Data has a history. So do I.
I am Dr. Randi Paynter. As a cancer epidemiologist, I’ve spent my career analyzing the systems that determine who gets care and who gets left behind. But long before I earned my Doctor of Science, I learned about health disparities from the dinner table.
I created CHANGED BY CANCER because a diagnosis doesn't just change your cells; it changes your world. I know this because my own world was shaped by the very barriers I now study.
Marginalized Among the Marginalized
I am an enrolled member of the Little Shell Tribe of Montana. For over a century, my people were "landless" -- marginalized even among Native Americans, chased across the US-Canada border, and denied federal recognition until 2019. Growing up, I carried the intergenerational weight of being "half-breed" and "garbage Indians" in a society that didn't know where to put us.
That systemic isolation wasn't just historical; it was economic. My parents were the first in their families to graduate high school. My father was drafted in 1967 and served in Vietnam while I was being born. We were a family built on grit, but we were vulnerable.
When I was young, we lived for years without health insurance. I watched my parents struggle under the weight of devastating medical bills -- costs that didn't just drain a bank account, but strained the very foundation of our home.
Why This Show Matters Now
I didn't choose cancer epidemiology by accident. I chose it because I wanted to understand the "why" behind the struggle. I wanted to see the invisible walls of racism, poverty, and addiction that make a cancer diagnosis a financial and emotional catastrophe for so many families.
This podcast began with my sister, Brenda. When Brenda was diagnosed with terminal breast cancer, we sat down for a conversation that changed everything for me. It reminded me that behind every statistic is a person trying to navigate a system that wasn't built for them.
Join the Conversation
Whether you are a patient, a survivor, a caregiver, or a provider, your story is part of the data that needs to be heard.
I’m launching this show to bridge the gap between the clinic and the kitchen table. I invite you to follow along as we explore the systemic barriers, the financial toxicity, and the profound human resilience that defines life after a diagnosis.