Road to a Cure - use of immunotherapy
This week we are visiting Dr Stephanie Goff at the NIH in Bethesda, Maryland. Dr Goff is a surgical oncologist and a senior member of a research team led by Dr. Steven A. Rosenberg, a man widely regarded as the father of immunotherapy. A friend, who knows a thing or two about this place. is joining us on this trip. Her name is Judy Perkins, and she is the first MBC patient who has been cured by a revolutionary immunotherapy treatment, known as adoptive cell therapy, that was administered by Dr Goff and her colleagues at the NCI.
We Remember
Join us for our annual We Remember episode where we have invited our listeners to share the names and stories of the people they have loved and who have died from MBC over these past 12 months. Together we share the grief and loss of everyone who has died from MBC. Thanks for listening.
Road to a Cure - What it Means to Us
The podcast team has embarked upon something quite ambitious. The members of the team have traveled virtually to speak with the leading clinicians and researchers in the field of breast cancer, specifically on the topic of where we are in terms of a cure for metastatic breast cancer. It is impossible to cover it in a neat single episode, so, instead, we created a very special series of episodes that we call “Road to A Cure.” In this premiere episode the members of the creative team share with the audience what it means to live with an incurable disease. We talk about a possibility of a cure, address the real fear of hoping, and tackle these and many other important issues.
MBC Around the World
Grab those negative covid tests and passports because we travel around the world in this episode! Oh yeah, get your proof of vaccination and N95s too since this thing ain’t over yet sadly. We wanted to learn how others living with and advocating for MBC deal with it all in other places. So we travel virtually to Canada, Japan, Kuwait, Egypt, Australia, Portugal, Kenya, Nigeria, and the UK. Co-hosts Natalia Green, Sheila McGlown, Lisa Laudico, and Anne Woodward find out what it’s like to get a second opinion in Europe & Canada, or why MBC is called Advanced Breast Cancer in some places, or how getting drugs in some countries is like applying for a car loan, or the debilitating stigma of cancer and so much more.
MBC & the LGBTQ2S+ Community
join us for our discussion about the LGBTQ2S+ community and MBC. Co-host Natalia Green moderates a panel with Bob DeVito and Rainy Orteca, two guests living with MBC, and who are part of the LGBTQ2S+ community along with the co-founder of Queering Cancer, Dr. Evan Taylor. We also sit down with Kimiko Tobimatsu , a Canadian human rights lawyer and an award-winning graphic novelist whose book, Kimiko Does Cancer, tells the story of her breast cancer diagnosis at the age of 25 and the challenges she faced as a queer person, living with breast cancer.
The Magic of Palliative Care: Our Stories
Want to know why we call it “magic?” Hear from people living with MBC about their experiences. While they all agree and encourage others to seek Palliative Care they also are aware of the barriers to access. Our guests cover it all. And it gets real.
The Magic of Palliative Care -Patients and Their Providers
This month we have focused on quality-of-life issues and this episode is part one of a two part series on the “Magic of Palliative Care”. At times the term “palliative care” is misunderstood and so we also use the newer term ‘supportive care’ to better explain how this care supports your quality of life as you go through MBC treatment. We first turn our focus to the medical providers who help us manage symptoms and treatment side effects and, by doing so, improve multiple aspects of our lives.
Introducing the BECOME Project & Survey
The MBC Alliance asks the question “How can we ensure Black people are better represented in cancer research? Finding the answer starts with patient voices.” The BECOME Project is positioned to do just that. BECOME project lead Stephanie Walker and committee member Sheila Fuhs join Lisa Laudico to talk about the important initiative and how YOU can get involved.
The Healing Power of Writing - Live Readings
In this special bonus episode we bring to life some of the readings from the Wildfire Community. Several writers living with MBC voice their own work to share thoughts on nature, dating, grief and so much more. Thanks to April Stearns and Wildfire for making these available for us to share.
The Healing Power of Writing
We’ve talked about many MBC related topics this season but mental health is one we ask about in every interview we conduct. Writing as a self-care tool is one we wanted to explore. April Stearns talked about it as the “legacy of story.” On this episode we explore living with MBC and the healing power of writing.
April Trailblazer & Dash of Joy
Welcome to the Episode 2 of the Trailblazer series. Have you ever asked yourself if Wonder Woman was real? Ask no more. She lives and her name is Jamil Rivers. She is also our Trailblazer of the Month. Jamil was diagnosed with MBC at age 39. She is a mother of three, a caregiver, a full-time CEO of a non-profit organization , the board president of METAvivor and if that’s not enough, she has recently embarked on a new venture—The Chrysalis Initiative, a project dedicated to eliminating disparities in outcomes for Black women with breast cancer. Also in this episode is a Dash of Joy from Our MBC Life’s own Dar Finkelstein. Dar is committed to living a life of joy and she shows us all how to do it. An episode full or hope, inspiration and joy.
A conversation with Judy Perkins
Judy Perkins joins co-host Victoria Goldberg to share her incredible story. She is a unicorn and a clinical trial success. Judy tells the whole story - the good, the bad, the joyful, the difficult, the grief, the friendship. And when asked is MBC chronic - well we don’t bleep out her reaction.
Clinical Trials: The Patient Perspective Part 1
What’s it like to try and find a trial as a patient? What are the challenges and hurdles that have to be overcome? How do we get to a better place? In this episode we hear the perspective of patients and then go to the experts to get some answers. Part 1 of a 2 part series on Clinical Trials.
Meet our Season 1 Trailblazers
Meet our season 1 Trailblazers. These amazing women are making a difference in their communities. Finding inspiration from their own cancer experiences they have created organizations to support others, close gaps, and give back.
Working while Living with MBC
Working while Living with MBC. A panel of MBC patients share their experiences working while living with MBC and we talk to an Alison Greenberg, an employment lawyer about what’s important when communicating your diagnosis at work.
Carol Evans, CEO and Executive Director, joins us to talk about her vision for SHARE’s future, how the metastatic community has changed how she thinks about breast cancer and her trailblazing career in media. We also talk about coping with COVID and cancer in the workplace.