(MIS)Treated, a TVO podcast, explores how medicine has – and still is – failing women and speaks to the people looking to make a difference. Join host Nam Kiwanuka to hear real life stories and expert interviews on how the mistreatment and misdiagnosis of women affects us all.
When a story about one woman's search for care sparked a flood of messages, we began investigating Ontario's healthcare system and the possible obstacles facing people with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS), especially those with craniocervical instability (CCI).
For patients living with EDS, getting a diagnosis can take years. And when complex spinal conditions enter the picture, some patients and their families say they have been forced to look to the United States for help because they believe there is no surgeon in Canada able to provide the care they need. In this special episode of (Mis)Treated, we meet patients whose lives have been upended, families fighting for answers, and doctors who disagree about how these conditions should be treated.
See omnystudio.com/listener (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information.
8 Oct 2026
Cynthia Mulligan on living a grateful life with breast cancer | (MIS)Treated
According to the Canadian Cancer Society, 1 in 8 women in Canada will develop breast cancer during their lifetime and in 2010, Canadian Broadcaster Cynthia Mulligan announced her diagnosis.
In 2020, days before Christmas, she found out that she had Stage 4 breast cancer. We speak to her about why she chose to go public with her diagnosis, how she navigated treatment as a forward facing person and we reminisce about our friend and former colleague, Mark Dailey.
Got a question or comment? Email us at: mistreatedpodcast@tvo.org (mailto:mistreatedpodcast@tvo.org)
If you, or someone you know, is struggling with mental health, visit any of the following resources for support: Canada.ca/mental-health Kids Help Phone Call 1-800-668-6868 (toll-free) or text CONNECT to 686868.
See omnystudio.com/listener (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information.
1 Oct 2026
Why do autoimmune diseases impact women more?
Autoimmune disease is complicated. For one, there is no exact number of how many autoimmune conditions there are. We know that at least 80 of them exist and that globally, autoimmune impacts 1 in 10 people. While men also get autoimmune disease, women make up approximately 80% of patients. According to a 2021 study, women make up 75% of patients with MS. an autoimmune disease. And global cases of autoimmune disease are rising.
We speak to Dr. Gabor Maté who wrote more than 20 years ago about his observations on how autoimmune disease was impacting more women than men. We also speak to a neuroimmunologist on the connection of the Epstein-Barr virus and why women with some autoimmune diseases were once advised to not have children. Plus we talk to an epidemiologist who studies women's health on why autoimmune disease impacts women at such a staggering rate and we speak to a young woman with multiple sclerosis.
Got a question or comment? Email us at: mistreatedpodcast@tvo.org (mailto:mistreatedpodcast@tvo.org)
If you, or someone you know, is struggling with mental health, visit any of the following resources for support: Canada.ca/mental-health Kids Help Phone Call 1-800-668-6868 (toll-free) or text CONNECT to 686868.
Research Links:
Incidence, prevalence, and co-occurrence of autoimmune disorders over time and by age, sex, and socioeconomic status: a population-based cohort study of 22 million individuals in the UK: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(23)00457-9/abstract (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(23)00457-9/abstract)
What Can We Learn from Sex Differences in MS?: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8537319/ (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8537319/)
Embodiment of structural racism and multiple sclerosis risk and outcomes in the USA: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41582-025-01096-5 (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41582-025-01096-5)
How Is Céline Dion’s Health? What She’s Shared About Stiff Person Syndrome Battle: https://www.today.com/health/celine-dion-health-rcna98154 (https://www.today.com/health/celine-dion-health-rcna98154)
Celebrities and Medical Awareness—The Case of Celine Dion and Stiff-Person Syndrome: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9914970/ (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9914970/)
National study shows Indigenous patients with autoimmune liver disease face worse symptoms and outcomes: https://www.ualberta.ca/en/folio/2023/02/national-study-indigenous-patients-autoimmune-liver-disease.html (https://www.ualberta.ca/en/folio/2023/02/national-study-indigenous-patients-autoimmune-liver-disease.html)
Indigenous people more prone to rare autoimmune liver disease, often misdiagnosed: https://globalnews.ca/video/9353047/indigenous-people-more-prone-to-rare-autoimmune-liver-disease-often-misdiagnosed-research/ (https://globalnews.ca/video/9353047/indigenous-people-more-prone-to-rare-autoimmune-liver-disease-often-misdiagnosed-research/)
Meet Dr. Dalia Rotstein, the St. Michael’s neurologist dedicated to improving care for women during pregnancy: https://unityhealth.to/2026/03/meet-the-neurologist-dedicated-to-improving-care-for-women-during-pregnancy/ (https://unityhealth.to/2026/03/meet-the-neurologist-dedicated-to-improving-care-for-women-during-pregnancy/)
Researcher studying link between pregnancy complications and autoimmune diseases with prestigious fellowship: https://utsc.utoronto.ca/news-events/our-community/researcher-studying-link-between-pregnancy-complications-and-autoimmune-diseases (https://utsc.utoronto.ca/news-events/our-community/researcher-studying-link-between-pregnancy-complications-and-autoimmune-diseases)
An MS Diagnosis Led This Top Yogi to Evolve Her Practice: https://www.healthcentral.com/condition/multiple-sclerosis/an-ms-diagnosis-led-this-top-yoga-instructor-to-evolve-her-practice (https://www.healthcentral.com/condition/multiple-sclerosis/an-ms-diagnosis-led-this-top-yoga-instructor-to-evolve-her-practice)
See omnystudio.com/listener (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information.
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
3.5 / 5
6 ratings
Spotify
4.9 / 5
18 ratings
Contact (MIS)Treated
Guest appearances
Books guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
Pod Engine is an independent podcast discovery and analytics service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by this podcast. Artwork and show content belong to their owners. Full legal notice.
Explore this show Podcast research with Pod Engine
