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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.
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Love the podcast? Send us a text! 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 have a question or would like us to follow up directly, please include your email addre...
Love the podcast? Send us a text! 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 Illness, Brain Dysfunction, and Survivorship Center, where he works...
Love the podcast? Send us a text! 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 decades working inside the healthcare system and now helps patients ...
Love the podcast? Send us a text! When someone is diagnosed with cancer, the focus naturally centers on the patient. But behind every diagnosis is another story — the story of the caregiver. In this powerful episode of Breast Cancer Conversations, Laura Carfang steps aside from the microphone as her husband William Laferriere hosts a deeply personal conversation about caregiving. William is joined by Dr. Eswar Shankar, a cancer researcher and faculty member at The Ohio State University Wexner...
Love the podcast? Send us a text! When Breast Cancer Changes Everything — What Do You Build Next? What happens when a breast cancer diagnosis strips away your identity — and forces you to rebuild from the inside out? In this deeply personal and powerful episode of Breast Cancer Conversations, Laura Carfang sits down with Christine Handy and Christine Anastos — two breast cancer survivors who turned trauma into transformation. Christine Handy, former international model and author of Walk Besi...
Love the podcast? Send us a text! In this powerful episode of Breast Cancer Conversations, Laura Carfang speaks with Kathy Giusti, a two-time cancer survivor who has lived with multiple myeloma for 30 years and later faced a breast cancer diagnosis as well. Diagnosed at 37 after what she thought was a routine visit, Kathy was told she had a fatal blood cancer and would live “three years at best.” Instead of accepting that prognosis, she helped change the trajectory of cancer research by found...
Love the podcast? Send us a text! What if part of what makes cancer so hard isn’t just the diagnosis—but the spaces where care happens? In this eye-opening episode of Breast Cancer Conversations, host Laura Carfang explores how hospital design, architecture, and the built environment directly shape the cancer experience, often in ways patients never realize—but deeply feel. Laura is joined by Abbie Clary, Executive Director of Market Strategies and Growth for Health for All, and a nationally ...
Love the podcast? Send us a text! What happens when a breast surgeon becomes a breast cancer patient—and then faces a second diagnosis years later? In this deeply personal and illuminating episode of Breast Cancer Conversations, host Laura Carfang is joined by Dr. Anne Peled, a board-certified breast, reconstructive, and plastic surgeon who has treated thousands of patients—and also navigated her own early-stage breast cancer diagnosis, followed years later by a new primary DCIS diagnosis. To...
Love the podcast? Send us a text! What happens when you’re diagnosed with stage 2B breast cancer, start a new job, and are asked to lead a COVID response—all at the same time? In this powerful episode of Breast Cancer Conversations, host Laura Carfang sits down with Samira Daswani, founder and CEO of Manta Cares, to talk about what it really means to navigate cancer when the system isn’t built for you. Diagnosed at 30 and undergoing chemotherapy during the earliest days of the COVID-19 pandem...
Love the podcast? Send us a text! What does it really mean to be diagnosed with DCIS (ductal carcinoma in situ)—often called “stage zero” breast cancer? In this in-depth episode of Breast Cancer Conversations, host Laura Carfang is joined by a breast surgical oncologist, a radiation oncologist, and a patient advocate to unpack why DCIS can be both reassuring and deeply complex. While survival rates are excellent, treatment decisions often involve difficult trade-offs between reducing recurren...
1Love the podcast? Send us a text! What happens when breast cancer comes back — even after doing “everything right”? In this deeply honest conversation, Laura Carfang sits down with Teresa Baglietto, a four-time cancer survivor, author, and podcast host, to talk about what it really means to live with cancer recurrence, fear, and long-term survivorship. Teresa shares what it felt like to discover her first breast cancer lump (“it was like a block of cement”), how she navigated a recurrence aft...
Love the podcast? Send us a text! Breast Cancer Stopped My Life—Music and Meditation Helped Me Breathe Again: How Music and Meditation Support Healing During Breast Cancer Treatment A breast cancer diagnosis can abruptly stop life in its tracks—canceling plans, disrupting careers, and forcing an unfamiliar stillness. In this deeply moving episode of Breast Cancer Conversations, host Laura Carfang, Ed.D. sits down with Elizabeth Borowsky, a professional pianist and composer, and Jesika Harmon,...
Love the podcast? Send us a text! Cancer related fatigue is one of the most persistent and frustrating symptoms. In this deeply validating and informative episode of Breast Cancer Conversations, host Laura Carfang, Ed.D., sits down with Dr. Jessa Landmann, naturopathic doctor and integrative oncology specialist, to unpack why fatigue, brain fog, weight gain, joint pain, and sleep disruption linger long after chemotherapy, radiation, or hormone therapy. Too often, those diagnosed with breast c...
Love the podcast? Send us a text! In this powerful episode of Breast Cancer Conversations, host Laura Carfang, Ed.D. sits down with philanthropist Sheri Biller of the Sheri and Les Biller Family Foundation to explore the often overlooked—but absolutely essential—role of supportive cancer care. After losing her two closest friends to breast cancer over 35 years ago, Sheri made a promise: if she ever had the resources, she would dedicate her life to improving the emotional, psychological, and p...
Love the podcast? Send us a text! In this powerful conversation, host Laura Carfang, founder of SurvivingBreastCancer.org, sits down with Adrian Mendes, CEO of Perimeter Medical Imaging, and Dr. Allison DiPasquale, breast surgical oncologist and technology innovator. Together, they unpack one of the most anxiety-provoking moments after breast cancer surgery: “Did we get clear margins?” Today, surgical innovation is radically changing that question. Dr. DiPasquale walks listeners through the c...
Love the podcast? Send us a text! Inside the VIKTORIA-1 trial with Dr. Rachel LaymanWhat the New Genitolasib Data Mean for ER+ / HER2- Metastatic Breast Cancer In this episode of Breast Cancer Conversations, Laura sits down with Dr. Rachel Layman, breast medical oncologist at MD Anderson Cancer Center, to unpack what’s new in ER-positive, HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer—and why clinical trials are not just a last-ditch option. Dr. Layman walks us through the VIKTORIA-1 trial, a phase I...
Love the podcast? Send us a text! In this candid and empowering episode of Breast Cancer Conversations, Dr. Christy Thozer breaks the silence around sexual health, menopause, and intimacy after breast cancer. Together, we unpack the myths surrounding estrogen, discuss safe treatment options for vaginal dryness and low libido, and explore how to restore confidence and connection after treatment. Dr. Thozer shares practical advice for talking with your healthcare team, navigating hormone concer...
Love the podcast? Send us a text! Today’s episode is going to challenge how you think about treatment. What if cancer care wasn’t one-size-fits-all? What if every decision — from the drugs you take to the supplements you choose — was tailored to your own biology? My guest, Dr. John Oertle, Chief Medical Director at Envita Medical Centers, has spent over 25 years pioneering a truly personalized, integrative approach that merges precision oncology, functional medicine, and technology. We’ll exp...
Love the podcast? Send us a text! What if your cancer treatment was designed just for you? In this episode of Breast Cancer Conversations, host Dr. Laura Carfang sits down with Jim Foote, CEO and co-founder of First Ascent Biomedical, to explore how AI-powered functional precision medicine is transforming cancer care. Instead of relying on one-size-fits-all treatment plans, this breakthrough approach tests your actual tumor cells against hundreds of FDA-approved drugs—revealing which therapie...
Love the podcast? Send us a text! In this inspiring episode, host Laura Carfang, Ed.D. sits down with Tara Hoffmann of Recovery on Water and Miranda Baldwin, co-producer of Breast in Show. Together they explore life eight years after breast cancer — from navigating long-term side effects and hormonal therapy to finding joy, movement, and connection through rowing and burlesque. This is not just survivorship — it’s strength, sisterhood, and self-expression. In This Episode: The power of exerci...
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