Breastcancer.org Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Research for Young Survivors -- Heard in the Halls: Voices From the 2018 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium Dec 18, 2018

Show notes

Kelly Owens, director of education and research for FORCE, explains the organization's XRAYS (eXamining the Relevance of Articles for Young Survivors) program. Running time: 3:44

Longer Time to Chemotherapy Linked to Worse Outcomes in Triple-Negative Disease Dec 17, 2018

Show notes

Dr. Zaida Morante, medical oncologist at Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Neoplásicas in Lima, Peru, explains her research that found delaying chemotherapy for more than 30 days was associated with worse outcomes in women diagnosed with early-stage, triple-negative breast cancer. Triple-negative breast cancer is breast cancer that is estrogen-receptor-negative, progesterone-receptor-negative, and HER2-negative.

Listen to the podcast to hear Dr. Morante explain:

the design of the study
which outcomes delaying chemotherapy affected
possible explanations for why chemotherapy was delayed for some women

Oxybutynin to Ease Hot Flashes Dec 17, 2018

Show notes

Roberto Leon-Ferre, M.D., breast oncologist at the Mayo Clinic, discusses the research he presented at the 2018 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium evaluating the effectiveness of oxybutynin, a medicine commonly used to treated bladder incontinence, to treat hot flashes in women who can't take hormone replacement therapy, which includes most women treated for breast cancer.

Listen to the podcast to hear Dr. Leon-Ferre explain:

the design of the study
why he thought oxybutynin might be able to ease hot flashes
possible side effects of long-term use of oxybutynin and why the medicine may still be useful for women who have been treated for breast cancer

Surgery Choice Seems to Affect Quality of Life for Younger Women Dec 13, 2018

Show notes

Dr. Laura Dominici, surgeon at the Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women's Cancer Center, assistant professor of surgery at Harvard Medical School, and division chief of breast surgery at Brigham and Women's Faulkner Hospital, discusses the research she presented at the 2018 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium looking at how the type of breast cancer surgery affected quality of life in women 40 and younger who had been diagnosed with breast cancer.

Listen to the podcast to hear Dr. Dominici explain:

the design of the study
what we can and can't infer from the results
why she hopes these results will lead to better communication between doctors and patients

Caregiving for a Person With Metastatic Breast Cancer Dec 12, 2018

Show notes

Tim Watkins is the owner of the Watkins Garden Center and also is the partner of Michael Kovarik, a man with metastatic breast cancer. Tim and Michael became a couple after Michael had been diagnosed with breast cancer, but before he had been diagnosed with metastatic disease.

Listen to the podcast to hear Tim talk about:

what it's like to date someone with breast cancer
how Tim's role as caregiver changed when Michael was diagnosed with metastatic disease
the advice he would offer to people who are cancer caregivers

SABCS Through the Eyes of a Person With Metastatic Disease -- Heard in the Halls: Voices From the 2018 SABCS Dec 12, 2018

Show notes

Shirley Mertz, president of the Metastatic Breast Cancer Network and chair of the Metastatic Breast Cancer Alliance, has been living with metastatic disease for 15 years. She talks about the increasing body of research on metastatic breast cancer at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium. Running time: 2:47

Metastatic Breast Cancer Alliance and SHARE Cancer Support Projects -- Heard in the Halls: Voices From the 2018 SABCS Dec 11, 2018

Show notes

Christine Benjamin, breast cancer program director for SHARE Cancer Support and vice chair of the Metastatic Breast Cancer Alliance, explains some of the new programs each organization will roll out in 2019.

Verzenio Side Effects: What Patients Are Reporting Dec 11, 2018

Show notes

Matthew Goetz, M.D., professor of oncology at the Mayo Clinic where he is also co-leader of the Women's Cancer Program and chair of the Breast Cancer Disease-Oriented Group, discusses the research he presented at the 2018 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium on patient-reported outcomes from women being treated with Verzenio (chemical name: abemaciclib) plus an aromatase inhibitor as the first treatment for advanced-stage, hormone-receptor-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer.

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

what patient-reported outcomes are and why they're important for both doctors and patients
the Verzenio side effects reported in the study
how diarrhea caused by Verzenio can be proactively managed so a woman doesn't have to plan her life around a side effect

Holiday Eating: Tips to Eat Healthy and Feel Good Nov 19, 2018

Show notes

Kelly Hogan received her undergraduate degree in journalism from Northeastern University and her nutrition education, training, and master’s degree in clinical nutrition from New York University. As the nutrition and wellness manager at the Dubin Breast Center at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, Kelly incorporates a holistic approach, focusing not only on nutrition, but overall wellness including physical activity, stress management, and sleep. Before the Dubin Breast Center, Kelly worked with the general surgery and oncology inpatient populations at Mount Sinai.

Listen to the podcast to hear Kelly discuss:

how people who want to eat healthy can have fun and not feel left out or hungry
why the holidays are a great time for creative mocktails
how some traditional holiday dishes can be modified to be a bit healthier
what she’s making for her Thanksgiving dinner

Caring for Men Who Are Cancer Caregivers Nov 08, 2018

Show notes

Kyle Woody is cofounder and executive director of Jack’s Caregiver Coalition, a community of men who are cancer caregivers. Kyle believes that one of the biggest and most important challenges a man can face in his lifetime is engaging as a caregiver for a loved one with a serious disease such as cancer. Kyle believes that every man has the potential to rise to that challenge and be his boldest and most confident self. Reflecting on his experience as a primary caregiver for his spouse with metastatic colon cancer, he realized the principles of excellence and sound teamwork that he preached in his professional career should have been applied at home in his caregiving experience, which is why he helped found Jack’s in 2014 to improve the way men think, feel, and act in their role as cancer caregivers.

Listen to the podcast to hear Kyle talk about: