Real Pink

After completing breast cancer treatment, many women want to leave the experience far behind them and not think about it again. That’s perfectly understandable. Others find that the experience changes their thinking about what they want to do with their life. Our guest today is one of those people. After two cancer diagnoses, she decided to devote her career to helping women navigate the challenge...

A range of factors can contribute to the development of breast cancer, a fact that Dr. Lauren McCullough, an Atlanta-based breast cancer epidemiologist, knows all too well. She studies a wide-range of contributing factors – from race and ethnicity, to genetics and other biomarkers. Black women are still diagnosed at later stages, with more aggressive tumors and are less likely to survive. But adva...

Women don’t necessarily have to accept the first breast cancer diagnosis we receive; we can seek a second medical opinion. That’s what our next guest, Se’Nita Harris, did. And it proved to be a smart move. It turns out that her diagnosis of metaplastic breast cancer was inaccurate. She actually had triple negative breast cancer, which called for a different treatment. Se’Nita is here today to talk...

As with any major illness, breast cancer can have effects beyond the person that is diagnosed. When it happens family members and loved ones may feel many of the same emotions as the person with the diagnosis although they can never completely understand what it is like unless they have been there, and even then each diagnosis is almost like a snowflake – no two are exactly alike. Since the overal...

Screening tests are used to find breast cancer before it causes any warning signs or symptoms, when chances for survival are highest. It is important to stay on top of your breast health by knowing your risk, getting screened, knowing what is normal for you and making healthy lifestyle choices. Today’s guest has a history of breast cancer on her mom’s side and unfortunately lost her sister to the...

Every cell in your body has genes that contain the blueprints, or genetic code, for your body. Cancer develops when changes – or mutations -- in some of these genes cause the cells to grow uncontrollably and take on new characteristics. Tumor profiling, also called molecular profiling or genomic testing, gives information about the specific changes in the genes of cancer cells. Today we are joined...

Thoughtful gestures - big and small - mean so much to survivors, whether they’ve just been diagnosed or completed treatment many years ago. Today’s guest, Janice Workcuff, has devoted her life and career to advocating for needs of her fellow sisters through making phone calls, joining them at their appointments and spreading the word for improved healthcare and more clinical trials. It is her miss...

Often times, creating a sense of purpose from a difficult and challenging time is the drive that someone needs to keep pushing through. Cookie Joe founded Cookie Joe’s Dancin’ School 45 years ago and works daily to inspire her dancers, their families and the community that she has built. Despite battling stage 2 breast cancer, Cookie Joe has called on her community for support and they have rallie...

If you have breast cancer, you also carry a higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19, due to having a weakened immune system. Today’s guest was diagnosed with Stage 1, HER2-positive breast cancer before COVID vaccinations were available yet and during a time when she should have been celebrating, as she had just received her doctorate in biochemistry. The effect of navigating this diagnosis dur...

After treatment for breast cancer ends, many survivors find that staying involved through community or advocacy efforts can be personally rewarding and can also help others who might find themselves in a similar situation. Today’s guest founded a brand that started out as a mission to get her swagger back through exercise and a healthier lifestyle; and also focuses on healing from the physical, me...

A breast cancer diagnosis isn’t easy and significant support is often needed to care for your emotional, social, spiritual and practical needs. Being able to lean on those closest to you can make all the difference. We also often hear people say that sharing their story with others who might be going through a similar situation can be therapeutic as well. It is so important to not try to go throug...

Whether you are newly diagnosed, are in active treatment or completed treatment years ago, breast cancer affects how you feel inside and out. You have to cope with the emotional strain of the diagnosis and the physical challenges of treatment, as well as the stresses of daily life. Even though your diagnosis may be similar to another person’s, the way breast cancer impacts your life is unique, muc...

It’s often thought that breast cancer only affects women over 40. But, unfortunately, that’s not the case. Breast cancer is rare in young women, but it does happen. And, when a young woman is diagnosed with breast cancer, it can be shocking. At a time in life when most young women are focused on friends and career, all of a sudden issues of treatment, recovery, and survivorship suddenly take top p...

Susan G. Komen and Lilly launched a new multiyear program to address breast cancer health disparities experienced by Black women in the U.S. The partnership expands support services for Black women in the Midwest and across the U.S. to help close the 40% mortality gap in breast cancer. Chaunté Lowe, American record holder in high jump and mother of three, was diagnosed with an aggressive form of b...

Navigating a breast cancer journey can cause feelings of confusion and fear, all of which are normal. There are healthy ways to cope with the stress caused by these fears, such as mindfulness meditation, support groups or finding a creative outlet. Today’s guest has been through quite a journey over the past decade. Having undergone numerous brain surgeries as a result of her breast cancer metasta...

Losing your hair is hard. As with breast surgery, it affects a part of your body often tied to your identity. This can become even more of a challenge when you have young children who have a strong emotional response to a parent's breast cancer diagnosis. Today's guest was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 29, with three young girls at home. Here today to talk about the emotional impact o...

Breast density is a measure used to describe the proportion of the different tissues that make up a woman's breasts. It compares the area of the breast and connective tissues seen on a mammogram to the area of fat. Women with dense breasts are four to five times more likely to get breast cancer than women with fatty breasts, but it is also not uncommon to get called back for additional screenings...

Today, we're speaking with Dr. Neil Vasan, an assistant professor in the Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology Oncology at Columbia University Medial Center. Dr. Vasan is a physician scientist who studies how proteins function in breast cancer cell signaling and how treatments impact breast cancer cell signaling, which is the communication within a cell. His research has been published in...

Everyone can make a difference in the life of someone living with this disease by urging elected officials in Washington DC to pass pending legislation that would directly help this community. Today, we're going to be talking about advocacy and why it's so important to alleviate patient burden through robust public policies that recognize both the financial toxicity of treating breast cancer and t...

Everyone can make a difference in the life of someone living with the disease by donating to breakthrough research. Thousands of families lives will be changed forever by an NBC diagnosis this year. Sadly, 44,000 lives are at risk this year. And the five-year relative survival rate for metastatic breast cancer is only 27%. The Susan G Komen Metastatic Breast Cancer Collaborative Research Initiativ...

Everyone can make a difference in the life of someone living with the disease by donating to breakthrough research. Living with metastatic breast cancer is overwhelming. There's a lot of information to process, emotions to deal with, and a constant balancing act between the reality of dealing with your disease and trying to stay present and live your best life. Although metastatic breast cancer ca...

Everyone can make a difference in the life of someone living with the disease by donating to breakthrough research. Enduring the ongoing treatments necessary when living with metastatic breast cancer can have far reaching physical side effects, including muscle and joint pain, fatigue, loss of appetite, vomiting, and nausea. Often things you take for granted, such as walking or even standing can b...

People who have their own personal experience with breast cancer often look for ways to give back, to pass on the support that they received during their journey. Today's guest was diagnosed with stage three, triple negative breast cancer at age 30, and is now passionate about being an inspiration to others that are diagnosed. Here to share her story and the ways she is supporting others is Kristi...