Real Pink

Every person’s experience with mastectomies is different. Some people might experience extreme body dysmorphia following their surgeries and others might find the healing process easier. Concerns about body image and sexuality are common and can be especially hard for young breast cancer survivors, who find that regaining body confidence after a mastectomy can be difficult. Today’s guest was diagn...

A cancer diagnosis is never easy, especially on the children of the family. Today's guest a friend of host Adam Walker -- Sindhu Giedd. Her mother was diagnosed with early stage breast cancer when she was in ninth grade. Now as a mother herself and near the age that her mother was when she was diagnosed, Sindhu reflects on her experience with her mother's diagnosis, how she thinks about her health...

When something feels off, it's important to pay attention to it. Sometimes that might mean having to stand up to your healthcare team when your needs are not being met, which is not always easy. Asking questions or pushing can be difficult when you're feeling overwhelmed, scared, or want to be seen as a good patient. However, you know your body best and self advocating really boils down to listeni...

The path to care is daunting and complex under the best of circumstances. But it is further complicated for underserved populations, particularly women of color, who experience significant barriers throughout the continuum of care. Komen is focused on ensuring all people receive the care they need through our Patient Care Center, which seeks to remove barriers and serve as a dedicated care partner...

On today's podcast, we talked to Dr. Fred Singer from American Bone Health to discuss the link between breast cancer and bone health. You will learn about how to assess your risk of bone fractures, how to improve your overall bone health, and the different screenings available to integrate. Obtaining a baseline bone scan coupled with knowing your bone health risks can offer you a plan for maintain...

In any healthcare situation, it is important to be your own best advocate. No one knows more about your body than you do. Not your partner, not your family, not even your doctor. So when you talk with medical professionals about your health, remember that you have important information they can use. You know about changes in your body and about any problems you are having. You know what your breas...

When you receive a breast cancer diagnosis, your life can literally change in an instant.  It is important to know that you are not alone.  The support of friends and family is crucial, but a patient navigator can also be an invaluable part of your support team.  Patient navigators are trained to help to guide you through the healthcare system, to work with you to find the resources...

Health equity means that everyone has a fair and just opportunity to be as healthy as possible, despite their cultural or demographic background. But achieving this means removing obstacles to health, such as discrimination, economic disadvantages, and lack of access for certain populations and communities. Today's guest Omatola Gordon-Rose, Senior Director of Health Equity Initiatives at Komen, u...

A breast cancer diagnosis can often make it feel as if you have lost control. You may want to troubleshoot it, to find the root cause and implement a solution. Today’s guest was diagnosed with breast cancer in April 2019, two days before she ran the Boston Marathon. She tried to outrun the process because she was scared to sit idle and lose. But as she discovered, sometimes there is no root cause...

When today’s guest was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer that had spread throughout her skeletal system, her daughters were ages 2, 4 and 6 and she knew that her children would never have a memory of her without cancer being in it. She decided immediately that she needed to be intentional about how she used living with cancer as a tool to help shape them. Here today to share how she focuses...

Dr. Jennifer Ligibel is an Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Senior Physician at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. She is also the Director of the Leonard P. ZAkim Center for Integrative Therapies and Healthy Living and the Director of the Center for Faculty Well-Being at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. She joins us today to discuss the impact of lifestyle factors, such a...

Breast cancer can be overwhelming and you may face many physical and emotional struggles both during your treatment and in the months and years after. It's hard to know what to expect. As many survivors will tell you, there is no normal when it comes to cancer. Figuring out life after treatment can be hard, feeling like yourself in your own skin can be hard, relationships might feel different, and...

Today we are going to talk about biomarkers, genetics, genomics, and how they can assist both doctors and patients in determining the best course of treatment. Here today to help us understand the basics and complexities associated with biomarkers and genetics is Dr. Payal Shah. Dr. Shah is a medical oncologist and clinical researcher who studies triple-negative breast cancer and cancer genetics a...

During Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Susan G. Komen is encouraging Asian American women to prioritize their breast health and get regular screenings. Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in Asian American and Pacific Islander women. Although Asian American women in the U.S. have similar screening mammography rates as Black, white and Hispanic women, they have...

Patient navigators empower and guide patients to overcome barriers during cancer treatment, helping to ensure a seamless, high-quality breast cancer journey. They help allow the patient to focus on treatment and recovery, by helping to take care of a whole host of other things such as research for supportive and funding services available. Today’s guest had a personal experience with stage III ova...

Tune into a special Mother's Day episode of Real Pink to hear multi-platinum singer/song writer Andy Grammer share the impact that losing his mom to breast cancer had on his life and how he honors her by inspiring the world through his music.

After treatment for breast cancer ends, staying involved in the breast cancer cause will make a difference in your own life and can also benefit many other people diagnosed with breast cancer and their families, now and in the future. Today, as we gear up for Mother’s Day, we are joined by a mother/daughter duo - Mary Ellen & Emily Davis. Mary Ellen was diagnosed in 2010 with Stage III Triple...

Susan G. Komen will host their annual 2022 Advocacy Summit at the end of this month, culminating in a day of action on Wednesday, April 27. The Advocacy Summit is Komen’s only national advocacy event that provides advocates from across the country the opportunity to come together as one voice for those impacted by breast cancer. Advocates will hold hundreds of meetings with their Congressional off...

Anyone who’s ever had breast cancer knows what it feels like to hear the words “You have cancer.” You may feel angry, afraid, overwhelmed or unsure about the future. These feelings are normal and allowing yourself to express your emotions can help you begin to cope, which is a process that requires time, acceptance and support. Today’s guest is someone who is accustomed to feeling fully in control...

The signs and symptoms of breast cancer are not the same for everyone. It is important to know your normal and to see your doctor if you notice any changes in your body. Today’s guest has undergone treatment for two different types of breast cancer, being diagnosed the first time in 2007 and again in 2018. Each time she was the one to find a lump and each time she wondered if she was just being pa...

Whether you’re healthy, have just been diagnosed with breast cancer or are living with metastatic breast cancer, the connection between breast and bone health is vital. Some breast cancer treatments can affect bone health, putting women at higher risk for bone density loss. The bones are often the first site of metastases for almost half of women diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer, which can...

Inflammatory Breast Cancer is a rare and aggressive form of breast cancer that can often be mistaken for an infection or rash. Today’s guest went to the doctors thinking that she was simply having an allergic reaction. Luckily, her medical team was well versed in IBC and knew that what they were looking at was far more serious than a rash. Here today to share her story of living with Metastatic In...

Just as everyone’s individual breast cancer diagnosis is different, everyone’s life circumstances when they are diagnosed is also different. The emotional support of family, friends and others can be important to help you as you go through diagnosis, treatment and recovery. You might also have to lean on others to help with childcare or to help with daily chores. Costs related to breast cancer can...

About 1-5 percent of breast cancers in the U.S are Inflammatory Breast Cancer. This is an aggressive form of breast cancer, with signs that tend to arise quickly, often within weeks or months. The main symptoms of IBC are swelling and redness in the breast, and IBC can be hard to see on a mammogram because it may only show up as a sign of inflammation. Because of this and the frequent lack of a br...

Fast-growing breast cancers can seem to come out of nowhere. That’s what it was like for today’s guest, Selena Smith-Albino [pronounced al-BEAN-oh], when she felt a lump in her left breast six months after getting a clean bill of health following a mammogram. The diagnosis of stage 3 invasive ductal carcinoma led to her decision to undergo genetic testing. Her test results would have repercussions...