m grateful every day for the time I get to spend with people I love, to be out in nature, to do work that gives me meaning.

2) I carry the burden of pain and long-term side effects, along with a kind of grief that has no single source, always humming in the background.

But when the world wants to celebrate and shower you with confetti because you're still alive, sometimes you leave out the second part.

Sometimes you hide the burden.

This is what I talk about in my latest solo episode, #87 of the Man Up to Cancer Podcast.

If it resonates, give it a listen and follow the show so we can reach more men who are going through this.

SPONSOR SHOUT OUT!

I want to thank my sponsor for this episode, Pfizer.

This Is Living with Cancer™ is a free online resource developed by Pfizer Oncology for all people​ living with cancer, regardless of age, income, race, location, cancer type, or stage of disease. This​ comprehensive program is available to anyone in the US, whether they’re on a Pfizer​ treatment or not, with a growing focus on those facing challenges accessing care.

Visit ThisIsLivingWithCancer.com to learn more.

I can't make this podcast happen without sponsors that believe in storytelling and the elevation of real patient voices.

All views are my own, and the opinions expressed in this show do not necessarily reflect the views or endorsements of our sponsors.

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About the Podcast

Man Up to Cancer
The show built for men facing cancer, and the people who love us!
I'm your host, Trevor Maxwell. I'm a stage IV colon cancer survivor, and I've got a message for other men: You don't have to go through cancer alone.

On the Man Up to Cancer podcast, you can expect raw, unfiltered conversations about men, cancer, and our experiences. My guests will be other patients, survivors, advocates, health experts, and friends from #cancerland.

We'll tackle a wide range of topics including cancer screenings, chemo, friendship, scars, sex and intimacy, grief, and the physical suck-fest of cancer. But .. PLOT TWIST.. we're also going to joke, laugh, and have fun.

Visit us and join our community at www.manuptocancer.org.
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About your host

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Trevor Maxwell

Trevor Maxwell is a stage IV colon cancer survivor from Cape Elizabeth, Maine. He is the founder of Man Up to Cancer, a national nonprofit organization that inspires men to connect and avoid isolation during their cancer journeys, and he is the author of the book Open Heart, Warrior Spirit: A Man’s Guide to Living with Cancer.