The Cancer Burden No One Sees And Why Patients Need Better Navigation

Cancer care isn’t just medical, it’s emotional, logistical, and often overwhelming. In this episode, Charlotte Bayala sits down with Samira Daswani, founder and CEO of Manta Cares, to talk about what happens after a cancer diagnosis when patients and caregivers are left to navigate a complex healthcare system with little guidance. Drawing from her own experience as a cancer patient, Samira shares how the invisible burden of treatment decisions, cultural stigma, and fragmented information led her to build tools that are shamelessly patient-first. Together, they explore what caregivers witness every day but rarely hear acknowledged: the emotional labor, the timing gaps in care, and the constant pressure to make the “right” choices with incomplete information. This conversation unpacks: • Why the emotional weight of cancer is so often underestimated • How caregivers become de facto navigators overnight • What patient-first design really means in oncology • The role technology and human connection can play in improving access to care If you’re supporting someone through cancer, or trying to understand why the system feels so hard to move through, this episode offers clarity, validation, and a more honest look at what patients and caregivers actually need. Find Samira at: www.mantacares.com Find more from Charlotte at: www.cancercaregiverpodcast.com Download your free Scanxiety Toolkit at: www.cancercaregiverpodcast.com/tools