Real Pink

Latest Episodes:

Episode 274: Real Talk: I Need A Break Apr 15, 2024

Show notes

This is Real Talk, a podcast conversation where we’re digging deep into breast cancer and the realities patients and survivors face every day. We’re talking openly and honestly about just how difficult breast cancer can be, from being diagnosed to selecting the right treatment plan, to living day to day with metastatic breast cancer, and life after treatment ends.

In today’s episode, we’re encouraging everyone to take a break. A breast cancer diagnosis and treatment and life thereafter can be exhausting. All the appointments and procedures and follow-ups and bills, on top of the emotional and physical challenges of cancer, is overwhelming.

Sam Lazar Rivello is a Stage 2b breast cancer survivor who learned how to accept help and support from others during her diagnosis and treatment. Through the outpouring of love from those around her, she could focus on overcoming cancer.

Esther Tambe and her sister Alicia co-founded Fight Thru Flights, an organization that provides free wellness retreats and travel experiences for Black women living with breast cancer. Their goal is to improve the wellness and mental health of Black women who are impacted by this disease.

Episode 273: Did You Know That Your Tumor Might Change Over Time? Apr 08, 2024

Show notes

No two breast cancers are the same, and researchers have come a long way in understanding what makes each breast tumor unique. This is the entire premise behind personalized medicine. By looking at a tumor’s biomarkers, doctors can tailor their patient’s treatment to best fight their unique tumor. On today’s show, we’ll be discussing biomarkers that doctors look for in breast tumors and how they use them to design a treatment plan. We’ll also hear about a new twist on an old biomarker, the estrogen receptor, and how it’s being put into clinical practice. Joining us today to share her expertise is Dr. Virginia Kaklamani, M.D. Dr. Kaklamani is a professor of medicine and leader of the Breast Cancer Program at UT Health San Antonio MD Anderson Cancer Center.

Episode 272: Saving Lives: Decades of Progress for Breast Cancer Survival Apr 01, 2024

Show notes

We still have a long way to go to conquer breast cancer, but we have made some big advances that are saving lives and making a difference. A new modeling study has recently published that the mortality rate for U.S. women with breast cancer decreased an estimated 58 percent between 1975 and 2019. Joining us on today’s show is Jennifer Caswell-Jin, MD who is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Standford Medicine, a former Komen grantee specializing in breast cancer care and research and a lead author on the study that published these findings. Dr. Caswell-Jin will help us understand why the mortality rate has gone down, the barriers that exist in getting the rate down further and what the future of breast cancer advancement looks like from her perspective.

Episode 271: Komen’s Origin: From Health Equity for Women to Health Equity for All Mar 25, 2024

Show notes

March is Women’s History Month so it’s fitting that we talk about how Susan G. Komen started off making history and continues to make history as an organization dedicated to achieving health equity. At its inception in 1982, Komen started as a health equity organization dedicated to supporting women, at a time when even saying the word “breast” was taboo and women’s health was simply not centered. Since then, Komen has doubled down on its health equity focus and works to advance and ultimately achieve health equity for historically marginalized or underrepresented communities. Joining us today is Cati Diamond Stone, vice president of community health at Komen to talk about Komen’s origin story and how that work continues today.

Episode 270: What to Know About Breast Cancer-Related Lymphedema Mar 18, 2024

Show notes

1 in 5 women who have had breast cancer surgery and treatment are at risk for developing a potentially detrimental side effect of breast cancer – breast cancer related lymphedema— a condition in which lymphatic fluid gets trapped in lymph vessels and causes chronic arm swelling leading to reduced quality of life for many. We are thrilled to be joined today by two guests to help educate us on this topic: Dr. Steven Chen, a practicing surgeon, Chief Medical Officer at Impedimed, and past president of American Society of Breast Surgeons and Kathy Lahr, a patient advocate who will be sharing her personal experience with breast cancer related lymphedema.

Episode 269: Advice for Entering Treatment from a Fitness Trainer Mar 11, 2024

Show notes

Starting treatment for breast cancer can be overwhelming and you might feel scared or alone. Often, hearing from people who have been diagnosed themselves can help provide a sense of safety and support. Tune into the latest episode of Real Pink to hear fitness trainer Amanda Butler share some inspiration and advice about what helped her get through treatment.

Episode 268: Myth Busting: Breast Cancer Risk Mar 04, 2024

Show notes

Tune into the latest episode of Real Pink to hear Anna Horvat do some myth busting around breast cancer risk to shed light on factors that ARE and ARE NOT scientifically proven to increase you breast cancer risk so you can feel empowered to make important breast care decisions and take charge of your health.

Episode 267: Destigmatizing the Conversation Around Breast Cancer for Black Women Feb 26, 2024

Show notes

Black women are more likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer at a younger age, at later stages and with more aggressive types of breast cancer than white women. This makes knowing your family health history crucial and potentially lifesaving. Ricki Fairley, a 12 - year late stage breast cancer survivor, is joining us on the show today to talk about the importance of normalizing conversations around breast cancer, particularly for younger women.

Episode 266: A Career Passion Turned Personal Feb 19, 2024

Show notes

Sometimes on our show, we hear stories of women who make career changes after they receive a breast cancer diagnosis, some of them finding that they want to chase passions, give back to others, or perhaps simply realign their priorities. It is less often, however, that we are joined by women who have devoted their entire careers to the field of breast cancer and then suddenly find themselves as the patient. We are lucky enough to be joined today by Tammy Handley, National Senior Manager of Clinical Operations for Women’s Health at FUJIFILM Healthcare Americas Corporation, and breast cancer survivor, to hear her story and what it is like when your career passion turns personal.

Episode 265: Reaching New Heights As Black Breast Cancer Survivors Feb 12, 2024

Show notes

In today’s episode, we’ll hear from two women whose lives have been changed by breast cancer, and the ways they are soaring to new heights as Black women.

Donna Dennis is a former track and field star and known as one of the greatest female sprinters in the nation. She qualified as an alternate for the 1984 Olympics in the 200. Donna was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2017 at the age of 53. Donna didn’t know Black women could get breast cancer because she didn’t know anyone who had it and she never saw women who looked like her at the cancer center where she was getting chemotherapy.

Donna’s diagnosis has inspired her to speak to young, Black female athletes and educate them on their health. As an athlete, her body was always different, and she didn’t know much about her breast health.

Nia Gilliam is a pilot for United Airlines and ambassador for Black women in flying. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in June of 2022 and opted for a bilateral mastectomy with reconstruction. Both expanders in her breasts leaked and caused infections, which meant additional surgeries for Nia. She was able to have new tissue expanders added and completed reconstruction surgery in November of 2023. But due to all the complications and a traumatic recovery, she has not yet returned to the air.

Nia is an avid advocate for Black women in aviation and started a nonprofit to encourage more young, Black women to pursue careers in flying.

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