Breast Cancer Conversations

Love the podcast? Send us a text! In this episode, host Sanya Bawa, an amazing intern at SBC interviews Dr.  Kulkarni, a pathology specialist, about the clinical perspective of a breast cancer diagnosis. Dr. Kulkarni discusses her journey in the field of pathology and how it offers a collaborative and constantly evolving approach to medicine. Dr. Kulkarni also highlights the importance of patholog...

Love the podcast? Send us a text! In this episode, Laura Carfang interviews  Dr. Kumar, the chairman and CEO of Anixa Biosciences , and Jenni Davis, the first recipient of the triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) vaccine, which is currently in preliminary clinical trial phases.  The vaccine is designed to prevent recurrence of breast cancer in survivors and eventually prevent cancer onset in women...

Love the podcast? Send us a text! In this episode of Breast Cancer Conversations, host Laura Carfang speaks with Derly Munoz, a physical therapist specializing in oncology. We discuss the importance of physical therapy for breast cancer patients and survivors, and Derly shares valuable insights and strategies for managing the physical challenges that can arise during and after treatment.  Tune in...

Love the podcast? Send us a text! In this episode of Breast Cancer Conversations, host Laura Carfang is joined by Dr. Dibble and Dr. Rauch, two experts in breast cancer imaging. Dr. Dibble is a radiologist with expertise in nuclear medicine and molecular imaging, while Dr. Rauch is a professor of diagnostic radiology and the director of molecular breast imaging. Together, they discuss the latest a...

Love the podcast? Send us a text! I am thrilled to announce our latest podcast episode featuring Dr. Heather Jacene and Dr. Jennifer Specht.  In this episode, we dive into the topic of nuclear medicine and its role in breast cancer treatment. Dr. Jacene, Assistant Chief of Nuclear Medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Clinical Director of Nuclear Medicine at Dana-Farber Cancer Institut...

Love the podcast? Send us a text! In this episode of Breast Cancer Conversations, host Laura Carfang introduces guest Judith Fitzgerald, a 14-year breast cancer survivor and patient advocate. Judith is the founder of Sisters for Prevention, a company dedicated to supporting those newly diagnosed with breast cancer through education on diet and lifestyle strategies to reduce recurrence and primary...

Love the podcast? Send us a text! Topics in today's episode: Physical and mental tools to give hope to others. 3:47  How she discovered boxing. 7:55  The importance of having a tool belt in your bag. 11:27 The importance of walking after surgery. 18:09 What type of surgeries did you have? 20:45 The importance of having a support system. 26:58 How the macrobiotic diet helped her. 29:27 The pow...

Love the podcast? Send us a text! In this episode of Breast Cancer Conversations, Laura Carfang, founder of SurvivingBreastCancer.org, speaks with Janie Fielder a medical science liaison at Natera. The conversation centers around Signatera as well as genetic testing and the tools available for breast cancer patients to make informed decisions about their diagnosis and treatment plans. Fielder, pre...

Love the podcast? Send us a text! In this episode of Breast Cancer Conversations, host Laura Carfang speaks with Dr. Dehdashti,  a board-certified nuclear medicine expert and senior vice chair at the Washington University Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology.  Dr. Dehdashti discusses her decades of experience in translational PET research and interpreting PET imaging studies, with a focus on recept...

Love the podcast? Send us a text! In this episode of Breast Cancer Conversations, founder Laura Carfang turns the tables and interviews Board Director Abigail Johnston about her experience, living with metastatic breast cancer and her involvement as a fierce patient advocate.  Abigail shares her inspiring story of being a change maker and connector within the breast cancer community, while also be...

Love the podcast? Send us a text! Topics in today's Episode: Advice for women with genetic variants. 4:08  It’s not your fault. It is not. 16:43 Adriana’s experience with breast surgery. 25:38 What does it take for insurance to approve implants? 29:34 Being denied DIEP Flap due to BMI 33:47 The difference between the tram flap vs. the DIEP flap. 40:47 The problem with the old tram flap code....

Love the podcast? Send us a text! Topics in today's episode How to get a grip on stress. 1:57 Losing control and the loss of agency. 5:24 The difference between uncertainty and survivorship. 12:25 The four pillars of survivorship. 15:34 The value of language. 21:31 Hormonal shifts are the real deal. 24:56 Tools for dealing with stress and coping. 27:39 Setting expectations based on your energ...

Love the podcast? Send us a text! In today's episode, Breast Cancer Advocate Christine Hodgdon provides a detailed list of the amazing non-profit organizations and resources that offer support, education, and community to those living with MBC.   The list is long but don't worry, we have you covered with the PDF so you can access the programs we mention! Support the show Listener Feedbac...

Love the podcast? Send us a text! In today's episode, Breast Cancer Advocate Stephanie Walker provides a detailed list of the amazing non-profit organizations and resources that offer support, education, and community to those living with MBC. The list is long but don't worry, we have you covered with the PDF so you can access the programs we mention! Topics Covered: Introduction to toda...

Love the podcast? Send us a text! In today's episode, we speak with Michelle Stravitz, co-founder of 2Unstoppable, a non-profit focused specifically on exercise for those diagnosed with cancer. Links: https://2unstoppable.org/ https://www.survivingbreastcancer.org/ +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ The safety of exercising after a breast cancer diagnosis depends on a...

Love the podcast? Send us a text! Are you or someone you know living with a chronic illness and then on top of the underlying condition, get diagnosed with breast cancer? It's not uncommon! Today we bring the community together to discuss how breast cancer affects those already living with a chronic illness. We all may suffer from one ailment or another from ADHD and anxiety to multiple scler...

Love the podcast? Send us a text! Support the show Listener Feedback 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 feedback. Messages are completely anonymous. If you would like us to follow up directly, please include your email address...

Love the podcast? Send us a text!  In today's episode, we speak with Rod Ritchie, Bob Huebner & Vance Stacks, three men who all have been diagnosed with breast cancer. Yes, men can absolutely get breast cancer. While it is much less common in men than women, it still does happen and should not be ignored. Symptoms of breast cancer in men can include a lump or thickening in the chest area,...

Love the podcast? Send us a text! Cancer is a difficult topic for anyone to discuss, but it's especially hard when you have to talk about it with your kids. That's why we've brought together three experts and two children who have been through this before to help you navigate these conversations. They'll share their tips on what worked for them and what resources are available...

Love the podcast? Send us a text! Resources in this episode: Inflammatory breast cancer defined: proposed common diagnostic criteria to guide treatment and research: https://42020577-8833-45e8-8058-fa42c092d058.usrfiles.com/ugd/420205_4cacf54d524c4cd6a67dd9ffcddb84be.pdf Website: https://www.survivingbreastcancer.org/events Part I: Support the show Listener Feedback If this episode resonated with...

Love the podcast? Send us a text! We discuss Inflammatory Breast Cancer. A rare form of breast cancer that affects less than 5% of those diagnosed with breast cancer. Ginny Mason, from the Inflammatory Breast Cancer Research Foundation, was given a 3% chance of making it to 5 years. Today she is sharing her story 23 years later and the important research taking place in the IBC space. Websites: Su...

Love the podcast? Send us a text! Laura and William share what they are most excited about heading into the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium.  Visit Survivingbreastcancer.org/events to learn more about all of our programs.  Support the show Listener Feedback 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...

Love the podcast? Send us a text! 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,...

Love the podcast? Send us a text! Support the show Listener Feedback 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 feedback. Messages are completely anonymous. If you would like us to follow up directly, please include your email address...

Love the podcast? Send us a text! Support the show Listener Feedback 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 feedback. Messages are completely anonymous. If you would like us to follow up directly, please include your email address...