Breast Cancer Conversations

Love the podcast? Send us a text! When many people hear the words "clinical trial," they immediately think of a last resort. But that's one of the biggest misconceptions in breast cancer care. In this episode of Breast Cancer Conversations , host Laura Carfang sits down with Dr. Ada Waks , breast medical oncologist and clinical investigator at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, to demyst...

Love the podcast? Send us a text! When you're diagnosed with breast cancer, your first thought is often survival. But what about everything that comes after? For many young adults diagnosed with breast cancer, questions about fertility, family planning, hormone health, identity, and future possibilities quickly become part of the conversation. Yet too many patients never learn about their opt...

Love the podcast? Send us a text! Getting a mammogram should not feel complicated. Yet many women face delays, confusion, long wait times, and unanswered questions when navigating breast cancer screening and follow-up care. In this episode of Breast Cancer Conversations, Laura Carfang and William Laferriere sit down with Dr. Ryan Polselli, radiologist, entrepreneur, and founder of Mammolink, a mob...

Love the podcast? Send us a text! What happens when breast cancer survivors and thrivers come together to celebrate 300 episodes of Breast Cancer Conversations? In this special milestone episode, host Laura Carfang welcomes members of the SurvivingBreastCancer.org community for an honest, heartfelt discussion about diagnosis, treatment, survivorship, metastatic breast cancer, advocacy, and finding...

Love the podcast? Send us a text! What happens when you give yourself one year to “get through breast cancer” — only to realize that the timeline is much longer and more complicated than you imagined? In this episode of Breast Cancer Conversations , I’m joined by Jessica Thomas, who was diagnosed with ER/PR-positive, stage 2B breast cancer with lymph node involvement. After finding a lump herself,...

Love the podcast? Send us a text! Hair loss during chemotherapy is often talked about as if it is expected, inevitable, or even superficial. But for many people diagnosed with breast cancer, losing your hair can affect identity, privacy, confidence, and the way others see you. In this episode of Breast Cancer Conversations , Laura talks with Jen Fernandez about her experience being diagnosed with...

Love the podcast? Send us a text! In this episode of Breast Cancer Conversations , host Laura Carfang speaks with Annick Pyfferoen about her experience being diagnosed with de novo metastatic breast cancer and navigating several lines of treatment including targeted therapy, chemotherapy, a clinical trial attempt involving tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, Enhertu, and Xeloda.  She speaks openly abo...

Love the podcast? Send us a text! In this episode of Breast Cancer Conversations , Laura Carfang speaks with Kacie Flaherty and Joyce Dini about life with oligometastatic breast cancer. They share how their diagnoses unfolded, what treatment decisions looked like, and how they’ve learned to navigate uncertainty while staying grounded in what matters most. Together, they discuss: The differences be...

Love the podcast? Send us a text! In this episode of Breast Cancer Conversations , Laura speaks with Virginia Rodriguez, who was diagnosed with stage 4 de novo metastatic breast cancer  after experiencing progressive weakness, digestive issues, dehydration, and a dramatic decline in her ability to walk and function. Virginia shares what it was like to go from hiking the Camino de Santiago to strug...

Love the podcast? Send us a text! Jennifer Tipton was in her mid-forties, running a yoga business in California, teaching indoor cycling classes, and training clients when she was diagnosed with stage 3 estrogen-positive breast cancer at the start of 2021. Her entire year — AC chemotherapy, then Taxol, then a lumpectomy, then a double mastectomy with a DIEP flap reconstruction, then 33 rounds of r...

Love the podcast? Send us a text! Every breast cancer treatment plan is highly personalized, and understanding potential side effects can help patients feel more prepared, informed, and empowered throughout care. In this episode of Breast Cancer Conversations, Laura speaks with Debbie Ciak, a breast cancer survivor diagnosed with Stage 2B ER/PR-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer with lymph node...

Love the podcast? Send us a text! What happens when the person trained to care for others suddenly becomes the patient? In this deeply meaningful episode of Breast Cancer Conversations , Laura speaks with Bron Watson — a registered nurse, educator, and entrepreneur whose life changed dramatically after being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2018, followed by a blood cancer diagnosis in 2023.  Bron...

Love the podcast? Send us a text! What does it really mean to support your body during and after breast cancer treatment? In this episode I am joined by returning guest Dr. Amy Comander and Meg McSherry, a breast cancer patient under Dr. Comander's care, for a thoughtful conversation about lifestyle medicine and breast cancer survivorship. Together, we explore the very real physical and emoti...

Love the podcast? Send us a text! If this episode resonated with you, we invite you to leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. You can also click the link in the show notes that says “Love this episode? Send us a text” to share your thoughts. Messages are completely anonymous, but you are welcome to include your name and where you’re listening from if you’d like a shout-out in a future episod...

Love the podcast? Send us a text! What happens when breast cancer leaves behind more than physical scars? In this episode of Breast Cancer Conversations , Laura sits down with Dr. Jim Jackson to explore the hidden emotional impact of cancer, including medical trauma, PTSD, fear, triggers, and healing. Dr. Jackson is a licensed psychologist, neuropsychologist, and Director of Rehabilitation and Rec...

Love the podcast? Send us a text! Cancer treatment is hard enough — but dealing with insurance denials and medical bills can make it even harder. In this episode of Breast Cancer Conversations, host Laura Carfang sits down with board-certified patient advocate Jenni Nolan to uncover the hidden financial challenges cancer patients face when navigating insurance, billing, and prior authorizations. J...

Love the podcast? Send us a text! When someone is diagnosed with cancer, the focus naturally centers on the patient. But behind every diagnosis is another story — the story of the caregiver. In this powerful episode of Breast Cancer Conversations , Laura Carfang steps aside from the microphone as her husband William Laferriere hosts a deeply personal conversation about caregiving. William is joine...

Love the podcast? Send us a text! When Breast Cancer Changes Everything — What Do You Build Next? What happens when a breast cancer diagnosis strips away your identity — and forces you to rebuild from the inside out? In this deeply personal and powerful episode of Breast Cancer Conversations , Laura Carfang sits down with Christine Handy and Christine Anastos — two breast cancer survivors who turn...

Love the podcast? Send us a text! In this powerful episode of Breast Cancer Conversations , Laura Carfang speaks with Kathy Giusti, a two-time cancer survivor who has lived with multiple myeloma for 30 years and later faced a breast cancer diagnosis as well. Diagnosed at 37 after what she thought was a routine visit, Kathy was told she had a fatal blood cancer and would live “three years at best.”...

Love the podcast? Send us a text! What if part of what makes cancer so hard isn’t just the diagnosis—but the spaces where care happens? In this eye-opening episode of Breast Cancer Conversations , host Laura Carfang explores how hospital design, architecture, and the built environment directly shape the cancer experience, often in ways patients never realize—but deeply feel. Laura is joined by Abb...

Love the podcast? Send us a text! What happens when a breast surgeon becomes a breast cancer patient—and then faces a second diagnosis years later? In this deeply personal and illuminating episode of Breast Cancer Conversations , host Laura Carfang is joined by Dr. Anne Peled , a board-certified breast, reconstructive, and plastic surgeon who has treated thousands of patients—and also navigated he...

Love the podcast? Send us a text! What happens when you’re diagnosed with stage 2B breast cancer, start a new job, and are asked to lead a COVID response— all at the same time ? In this powerful episode of Breast Cancer Conversations , host Laura Carfang sits down with Samira Daswani , founder and CEO of Manta Cares , to talk about what it really means to navigate cancer when the system isn’t buil...

Love the podcast? Send us a text! What does it really mean to be diagnosed with DCIS (ductal carcinoma in situ) —often called “stage zero” breast cancer? In this in-depth episode of Breast Cancer Conversations , host Laura Carfang is joined by a breast surgical oncologist, a radiation oncologist, and a patient advocate to unpack why DCIS can be both reassuring and deeply complex. While survival ra...

Love the podcast? Send us a text! What happens when breast cancer comes back — even after doing “everything right”? In this deeply honest conversation, Laura Carfang sits down with Teresa Baglietto, a four-time cancer survivor, author, and podcast host, to talk about what it really means to live with cancer recurrence, fear, and long-term survivorship. Teresa shares what it felt like to discover h...

Love the podcast? Send us a text! Breast Cancer Stopped My Life—Music and Meditation Helped Me Breathe Again: How Music and Meditation Support Healing During Breast Cancer Treatment A breast cancer diagnosis can abruptly stop life in its tracks—canceling plans, disrupting careers, and forcing an unfamiliar stillness. In this deeply moving episode of Breast Cancer Conversations , host Laura Carfang...