Archive for November 2023

Multiple communities face unique barriers to breast health care, including lack of access to quality care, financial constraints and cultural differences. Susan G. Komen’s Patient Care Center works to address these barriers by providing a variety of services and resources, such as patient navigation, financial assistance and culturally sensitive care. Komen patient navigator Mariana Garza joins us today to discuss the specific breast health inequities these communities face in accessing breast health care, as well as the ways that the Patient Care Center is helping to break down these barriers.

In today’s episode, we’ll hear from two women who both required surgery to treat their breast cancer but made different decisions about what happened after that surgery. Christy Burbidge had a mastectomy on her left side and decided not to have her breast reconstructed. Suzanne Fonseca opted for reconstruction after her breast surgery but experienced one complication after another, and multiple surgeries later, decided to have her implants removed for good. There’s no right (or wrong) decision when it comes to selecting the treatment that is right for you. And no choice is without risks or wondering after the fact if you made the right decision.

What do you say to a friend when you find out they have been diagnosed with breast cancer? How do you address them? Stacey Lucas is a close friend, mother, community member and cancer survivor. Through her journey, she has found strength in her close family, trust in her doctors and staying physically active. Tune in to hear from Stacey first hand on how to support newly diagnosed friends, family members and loved ones.

When someone has metastatic breast cancer, it is scary for them – and for you! What can you do to really help? What should you say? Is it better to just listen? Today’s guest received a de novo metastatic diagnosis in January 2021 and then elected to retire early from a 30-year technology sales career in order to slow life down and to focus on family, friends and thriving with MBC. Carlee Dixon’s surprise diagnosis also inspired her to learn as much as possible about breast cancer and take every opportunity to educate friends and acquaintances about breast cancer prevention and the day to day reality. Today, Carlee is here to shed some light on how to best support those who are living with metastatic breast cancer.