Breast Cancer Conversations

Katrece's journey began in her late 30s, a time when many women may not consider themselves at risk for breast cancer. With no known family history of the disease, she was caught off guard when she noticed a physical change in her body—one breast appeared larger than the other. This seemingly benign observation led her to seek medical attention, a decision that would prove to be pivotal in her healthcare journey. The initial visit to her family doctor, although met with some skepticism regarding the urgency of her symptoms, highlighted the importance of being proactive. Despite not feeling a lump during a self-exam, Katrece’s instincts pushed her to pursue further evaluation, demonstrating that awareness and self-advocacy are crucial components of health management.

You can listen to Katrece's full story with IBC in episode 242. Today we go beyond diagnosis and treatment to survivorship! Katrece shares her story 11+ years from that initial call informing her she had breast cancer. Today she is living with no evidence of disease!
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About SurvivingBreastCancer.org: SurvivingBreastCancer.org, Inc. (SBC) is a federally recognized 501(c)(3) non-profit virtual platform headquartered in Boston with a national and global reach. Through education, community, and resources, SurvivingBreastCancer.org supports women and men going through breast cancer. We provide a sanctuary of strength, compassion, and empowerment, where those diagnosed with cancer unite to share their stories, learn invaluable coping strategies to manage wellness and mental health, and find solace in the unbreakable bond that fuels hope, resilience, and the courage to conquer adversity.

Cancer Recurrence and the Power of Twitter

Breast Cancer Conversations

08/29/21 • 25 min

In today’s episode we speak with Silke. Diagnosed with stage II breast cancer only to find out it had spread to her bones 6 years later. Silke shares with us the intimate emotions as she navigates the successes of a surgery, a low onco-type score, and not needing radiation. After being on three lines of treatment she is now seeing positive responses from a clinical trial.

Welcome to the conversation.

Topics covered:
Double Mastectomy with implants
Breast Cancer Recurrence
Metastatic Breast Cancer, Mets to the bones
Finding Clinical Trials

Welcome to the Conversation.

Connect with Silke on Twitter:
@Silke4Senate

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DISCLAIMER: Links included in this description might be affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service with the links that we provide, our organization may receive a small commission. There is no additional charge to you! Thank you for supporting our channel so we can continue to provide you with free content each week!

#39 - (Updated) I'm a Triathlete I think It's a Stress Fracture; No, It's Stage IV Breast Cancer: Interview with Deb Williams

Breast Cancer Conversations

09/23/19 • 57 min

(Updated) I'm a Triathlete I think It's a Stress Fracture; No, It's Stage IV Breast Cancer: Interview with Deb Williams by SurvivingBreastCancer.org

Summary: In today’s episode, Deb discusses her unique cancer diagnosis with Laura. They talk about her hospital experience, the experience of being under anesthesia, laxatives, and Deb’s lifestyle. Deb’s contagious energy radiates throughout the episode and can be used to inspire listeners.

Topics:
4:10 Deb’s Introduction and diagnosis
14:15 Medicine isn’t a perfect science
15:10 Deb’s treatment
33:02 Deb’s rod in her hip breaks
40:00 Laxatives
46:30 What does Deb currently do
50:29 Breakdown situation

Resources:
Store My Tumor https://storemytumor.com/

Quotes:
7:48 Deb: “He said well, you have a nine millimeter tumor and your femur is broken in three places. And it's cancer and we don't know what kind, total blank at that point. I was like, okay, I heard nothing. His mouth was moving. But nothing was going in my ears at that point. I looked over at my girlfriends that were there, they frantically took out notebooks and were writing every single word. They were scribing because I didn't know what to say. And then he's like, I'm going to give you a couple minutes, and I'm going to leave the room and come back. He goes, read the notes from your girlfriends. Because he knew I wasn't listening. I was like, I have no idea.”

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What is a Variant of Uncertain Significance?

Breast Cancer Conversations

05/07/22 • 8 min

Have you been screened for a genetic predisposition towards breast cancer? I have. My results returned a "Variant of Unknown Significance", or VUS.

What is a Variant of Unknown Significance?

It’s a common question and I am pleased to have Dr. Mártir-Negrón, a medical geneticist at Miami Cancer Institute, part of Baptist Health South Florida, and trained in internal medicine, genetic diagnosis and the treatment of patients with hereditary disorders to help answer this question!

Laura: Dr. Mártir-Negrón, I understand when we get our genetic testing back and read through the results, sometimes we get what is called a variant of unknown significance, also referred to as VUS. Can you explain what this means and how it impacts breast cancer treatment decisions?

Dr. Mártir-Negrón: What a variant of unknown significance means is that there was a change that was found in you. But guess what, we all have changes in our genes; that’s what makes us unique and who we are. The only ones that we know will cause problems are the ones that we call pathogenic.

Based on data, we know that 90% of these inconclusive changes are benign. At the lab we'll continue to review, and when there is more data, they will reach out to whoever ordered the test to inform them of any new findings. The person who ordered the test is the one that is going to receive the reclassification. Again, 90% of the cases are benign, so we call it negative until proven otherwise.

In terms of treatment, we don't do anything with that information and no action is taken. But, if we give recommendations, it's not because of the inconclusive work, it’s what we're seeing in terms of one’s family history. With the inconclusive result, you're always going to have that change, you were born with that change. What it changes is our interpretation.

When we see that somebody has a variant of unknown significance or is inconclusive, we look at ClinVar. ClinVar is a part of the National Institute of Health and aggregates information about genomic variation and its relationship to human health. Obviously, no names or personal data are disclosed. What we do is when we see any inconclusives, we will look at ClinVar to see what all the labs are saying.

Laura Carfang: That's such a great point. ClinVar is a freely available public archive of human genetic variations and interpretations of the relationships to disease and other conditions.

Abigail Johnston: Just another reason why talking to the right doctor about the right topic is so important. Dr. Mártir-Negrón is a geneticist, you don't mind saying you don't know, whereas other doctors in other specialties often avoid saying "I don't know something" and it's very important to remember that.

#109 Toxic Positivity with Kelly Grosklags

Breast Cancer Conversations

05/23/21 • 17 min

Toxic positivity as “the excessive and ineffective overgeneralization of a happy, optimistic state across all situations. The process of toxic positivity results in the denial, minimization, and the invalidation of the authentic human emotional experience" according to The Psychology Group.
In this episode we provide examples of how toxic positivity bubbles up day to day and offer tools for how to flip the switch and let people know that sometimes these comments hurt, are dismissive, and do not serve us.
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#119 My Mom has breast cancer, now what?

Breast Cancer Conversations

08/14/21 • 13 min

In this episode we speak with Kyla Thompson. Kyla Thompson lost her mom to metastatic breast cancer when she was 13 years old. Today Kyla shares her story about how she is taking her own personal experience and creating a space to support and help children whose parent has been diagnosed with breast cancer. Join us in today's dialogue where we will hear about the partnership Kyla and Laura are forming to support our breast cancer community and fill a much needed back in care.
Welcome to the Conversation.
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#136. What Do You Get When You Bring Three Executive Directors Together? The Pink Umbrella

Breast Cancer Conversations

12/05/21 • 42 min

In today's episode, we speak with Olivia Achtmeyer Boger, founder and executive director of Runway for Recovery, and Meredith Mendelson, executive director of the Ellie Fund. Both women lost their mothers to metastatic breast cancer and are doing incredibly impactful work with their non-profits.

Today's hot topics cover:

Resources provided by Runway for Recovery & the Ellie Fund
How no one knew Olivia's mom was living with MBC, including her own children!
Why language matters and recommendations for choosing compassionate words
What is The Pink Umbrella?

Welcome to the conversation.

Resources Mentioned:
The Ellie Fund
Runway for Recovery
Episodes you may also enjoy:
Creative Projects for Leaving a Legacy
My Mom Has Breast Cancer, Now What?
What is Grief and Giving Yourself Permission
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Fit, Healthy & Happy Podcast
Welcome to the Fit, Healthy and Happy Podcast hosted by Josh and Kyle from Colossus...

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181. Heidi's Hope. Finding Your Way Forward

Breast Cancer Conversations

11/20/22 • 29 min

Heidi was diagnosed with de novo metastatic breast cancer. After a year of treatment consisting mostly of chemotherapy, her brain was found to be affected by the disease as well. She has since undergone three gamma knife procedures. The side effects from the gamma knife have been manageable, mostly just fatigue and some cognitive difficulties. Despite all this, Heidi says she feels mentally stronger than before her diagnosis and is better able to prioritize what's important in her life.
About Heidi:
Heidi Punke Brown lives in East Central Illinois on her fourth-generation family farm with her husband, Dave. She is a Certified Public Accountant with a focus on the agriculture industry. Heidi also spent several years as a Math Interventionist in a public school district. She was diagnosed with Metastatic Breast Cancer (Stage IV) in July 2019. It was a de novo diagnosis with mets to her liver, spine and adrenal gland. Since then, it has also spread to her brain. Heidi is an active member of Uniplace Christian Church and loves music, especially playing the piano and singing. She is the inspiration behind Heidi’s Hope Boxes with the purpose of advocating for My Density Matters.
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Survivingbreastcancer.org:
https://www.survivingbreastcancer.org/
Events
https://www.survivingbreastcancer.org/events
Heidi's Hope Box:
https://powerplanter.com/drills-and-augers/gardening-augers/pink-gardening-tools-for-breast-cancer-awareness-pink-october/
My Density Matters:
https://mydensitymatters.org/
Text "Check Your Chart" to 211411.

Fit, Healthy & Happy Podcast
Welcome to the Fit, Healthy and Happy Podcast hosted by Josh and Kyle from Colossus...

Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

207. Is the Medicine Working? Exploring Treatment Efficacy in Breast Cancer with Dr. Rodriguez.

Breast Cancer Conversations

10/21/23 • 48 min

In this episode, we discuss the use of ctDNA (circulating tumor DNA) in surveillance for breast cancer patients. Dr. Rodriguez, being a board-certified medical oncologist, has extensive experience in breast cancer oncology and has conducted clinical research in ctDNA application and breast cancer management.

Together we dive into the different stages of breast cancer, ranging from early stage (zero through stage three) to late stage (metastatic or de novo breast cancer) and highlight the importance of monitoring the effectiveness of treatments and understanding whether the medicine is working. This is where ctDNA surveillance plays a crucial role.
Topics Discussed in this Episode

00:06:07 Understanding breast cancer recurrence.
00:11:27 Predicting cancer recurrence is complex.
00:20:07 Lifestyle changes reduce cancer recurrence.
00:24:13 Open communication with doctors is important.
00:30:06 Monitoring treatment effectiveness is challenging.
00:34:52 Circulating tumor DNA improves cancer detection.
00:42:00 Improving adherence to breast cancer treatment.
About Our Guest, Angel Augusto Rodriguez
Dr. Angel Augusto Rodriguez is Oncology Medical Director at Natera. Natera is a company with expertise in cell-free DNA technology which delivers platforms in prenatal care, transplant medicine, and oncology. Dr. Rodriguez is a board certified medical oncologist and attended Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas where he completed his residency in Internal Medicine and fellowship in Hematology and Medical Oncology.

He was the recipient of a Komen for the Cure Multidisciplinary Breast Cancer grant and specialized in breast oncology at Baylor College of Medicine where he conducted clinical research in ctDNA application in breast cancer management.

Before joining Natera, Dr. Rodriguez practiced in Houston Methodist Cancer Center where he was Director of the Clinical Trials Office and led the Triple Negative Breast Cancer Clinic. He is based in Austin, Texas.

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SBC’s Mission: To empower those diagnosed with breast cancer and their families from day one and beyond.

Fit, Healthy & Happy Podcast
Welcome to the Fit, Healthy and Happy Podcast hosted by Josh and Kyle from Colossus...

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238. Integrating Naturopathic Medicine with Conventional Breast Cancer Care. Interview with Dr. Laura James

Breast Cancer Conversations

07/14/24 • 58 min

In this episode of Breast Cancer Conversations, we had the pleasure of speaking with Dr. Laura James, a naturopathic oncologist based in Washington State. Dr. James provided a wealth of information about the role of naturopathic oncology in breast cancer care, emphasizing the importance of integrative medicine. She clarified the distinctions between integrative, complementary, and alternative care, and highlighted the collaborative approach she takes with conventional medical teams to support patients through their cancer journey.

We discussed the critical role of the "four cornerstones" of health—diet, exercise, sleep, and stress management—in supporting overall well-being and reducing the risk of cancer recurrence.

We also delved into the emotional and psychological aspects of a breast cancer diagnosis, particularly the societal pressures and internalized guilt that many women face. Dr. James emphasized the need for setting boundaries and practicing real self-care, which she defines as self-preservation; it is not selfishness.

Throughout our conversation, Dr. James highlighted the importance of building a comprehensive care team and the challenges of integrating naturopathic oncology into conventional cancer care. She shared her experiences in developing relationships with conventional doctors and the ongoing effort to gain acceptance for integrative approaches.

This episode is a must-listen for anyone looking to understand the holistic approach to breast cancer care and the importance of addressing both the physical and emotional aspects of the disease. Dr. James's expertise and compassionate approach offer valuable insights for patients, caregivers, and healthcare providers alike.
You can check out Dr. Laura James and all of her events and programs at: www.laurajamesnd.com/events.
She is also offering a 10% discount on her product line. Use code BCConvo10 when shopping here: www.bestforbreast.com

You can follow her at:
IG @doctorlauraND and
FB (Laura A. James, ND, FABNO).

SURVIVINGBREASTCANCER.ORG

Attend a free virtual SurvivingBreastCancer.org event:
https://www.survivingbreastcancer.org/events
Follow us on Instagram
SurvivingBreastCancer.org: https://www.survivingbreastcancer.org/
Breast Cancer Conversations: https://www.instagram.com/breastcancerconversations/

Fit, Healthy & Happy Podcast
Welcome to the Fit, Healthy and Happy Podcast hosted by Josh and Kyle from Colossus...

Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify