Real Pink

Tamoxifen is a medication used to block estrogen, which is needed for some breast tumors to grow. Many survivors are prescribed tamoxifen to lower the risk of having a recurrence of breast cancer, usually after breast cancer surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. Tamoxifen can also be used for breast cancer risk reduction in women who do not have breast cancer but who are at higher risk, which was the case with today’s guest. Twenty years after her mother passed away from breast cancer, Colleen Boraca learned she had two conditions that increase her chances of developing breast cancer. At the recommendation of her oncologist, she began her five-year, daily journey with Tamoxifen and is here today to share about her experience, what helped her get through struggles and how she was able to work with her doctor along the way to get the personalized care that was right for her.

This is Real Talk, a podcast conversation where we’re digging deep into breast cancer and the realities patients and survivors face every day. We’re talking openly and honestly about just how difficult breast cancer can be, from being diagnosed to selecting the right treatment plan, to living day to day with metastatic breast cancer, and life after treatment ends.

In today’s episode, we’re talking about getting a second opinion and why that’s so important when selecting your treatment plan. Our guests today, Shilo Goodman and Eve Laidacker, both had to speak up and tell their doctors they didn’t agree with their medical advice, and advocated for what they thought was best for themselves.

On today’s show, we are joined by two sisters, who are unfortunately no strangers to breast cancer. Their biological mother passed away from metastatic breast cancer when she was 52. While they were aware that their mother’s diagnosis put them at a higher risk, it still came as a shock when Tami Salawater was diagnosed at the age of 50. Two weeks later, her younger sister Jamie Boettcher received her own breast cancer diagnosis. Both women were diagnosed at an early stage, but with different types of cancer and they each faced unique challenges and side effects as they navigated their treatments. Jamie and Tami are here today to share their story of facing breast cancer together as a family and the personalized care that each of them received.

Understanding your family health history can help you take better care of your health by helping to figure out your risk and take action as needed. Joining us on the show today is Jerry Carnes, a former television journalist who spent 35 years with 11Alive in Atlanta. He has an extensive family history of cancer in his family, has lost multiple family members to both breast and prostate cancers and is a prostate cancer survivor himself. Jerry is here to share his story and to spread education on the importance of knowing your family history and taking charge of your health by getting regular screenings and promoting early detection. His hope is that by that sharing his family’s experience, he can help to prevent other families from going through a similar situation.

To advance health equity in breast cancer care, Komen believes that everyone should have a just opportunity to be as healthy as possible despite their cultural or demographic background. That is why Komen is committed to eliminating barriers to care for individuals and communities experiencing breast health inequities now and in the future. We are honored to be joined on today’s show by two members of Komen’s Community Health Outreach team, women who drive this important work every day. Natasha Mmeje and Theru Ross are here to share some details of Komen’s good work in breast health equity this year and what their hopes are for the future.

This is Real Talk, a podcast conversation where we’re digging deep into breast cancer and the realities patients and survivors face every day. We’re talking openly and honestly about just how difficult breast cancer can be, from being diagnosed to selecting the right treatment plan, to living day to day with metastatic breast cancer, and life after treatment ends.

In today’s episode, we’re hearing a surprising perspective from two breast cancer survivors. Janet Ruiz and Sue Henning both say, “Breast cancer made me grateful.” Ladies, I can’t wait to dig in with you because ‘grateful’ is not a word we hear very often on this podcast.

We are lucky to be joined today by actress, mother, breast cancer survivor and the newest Komen Ambassador Nicole Eggert. Best known for her roles on Baywatch and Charles in Charge, Nicole was diagnosed with stage 2 cribiform carcinoma breast cancer in December 2023 and is still currently undergoing treatment. She has been courageously open about sharing her diagnosis and is here to talk to us today about her breast care experience, the importance of continuing to live her life in the most positive way possible as she navigates her journey and what prompted her to join Komen’s ShareForCures research registry.

Living with metastatic breast cancer (MBC) can mean facing complex emotions. For many dealing with stage 4 breast cancer, the weight of the diagnosis brings a range of feelings — from fear and uncertainty to moments of resilience and power. One of the most powerful among the spectrum of emotions is gratitude, and this holiday season, two members of Komen’s MBC Steering Committee, Julia Hughes and Phyllis Esposito, are here to talk about what gratitude looks like for them in the face of MBC.

This is Real Talk, a podcast conversation where we’re digging deep into breast cancer and the realities patients and survivors face every day. We’re talking openly and honestly about just how difficult breast cancer can be, from being diagnosed to selecting the right treatment plan, to living day to day with metastatic breast cancer, and life after treatment ends.

In today’s episode, we’re talking about getting to “yes.” Yes looks different for everyone and there’s no right or wrong way to get there. But getting there is the goal of today’s conversation.

I’m delighted to welcome Lisa Mannina and Jennifer Muniga to tell us more about the breast cancer experiences and how they’ve processed through the range of emotions, feelings and setbacks, to get to a place where they want to make the decisions that are best for them. They want to say “yes” to what’s important and “yes” to doing what’s best for them and their future.

On today’s episode, we are discussing a topic that affects most women with hormone receptor-positive, early-stage breast cancer after they finish their initial treatment and begin navigating survivorship. To lower the risk of recurrence, most women begin taking anti-estrogen therapy, also called hormone therapy or endocrine therapy, but these treatments do not come without the risk of side effects. When side effects become severe, survivors may be faced with the task of weighing the benefits of hormone therapy against the associated side effects. This can be challenging and may even lead them to wonder how much longer they need to continue on the medication. Joining us today to discuss how patients and providers can balance fear of recurrence against potential side effects of treatment and how genomic testing can help guide treatment decisions is a Nurse Practitioner at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Adriana Olivo.

This podcast is sponsored by Biotheranostics Inc., a Hologic Company. The Breast Cancer Index test is the only test recognized by the NCCN guidelines and the ASCO Clinical Practice Guideline to predict which patients are likely to benefit from extension of adjuvant anti-estrogen therapy beyond 5 years.