Posts by clara@getaword.in

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 through it alone. Today’s guest underwent treatment for breast cancer two decades ago, but to this day, is still eternally grateful to the people that supported her and her family through such a challenging time. Trish, welcome to the show!

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, much as the activities that help maintain your quality of life are unique. Today’s guest loves biking and quickly found that maintaining that activity throughout her treatment helped her feel like herself, her most happy and capable self. Here to share her breast cancer story and how biking helped her through it is Maria Boustead. Maria, welcome to the show.

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 priority. Hannah Hancock joins the podcast today to share her story and how she navigated being diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 22.

[00:00:00] Adam Walker: Support for the Real Pink podcast comes from Lilly. For more than 50 years, Lilly has been dedicated to delivering life-changing medicines and support to people living with cancer. And those who care for them. Lilly is determined to build on this heritage and continue making life better for all those affected…

Bilateral prophylactic mastectomies can lower the risk of breast cancer in women at high risk by at least 90% and can be a healthy choice for young women with significant family histories of breast cancer like today’s guest, Sara Baumann, does. After a 10 year long history of yearly breast ultrasounds, biopsies and MRI’s, and a lumpectomy for a suspicious lump in her left breast, Sara spoke to her surgeon to weigh the pros and cons and ultimately decided to take charge of her own health by having a prophylactic double mastectomy at the age of 27. She is one year past her reconstruction and has never felt more comfortable in her skin or secure about her health. Sara, welcome to the show!

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 metastasizing, actress and comedian Hyla Matthews knows firsthand how important it is to find ways to keep a healthy perspective and is committed to finding way to laugh through her experience. Hyla, welcome to the show!

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 of the physical changes that her body has had to undergo, both for herself and for her family. Emily, welcome to the show!

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 when you have dense breasts, because dense breast tissue makes it more difficult to interpret a mammogram. Today’s guest needed an ultrasound multiple years in a row following her annual mammogram, but in 2020, received a call that she was not at all expecting. She had breast cancer. Here today to share her story is Emily’s Zarecki. Emily, welcome to the show!

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 top scientific journals including Science, Nature Cancer, Cancer Cell, and Cancer Discovery and he’s received multiple awards, including being selected as a next gen star of the American Association for Cancer Research.

Today, we’re going to be discussing exciting new developments in the treatment of triple negative breast cancer. Dr. Vasan welcome to the show!

The Susan G Komen Metastatic Breast Cancer Collaborative Research Initiative is a first of its kind effort that is bringing together the best and brightest researchers at Duke Cancer Institute and UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center to find breakthrough discoveries to end metastatic breast cancer.