Matthew Zachary

Matthew Zachary (May 29, 1974, Brooklyn, New York) is an American patient advocate, activist and cancer survivor.^[1][2] He is the founder of the young-adult cancer nonprofit Stupid Cancer and a national movement focused on cancer patient rights, We The Patients, and the host of the long-running healthcare podcast ''Out of Patients with Matthew Zachary''.^[2][3][4][5]

Matthew Zachary was diagnosed with brain cancer at age 21 while a college student.^[6][7] The experience and his treatment shaped his subsequent advocacy for adolescent and young adult cancer patients and survivors.^{[8][9][10][11]}

Before his work in patient advocacy, Zachary was active as a professional concert pianist. He released two independently produced solo piano albums, Scribblings (2000)^[12][13] and Every Step of the Way (2001).^[14]

In 2007, Zachary founded the nonprofit organization Stupid Cancer (originally known as I'm Too Young For This!), created to build community, resources, and public awareness for adolescents and young adults affected by cancer.^[15] Under his direction, the organization developed peer support programs, live events, and multimedia outreach.^[16][17]

At the same time, he launched media initiatives associated with Stupid Cancer, including live talks and streaming programs that preceded the growth of podcasting as a mainstream medium for health conversations.^[16][18]

Throughout the 2010s, Stupid Cancer expanded its programming, convened national events, and became one of the better-documented communities serving adolescent and young adult (AYA) patients and survivors.^[19][20][21]

Around 2018–2019, Zachary transitioned away from day-to-day executive leadership at Stupid Cancer and moved toward media entrepreneurship and advisory roles.^[22][23]

In 2021 Zachary created, hosted, and executive-produced The Cancer Mavericks: A History of Survivorship, an eight-part documentary audio series produced by OffScrip Media. The series premiered with a special preview on May 7, 2021, and released episodes monthly through December 2021 to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the National Cancer Act (1971).^[24][25] The Cancer Mavericks was selected as an official selection in the podcast category at CineHealth, an international festival showcasing health-related storytelling in film, audio, and multimedia.^[26]

Following his transition from Stupid Cancer, Zachary co-founded OffScrip Media and continued to host and produce long-running audio programming. His podcast ''Out of Patients with Matthew Zachary'' amassed a substantial archive of episodes covering healthcare policy, patient experience, and interviews with clinicians, policymakers, and patient leaders.^[27]

He also produced documentary and series work related to survivorship and advocacy, including projects described in industry coverage that examine the history of cancer survivorship and patient leadership.^[27]

In 2024–2025 Zachary shifted his public work from disease-specific advocacy toward patient rights through a platform We The Patients.^[28][29]