Advancing Cancer Research as a Married Couple: “Your Stories” Podcast

Your Stories: Conquering Cancer
December 18, 2020
Jimmy O’Hara, Conquer Cancer staff

Conquer Cancer, the ASCO Foundation, developed the podcast series Your Stories: Conquering Cancer to showcase unscripted conversations between patients, doctors, and the family and friends who conquer cancer with them.

There are roadblocks to conquering cancer for both patients and researchers. But those hurdles didn’t stop Judith Kaur, MD. In this Your Stories episode, “Marriage & Medicine,” Dr. Kaur and her husband, Alan Kaur, share how they keep their vows to advance cancer research through perseverance and teamwork.

Overcoming the odds

In 1975, 30-something mothers were not considered ideal candidates for medical school. “They said I was too old to go to medical school, that women were not accepted,” remembers Dr. Kaur. But Alan encouraged her, just as she had done for him when he was establishing his career as an actuary.

At 38, Judith began work as an oncologist and researcher, and she received the first grant awarded by Conquer Cancer, the ASCO Foundation.

Staying committed

Decades after entering medicine, Dr. Kaur is a research pioneer specializing in breast cancer, cervical cancer, and palliative care. She dedicates her work to improving access and quality care in Native American communities. Alan, meanwhile, has contributed to cancer research by participating in a prostate cancer prevention clinical trial.

“It’s interesting to see, after 52 years of marriage, the things that we’ve had together and the times that we’ve had to change paths,” says Dr. Kaur. “I’ve been a stay-at home-mom, I’ve been a schoolteacher, I’ve been at our own clinic and academic center. So I’ve seen kind of the full range of oncology care.”


Hear more about Dr. Kaur’s story. The Your Stories podcast, from Conquer Cancer, the ASCO Foundation, features candid conversations between family and friends who conquer cancer alongside their loved ones. Subscribe to Your Stories on Apple Podcasts and Google Play today.

Read a transcript.

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