Breastcancer.org Podcast

Dr. Angela Rasmussen is an associate research scientist in the Center for Infection and Immunity at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. Her research focuses on how hosts respond to infection by viruses in order to determine the severity of the infection and outcomes of the disease, as well as to look for new pathways to treat the disease and how to design vaccines. She is especially interested in newly emerging viruses, such as COVID-19. Listen to the podcast to hear her explain: where COVID-19 testing stands right now and what needs to happen to improve testing some measures that people who are undergoing chemotherapy or other immunosuppressing treatments might take to protect themselves how handwashing removes the COVID-19 virus membrane some of the myths surrounding COVID-19 and why they’re untrue Running time: 30:34Thank you for listening to the Breastcancer.org podcast. Please subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, TuneIn, or wherever you listen to podcasts. To share your thoughts about this or any episode, leave feedback on the podcast episode landing page on our website.During these unprecedented times, we are working very hard to meet the increased needs from our community. We appreciate any and all donations to support the programs and services our community relies on. Please make a donation online today or text HELPBCO to 243725 to donate via your mobile device.

Joanna Morales is a cancer rights attorney, author, speaker, and CEO of Triage Cancer, a national nonprofit organization connecting people to cancer survivorship education through educational events, a speakers bureau, and online materials and resources. Joanna has spent more than 24 years working on behalf of people with cancer, including 5 as an adjunct professor of law at Loyola Law School teaching a seminar in cancer rights law and 8 at the John Wayne Cancer Institute’s Psychosocial Care Program and Positive Appearance Center. In this podcast, Joanna explains the most important aspects of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act for people with cancer, as well as: how the new paid sick leave and family and medical leave programs work what to do if you’ve been laid off and have lost your employer-sponsored health insurance why it’s important to communicate with your creditors if you can’t pay your bills right now Running time: 30:02 Thank you for listening to the Breastcancer.org podcast. Please subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, TuneIn, or wherever you listen to podcasts. To share your thoughts about this or any episode, leave feedback on the podcast episode landing page on our website.During these unprecedented times, we are working very hard to meet the increased needs from our community. We appreciate any and all donations to support the programs and services our community relies on. Please make a donation online today or text HELPBCO to 243725 to donate via your mobile device.

Brian Wojciechowski, M.D., practices medical oncology in Delaware County, Pennsylvania at Riddle, Taylor, and Crozer hospitals and also serves as Breastcancer.org's medical adviser. A native of South Philadelphia, he trained at Temple University School of Medicine and Lankenau Medical Center. Dr. Wojciechowski is a sought-after speaker on the topics of medical ethics and the biology of cancer. On the Breastcancer.org discussion boards and on our Facebook page, people are talking about doctor and treatment appointments being delayed or cancelled because of COVID-19. And many people whose appointments haven’t been cancelled are scared to go out. Listen to the podcast to hear Dr. Wojciechowski talk about: the general recommendations oncologists are following when deciding which treatments should be delayed which breast cancer treatments can compromise the immune system and how long it takes the immune system to recover the most important things someone being treated for breast cancer should know about COVID-19 Running time: 21:10Thank you for listening to the Breastcancer.org podcast. Please subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, TuneIn, or wherever you listen to podcasts. To share your thoughts about this or any episode, leave feedback on the podcast episode landing page on our website.During these unprecedented times, we are working very hard to meet the increased needs from our community. We appreciate any and all donations to support the programs and services our community relies on. Please make a donation online today or text HELPBCO to 243725 to donate via your mobile device.

For nearly 25 years, Kelly Grosklags has dedicated her practice to minimizing suffering through her work in oncology, palliative care and hospice. An experienced therapist, Kelly is a licensed clinical social worker and a board-certified diplomat in clinical social work. She also earned a fellowship in grief counseling from the American Academy of Health Care Professionals. Kelly speaks frequently about end-of-life issues, including care, grief and loss, both in person and on her website, Conversations With Kelly. Her passionate and supportive demeanor helps patients, caregivers and health professionals connect with the wisdom of making life more meaningful, coping with depression and anxiety, transforming fear into hope, healing versus curing, and the wisdom of dying a good death.Listen to the podcast to hear Kelly talk about: taming the feelings of fear, anger, and loss of control that can come with a metastatic diagnosis strategies to deal with “scanxiety” how to allow yourself to ask for help how and how much to disclose about your diagnosis to your friends and at work Running time: 46:06 Photo: Geordie Griffiths

For nearly 25 years, Kelly Grosklags has dedicated her practice to minimizing suffering through her work in oncology, palliative care and hospice. An experienced therapist, Kelly is a licensed clinical social worker and a board-certified diplomat in clinical social work. She also earned a fellowship in grief counseling from the American Academy of Health Care Professionals and is the author of A Comforted Heart: An Oncology Psychotherapist Perspective on Finding Meaning and Hope During Illness and Loss. Kelly speaks frequently about end-of-life issues, including care, grief and loss, both in person and on her website, Conversations With Kelly. Her passionate and supportive demeanor helps patients, caregivers and health professionals connect with the wisdom of making life more meaningful, coping with depression and anxiety, transforming fear into hope, healing versus curing, and the wisdom of dying a good death. Listen to the podcast to hear Kelly talk about: what PTSD is, what causes it, and some of the most common symptoms of PTSD in people diagnosed with cancer why people who’ve experienced trauma in the past may want to be proactive and schedule an appointment with a mental health professional or spiritual guide shortly after being diagnosed when PTSD can happen how PTSD is treated three things people diagnosed with breast cancer should know about PTSD For more information on PTSD in people diagnosed with cancer, you can read a piece Kelly wrote for the journal Oncology Issues. Running time: 38:18

Deven McGraw is the chief regulatory officer for Ciitizen, a tech company creating a platform that helps people collect, organize, and share their medical records digitally. Before joining Ciitizen, she directed U.S. health privacy and security policy as deputy director for health information privacy at the Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights, the office that oversees HIPAA policy and enforcement. She also served as acting chief privacy officer for the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT. McGraw also served as an adviser to the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Network, as well as the All of Us Research Initiative. Listen to the podcast to hear Deven discuss: what HIPAA is and what it was created to do how HIPAA guarantees people access to their health information tips for requesting and then keeping track of your medical records Running time: 22:39Learn more about Ciitizen.Thank you for listening to the Breastcancer.org podcast. Please subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, TuneIn, or wherever you listen to podcasts. To share your thoughts about this or any episode, leave feedback on the podcast episode landing page on our website.

Kimberly Irvine is a two-time breast cancer survivor, passionate advocate, consultant, and CEO of her Chicago firm at kimberlyirvine.com. Kim was first diagnosed with breast cancer when she was 31 years old; her second diagnosis came four years later at age 35. Her treatments included surgeries, chemotherapy, and radiation, all while being a mother to two young children. Currently, she has no evidence of disease. Kim attributes her survivorship to her faith, strength, hope, and passion. She has recently published a memoir about her breast cancer experience titled STRONG(ER+): Becoming My Own Best Advocate and Discovering My Purpose. By sharing her story as a two-time cancer survivor, Kim aims to empower others to be advocates in their healthcare decisions.Listen to the podcast to hear Kim discuss: what it means to be your own advocate how being an advocate gives you some control over situations you may feel you have no control over 10 steps you can take to help you be your own best advocate Running time: 21:34

Ashish Khanna, M.D., is a physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist at the Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation and part of the ReVital Cancer Rehabilitation Program. Dr. Khanna completed his residency in physical medicine and rehabilitation at the Kingsbrook Jewish Rehabilitation Institute in Brooklyn, NY, where he became interested in cancer rehabilitation early on. He completed his fellowship subspecialization in cancer rehabilitation at Medstar Georgetown University/National Rehabilitation Hospital in Washington, DC. He specializes in the treatment of people who have pain or functional issues as a result of cancer or cancer treatments, including people who have been diagnosed with breast cancer. This includes pain, shoulder issues, fatigue, joint pain from aromatase inhibitors, and other issues. He has lectured at numerous international conferences, has published peer-reviewed research on a variety of related topics, and is the co-author of an upcoming book on cancer rehabilitation. Listen to the podcast to hear Dr. Khanna talk about: the shoulder problems that can happen as a result of breast cancer treatment links between lymphedema and shoulder problems how shoulder problems can be managed his top three tips for people who are having shoulder issues Running time: 34:05Thank you for listening to the Breastcancer.org podcast. Please subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, TuneIn, or wherever you listen to podcasts. To share your thoughts about this or any episode, leave feedback on the podcast episode landing page on our website.

Mallori Thompson is manager of the Duke Cancer Patient Support Program at the Duke Cancer Institute. Mallori received her master’s degree in mental health counseling from North Carolina Central University. Her area of expertise is the psychosocial care of patients diagnosed with cancer and their families. Her research involves learning about how cancer affects people who’ve been diagnosed, as well as their family members and their relationships. Mallori leads a multidisciplinary team of clinicians and researchers, including medical family therapists, oncology recreation therapists, child life specialists, and psychologists, as well as people who coordinate volunteer services and self-image programs. Listen to the podcast to hear Mallori explain: how the needs and concerns of cancer caregivers are different from those of people diagnosed with cancer the services that caregivers seem to use the most her top three suggestions for a caregiver who’s feeling overwhelmed or burned out Running time: 15:48Thank you for listening to the Breastcancer.org podcast. Please subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, TuneIn, or wherever you listen to podcasts. To share your thoughts about this or any episode, leave feedback on the podcast episode landing page on our website.

Dr. Chirag Shah is a radiation oncologist and director of clinical research for the department of radiation oncology at the Cleveland Clinic. Dr. Shah received his bachelor's degree from Youngstown State University and his medical degree from Northeast Ohio Medical University. He completed his internship and residency at William Beaumont Hospital from 2007 to 2012 and joined the Cleveland Clinic Staff in 2015. Dr. Shah serves as a reviewer for various medical journals and is a member of various medical societies. His primary research interests are breast cancer, sarcoma, prostate cancer, lymphoma, and innovative radiation treatment schedules as well as lymphedema. He has participated in numerous clinical trials. In this podcast, Dr. Shah talks about specific characteristics of early-stage breast cancer that make the cancer more likely to come back, which doctors call recurrence. Listen to the podcast to hear Dr. Shah discuss: the difference between local/regional recurrence and metastatic/distant recurrence the characteristics of early-stage breast cancer that make the risk of recurrence higher Running time: 15:28Editor’s Note: Please know that Dr. Shah does point out that more research is needed on how diet, alcohol use, and smoking affect recurrence risk because current data are inconsistent. His ultimate point is that a survivorship care plan, which includes monitoring, is the most important tool we have beyond following your treatment plan to reduce the risk of recurrence. A survivorship care plan includes: monitoring for and managing long-term physical and emotional side effects guidance about diet, exercise, and health-promoting activities resources to help with financial and insurance issues surveillance Thank you for listening to the Breastcancer.org podcast. Please subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, TuneIn, or wherever you listen to podcasts. To share your thoughts about this or any episode, leave feedback on the podcast episode landing page on our website.

Vicki Flannery wears a number of hats: She’s a nurse in the Kansas City area; she’s a yoga instructor at weBuild4Life, a nonprofit that focuses on functional fitness and nutritional programs for cancer survivors and people with chronic illnesses; and she is a breast cancer survivor. Vicki’s yoga classes center around recovery, flexibility, and strengthening. Listen to the podcast to hear Vicki talk about: what yoga is and examples of different types of yoga the benefits yoga can offer to people who’ve been diagnosed with breast cancer precautions people who’ve been diagnosed with breast cancer may want to consider how she modified her own yoga practice after being diagnosed with breast cancer Running time: 29:58Thank you for listening to the Breastcancer.org podcast. Please subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, TuneIn, or wherever you listen to podcasts. To share your thoughts about this or any episode, leave feedback on the podcast episode landing page on our website.

Jennifer Litton, associate professor of breast Medical Oncology at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, discusses the results of the EMBRACA study she presented at the 2017 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium showing that talazoparib, an experimental targeted therapy medicine, improved the time until the cancer grew in women with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation who had been diagnosed with metastatic HER2-negative breast cancer compared to chemotherapy. Listen to the podcast to hear Dr. Litton explain: how talazoparib works whether talazoparib will offer benefits to women with other mutations linked to a higher risk of breast cancer how the side effects differed between talazoparib and chemotherapy why quality of life was better in women who were treated with talazoparib Running time: 9:58Editor's Note: Talzenna (chemical name: talazoparib) was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Oct. 16, 2018, for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer in women with BRCA mutations. Learn more about Talzenna.

Dr. Terry Mamounas is medical director of the comprehensive breast program at Orlando Health UF Health Cancer Center and is considered one of the country’s top cancer doctors. At the 2019 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, he presented the latest results from a study looking at whether an additional 5 years of Femara after five years of a combination of tamoxifen and an aromatase inhibitor or 5 years of only an aromatase inhibitor offers benefits to postmenopausal women diagnosed with early-stage, hormone-receptor-positive breast cancer. Listen to the podcast to hear Dr. Mamounas discuss: the results showing additional Femara reduced the risk of distant recurrence – the breast cancer coming back in a part of the body away from the breast the amount of improvement in event-free survival side effects associated with taking Femara for another 5 years how he’s talking to his patients about these latest results Running time: 18:32 Thank you for listening to the Breastcancer.org podcast. Please subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, TuneIn, or wherever you listen to podcasts. To share your thoughts about this or any episode, leave feedback on the podcast episode landing page on our website.

Dr. Madeleine Tilanus-Linthorst is a member of the department of surgery at the Erasmus University Medical Center in the Netherlands. At the 2019 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, she presented research comparing breast cancer screening with MRI versus mammography in women at high risk of the disease because of strong family history. The results found that MRI found cancers earlier, when they were smaller in size and could potentially change screening standards in the Netherlands and other European countries. Listen to the podcast to hear Dr. Tilanus-Linthorst explain: differences in screening recommendations between the United States and the Netherlands why it’s important to find cancers earlier the risk of more false-positives with MRI screening Running time: 11:06 Thank you for listening to the Breastcancer.org podcast. Please subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, TuneIn, or wherever you listen to podcasts. To share your thoughts about this or any episode, leave feedback on the podcast episode landing page on our website.

Dr. Brian Wojciechowski, Breastcancer.org’s medical adviser, specializes in the care of patients with cancer. He practices medical oncology in Delaware County, Pennsylvania at Riddle, Taylor, and Crozer Hospitals. His research has been presented at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, the world's largest scientific meeting on breast cancer. Listen to the podcast to hear Dr. Wojciechowski explain: the breast cancer treatments that may cause diarrhea why some people may be more prone to experiencing diarrhea treatments for diarrhea why it’s important to always report diarrhea to your doctor Running time: 12:27