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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 pandemic, Samira shares how she worked through treatment, wrestled with impossible decisions about hormone therapy, and struggled with the loss of control that so many cancer patients feel—but rarely name.

Out of a sleepless night during chemo, Samira created a simple paper planner just to survive her own care. That tool would eventually become Manta Cares: a personalized, cancer-specific platform designed to give patients and care partners the thing most people never get—a map.

In this candid, founder-to-founder conversation, Laura and Samira explore:

• Being diagnosed with breast cancer during COVID
• Working through chemo and surgery while leading critical healthcare programs
• Deciding whether to stay on hormone therapy—and living with that choice
• Why cancer care feels like being dropped into a hike without a map
• How patient-built tools can restore agency, clarity, and peace of mind
• The emotional cost of fixing a system that failed you
• What’s next for Manta Cares, including mobile tools and AI companions

This episode is for anyone who has ever thought:
 There has to be a better way.

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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 recurrence risk and preserving long-term quality of life.

The panel explores how advances in tumor biology, radiation techniques, and genomic testing—particularly the DecisionRT test—are helping clinicians and patients personalize care. Together, they discuss when radiation may meaningfully reduce recurrence risk, when it may be safely avoided, and how shared decision-making empowers patients to choose treatment paths based on information rather than fear.

Guests:

Dr. Erica Giblin, a breast surgical oncologist in Indianapolis and Director of Breast Surgical Oncology at Ascension, who brings a surgeon’s perspective on balancing effective treatment with long-term survivorship.

Dr. Fleure Gallant, a nationally recognized leader in breast radiation oncology and Radiation Medicine Lead for the Breast Disease Management Team at Northwell Health Cancer Institute, whose work focuses on delivering highly personalized, quality-of-life-centered care.

And Dr. Leona Hamrick, Vice President of Global Medical Affairs at PreludeDx, a board-certified physician associate with decades of experience in internal medicine and oncology diagnostics—and an 11-year stage III breast cancer survivor who brings the patient voice into every scientific conversation.

Topics Discussed:

• What DCIS is—and why it’s considered non-invasive breast cancer
• Why DCIS is classified as stage zero, regardless of size
• How DCIS differs from invasive breast cancer and LCIS
• Why a DCIS diagnosis can still be emotionally traumatic
• Standard treatment approaches: lumpectomy, mastectomy, radiation, and hormone therapy
• When and why radiation therapy is recommended after DCIS
• How radiation schedules have evolved (5 days vs. 3–6 weeks)
• What DecisionRT measures and how it helps predict recurrence risk
• Why tumor biology matters more than age alone
• Shared decision-making vs. fear-based decision-making
• Quality-of-life considerations, especially for younger patients
• Why more options can sometimes feel more overwhe

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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 after bilateral mastectomy, and the treatment decisions that ultimately saved her life — including why she chose not to take chemotherapy or tamoxifen.

Together, Laura and Teresa explore the emotional and practical realities of survivorship: fear of recurrence, making medical decisions without complete information, balancing career and health, and finding purpose after cancer.

This episode is for anyone newly diagnosed, living with metastatic or recurrent disease, or learning how to live after cancer — when the world expects you to “move on,” but your body and mind remember everything.

In This Episode, We Talk About:

• What a breast cancer lump can actually feel like
• Being diagnosed after delaying a mammogram
• Breast cancer recurrence after mastectomy
• Radiation vs chemotherapy and treatment decision-making
• Oncotype DX testing and personalized care
• Saying no to tamoxifen after severe side effects
• Fear of recurrence and how it shows up years later
• How cancer reshapes career, identity, and purpose
• Why having a plan can help you survive the unknown
• Finding meaning and community after diagnosis
  
  

About Our Guest
Teresa Baglietto is a four-time cancer survivor, author of The Ripple Effect, and host of the podcast InShok. Her work focuses on resilience, leadership, and navigating life’s hardest moments with intention and courage.

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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, a meditation coach and wellness guide, to explore how music and meditation became powerful tools for healing during cancer treatment.

Together, they tell the story of an unexpected reconnection that led to a creative collaboration: Sonisah Meditation—a unique fusion of live piano music and guided meditation designed to help people move through illness, grief, and life’s hardest moments with greater clarity and compassion.

This conversation is a reminder that healing is not only physical—it’s emotional, spiritual, and creative. Whether you’re living with breast cancer, supporting someone you love, or navigating another season of uncertainty, this episode offers permission to slow down, listen inward, and discover new ways to heal beyond medicine.

Resources:

Elizabeth Borowsky and Jesika Harmon co-created Inner Harmony, a meditation album combining live piano composition with guided mindfulness practices. Their work introduces Sonisah Meditation—from sonus (sound) and niseion (experience through trial)—a new approach to healing through sound and stillness.

📍 Available on:

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/6KmlM20xrcRU9qQfGnkXEb?referral=labelaffiliate&utm_source=1011lBVpP95B&utm_medium=Indie_Distrokid&utm_campaign=labelaffiliate 
• Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/album/inner-harmony/1846165188?uo=4
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-JylYyr_EE

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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 cancer are told to “give it time,” “exercise more,” or “push through.” This conversation reframes fatigue as a treatable, understandable consequence of cancer and its therapies—and offers compassionate, practical strategies to reclaim quality of life.

Whether you’re newly diagnosed, in active treatment, living with metastatic disease, or years into survivorship, this episode reminds you: you’re not broken—and you don’t have to live exhausted. 

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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 practical support available to everyone facing cancer. That promise became the Biller Family Foundation and later the national coalition Together for Supportive Cancer Care.

This episode dives deep into:

• Why the words supportive care matter—and how they differ from palliative and hospice care
• How siloed hospital systems leave millions without access to emotional and psychosocial support
• Why cancer is becoming an elitist disease—and how technology and policy can fix it
• Caregiver burnout and why Sheri believes we need a “Teach for America” for caregivers
• The shocking lack of trust, education, and information in underserved and rural communities
• Why supportive care should be a standard of care for all life-threatening illnesses

If you’re a patient, caregiver, clinician, or advocate for equity in cancer care, this conversation is a must-listen.

Topics We Cover

✔️ Sheri’s personal story and the loss that inspired her life's work
 ✔️ Early challenges in cancer language, communication, and stigma
 ✔️ Why patients “shut down” the moment they hear the word cancer
 ✔️ Supportive care vs palliative care—what’s the difference?
 ✔️ Breaking barriers for rural, underserved, and Spanish-speaking communities
 ✔️ Why caregivers are the next major crisis in healthcare
 ✔️ The need for culturally competent engagement in faith communities
 ✔️ Financial toxicity and the real-world burdens families face
 ✔️ AI and the future of early diagnosis and survivorship support
 ✔️ How hospitals, pharma, policy, and nonprofits are finally working together

Why This Matters

Supportive care is more than comfort—it’s critical to surviving and living with cancer. From mental health to financial navigation to caregiver support, Sheri explains how integrating supportive care into every diagnosis could transform outcomes for millions.

Resources: 

The Biller Family Foundation: 

https://billerfamilyfoundation.org/

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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 current challenges surgeons face with breast surgery, why 20–25% of patients traditionally require a second surgery, and how new real-time imaging tools are dramatically lowering that number. Mendes shares how Perimeter’s groundbreaking optical coherence tomography (OCT) and AI-powered margin assessment technology enables surgeons to visualize tissue in the operating room with near-microscopic detail—helping them achieve clear margins the first time.

In this episode we discuss: 

• What “clean margins” really mean and why they matter
• Why many patients still face additional surgeries — and how that’s changing 
• How OCT imaging works 
• What AI can detect that the human eye can’t
• How this technology reduces repeat surgeries and emotional burden
• What patients should ask their surgeon before going into the OR
• The upcoming FDA review and when patients can expect wider availability
• How rural and community hospitals could benefit from AI-assisted surgical tools

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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 III study of a new IV drug (genitolasib, “G” for short) that targets the PAM pathway, which cancer cells often use to grow and outsmart standard hormone therapy. She explains, in plain language, what PIC3CA mutations are, what “wild-type” means, and why this trial is so exciting even for people without a PIC3CA mutation.

You’ll hear:

• Why ER-positive breast cancer is the most common subtype—and still a major driver of metastatic disease
• How clinical trials are designed, and why they’re often most powerful earlier in treatment (not only when “nothing else is left”)
• A clear explanation of the VIKTORIA-1 study design: who was eligible, how the drug is given, and what the results showed
• What “progression-free survival” means and how adding “G” changed the numbers compared to standard therapy alone
• Honest talk about side effects (mouth sores, rash, blood sugar changes), and how teams are preventing and managing them
• How patients can look up trials like VIKTORIA-1 and VIKTORIA-2 on ClinicalTrials.gov and bring these conversations back to their own oncologists

Whether you’re living with ER-positive metastatic breast cancer, supporting someone who is, or simply trying to understand the rapidly evolving science, this episode offers both education and hope.

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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 concerns, and embracing your right to pleasure and quality of life.

If you’ve ever felt dismissed, embarrassed, or simply unsure how to start the conversation about sexual health after breast cancer—this episode is for you.

Takeaways

• Open conversations about sexual health are crucial for breast cancer survivors.
• Creating a comfortable space for discussions can help patients feel more at ease.
• Estrogen plays a vital role in women's health, especially post-menopause.
• Vaginal estrogen can be a safe option for managing symptoms of estrogen depletion.
• It's never too late to start treatment for vaginal dryness or libido issues.
• Intimacy can be rediscovered through open communication with partners.
• Patients should feel empowered to advocate for their health and ask questions.
• Healthcare providers need more training on sexual health and menopause.
• Vaginal estrogen is different from traditional hormone replacement therapy.
• Finding the right specialists can greatly improve quality of life.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Sexual Health and Menopause

02:47 The Importance of Open Conversations

05:32 Creating Comfortable Spaces for Discussion

08:28 Understanding the Impact of Estrogen Loss

11:05 Managing Symptoms of Estrogen Depletion

13:38 Exploring Treatment Options for Vaginal Health

16:26 Navigating Moisturizers and Lubricants

19:00 Addressing Libido and Intimacy Challenges

20:38 Navigating Intimacy After Cancer

25:22 Understanding Treatment Options

30:45 Building a Support Network

36:06 Empowerment and Advocacy in Healthcare

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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 explore why some people respond to treatment while others don’t, what circulating tumor DNA can tell us about recurrence, and how understanding environmental toxins and genetics can literally change your odds.

💡 Key Take-Aways

• Cancer isn’t one disease. Even tumors within the same breast can have different genetic make-ups.
• CTDNA and circulating tumor cells can reveal recurrence risk years before imaging shows a problem.
• 90% of patients Dr. Oertle sees are resistant to at least one of their prescribed chemotherapies — proving the need for personalized testing.
• AI and deep learning help doctors tailor therapies in real time, shifting from “trial-and-error” to “test-and-treat.”
• Off-label and combination therapies can target molecular pathways missed by standard regimens.
• Environmental toxins and infections (like pesticides or Lyme disease) may play a major role in cancer initiation and progression.
• Integrative care matters. Diet, metabolism, and detoxification affect how the body responds to treatment.
• Early detection + data = empowerment. Patients should feel informed, not fearful, when asking about advanced testing.

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