Our MBC Life

Research has shown that self-advocates are more likely to receive better care and have their medical questions and problems addressed. We're excited to bring you this episode, focusing on a crucial aspect of managing metastatic breast cancer—understanding blood test results. Blood tests are vital in cancer care, offering insights into our health, monitoring treatment effectiveness, and guiding our medical team's decisions. However, interpreting these results can be challenging. Joining us today is Dr. Alfredo Torres, who will help us break down the common types of blood tests, explain what the numbers mean, and discuss their impact on your treatment plan. Knowing how to interpret these results can empower you to advocate for yourself more effectively and enhance your overall care. Whether you're newly diagnosed or have been living with metastatic breast cancer for some time, this episode aims to empower you with valuable knowledge. Grab a cup of our favorite beverage and get comfortable as we dive into the mysteries of blood test results together.

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 improving quality of life and may even enhance treatment outcomes. We discuss the science behind diet and exercise along with strategies for balancing lifestyle changes while prioritizing what matters most to us. Whether you’re a patient, a caregiver, or a healthcare professional, this episode is packed with valuable information and insights!

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 American College of Sports Medicine, which has a bold goal of making exercise standard of care in oncology by 2029. She fills us in on the science of exercise – why it’s important and how it can be done with bone metastases. In this interview, she provides straightforward advice about what can be done, what to watch for, and connects us to resources that can help you get started after getting the okay from your oncologist. Interspersed into the interview with Dr. Schmitz are the stories of people living with bone metastases, providing hope and inspiration that exercise is possible. We reached out to the incredible Facebook community called Active with MBC, a private group for people who already exercise and stay active and those who aspire to it. Many thanks to the women who responded to our survey with honesty and insight and to Angel, Quinn, and Glenda, who joined us with interviews and sent videos to inspire us. This episode is close to the hearts for all of us at OMBCL, whether living with bone mets ourselves or not. We have all witnessed how this particular type of progression can be both invisible and life-changing. We hope that you feel supported and seen. And know that whether you simply walk to the mailbox or run a marathon, we are with you! Check out our website for detailed show notes and links to some great online resources on exercise/fitness!

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 patients with MBC have bone metastases and may have been treated with some form of radiation. For patients with "oligometastatic" disease, where the number of distant sites of metastatic spread is generally considered to be 5 or less, radiation treatment may be “curative”. It gets a little less clear in those of us with heavier tumor burden and more widespread disease. In that case, radiation is often offered for pain and neurologic considerations, such as preventing a tumor from pressing on the spinal cord, possibly resulting in serious spinal cord compression. But, can different radiation strategies be helpful in disease management, beyond pain management? We ask these questions of both experts here – the first Dr. Shalom Kalnicki, Professor of Radiation Oncology and Associate Director of the Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center in New York City. Our second expert clinician is Dr. Rory Goodwin, who leads the Duke Center for Brain and Spine Metastasis in Durham, North Carolina. He’ll talk about this innovative Center’s approach to managing bone mets, including offering some lesser-known treatment approaches like Cryoablation (freezing the tumor), and Radiofrequency Ablation (heating the tumor). We also address an emerging therapy called “Theranostics” which is when a radioactive tracer (like the ones used in PET/CT scans) is bound to a radiation treatment that can deliver a lethal dose directly to the bound cancer cell. So listen here and learn with us, and check out the more detailed show notes on our website for the links to what’s covered in the episode.

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 be diving into bone disease & the latest in breast cancer bone metastasis research. Topics include theories on why breast cancer spreads to the bones, as well as the future of bone metastasis research and treatment. We unlock the wisdom of these top experts as they bridge the gaps between advancing research and patient care in a thought provoking conversation.

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 donation program. Many of us are familiar with organ donation programs, but as metastatic patients, we are no longer eligible to donate our organs to another person. We can, however, donate tissue while we're still alive and tissues, including organs, soon after we die to aid thousands of future patients by helping researchers better understand the process of metastasis. Understanding the way cancer evades current treatments is key to developing more effective and more targeted treatments that let us live longer (and with a better quality of life) with the hope that one day we can stop MBC from prematurely ending our lives. To learn more about tissue donation programs and why they are so essential to scientific discoveries, we talk with patient advocates, Stephanie Walker and Christine Hodgdon, along with breast cancer researcher Dr. Steffi Oesterreich and clinical coordinator Lori Miller about the topic of tissue donation in general and the specific program they're all involved with called Hope for Others at the University of Pittsburgh.

Did you know that in the US rural communities have lower cancer rates but higher death rates from cancer? Did you know that only 3% of medical oncologists practice in rural communities? When it comes to cancer, living in a rural area puts people at a disadvantage. They face limited access to quality healthcare, long travel times, and low recruitment to clinical trials, all of which affect quality of care and health outcomes. Join our producers Stephanie Walker and Martha Carlson, along with their guests, in the deep dive into this important topic.

The landscape of medication to treat ER+, HER2 negative or low is changing rapidly as patients experience progression on CDK4/6 inhibitors and look for next steps. Now that biomarker testing is more readily available (both tissue and liquid), there are more options particularly in the PI3 kinase pathway. In this episode we will discuss biomarker testing, the PI3 kinase pathway, and an exciting new patient initiative, the PIK3CA Pathbreakers.

Today we are bringing you a special episode that we created in partnership with SHARE Cancer Support. It’s an audio version of a live webinar that was done this past February called Report back from San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium 2023. SABCS is the world’s leading breast cancer research meeting where scientists, patient advocates, and others dedicated to working in the field of cancer gather. In this podcast, Dr. Timothy Pluard, director of the Saint Luke’s Koontz Center for Advanced Breast Cancer, breaks down the promising research, targeted therapy, the evolving treatment after CDK 4/6 inhibitors, liquid biopsy and more.

We wanted to start this season with an episode dedicated to our friend and team member, Natalia Green. Natalia passed away from MBC at the age of 39 on November 29, 2023. She was an integral part of the podcast team, having been a senior producer/host and right-hand woman to Lisa Laudico, our founder. She became involved in the podcast through her advocacy work, starting first after her early-stage breast cancer diagnosis, then becoming more involved in the metastatic breast cancer community after she received her MBC diagnosis. She was a devoted mother to her daughter Rosy and son Iggy, and a loving wife and friend to her husband of 19 years, Danny. She was a daughter, a mother, and a cousin, holding a special place in the lives of everyone she met. Lastly, she was our friend. We’ll miss hearing her speak with passion about topics she wanted to cover on the podcast, we’ll miss seeing Iggy & Rosy pop their heads into our Monday meetings, but mostly we’ll miss seeing her beautiful smile. The entire OMBCL podcast team is lovingly dedicating our 8th season to Natalia. We hope it holds a modicum of the impact that Natalia has had on the world. The team would love to extend our heartfelt thanks to Danny Green for all his help in creating this episode. MUSIC CREDITS: -'Meditation I' by Sufjan Stevens -'Fare Thee Well (Dink's Song)' by Oscar Isaac and Marcus Mumford

The winter holidays are here, bringing all the joyful festivities with them. I thought this might be a great time to chat a bit about the joy of celebrations - the good, the bad, and the ugly. I know many of us right now are scurrying around with the Christmas and New Year holidays at the top of our mind, but today I’d like to spend more of our focus, not only on the typical winter holidays, but on all the myriad of celebrations we encounter in our lives. We will reflect on how we love them, how we dread them and how we can experience joyful celebrations no matter where our lives are at the moment.

For many of us living with MBC, travel provides a much-needed respite from the day-to-day realities of living with our disease. But balancing trips with treatment and side effects can be challenging. In this episode, you'll hear from members of the OMBCL team, along with some remarkable MBC frequent flyers as they share places they’ve been, the places they want to go, and the advice they have for those times when a journey really is a journey. We hope you’ll find inspiration and encouragement for your own adventures! Travel Resources Travel Insurance: Compare products at InsureMyTrip Note: To insure the trip for all reasons, you need to purchase within 14 days of first payment for trip to cover pre-existing condition. Destinations Mentioned by our Guests: Disney locations - check out Disability Access Services, DAS, to “join” a line virtually, allowing you to wait in a comfortable space before getting on the ride. Cruises - Consider taking advantage of a cruise with medical services available Cruise to the Arctic, Svalbard: several lines from Finland, Norway Havasupai Indian Reservation in Arizona Organizations Providing Free Vacations and Retreats for People with Cancer: (Note: most require participants to pay for their own transportation to the location) This is not an exhaustive list! Explore online yourself to see if there is a vacation retreat offered near you or in a destination you are eager to visit. Little Pink Houses of Hope: Week-long beach retreats for people with breast cancer (Mentioned in our podcast) Casting for Recovery: Connects people living with breast cancer with nature through the therapeutic sport of fly fishing Send me on Vacation: Covers hotel/lodgings and some other costs at different destinations including Italian winery, beaches (Mentioned in our podcast) Harmony Hill Healing Retreat: Free 3-day retreats in the Pacific Northwest for people living with cancer and their companions Mary’s Place by the Sea: Free 2-day night and day spa retreats near the beach in Ocean Grove, NJ Live by Living: Free retreats in the Rocky Mountains in Colorado for people with cancer and their care givers Camp Mak-a-Dream: Free retreats in Montana for people with cancer and their caregivers"

New therapeutic options are now available for HR+ MBC. Dr. Virginia Kaklamani will discuss endocrine therapy resistance, liquid biopsy/blood test, mutations, and treatment sequencing of targeted therapy. You will learn about oral selective estrogen receptor degraders (SERDS), clinical trials, and more.

Research for triple negative breast cancer is growing, but current treatments still continue to fail the vast majority of people living with triple negative MBC. Data from the National Cancer Institute gives a five-year relative survival of only 12.8% of women diagnosed with triple negative MBC. Those women have what's called an exceptional response to treatment; more simply, we call them “unicorns” – beings that can bring wonder & hope. The stories of well-known triple negative MBC unicorns such as Karen Peterson and Barbara Bigelow bring inspiration. Today, we share the stories of two additional women: Dr. Toni Willis and Colleen Broughton have both lived for 8 years with TN metastatic breast cancer. Being an exceptional responder is what everyone with MBC hopes for – we wanted to give a chance for Colleen and Toni to share the miraculous, the miserable, and the mundane of surviving far longer than they expected to. MUSIC CREDIT: The Things That Keep Us Here · Scott Buckley

Lisa Manning and Tony Laudico met in Tokyo, Japan where they were both working at the time. It was a serendipitous encounter of a Canadian and an American, and the beginning of their version of a modern fairy tale romance. They lived happily for 27 years in many countries around the globe and made thousands of memories with their extended families, friends and two wonderful sons. But unlike many fairy tales that end when a couple dies on the same day after a long life together, Tony and Lisa’s fairy tale had a different ending. Lisa Manning Laudico died on August 6th 2022 after five years of living with metastatic breast cancer. She died quickly and unexpectedly within one week. Tony was suddenly faced - as it turns out totally unprepared - with the stunning reality of becoming a widower and the future without the love of his life, his partner and best friend. A year later, soon after the one year anniversary of Lisa’s passing, Tony got in touch with our Executive Producer Victoria Goldberg and suggested that they meet and talk about Lisa’s last days and how he was able to survive these past 12 months without her. It is remarkable and at times a heart wrenching account of Tony’s struggle to comprehend a life without the partnership that had sustained and defined him for 30 years, his whole adult life. He will talk about the anguish of loss, a nightmare of "death-duties", the true meaning of grief, and the solace of friendship. Although not always easy listening, it is an uplifting testament to the power of love. *Special thanks to John Martyn for the use of his song 'Small Hours' - One World (1977)

With the holiday season fast approaching, it is a great time to talk about gratitude and how important it is to have a joyful life. Making gratitude a part of your life, just like breathing, is such a huge help if you are searching for joy. But you can't just conjure up a life lived in gratitude. Unlike being thankful, which exists in the mind, gratitude is an appreciation that comes from the heart. It has to be cultivated and practiced. Today's 'Think Joy Thursday' explores ways to do this and even offers some helpful hints to make joy a habit in your life.

Young Adults & MBC is an episode that explores the lives of those diagnosed under the age of 40 with Stage IV breast cancer. First up, our Senior Producer, Natalia Green, interviews Angelica Valadez, initially diagnosed with early stage breast cancer in 2020 then diagnosed with MBC in 2022. Next, she interviews Sooz Stever, a YSC State Leader for Utah diagnosed with early stage TNBC in 2016 and MBC ally, dedicated to improving the lives of those living with metastatic breast cancer. We’ll discuss how we as young women focus on finding a community, overcoming obstacles and learning to navigate life as a young person with metastatic breast cancer everyday.

Welcome to the episode 7 of our Meditation Mondays series, created with MBC patients in mind. In today's meditation, we will be focusing on our life and the 10,000 joys and the 10,000 sorrows that have passed through it and all of our lives Sit back and prepare to become calm and relaxed for the next 12 minutes Inspired by a very enthusiastic response to monthly meditation sessions from one of SHARE’s MBC support groups. These sessions are on average under 20 minutes long. Our meditation leader is Barbara Chutroo, an MBC patient herself and a member of the group. Barbara is a longtime meditator and experienced meditation teacher. She's also a movement therapist and a clinical social worker. Thanks for listening! To find all the past episodes for this series, click on the MeditationMondays tab at the top of our landing or follow this link: https://www.ourmbclife.org/vault/meditation Do you like this series? We welcome feedback Email: ourmbclife@sharecancersupport.org Send us a voice recording via email or through SpeakPipe on our website. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter @ourmbclife

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. But one podcast can’t begin to encompass and reflect the true toll of all of the lives cut short by this ruthless and terminal disease. Here’s the hard truth about MBC, according to advocacy and research organization Metavivor: In the US alone, an estimated 42,360 women and 530 men will die from the disease in 2023—117 per day. And despite the optimism around early detection and prevention that infuses “Pinktober” and its focus on survivorship, one in three diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer will eventually progress to become metastatic. Only 10% are metastatic at their first breast MBC diagnosis. This painful and sobering reality—that so many of us ultimately develop the kind of breast cancer that kills—needs to be part of the annual month-long conversation about breast cancer. Most importantly, it should help to guide decisions about how breast cancer research funds are invested. Shockingly, the estimated share of breast cancer research dollars that go to MBC is 5%. And while new treatments are extending survival for many with MBC, the disease is still terminal. 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 grief we share and to honor and celebrate each person we’ve lost. It’s a chance to express our gratitude for the extraordinary and unique ways they made our lives richer. And it is also an opportunity to channel some of our grief, fear, and anger into advocacy for the attention, support, and research needed to truly put us on the Road to a Cure. MUSIC CREDITS: 'Memories' by Maroon 5 'Mandy Love Theme' by Jóhann Jóhannsson 'Season Suite: Late Winter, Early Spring' by John Denver 'Fly Me To The Moon' by Frank Sinatra 'Rêverie, L 68' by Claude Debussy 'Songbird' by Fleetwood Mac 'All Boundaries Are Conventions' by Tom Tykwer, Johnny Klimek, and Reinhold Heil

On this episode of Think Joy Thursday, we will be exploring the relationship between perspective and joy. Choosing the way you look at the world is a major key in having a joyful life. You can learn that it is possible to hold joy and sorrow in the same hand by using perspective. It’s not always easy to do this, so we will explore ways to incorporate perspective into your life, as well as some tips and tricks to make it become your go-to reaction when confronted with difficult situations.