Real Talk in Medicine with Dr. CM Queen Williams

Joining us today is Dr. CM Queen Williams—retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel, board-certified Radiation Oncologist, and a powerful voice in cancer care, veteran advocacy, and women’s midlife health. With over 20 years of military and medical service, she has dedicated her career to caring for others both in and out of uniform.

Today, Dr. Williams focuses on helping individuals navigate complex medical systems with clarity and confidence—whether that’s understanding a new cancer diagnosis, advocating within the VA system, or addressing the often-overlooked realities of midlife health and survivorship.

Known for her ability to blend science with real-life experience, she brings honesty, compassion, and practical insight to conversations many people are afraid to have—from treatment decisions and medical burnout to life after cancer and the myths surrounding hormone therapy.

She is on a mission to bring clarity, truth, and compassion to some of the most difficult conversations in medicine—and we’re honored to have her here today.

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Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

The randomness of nothing. This is your host, Rashad Woods. I have an absolute outstanding guest today, and this she's the embodiment of the American dream. By way of Jamaica, became a soldier in the U.S. Army, then came through the ranks and became an officer as well. Then, as if this story isn't great enough, she then becomes a medical doctor, right? So you can't make this up. Dr. CM Queen Williams MD. Thank you so much, man.

SPEAKER_00 0:21

Yes, thank you for having me. It's a pleasure to be here. It's a blessing indeed. Thank you.

SPEAKER_01 0:26

Absolutely. I I would I I went to your website, I read the inspirational story. You come from Jamaica, and then you end up going, obviously, to Rutgers University. And can you just tell us that unique path that you took?

SPEAKER_00 0:38

Well, when I first came to America, I came after I graduated high school. Um, my shout out to Merle Grove High School down in Kingston, Jamaica. So I came immediately after I graduated high school. Um, and you know, when I first came, I was in Miami, and everyone was trying to get you to do track because everyone from Jamaica does track, and you know, oh, do you want to go to college here? But I just didn't feel like I was ready for college at the time. And I tried some odd hand jobs, working in a restaurant, working in a store, and I didn't think that's what I came to America for. Uh so I saw the commercial, be all you could be. I yes, I must have hit my head or something. I pick up the phone and I called the recruiter, say this this can't be it. I'm ready to go, come get me. And they did. They came to my home, got me, went, I took the test, all that ASVAV. Um, I wanted to do medical, do medicine at the time, but the wait was like nine months. I was like, no, I gotta get out of Miami. If I stay here, nothing good is gonna happen. So I did 54 Bravo, which is the nuclear biological and chemical warfare type specialist stuff. I do decon. So I was the one, you know, with the gas, gas, gas, gas. You put your mask on, and um it just it was fun at the time. But they lied to me like everybody else. I thought I was gonna be in a lab, working in the lab, all that good stuff. Instead, I was in the field half the time with the infantry guys and all of that stuff. It it was it was fun, but it was hard. I'm not gonna lie. Being enlisted in the military was no joke back then. So that's how the whole story starts with me getting into radiation stuff and getting enlisted. I just knew there was a better path. I wasn't sure how to get there. Prayerfully, uh I did the military stuff, got enlisted, and I'll stop there in case there are other questions. But that's how it got started. So I didn't straight to college. I went into the military first. I was broke. I was broke. I have no money. I'm from Jamaica. I had to get some money somehow. Um, and so when they say be all you could be and the GI Bill and all that stuff, I was like, okay, all right, I I think I could do that.

SPEAKER_01 2:48

Well, I mean, like, let's be honest. Like, let's, let's, let's up, let's give you a lot of credit because you went into quantum, you know, and and you know, in the medicine. Like, you have you know, titles and pronunciations that, you know, if I don't phonetically sound it out of a dictionary, I can't say it. So um, but it's amazing what you do. You're now you're a radiation oncologist as well, too.

SPEAKER_00 3:08

Yes, correct?

SPEAKER_01 3:09

Yes, yes, which is absolutely stellar because it's about cancer treatment and you work with the VA as well, too. And there's a number of things that you're highly specialized in. Something so personal as cancer. You know, when you started to get in that field of work, I obviously want to touch on your military career as well. What's that like in the field of cancer research work and cancer care?

SPEAKER_00 3:28

So um, it's funny you say cancer research work because when I was at um Rutgers, that's where I started. I started doing research and um looking at certain receptors in the brain. I work with mice, et cetera. But I was doing too much at the time because I was doing track and feel, I was R O T C plus a biochemistry major, something had to give. So I stepped away from research at that time. Um and so when I looked at going to medical school, I didn't plan on going into cancer. I didn't plan on ending back up doing radiation. I on the I was at the track team, I was a college um student athlete at the time. And it's, you know, I have to make this point. The people you hang around, it's important, right? Because they influence you. I didn't think I could go to medical school, to be honest with you. You know, the the money part being the biggest portion, because that's a big debt. And so the the folks I hang around on the track team, they were all sort of pre-med. I was biochemistry, and I just couldn't see the dream at the time. And so when I started the whole journey to medical school and stuff, you had to choose your specialty. I didn't choose cancer or radiation initially, because being athletic, I thought I would go into orthopedic surgery or, you know, physical med and rehab, something along that line. And while I was on a rotation at Walter Reed, this is Walter Reed in DC, that's now closed down. I was on a urology rotation, and following this patient came from the Marshall Islands. And those who are in the military or deal with stuff, the Marshall Islands, they deal with some stuff out there. I'm gonna leave it at that. So anyway, he came in and was on urology, and all this guy knew was that, you know, he had some kidney stones. And I was fortunate to be part of the surgery. And I'm telling you, this guy's kidney was huge. It was like a basketball. And when you took it out of him, his body shrunk down. Now, I had to go to something else, and when I came back, he had all these markings on his body. I was like, what happened? And the family was asking me questions. So I had to research, well, what happened in that one time? I had a test to take, came back. Well, the cancer had then spread to his bones, and he had to get radiation. And I'm just like, radiation? But I studied radiation when I was enlisted. But we'd talk about atomic bombs and exposure and distant time shielding, not in treating cancer. There was talk about it causing cancer. So that's where the whole cancer part for me and the light bulb went off. Oh, this is it. I've been dealing with radiation. This is this is the route for me. So that's how I got into doing the whole cancer part and focusing with radiation to treat cancer.

SPEAKER_01 6:11

Do you find, you know, I know studies obviously you hear, you know, tidbits of it, but since you're in the in the field itself, it are people, you know, and I say this sensitively, do you see more people more susceptible to certain diseases based on, you know, breakdowns of demographics, so to speak? That people are more susceptible to to, you know, prostate or other other types of cancers. Do you see a certain patient that are more likely to receive certain diagnoses?

SPEAKER_00 6:36

Well, that's that's a great question. That's an awesome question, Rashad. Um, and this is known that there's certain demographics or certain um cultures, certain race that are more prone to get certain types of disease. Now, um, speaking from the African American or from the black community, prostate cancer is being, I always say that it's folks tend not to try to go in and get screening, right? And that's one of the things I've done a lot of is trying to advocate to get in. Now, when it gets to cancer and certain race, I will I will speak about what interests me because I am from the Caribbean, I am black, and so I'm trying to help those who tend to not want to go in and see the doctor, right? And so um, when it comes to prostate cancer, and I treat a lot of that because I was in the military, and that's why I'm still working with the VA and doing Nexus letters and things, is that being black is a risk factor for prostate cancer. Just as how you'd say smoking is a risk factor for lung cancer. Well, being black, you are you're at risk for having a more aggressive type of prostate cancer as well. So it doesn't help that if you are in your 40s and you don't know your history. So you have to know there's a history of a history of cancer that runs in your family. You need to know what your PSA is. And if people are like, well, what's a PSA? Okay, then you need to have a conversation with your doctor. You need to know your number. And I always do that when I talk to the congregation, my church. I always try to do cancer awareness. And I always say that the gentleman, you know, you need to know your number. Like, what number? You need to know your PSA. So there are, for example, also in the Asian community, because sometimes they eat a lot of salted fish, they tend to be more prone to like gastric cancer, gastric being the stomach. So they're more prone to gastric cancer because of their dietary stuff that they eat. Um, and some are also more prone to getting what they call nasopharyngeal cancer, which is like behind the nose area. So there are some, but I'm seeing a shift recently. I'm seeing younger folks getting diagnosed with diseases that are more prone for older folks. So something like bladder cancer is typically seen in folks in the 60s, and yet I'm seeing folks in the 30s with bladder cancer. Like, what is going on, right? So we have to look at things that are um causing some of these things, like smoking, how much you're drinking. So it's not one thing that causes it more, but I am an advocate. Go get screening. If you're going to go look after your vehicle and you get your oil changed and your tire rotated, why are you not looking after your own body?

SPEAKER_01 9:20

Well, I think that you know, I think that sometimes, you know, the fear of not of hearing there's something wrong with you, right? So it, you know, it sounds like a cliche to say this, but you know, if you have sometimes if I don't know, it can I can wish it away, even if there's like telltale signs of certain things, you know, changes in stool, um, type constant fatigue, you know, um maybe having blood in in stool or urine or things like that. It you can't tile in all that away, so to speak. You know what I mean? So it's uh it's it's so sensitive because people don't want to believe that there's something wrong with them. And you know, that's such a sensitive topic. And for you to dive into that, I think what I always found fascinating about you know radiation surgery is like you're taking what could be in your field a dangerous weapon and you're having it on somebody's body to eradicate a disease, right? And so it's nuclear medicine.

SPEAKER_00 10:14

Well, yeah, it's along that line, but it can cause damage as well. But again, we're focusing the beam to that area. And the way I describe it to patients mostly, it's as though, you know, we we're not gonna do the whole body because then that would cause problems. I just did a blog on that, uh, a friend reach out regarding radiation exposure, right? That's like for the full body. But when we're doing treatment, we're focusing on a specific area. So it's it's uh like taking a uh a grape and drying it up into a raisin, right? Then it's no longer functional. Now, if something is close by, it may cause collateral damage. But with the advance in technology now, it's just amazing. From when I started medicine back in 2003 to now, it's like um I always tell folks it's similar to like cell phones back then to what we have now. So we have advanced quite a bit.

SPEAKER_01 11:08

I think what's fascinating is that even like the history of you know, um the effects of radiation, you know, we've come a long way from when we had our own soldiers that we dropped the bomb on, you know, in in the middle of like Nevada or, you know, it's one of those states, Arizona or Utah, and they're like, hey, stand up, see what happens, right? I watched the documentary on it. I mean, that was how they learned about the effects of the atomic bomb, right? Or or nuclear or nuclear weapons. They literally were like, stand up, and then they, you know, and then obviously what happened to those individuals, you know, they they suffered the residual effects of being tested as being the test dummies, so to speak. And then you have areas like bikini island, right? Where with people who don't know what bikini island is, that's where the word bikini came from. It's like, you know, off the coast in near Australia, New Zealand area, and then they're like, hey, let's see how these bombs work, and then all these people in this area can't even drink the water and they got sick. So, you know, it it it ties into how things have been advanced and more humane with when it comes to these type of uh type of things.

SPEAKER_00 12:05

Yes, and and we we're still learning, even with the the Hiroshima Nagasaki stuff, and uh there there were two years in my life where I did almost like a sabbatical, and I traveled and I taught about radiation incident and accidents, and I did a um an article, this was back in 2015, making the radiate the radiologist aware that hey, if something goes wrong, they're gonna call on you. You're gonna be the one they're going to call on. So it's um it's it's fascinating how things go full circle. And I just feel absolutely blessed. And sometimes the things I do, I wear so many hats, but it's it's life. As I said, be lifing. I'm enjoying what I've been blessed with. So yeah, we I'm willing to talk about and educate folks on the cancer, on just being aware of like dirty bombs and things like that, and how time, distance, shielding, like all of that. It all just comes full circle.

SPEAKER_01 13:01

It's it's amazing that you, you know, you have such a varied background and you've been able to dive, you know, your story is so inspirational. And you know, like I said, when you know I heard you're an oncologist, you know, it's it makes me step my game up because I can't talk there. Sometimes when I have guests, I can kind of sit back and have some sort of relatability on the topic that they're just I I I can't even, I couldn't fake this if I tried, right? So like I have no background in medicine, I didn't serve in the military. So like this is all information that you're giving to me on this platform. So, you know, you also talk about women's health, you know, you're based right out of Atlanta and menopause, which obviously sometimes can be the brunt of jokes in movies and and and and but it's a very serious thing that that occurs.

SPEAKER_00 13:38

Yes, it is. And you know, I I talk about the menopause from even from a treatment perspective, right? Because that came into being when I was treating prostate cancer and patients are giving hormone therapy, and they're like, oh, I'm having all these hot flash-ins or my body is changing, or you're turning me into a female. It's like, no, what the it's doing, it's lowering the testosterone, and so the estrogen is more. And the wives always, I'll say 99% of the time, would say, Well, now you know what I'm going through when I'm having menopause. But during menopause, it's just a change in your body, and there's a perimenopausal portion time where folks need to be aware. So I got more into it because I'm not a gynecologist or anything along that line. Yes, I do medicine, but I really start to focus on it because treatment can affect, or the cancer treatment can affect going into early menopause, right? So if there's something to remove the ovaries or the treatment caused the function to go down, then these symptoms present itself. So I come from it from a more symptomatic um approach and treatment cause symptoms approach as to how to address uh these uh experiences of perimenopause or menopausal type hot flashes, you know, losing your hair, body changes, feeling tired, etc. But underneath it all, I think the message that I want to leave with your listeners and you included, Rashad, is that you have to take care of yourselves. You should get your screening. Don't wait for something abnormal to happen, right? You're not gonna wait until your car breaks down. I'm sorry, I used to work in the motor pool when I was enlisted, so I had my own five-ton truck.

SPEAKER_01 15:23

Right.

SPEAKER_00 15:24

So I love using cars as analogy and comparison. So you're not gonna wait until your vehicle breaks down. You're better than any hybrid vehicle there is. More complicated than any high. Just go in once a year, take care of yourself, just check it out, right?

SPEAKER_01 15:41

Yeah, what what's what you know? I I know there was a company one time, I think they said it's pretty innovative. So the process is very expensive. They do like they have like this really massive machine, and for like 15 or 20 grand, you can get like a test ran on every possible thing that could be affecting your body. Like it's more deeper than a traditional MRI. I I saw it on CNBC about a year or two ago. The name escapes me. But you know, for people who would try to, you know, use your local physician, you use your local, you know, to get something. I know they offer services in various places, but it's very important to be screened.

SPEAKER_00 16:14

It's important to be screened, but I'm I'm not for um looking for everything, you know, because there are a lot of false positives, right? There are lots of false positive. So a lot of time I remember coming up with the MRI, for example, breast cancer. You have to be careful and educate the patient. There may be a false positive. We may see something that means nothing. So you have to take into um effect or into consideration that you are doing something that can be anxiety-producing, right? Because the results are not always available right away. That is why I encourage you to get a family doctor or primary care doctor that you can have conversations with. No need going to look for brain cancer if you're fine and you don't have any symptoms and there's nothing. There's no need to look for that. There's no need to go looking for stomach issues unless you're having reflux and it's keep going and the medicines don't work. There are certain steps for certain things. If if if the tires on your car is good, you're not just gonna change your tires out. It's not necessary. But at the same time, you need to be aware, right? So, yeah, you just need to be aware. And the full body scan, go ahead.

SPEAKER_01 17:23

No, I was just gonna say, no, it makes sense, you know, because you're the doctor, I'm not. You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_00 17:27

Well, everyone's trying to be doctor now. They're going on the internet and searching up stuff and they're coming across words and stuff, and the more they read, the more they don't know. It's like this spiral. You're going deeper and deeper. And it's like, look, I may know how to change a tire, but I'm not gonna try to fix my own vehicle. Why would you try to do that for your own body? Don't do it.

SPEAKER_01 17:47

I would I would highly advise to listen to the doctor on the uh on the podcast that's listening. I just have the fortune distinction of talking to one. So for people who don't take medical advice from me, you know, that's all I'll say. You know, but to your point, if information is accessible to people, having said that, leave certain matters to people who specialize in those fields of work.

SPEAKER_00 18:11

Yes. And, you know, there because of the history, I'm very much aware of the history here, um, there's some trust issues, right, between some folks and the doctors. And so I always tell everyone, whatever you're diagnosed with, yes, your insurance will pay for a second opinion, right? You you can get a second opinion. Don't wait forever, don't sit on it. If you're diagnosed with whatever it may be, a heart condition, cancer, lung issue, you have the right to get a second opinion. When you here I go again, forgive me, Rashad. Here I go again. If you take your vehicle in and this guy telling you you're gonna have to pay me$3,000 to do an oil change, you say, okay, thank you very much for your input, and you're gonna take it somewhere else.

SPEAKER_01 18:55

Yeah, exactly. Exactly. Right. You know, you're not beholden.

SPEAKER_00 18:59

Exactly. You're not beholden to one physician. You're not what we what I try to tell folks is the bottom line, it's your body. Absolutely. We're just here, we work for you, so we're here for you, and there's just certain things that you were supposed to do. And that's that's how it's a relationship stuff. So let's work together.

SPEAKER_01 19:19

I think oftentimes when people, you know, especially when it comes to a doctor, the relationship can be very, you know, it's not a process you go to willingly, right? You have your appointment. Like it's one thing if you have something like your haircut, right? You can be picky with your barber, your nail stylist, and things like that, because that's aesthetically pleasing, and you want to be at your best. So you can be kind of critical. You can say thanks, but no, thanks, I'm not coming back. So you but sometimes because of the level of expertise when it comes to a doctor or a dentist or something like that, people, even people with strong personalities, can get very, I don't want to say meek, but very, very, I better listen to them because they're the better expert in this than I am. And so you may not get a second opinion. You may take that information at face value. And I'm not in any way, shape, or form, bashing the medical profession, but people can really go in their shell when it comes to just nodding their head and saying yes.

SPEAKER_00 20:10

Yes, and that's absolutely true. Let me tell you this. I deal with the same thing. I may be a doctor, but let me tell you, my daddy and my mom when she was alive, bless her. So, like, no, I have to break things down. I have to, I am a Caribbean woman, and they're not, no, I'm still the little girl running up and down the street barefoot in Jamaica to them. And so I have to tell my dad, like, look, dad, you have to do this, you know, this is what let me talk to your radiation oncologist, let me talk to this person, let me, you know, and it's like it's almost like a second look. This little, you know, dimples or this little girl now is this person, and that trust has to be built up. And while I can't be everyone doctor, I do sometimes do consultation or I should call it advocacy regarding cancer, and I provide a sort of a guidance. I won't do a second opinion per se, but it's almost aligned with that. It's more of a guidance as, okay, this is the questions you should ask. This is what you should do next. And I have to prove my disclaimer, but because I know sometimes folks want doctors who look like them, and because we're there's not a lot of us, I try to empower others and give them the education they need to say, hey, go forth, defend your body, defend yourself, ask these questions and make sure you understand. It's our job to make sure you understand. Don't be intimidated by us. And I think that's where for me, where everyone kind of it's a good relationship I I have with my audience because they know they can ask me anything, and I'll just break it down and be true and real to them about whatever they need to know. That's absolutely wonderful and beautiful.

SPEAKER_01 21:52

I always, you know, I tell every guest this, and you know, I first of all want to part two of this conversation because I would really like to dive deep into the medicines of what. You do and you know and be sensitive while talking about those very sensitive topics. But for the purpose of this show, where can people find Dr. C M Queen Williams M D?

SPEAKER_00 22:10

Thank you so much for that. So, in general, you may find anything you need to find about me at queenquanta.com. I know it's queen q-u-e-e-n, quanta q-u-a-n-t-a.com. Anything you need to find, and remember now, go get your screen in breast, prostate, colon, whatever it is you need to get screen. You go ahead and you go ahead and get screen. That's queenquanta.com. Thank you so much for having me, Rashad.

SPEAKER_01 22:39

I love that. I love when I went to your website, how it was a take on Einstein's quantum, too. So that was, you know, I thought that was very fascinating and well. So I'm very appreciative. And like I said, this is a sensitive topic that affects all people. So I would I I appreciate you know your inspirational story. And if anybody has listening, you can be the little girl in Jamaica as well, too, and live out your you know your dreams. And you just have to take the first step. So thank you for joining me on the show.

SPEAKER_00 23:03

Thank you for having me anytime.

SPEAKER_01 23:05

I would love to chit chat. I just have to go pick up my daughter.