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Tumor-agnostic therapies represent a radical shift in oncology. They abandon the traditional way of treating tumors based on cancer type and, instead, provide personalized options based on the genetic mutations. Today’s podcast is the 1st part of a 2-part series dedicated to agnostic treatments in cancer. Join us as Dr. Joshua Drago of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center shares his expertise about the agnostic approach to cancer care. In this episode he discusses agnostic research and points out the advantages as well as the treatment limitations of agnostic therapeutics.

We’re so happy you joined us! If this conversation resonated with you please share it with someone who might need it. Don't forget to like and subscribe here to follow us on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode. You can find more episodes, resources and ways to get involved on our website Our MBC Life. Have a topic you’d like us to cover? Email us at [email protected]. And don’t forget to follow us on our socials @ourmbclife. 

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The TAPUR Study uses precision medicine to test off-label treatments for different types of cancers. To match a patient to a treatment option, the study doctor uses genomic testing to identify gene alterations. The data from the study will help doctors and researchers figure out what medications can be used to treat certain cancers.

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Today, we’re bringing you a very special episode created in partnership with SHARE Cancer Support. This is an audio version of our Webinar Report Back from ASCO 2024: Latest Updates on Metastatic Breast Cancer (MBC). 

We're excited to present this report from the 2024 ASCO Annual Meeting, highlighting the latest advancements and research in hormone receptor positive (HR+)  metastatic breast cancer. 

In today's episode, you will hear from Dr. Kevin Kalinsky, a medical oncologist and investigator from Emory. We will dive deep into the findings from the DESTINY-Breast06 trial and the postMONARCH trial. We'll explore the implications of these studies, how they could impact treatment strategies, and what this means for us. 

We’re so happy you joined us! If this conversation resonated with you please share it with someone who might need it. Don't forget to like and subscribe here to follow us on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode. You can find more episodes, resources and ways to get involved on our website Our MBC Life. Have a topic you’d like us to cover? Email us at [email protected]. And don’t forget to follow us on our socials @ourmbclife. 

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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.

We’re so happy you joined us! If this conversation resonated with you please share it with someone who might need it. Don't forget to like and subscribe here to follow us on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode. You can find more episodes, resources and ways to get involved on our website Our MBC Life. Have a topic you’d like us to cover? Email us at [email protected]. And don’t forget to follow us on our socials @ourmbclife. 

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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!

We’re so happy you joined us! If this conversation resonated with you please share it with someone who might need it. Don't forget to like and subscribe here to follow us on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode. You can find more episodes, resources and ways to get involved on our website Our MBC Life. Have a topic you’d like us to cover? Email us at [email protected]. And don’t forget to follow us on our socials @ourmbclife. 

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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!

We’re so happy you joined us! If this conversation resonated with you please share it with someone who might need it. Don't forget to like and subscribe here to follow us on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode. You can find more episodes, resources and ways to get involved on our website Our MBC Life. Have a topic you’d like us to cover? Email us at [email protected]. And don’t forget to follow us on our socials @ourmbclife. 

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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. 

We’re so happy you joined us! If this conversation resonated with you please share it with someone who might need it. Don't forget to like and subscribe here to follow us on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode. You can find more episodes, resources and ways to get involved on our website Our MBC Life. Have a topic you’d like us to cover? Email us at [email protected]. And don’t forget to follow us on our socials @ourmbclife. 

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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.

We’re so happy you joined us! If this conversation resonated with you please share it with someone who might need it. Don't forget to like and subscribe here to follow us on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode. You can find more episodes, resources and ways to get involved on our website Our MBC Life. Have a topic you’d like us to cover? Email us at [email protected]. And don’t forget to follow us on our socials @ourmbclife. 

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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. 

We’re so happy you joined us! If this conversation resonated with you please share it with someone who might need it. Don't forget to like and subscribe here to follow us on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode. You can find more episodes, resources and ways to get involved on our website Our MBC Life. Have a topic you’d like us to cover? Email us at [email protected]. And don’t forget to follow us on our socials @ourmbclife. 

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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.

We’re so happy you joined us! If this conversation resonated with you please share it with someone who might need it. Don't forget to like and subscribe here to follow us on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode. You can find more episodes, resources and ways to get involved on our website Our MBC Life. Have a topic you’d like us to cover? Email us at [email protected]. And don’t forget to follow us on our socials @ourmbclife. 

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