Send us a text Today’s episode tackles a topic that is often misunderstood, palliative care. Many people hear the term and immediately think of end-of-life care but that’s not what palliative care is. In reality, it’s about improving quality of life, managing symptoms, and helping you live as fully and comfortably as possible, no matter where you are in your metastatic breast cancer (MBC) treatment. We’re joined by Dr. Jones, a palliative care physician who has worked closely with people livi...
Send us a text Our annual “We Remember” episode honors all who died from metastatic breast cancer since last October and gives voice to the grief and love that endures after each death. Each name shared is a tiny marker of a full & beloved life and each one leaves behind an expansive network of loved ones. For those of us in the MBC community, the loss of our friends is particularly devastating & the cumulative losses are heavy. You are not alone in your grief. We invite you to gather...
Send us a text In our Season 11 opening episode, we’re bringing you the latest updates from the 2025 ASCO Annual Meeting on metastatic breast cancer. Dr. Ashley Schreier, breast oncologist at Weill Cornell Medicine, breaks down key research and explains what it could mean for people living with MBC. Topics include: Research results for hormone therapy options like camizestrantThe role of ESR1 mutation testingResults from treatment combinations like Enhertu and Perjeta, and Trodelvy and Keytru...
Send us a text Join us for a candid & heartfelt discussion with certified death doula and fellow MBCer Deltra James as she shares how death doulas support us in facing mortality with less fear and more intention. We also chat about her six week virtual course, “The Good Grim: Exploring end of life, facing fears, and living fiercely”, offered free through Project Life for those living with MBC. We invite you to listen to this life-filled conversation. Please visit our website, Our MB...
Send us a text In this episode of Our MBC Life, we sit down with Dr. Kelly Shanahan, the president of METAvivor, a U.S. nonprofit solely dedicated to funding research for metastatic breast cancer (MBC) while also supporting patients through advocacy and community. Our guest shares METAvivor’s mission, their biggest milestones, and how their work is driving critical research that aims to extend lives and improve quality of life for those living with MBC. We dive into how METAvivor prioritizes ...
Send us a text This episode of Our MBC Life features Stephanie Walker and Julia Maués of the Patient-Centered Dosing Initiative team who have been working on the 2025 reboot of its groundbreaking 2020 patient survey. Julia and Stephanie break down how treatment doses are typically determined during clinical trials and why individualized dosing, based on more than your diagnosis, is so important for people living with metastatic breast cancer. They also chat about the newly launched 2025 Patie...
Send us a text Senior Producer & Host Martha Carlson interviews Josh Newby, the founder of Theresa’s Research Foundation. Josh has been a leader in the world of metastatic breast cancer advocacy for over a decade, focusing energy on bringing MBC research scientists and patient advocates together in an effort to improve our lives. To paraphrase Josh, researchers need patients and patients need researchers—a synergy he recognized early and brought to the fore of advocacy. This year, Josh an...
Send us a text Welcome to our Season 10 opening episode! Today we’re discussing some of the big updates in metastatic breast cancer research from the 2024 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS). Joining us today is Dr. Debu Tripathy, breast oncologist at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center who will break down into understandable terms some of the most impactful findings shared at SABCS, from advances in endocrine therapy and HER2-targeted treatments to exciting developments...
Send us a text Welcome to our first "Our MBC Life Unplugged" episode, where we wrap up the fall season with an honest, unscripted conversation. What happens when someone is told they might actually be cured? It’s what we all dream of hearing, but when we started talking, it opened a Pandora’s box of questions and concerns: Is a cure really possible? Should I go off treatment? What if the doctor is wrong and my cancer comes back? This episode dives deep into these complexities and more. So, gr...
Send us a text If you’ve never heard of Postpartum Breast Cancer (PPBC) – well, you are not alone. This episode is a personal one for many on our podcast team – it is all about this little-known subset of breast cancer called Postpartum Breast Cancer (Postpartum means “following childbirth”) – how it happens, and why it creates a higher risk for metastatic spread and death. The doctors we interview here have proven that Postpartum Breast Cancer is a distinct category of breast cancer diagnose...
Send us a text Have you ever wondered how our cancer metastasizes? Why is it that some treatments just don’t work? Can we as patients living with MBC alter cellular level activity? In this episode, you will hear the answers to these questions and more. Join us as we take a step back to the basics of tumor microenvironment with our guest, Dr. Amy Beumer, who will break down the science to smaller, digestible bites. In this lively discussion, Dr. Amy explains the how and the why of this tough t...
Send us a text Each October, Our MBC Life marks Breast Cancer Awareness month with a special episode dedicated to all those who died from metastatic breast cancer over the past year. To live with your own diagnosis or to be a loved one, caregiver, or friend of someone with MBC is to inhabit a community of loss. Every day, we confront the reality of mortality and struggle to balance fear with hope, and sorrow with joy. “We Remember” is OMBCL’s opportunity to give voice to the profound gr...
Send us a text In this episode, Senior Producer and Host Martha Carlson embraces the hope that we can do something to help our closest relatives avoid metastatic breast cancer and even early-stage breast cancer. Despite living with no known inheritable mutation associated with breast cancer risk, Martha has MBC and her Mom recently died of the same disease. Now, her 20-something oldest child has discovered an additional factor that puts her at increased risk. Listen along as they discuss risk...
Send us a text On today's episode, we are thrilled to discuss an important and often misunderstood area of oncology: Biosimilars and their increasing use in cancer care. You might be curious, what exactly are biosimilars? How are they developed and approved? And most importantly, how are they transforming the lives of patients diagnosed with cancer? We will break down these questions and more with an overview from Dr. Julie Gralow, a breast medical oncologist and chief medical officer a...
Send us a text For our Season 9 opening episode, we're learning about agnostic treatments in cancer with Dr. Richard Schilsky of ASCO, who discusses the TAPUR Study. You may wonder, what is TAPUR and how does it relate to agnostic treatments? The pioneer behind the study, Dr. Schilsky, explains clinical trials for agnostic therapeutics, how you can join a TAPUR trial, and what to expect.
Send us a text There’s a lot of research about how diet and exercise can have a positive effect on survivorship for those with early-stage breast cancer, but what about those of us with MBC? In this episode, we are delighted to bring you a conversation with Dr. Neil Iyengar, a prominent oncologist and researcher known for his deep interest in how lifestyle affects a variety of outcomes. Emerging research and patient experiences are showing that exercise and diet can play a vital role in impro...
Send us a text In the third of our special series on living with bone metastases, we are turning to one of the most frequent questions and concerns we hear: Can I exercise?? To get the answers, OMBCL co-hosts Ashley Fernandez and Martha Carlson spoke with Dr. Kathryn Schmitz, who has led the way in understanding and implementing exercise for people with breast cancer, including those of us with metastatic breast cancer. Dr. Schmitz founded the Moving Through Cancer initiative of the Ame...
Send us a text In this second of three episodes on managing bone metastases in MBC, we bring you a broad review of the major interventions to treat and manage bone mets. We explain the differences among the specialties of Radiology (think x-rays and PET/CT scans) vs. Radiation Oncology (external beam, Stereotactic Radiation Surgery (SRS) or Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT) and Interventional Radiology (Biopsies, Cryoablation, Radiofrequency Ablation among others). The majority of pa...
Send us a text Today’s episode is the first in a three part series covering all things related to bone metastasis. In our first episode, we’re covering the basics starting with some bone education. We’re joined by Dr. Azeez Farooki, an endocrinologist at MSK, who discusses his role on treatment for bone disease stemming from breast cancer. We’re also joined by Dr. Monica Fornier, a breast medical oncologist also at MSK, who treats people living with metastatic breast cancer. Both doctors will...
Send us a text Even though breast cancer research is comparatively well-funded, researchers still don't fully understand the many different ways metastatic cancer eventually evades currently available treatments. Just like a detective can learn much from studying the scene of a crime, researchers need to understand how breast cancer causes death to better understand how to stop it from doing so. One of the quickest ways for them to do that is through something called a tissue dona...