Breast Cancer Conversations
Breast Cancer Conversations is a podcast produced by Survivingbreastcancer.org where we inject positivity into the very fabric of a breast cancer diagnosis. Breast Cancer Conversations provides education, and inspiration, and offers hope. You will hear stories from those diagnosed with breast cancer, interviews with medical professionals, and thought-leadership emerging from the oncology field. Welcome to our breast cancer community! Welcome to the conversation.
Episodes
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What does life really look like five—or even ten—years after a metastatic breast cancer diagnosis?
For many people, the initial diagnosis is filled with uncertainty, fear, and countless unanswered questions. But thanks to advances in treatment, more people are living longer with metastatic breast cancer than ever before, and with that comes an important conversation about what it means to...
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Somewhere between the diagnosis and the last appointment, most of us stopped breathing all the way down. Not on purpose. The body braces, the jaw clenches, the shoulders come up — and then treatment ends, everyone tells you congratulations, and nobody mentions that your nervous system never got the memo that the emergency is over.
In this episode, host Laura Carfang sits down with Brett Aldrich...
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When you're living with breast cancer, the medical team treats the cancer — but who takes care of everything else? The fear that won't quiet down at 2 a.m. The diarrhea you're not sure is "bad enough" to call about. The FMLA paperwork, the school pickup, the light bill, the strange grief that shows up right when everyone expects you to feel grateful.
In this episode, host Laura Carfang sits dow...
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Palliative care is one of the most misunderstood parts of cancer care. Many people hear the term and think it means hospice, end-of-life care, or giving up. But palliative care, also called supportive care, can be offered alongside active cancer treatment and is focused on improving quality of life.
In this episode of Breast Cancer Conversations, we hear from Kacie Flaherty, Joyce Garber, Paula Bouck...
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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 demystify clinical trials and explain how they are shaping th...
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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 options until after treatment has already begu...
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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 mobile breast cancer screening company de...
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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 connection after cancer.
Together, th...
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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, Jessica moved...
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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 breast cancer twice. The first time, J...
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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 about what it felt like to experienc...
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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 between metastatic and oligomet...
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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 struggling to climb the stairs in her o...
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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 radiation — was consumed ...
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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 involvement.
Due to features associat...
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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 brings a powerful perspectiv...
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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 emotional toll of treatment, including fatigue,...
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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 episode. If you hav...
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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 Recovery at Vanderbilt’s Critical I...
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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.
Jenni has spent more than two dec...
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