Breastcancer.org Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Managing Shoulder Issues After Breast Cancer Treatment Mar 10, 2020

Show notes

Ashish Khanna, M.D., is a physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist at the Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation and part of the ReVital Cancer Rehabilitation Program. Dr. Khanna completed his residency in physical medicine and rehabilitation at the Kingsbrook Jewish Rehabilitation Institute in Brooklyn, NY, where he became interested in cancer rehabilitation early on. He completed his fellowship subspecialization in cancer rehabilitation at Medstar Georgetown University/National Rehabilitation Hospital in Washington, DC. He specializes in the treatment of people who have pain or functional issues as a result of cancer or cancer treatments, including people who have been diagnosed with breast cancer. This includes pain, shoulder issues, fatigue, joint pain from aromatase inhibitors, and other issues. He has lectured at numerous international conferences, has published peer-reviewed research on a variety of related topics, and is the co-author of an upcoming book on cancer rehabilitation.

Listen to the podcast to hear Dr. Khanna talk about:

the shoulder problems that can happen as a result of breast cancer treatment
links between lymphedema and shoulder problems
how shoulder problems can be managed
his top three tips for people who are having shoulder issues

Support Services for Caregivers Feb 21, 2020

Show notes

Mallori Thompson is manager of the Duke Cancer Patient Support Program at the Duke Cancer Institute. Mallori received her master’s degree in mental health counseling from North Carolina Central University. Her area of expertise is the psychosocial care of patients diagnosed with cancer and their families. Her research involves learning about how cancer affects people who’ve been diagnosed, as well as their family members and their relationships. Mallori leads a multidisciplinary team of clinicians and researchers, including medical family therapists, oncology recreation therapists, child life specialists, and psychologists, as well as people who coordinate volunteer services and self-image programs.

Listen to the podcast to hear Mallori explain:

how the needs and concerns of cancer caregivers are different from those of people diagnosed with cancer
the services that caregivers seem to use the most
her top three suggestions for a caregiver who’s feeling overwhelmed or burned out

Breast Cancer Inspired Me to Start a Lingerie Company Feb 07, 2020

Show notes

Dana Donofree is a designer and founder of AnaOno. After being diagnosed with stage I estrogen-receptor-positive, HER2-positive breast cancer almost 10 years ago at the age of 27, Dana began to design her first pieces to meet her need for sexy, beautiful lingerie during a recovery period that she calls “anything but sexy and beautiful.”

She has made it her mission to design lingerie specifically for women who have had breast surgery, breast reconstruction, or are living with other conditions that cause pain because she believes that they shouldn't have to compromise between comfort and beauty.

On February 9, for the fourth year in a row, AnaOno is partnering with #Cancerland to put on a fashion show during New York Fashion Week to raise funds for METAvivor. All the models in the show are women who have been touched in some way by breast cancer or its risk — from previvors to people with early-stage disease to people with stage IV disease — to start new conversations between all these groups.

Listen to the podcast to hear Dana talk about:

her diagnosis and treatment and how it inspired her to start AnaOno
where the AnaOno name came from
the show during Fashion Week and what she hopes to accomplish with it
her tips for someone who has just been diagnosed with breast cancer

Characteristics of Early-Stage Breast Cancer That Make It More Likely to Come Back Jan 21, 2020

Show notes

Dr. Chirag Shah is a radiation oncologist and director of clinical research for the department of radiation oncology at the Cleveland Clinic. Dr. Shah received his bachelor's degree from Youngstown State University and his medical degree from Northeast Ohio Medical University. He completed his internship and residency at William Beaumont Hospital from 2007 to 2012 and joined the Cleveland Clinic Staff in 2015. Dr. Shah serves as a reviewer for various medical journals and is a member of various medical societies. His primary research interests are breast cancer, sarcoma, prostate cancer, lymphoma, and innovative radiation treatment schedules as well as lymphedema. He has participated in numerous clinical trials.

In this podcast, Dr. Shah talks about specific characteristics of early-stage breast cancer that make the cancer more likely to come back, which doctors call recurrence.

Listen to the podcast to hear Dr. Shah discuss:

the difference between local/regional recurrence and metastatic/distant recurrence
the characteristics of early-stage breast cancer that make the risk of recurrence higher

Editor’s Note: Please know that Dr. Shah does point out that more research is needed on how diet, alcohol use, and smoking affect recurrence risk because current data are inconsistent. His ultimate point is that a survivorship care plan, which includes monitoring, is the most important tool we have beyond following your treatment plan to reduce the risk of recurrence. A survivorship care plan includes:

monitoring for and managing long-term physical and emotional side effects
guidance about diet, exercise, and health-promoting activities
resources to help with financial and insurance issues surveillance

Yoga: Benefits and Precautions for People With Breast Cancer Jan 17, 2020

Show notes

Vicki Flannery wears a number of hats: She’s a nurse in the Kansas City area; she’s a yoga instructor at weBuild4Life, a nonprofit that focuses on functional fitness and nutritional programs for cancer survivors and people with chronic illnesses; and she is a breast cancer survivor.

Vicki’s yoga classes center around recovery, flexibility, and strengthening.

Listen to the podcast to hear Vicki talk about:

what yoga is and examples of different types of yoga
the benefits yoga can offer to people who’ve been diagnosed with breast cancer
precautions people who’ve been diagnosed with breast cancer may want to consider
how she modified her own yoga practice after being diagnosed with breast cancer

Experimental Talazoparib Seems Better Than Chemotherapy for Metastatic HER2-Negative Disease in Women With a BRCA Mutation Jan 15, 2020

Show notes

Jennifer Litton, associate professor of breast Medical Oncology at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, discusses the results of the EMBRACA study she presented at the 2017 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium showing that talazoparib, an experimental targeted therapy medicine, improved the time until the cancer grew in women with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation who had been diagnosed with metastatic HER2-negative breast cancer compared to chemotherapy.

Listen to the podcast to hear Dr. Litton explain:

how talazoparib works
whether talazoparib will offer benefits to women with other mutations linked to a higher risk of breast cancer
how the side effects differed between talazoparib and chemotherapy
why quality of life was better in women who were treated with talazoparib

Editor's Note: Talzenna (chemical name: talazoparib) was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Oct. 16, 2018, for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer in women with BRCA mutations. Learn more about Talzenna.

SABCS 2019: Five More Years of Femara Seems to Reduce Breast Cancer Recurrence Risk for Some Women Jan 09, 2020

Show notes

Dr. Terry Mamounas is medical director of the comprehensive breast program at Orlando Health UF Health Cancer Center and is considered one of the country’s top cancer doctors.

At the 2019 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, he presented the latest results from a study looking at whether an additional 5 years of Femara after five years of a combination of tamoxifen and an aromatase inhibitor or 5 years of only an aromatase inhibitor offers benefits to postmenopausal women diagnosed with early-stage, hormone-receptor-positive breast cancer.

Listen to the podcast to hear Dr. Mamounas discuss:

the results showing additional Femara reduced the risk of distant recurrence – the breast cancer coming back in a part of the body away from the breast
the amount of improvement in event-free survival
side effects associated with taking Femara for another 5 years
how he’s talking to his patients about these latest results

SABCS 2019: MRI Finds Breast Cancers Earlier Than Mammography in Women With Strong Family History Jan 08, 2020

Show notes

Dr. Madeleine Tilanus-Linthorst is a member of the department of surgery at the Erasmus University Medical Center in the Netherlands. At the 2019 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, she presented research comparing breast cancer screening with MRI versus mammography in women at high risk of the disease because of strong family history. The results found that MRI found cancers earlier, when they were smaller in size and could potentially change screening standards in the Netherlands and other European countries.

Listen to the podcast to hear Dr. Tilanus-Linthorst explain:

differences in screening recommendations between the United States and the Netherlands
why it’s important to find cancers earlier
the risk of more false-positives with MRI screening

Diarrhea -- Breast Cancer Treatment Side Effects Jan 08, 2020

Show notes

Dr. Brian Wojciechowski, Breastcancer.org’s medical adviser, specializes in the care of patients with cancer. He practices medical oncology in Delaware County, Pennsylvania at Riddle, Taylor, and Crozer Hospitals. His research has been presented at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, the world's largest scientific meeting on breast cancer.

Listen to the podcast to hear Dr. Wojciechowski explain:

the breast cancer treatments that may cause diarrhea
why some people may be more prone to experiencing diarrhea
treatments for diarrhea
why it’s important to always report diarrhea to your doctor

SABCS 2019: Arimidex for Breast Cancer Prevention: Benefits Last Nearly 6 Years After Treatment Ends Jan 08, 2020

Show notes

Dr. Jack Cuzick is director of the Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine and head of the Center for Cancer Prevention at the Queen Mary University of London, where he holds the title of John Snow Professor of Epidemiology.

He is internationally known for his research showing tamoxifen can be used to treat estrogen-receptor-positive breast cancer, as well as his work to help develop the Tyrer-Cuzick breast cancer risk evaluation tool, which helps women and their doctors estimate a woman’s risk of developing breast cancer.

At the 2019 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, he presented the latest results from the International Breast Cancer Intervention Study II Prevention Trial, looking at whether 5 years of Arimidex (chemical name: anastrozole) can reduce breast cancer risk in postmenopausal women who have higher-than-average risk of the disease but have not been diagnosed.

Listen to the podcast to hear Dr. Cuzick discuss:

how much Arimidex reduced risk after about 11 years of follow up
why Arimidex is better than tamoxifen at reducing risk in high-risk postmenopausal women
the side effects seen in the study and why side effect rates were the same in women who took Arimidex and women who took a placebo
why it’s unlikely that Arimidex will be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for this use, but why doctors will be able to prescribe it off-label

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