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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 living with MBC. He brings not only medical expertise, but also deep compassion and insight into the emotional and physical needs of our community.

In this conversation, we explore:

• What palliative care truly means
• How to access palliative care services
• Why integrating palliative care early can make such a meaningful difference

Whether you’re newly diagnosed or have been living with MBC for many years, this episode offers clarity, reassurance, and practical information to support you on your journey.

Visit OurMBCLife.org for episode notes.

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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 with us to honor the individual lives lost in the last year, and to acknowledge and provide space for the grief we collectively feel.

Please visit OurMBCLife.org to see the full episode notes.

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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 camizestrant
• The role of ESR1 mutation testing
• Results from treatment combinations like Enhertu and Perjeta, and Trodelvy and Keytruda
• How to navigate clinical trial access
• Tips for staying hopeful while exploring treatment options

Whether you’re a patient, caregiver, or advocate, this episode is packed with insights to help you stay informed and empowered.

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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 MBC Life, to check out the information provided in the episode notes. 

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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 research funding, the importance of patient involvement in advocacy initiatives, and the Stage IV Stampede—a powerful advocacy event raising awareness and amplifying the voices of the MBC community.

Tune in to hear how METAvivor is shaping the future of MBC advocacy and how you can get involved to make an impact

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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 Patient Dosing Survey that you can take right now, where to find it and why your experience about metastatic breast cancer treatment matters.

Be sure and visit OurMBCLife.org  to check the episode notes for links and more information.

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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 and Theresa’s Research Foundation is doubling down on a cure for MBC. In this episode, he talks about the work the Foundation is doing and what “cure” means to him. He also talks about the effects of current federal policy on research and what it may mean for the young MBC investigators he champions. 

To check out the episode notes, please visit ourmbclife.org. 

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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 in PI3K inhibition and nausea control. 

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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, grab your favorite beverage and join us for a raw, heartfelt discussion you won’t want to miss.

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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 diagnosed in women within 10 years of having a baby. It affects 18,000 women in the US a year (that’s almost the same as ovarian cancer diagnoses in the US), and can happen across all subtypes, like hormone +/-, HER2+/-, or triple negative disease. *50%* of women diagnosed with breast cancer under age 45 in the US are actually diagnosed within a 10-year Postpartum window – 50%! Postpartum breast cancer also carries a higher risk for metastasis and death than breast cancer diagnosed outside this 10-year window. Now, Dr. Virginia Borges & Dr. Pepper Schedin are ready to move all their lab findings into the clinic by launching the first-in-human clinical trial to prevent Postpartum Breast Cancer – by giving healthy moms ibuprofen – yes, ibuprofen, for a brief period of time as they wean their babies from nursing. This is a groundbreaking clinical trial idea, with huge potential global impact, and they need the public's help to make it happen.
To learn more about this project and read the episode notes, visit our website, Our MBC Life.