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Ft Myers Beach - Good Neighbor
FMBGN-HW-Naples Cancer Advisors-Cancer Advice Without The Sales Pitch
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Cancer can make everything feel urgent, but urgency is not the same as clarity. We sit down with Nikki from Naples Cancer Advisors to talk about a rare kind of resource in Southwest Florida: free, expert cancer second opinions that are independent, unbiased, and built to support you and your current oncologist, not compete with them.
Naples Cancer Advisors is a local nonprofit that does not bill insurance, does not require a referral, and does not make you “qualify.” If you have an active cancer diagnosis, you can self-refer and get access to a powerhouse oncology team that reviews your medical records in depth and meets with you via telemedicine. Nikki explains why their model works like “Switzerland” in the cancer industry: their physicians are not aligned with pharmaceutical companies or health systems, so the focus stays on what’s best for the patient. Even if your treatment plan does not change, you walk away with something many people never get in cancer care: time to understand the diagnosis, the reasoning, the side effects, and the real options in front of you.
We also talk about the fear that drives snap decisions and why self-advocacy matters so much. Screening comes up in a big way, including lung cancer screening, environmental risk like radon exposure, and the reality that not all lung cancer is tied to smoking. Nikki shares practical ways to ask better questions, slow things down, and use second opinions as a tool for confidence, not conflict.
Subscribe for more local health and wellness conversations, share this with someone who needs steadier footing right now, and leave a review so more listeners in Fort Myers Beach and beyond can find these resources.
Naples Cancer Advisors
Nikki Audia
201 Tamiami Trl N suite 112, Naples, FL 34103
(239) 846-2273
information@naplescanceradvisors.org
naplescanceradvisors.org
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Welcome And Wellness Series Setup
Intro/CloseWelcome to the Fort Myers Beach Good Neighbor Podcast Health and Wellness Series. Brought to you by Redo You, Natural Health and Beauty, where we make wellness feel possible and turn everyday choices into stronger living. Each episode brings you uplifting conversations, local resources, and practical tips to help you look better, feel stronger, be emotionally balanced, and more connected to the community around you. So take a breath and settle in because feeling better starts right where you are.
Meet Naples Cancer Advisors
Cabo JimSorry about that. Welcome. Oh, that's okay.
Nikki AudiaWelcome. Good morning. Happy Monday.
Cabo JimYeah. Yeah. Pleasure to have you on the show and share a little bit about what you do. So without further ado, why don't you jump right in and share a little bit about what you do?
Nikki AudiaSo my name, like you said, is Naple uh Nikki with Naples Cancer Advisors, and I am the director of philanthropy and community engagement. Um, I have worked in the healthcare space for many years. I uh took a role um with this position about a year ago, and uh just such a great organization. It's a local nonprofit that basically offers the physician portion. So um our foundation fuels the ability for someone to come in and see expert oncologists for no charge at all. And what's unique about our platform is our providers are not aligned with any pharmaceutical company institution. We are strictly um, I guess, Switzerland and almost like an honest broker in the cancer industry. Um, we don't bill insurance, we you do not have to qualify, you can self-refer. The only thing you have to have is an act active cancer, right? Um, and our our doctors are are pretty much some of the best oncologists in the world. Um, our breast cancer doctor is Dr. Robin Zahn, who is um an ASCO president, just unbelievable, pretty stacked um oncology team. Unfortunately, a lot of these doctors, of course, don't live here in Florida. So, what we do is we have a um very knowledgeable and wise nurse practitioner that has been in the industry for some time. Uh, we sequester all your medical records for you, and um, you get to come into our clinic. And we um our doctors will see you usually via Zoom. And they spend collectively, I want to say, eight to ten hours on your case. And um, our goal is to literally ship
How The Free Expert Review Works
Nikki Audiayou back to your current oncologist because our founder, Dr. Barrett, our mission is to make sure nobody walks through cancer alone. And also, statistically speaking, people heal faster and do better if they're if they're in their own home, right? So if you are going to get chemotherapy and you're able to drive back to your home and sleep in your own bed and eat at your own table, you are going to heal faster and also not have to absorb the financial uh burden of having to travel, having to get a second opinion. And so, what our experts do is we work and we work with you. So we're almost like your advisor and we work alongside of you your whole oncology journey. So um it's it's pretty amazing. I'm proud to represent the organization and the foundation. Um, myself alone, I've lost six family members to cancer. And uh, I was just so proud and so honored to be aligned and represent something so fruitful for our community. Um, especially, you know, I was I was I'm from here. So to be able to bring something here um to our community that was pretty cool. One in two people will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime. So to be able to have this resource that is um and not being aligned with anybody, you can go and get real honest feedback, right? So if there's a clinical trial that is available somewhere, our team can help bring that to you here. And we work in conjunction with your current oncology team to make sure you are getting the absolute best cancer treatment. And really, I think also at the end of the day, um, whether your treatment doesn't change. Your treatment doesn't necessarily have to change um in order to come see us, right? So you might be on the best um journey that you know your oncologist um has given you. But something that we have, which I think that's most oncologists would love to be able to do what we do is we have something so precious, and that's time, right? I think most oncologists probably really want to take the chance and slow cancer down and have a conversation with their patient and go over all the things and stuff that our doctors have the time to do, but they they just don't have that time. So that's what we have. We have all the time in the world to sit down and really talk about your cancer diagnosis. Our oncologists want to know what were you feeling, you know, when you first became what symptomatic, or were you not feeling anything at all? Was this a routine scan? So, um, and our nurse practitioner does an amazing job with um really just, you know, making sure that our everybody is kind of has all the resources that they need um to kind of walk through this cancer journey. So if there's a resource out there that is needed, um, our nonprofit will make sure to either go and find that resource or kind of fund that uh resource until it's until we have it here in the community. So there's only two clinics like this in the world uh here in Cincinnati. And uh despite our name being Naples Cancer Advisors, we service all of Southwest Florida. So um you do not need a referral to see us. And we we will see you. It takes about two weeks usually to get into our office. Um and it's it's a pretty amazing um nonprofit. And uh we've had a we've touched a lot of people's lives here in in Florida and um even more in Cincinnati, where this was um where we started this. Dr. Barrett started this in Cincinnati. And he's actually still a practicing radiation oncologist at the University of Cincinnati. Um, and unfortunately he doesn't get to see patients because he's still practicing, but uh is you know, everybody is just so proud to uh follow his mission, and it's you know, making sure nobody walks through cancer alone. So it seems pretty incredible.
Origins Funding And Community Events
Cabo JimWhere did that start from? How did that become with him?
Nikki AudiaSo it's actually a really long story. Um, but basically, he, you know, and his his father was even in the cancer industry. If you go to you you see, um it's actually called the Barrett Cancer Center. So I think Dr. Barrett just had um, I I believe it was one of his son's friends. He was always getting people that were asking, you know, for a second opinion, right? Look at my charts, look at my charts. And um I think a personal issue with one of his son's friends um kind of sparked this nonprofit idea. And about um a little over 10 years ago, they started this clinic in Cincinnati. And um the connection down here is Dr. Barrett and his family had always been kind of traveling here and they had a home here growing up. So he's like, why not also have Naples too? So it's kind of our skyline to sunshine um conduit. There's there's so many people that are from Ohio, uh Cincinnati specifically, that um kind of filter down here. So um, you know, we do uh, you know, and again, we're not people always ask, um, what you know, how are you funded, right? How do you pay? Because these doctors are not volunteers, you know, we pay them and we are fully, fully fueled by philanthropy 100%. So um we don't, again, we don't take money from anybody if you come and see us and you need a PET scan. We're not gonna order a PET scan for you because we don't treat what we do is we advise. So we will send you back to your doctor and say you need a PET scan, and it gives us the autonomy to go and really truly be um Switzerland and really be an honest broker for you, um, the patient. So it's it's it's pretty incredible. We do two big events every year. Um, we do with wine women in shoes. Everybody knows that event. So we um we raise, we did we do that every February. And this year in Fort Myers actually will be our first big gala we're doing um November 14th at the Club at the Renaissance. They've been great partners to work with, and it'll be um, it's called the Million Dollar Shot, and uh it'll be a night nighttime gala. It'll be um a really cool event. Uh so six random people will be chosen to take a million dollar shots. And uh you do not have to pay for this shot, it's just gonna be six people at random, and um it'll be it'll be it'll be a nice event. We're super, super excited. But it'll be a nice night night gala. It'll it'll be nice. And yeah, so we do those big events um to also try to you know fuel our our mission. But we do also a lot of advocacy work on cancers and uh making sure the community kind of stays in the forefront of screening. So we are also um a hub for resources.
Fear Fast Decisions And Screening Gaps
Cabo JimSo so speaking about that, you've got a lot on your plate as far as philanthropy is uh concerned and raising funds and so forth. What are your biggest challenges that you face currently?
Nikki AudiaOur biggest, I don't, you know, our biggest challenges I think that we would face right now is personally, I would say in this sector is letting a lot of people know um that you don't need a referral to see us. You know, in Cincinnati, a lot of people know um who we are, but really getting the message out and letting um people know. I think cancer is very, people think cancer is very scary, right? And what they need to realize is cancer did happen overnight, and your treatment plan definitely should not just be like a knee-jerk reaction. You know, you need to go and get second opinions and um really slow cancer down. Some people think that, oh my gosh, I I was diagnosed with cancer, I'm dying. And that might be true for a certain stage of cancer, but if you have the time, you know, we really need to slow cancer down. You do not need to make a react like a decision right away. So that's probably the biggest thing. I think with most people, most people are scared, right? They're scared they're gonna die. And um, they react to the first decision. But what I will tell you is I'm also a healthcare provider, is one in three cancer um treatment plans are different. So medicine's subjective, it's not a black and white thing. Every cancer does not have a black and white treatment. So, really just coming and really learning and how to be um an advocate for yourself and really how to be to really to be your own self-advocate, to really take the time and invest in um in your cancer and what's happening in your body. So I think that's probably the biggest challenge is people feeling as though that they need to be so reactive, right? And I think secondly, is um really people taking the time to um take time for themselves, right? And and do those screenings and scans that they have to do every year that that everybody puts off, right? Do you even know what the yeah, do you know the leading cause of cancer?
Cabo JimNo, I do not.
Nikki AudiaNo the leading cause of cancer is lung cancer.
Cabo JimReally? Wow.
Nikki AudiaDid you know that you get a free lung cancer screening every single year?
Cabo JimI did not know that.
Nikki AudiaI know you don't want to do that.
Cabo JimSo where would somebody go if they wanted to get a free screening?
Nikki AudiaYeah, it's advocate if you advocate for yourself. You just ask the doctor for a lung cancer screening. And um, yeah, you get a free lung cancer screening every year. If you're over the age of 50 and 80, sorry 50 and 70. Um actually it's 80. And uh, if you do not, if you do not, if you're not over that age, then you could typically go somewhere and they have them pretty inexpensive, like $100, $130. But lung cancer kills more women than breast and ovarian combined every year.
Cabo JimSo it's uh and lung cancer is not necessarily from smoking either, right?
Nikki AudiaNo, 30% are non-smokers. So the leading cause obviously is self-induced, right? Environmental people that have smoked, um, people that work um like firefighters, military workers, like kitchen workers, um, things like that. It's usually a self-induced. But second is radon exposure, right? There's radon in our granite countertops. Of course, we don't live um anywhere there was a lot of mountains and things like that, but radon exposure. So taking the time to be uh more proactive as a community is also um one of the pillars that we try to fill here at um at Naples Cancer Advisors. So, you know, making sure people go and they are proactive with getting scanned and asking the right questions, right? Because some people don't know the questions to ask when you're in that room, right? Um and uh, you know, advocating, right? So when I go to ask for a lung cancer screening every year, I don't, they're like, well, you've never smoked in your life. So now my doctor knows, and it's you know, I I know I haven't smoked, but I've lost six family members to lung cancer. Six. So I'm probably at higher risk to get lung cancer than than somebody else. So I go every year and um I advocate for myself when I get a lung cancer screening.
Cabo JimAnd a lot of what you're doing, like you mentioned, is is educational and making aware making people aware of their options and what they have and just informing them. And that's the biggest thing is a lot of people go in and they take the first advice they hear, and then you know, it may not be the best, but you know, um, they need to know what their options are. So I appreciate what you guys do as far as education and advising. So what are your hopes? What does the future look like for you? What are your hopes for the future?
Nikki AudiaI guess for the hopes for the future um in this in this position would be to be able to, you know, continue to fuel our foundation and our mission, um, to really let the community know that you know it's okay to slow things down and really take the time to um ask, ask questions, ask for um advice. And um, like I said, one and three people have different outcomes and for them to also feel confident when they go into those appointments and have giving them the sense of empowerment to walk into these appointments and ask the questions that they need that they should be able to ask. And then, of course, to fill to fill our um our foundation to be able to um offer you know more resources here, whether it's, for instance, we also fill other little pillars like um if somebody comes and sees us, um, and they they also have the ability, we pay an organization money to help with financial navigation. So all those insurance claims and our or or whatever that is in the insurance sector, we pay a company to do that. We also have a pillar for um if you need um mental, if you like an oncology support group. So it's a real licensed um oncology specialist. So there's different pillars that we fill. So to continue to fill our pillars for our community um in the cancer space.
Self Advocacy Resources And How To Reach Them
Cabo JimSo if somebody wanted to help, had more questions, or just wanted to learn learn more in general, how would they go about contacting and reaching out to you?
Nikki AudiaYeah, so um you can you can just reach out right to our clinic. Um you can email us at info at Naples Cancer Advisors, or you can give our office a call. Um it's um or you can do a warm handoff to me. I'd be more than happy. I don't work in the clinic space, but um I would be I'd be happy to um to help.
Cabo JimRefer somebody. Yep, exactly. Move on. Perfect. So any last words for listeners today?
Nikki AudiaUm, last words for listeners, just to be your own self-advocate. You know, people take time to, you know, get a second opinion on a mortgage rate, on your car insurance. And really, I think your body and your health deserves it more. So just take the time and really any and all things that have to do with your body. Um, and that's another thing that's a huge misnomer. A lot of people are afraid they're gonna hurt their doctor's feelings. And actually, believe it or not, it's not true. So they um some of our biggest referration here are people are the oncology people, they send their patients to us because they know we're gonna send them right back to them, um, fueled and filled with lots of advice and really a better understanding of their cancer journey, whether it's explaining what abigivent therapy is, chemotherapy is, side effects of this drug. So they love to use us. So um I think that would be some good words of advice.
Cabo JimSo our so for our listeners, get out, get educated, get uh get scanned.
Nikki AudiaYes, yes, and be scanned, be be be proactive, right?
Cabo JimYep, yep, proactive. Preventative maintenance is what they call it. So uh get out there, get out there and uh make sure. And be like I said, uh I appreciate everything you guys are doing. Uh you know, it's wonderful for the people in the community here. And um thank you very much for being such a good neighbor, and uh we will see you out there soon, okay?
Intro/CloseAll right, thanks, Jim. Thanks, have a great day.
Cabo JimYou too, thank you.
Intro/CloseThank you for spending this time with the Fort Myers Beach Good Neighbor Podcast, health and wellness series brought to you by Renew You, Natural Health and Beauty. If today's episode helped you, share it with a friend and check the show notes for local resources and next steps you can try this week. Until next time, be gentle with yourself, celebrate the small wins, and remember, better days are built one breath, one choice, and one good neighbor at a time. Also, to nominate your favorite health and wellness expert to be on the show. Go to fmbgoodneighbor.com, that's fmbgoodneighbor.com, or call 239-427-4100. Until next time, remember to Cabo until ya Wabo and keep being a good neighbor.