Breastcancer.org Podcast

Latest Episodes:

HER2-Positive Breast Cancer Recurrence Jan 17, 2018

Show notes

Dr. Marleen Meyers is a medical oncologist and clinical assistant professor of medicine at NYU Langone. She also serves as director of the Perlmutter Cancer Center Survivorship Program. She received her medical degree from the NYU School of Medicine and has been in practice for more than 20 years.

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

what HER2-positive breast cancer is and how its aggressiveness ranks compared to other types of breast cancer
factors doctors consider when estimating a person’s risk of recurrence
specific ways to reduce the risk of HER2-positive disease recurrence
how she helps her patients manage the fear of recurrence

Ovarian Suppression Can Help Protect Ovarian Function and May Preserve Fertility in Younger Women Being Treated with Chemotherapy Jan 03, 2018

Show notes

Preserving fertility after chemotherapy is an important issue for many, many younger women diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer. Dr. Matteo Lambertini, medical oncologist at the Institute Jules Bordet Brussels, presented research at the 2017 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium showing that ovarian suppression with a gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogue such as Lupron, Trelstar, or Zoladex, can safely protect ovarian function and may help preserve fertility in younger women being treated with chemotherapy for early-stage disease.

Listen to the podcast to hear Dr. Lambertini explain:

why earlier studies on this topic had mixed results
the results of the study
the side effects of gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogues
the strategies he recommends to his younger patients diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer who want to have a child after chemotherapy

Raising Awareness of Inflammatory Breast Cancer -- Heard in the Halls: Voices From the 2017 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium Dec 20, 2017

Show notes

Terry Lynn Arnold, founder of The IBC Network Foundation who was diagnosed with triple-negative inflammatory breast cancer in 2007, talks about how her organization is raising awareness of and funding research on this rare type of breast cancer.

Where Are We With Immunotherapy to Treat Breast Cancer? -- Heard in the Halls: Voices From the 2017 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium Dec 20, 2017

Show notes

Leisha Emens, associate professor of oncology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and member of the Bloomberg~Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, discusses the state of immunotherapy to treat breast cancer.

The Metastatic Breast Cancer Alliance: Looking Forward -- Heard in the Halls: Voices From the 2017 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium Dec 20, 2017

Show notes

Marc Hurlbert, chairperson of the Metastatic Breast Cancer Alliance (MBCA) and chief mission officer of the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, discusses some research presented in San Antonio by MBCA collaborators.

The Serenity Project: This Is Metastatic Breast Cancer -- Heard in the Halls: Voices From the 2017 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium Dec 20, 2017

Show notes

Kelly Shanahan, MD, a former obstetrician/gynecologist, was diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer in 2008 and then diagnosed with metastatic disease in 2013, on her birthday. Here she talks about how empowering it was to participate in the #ThisIsMBC Serenity Project, which gives women and men living with metastatic breast cancer an opportunity to tell their personal stories through a series of unique pictures and inspiring videos.

Acupuncture Helps Ease Joint Pain Caused by Aromatase Inhibitors Dec 20, 2017

Show notes

Joint pain is one of the most common side effects of aromatase inhibitors and may be a big reason why women stop taking these medicines early. Dr. Dawn Hershman, leader of the Breast Cancer Program at the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center at New York-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center, presented research at the 2017 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium showing that acupuncture can ease aromatase inhibitor-caused joint pain, even after the acupuncture treatment sessions stop.

Listen to the podcast to hear Dr. Hershman explain:

how much acupuncture eases joint pain
why she believes acupuncture could help many women stick to their hormonal therapy treatment plans
the cost of acupuncture relative to other treatments
the few and mild side effects of acupuncture

Postmenopausal Women Who Lose Modest Amount of Weight Have Lower Breast Cancer Risk Dec 13, 2017

Show notes

Research has shown that women who are overweight or obese have a higher risk of breast cancer, especially after menopause. Still, research results have been mixed on whether losing weight would decrease a postmenopausal woman's breast cancer risk. Rowan Chlebowski, research professor in the Department of Medical Oncology and Therapeutics Research at City of Hope, discusses an analysis of data from the very large Women's Health Initiative Observational Study that found that overweight or obese postmenopausal women who lost just a modest amount of weight — as little as 10 or 15 pounds — had a lower risk of breast cancer.

Listen to the podcast to hear Dr. Chlebowski explain:

why he wanted to do this study
why this study was different than earlier studies
his advice to postmenopausal women

Breast Reconstruction Techniques and Revisions Oct 28, 2017

Show notes

This Breastcancer.org podcast focuses on breast reconstruction and features Frank DellaCroce, M.D., F.A.C.S., cofounder of the Center for Restorative Breast Surgery and the St. Charles Surgical Hospital. Dr. DellaCroce is board certified in plastic and reconstructive surgery, and his pioneering work in microsurgery has made the Center for Restorative Breast Surgery an international leader in the art and science of breast reconstruction. He has performed thousands of breast reconstructions on women from around the world.

Listen to the podcast to hear Dr. DellaCroce discuss:

the advances in reconstruction that have happened in the past decade
what microsurgery is and why it’s so specialized
the most popular breast reconstruction options
how he assesses a breast reconstruction that a woman is unhappy with

Stories of Mastectomy and Reconstruction: Deidra Oct 28, 2017

Show notes

A former pharmaceutical sales rep, Deidra is a 3-time cancer survivor. She was diagnosed with melanoma in 1991 at age 32 in 1991. In 2006, she was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma at age 47. Three days before Christmas in 2014 and 12 weeks before the wedding of her son, Pierce, she was diagnosed with hormone-receptor-positive breast cancer in two spots. She had double mastectomy and immediate DIEP flap reconstruction on January 18. She also had nipple reconstruction and tattooing. Her goal was to be able to dance at Pierce’s wedding, and she did. She continues to take an aromatase inhibitor.

Deidra is one of three women whose stories are featured in the Breastcancer.org video series on reconstruction after mastectomy.

Listen to the podcast to hear Deidra talk about:

why she was honored to share her story
what she would tell a woman who was recently diagnosed with breast cancer
how she felt when she was relating her story on camera
what dancing at Pierce’s wedding meant to her

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