Real Pink

BRCA mutations are hereditary cancer mutations that significantly elevate the risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer. One of the reasons to get undergo genetic testing is when a family member, such as a parent or sibling, is diagnosed with breast cancer at a young age. This is the story of today’s guest.  Erika Stallings underwent screening for the BRCA genetic mutation and what she learned throughout her journey was both eye opening and life changing.  She has become an active patient advocate for increasing awareness of hereditary breast cancer among women of color and is here today to share her story. Erika, welcome to the show!

Special Guest: Erika Stallings.

The death of a parent can come as a shock and feel extremely unfair, especially if the child and parent were both relatively young.  When a mother leaves behind her children, there is a missing presence, but memories and life lessons that will always remain. Today’s guest remembers his mother’s spontaneity, devotion to fun, warm nature, and caring spirit and credits her for shaping him into the man he is today. Here to share the story of his Superhero Mom is Matt Tarro. Matt, welcome to the show.

Special Guest: Matt Tarro.

Over the past 40 years, breast cancer care has greatly improved due to information gained through clinical trials. Clinical trials test the safety and benefits of new treatments as well as new combinations of standard treatments. They can also study other aspects of care, including risk reduction, diagnosis and screening. Whether a new therapy or test becomes part of the standard of care for breast cancer depends largely on the results of clinical trials. Clinical trials offer people with breast cancer a way to receive high-quality care, a chance to gain access to new treatments before they're widely available, and a way to help others by contributing to medical research. Those who join clinical trials help further the knowledge base that ultimately helps improve breast cancer care. Today, we are joined by Sheila McGlown who will share a little about her experience participating in a clinical trial.

Special Guest: Sheila McGlown.

On last week’s episode, Ashely Dedmon shared her experiences as a young caregiver and how it impacted how she approached her own health. Today we are going to continue our conversation with Ashley to talk about the impact of being born into three generations of women affected by breast cancer, losing her mother to the disease and watching her father battle prostate cancer shortly thereafter.  Ashley was 22 years old and fearful that she was next. It was then that she took matters into her own hands and immediately reached out to her doctors, who suggested genetic counseling and screening for the BRCA genetic mutation.  Today we’ll learn from Ashley what those tests found, what she did next, and how it changed the course of her life.

Special Guest: Ashley Dedmon.

Caregiving can be a difficult and very personal role on many levels. Assisting a loved one through their cancer diagnosis, helping with daily activities, providing support and helping to make treatment decisions may all be a part of the responsibilities. When young adults are the caregiver taking care of a parent, they face many unique challenges, such as having more duties to juggle, starting their own families or careers and coming to terms with taking care of someone who has always taken care of them. Today’s guest Ashley Dedmon supported both of her parents in their cancer journeys and is here today to speak about the challenges and blessings of that time in her life, as well as how it impacted how she approached her own health.

Special Guest: Ashley Dedmon.

Navigating a breast cancer journey can cause feelings of confusion and fear, all of which are normal.  There are healthy ways to cope with the stress caused by these fears, such as mindfulness meditation, support groups or finding a creative outlet. Today’s guest has beat cancer not once, but twice! As a survivor of Lymphoma of the brain as well as breast cancer, Julia Evans knows firsthand how important it is to find ways to keep the faith and is committed to encouraging, educating and empowering those in the fight through her nonprofit, Coloring Over Cancer.

Special Guest: Julia Evans.

People diagnosed with breast cancer have many unique sources of stress. As we head into Mother’s Day, we will explore some of the challenges that mothers face in particular. Throughout the process, moms with breast cancer face the reality of maintaining a sense of normalcy for themselves and their children while balancing the emotional and physical toll of treatment. Today’s guest was diagnosed during the Covid pandemic, forcing change upon change. Here today, to share her story and how she has balanced it all is Christine Carlo George. Christine, welcome to the show!

Special Guest: Christine George.

Susan G. Komen has long worked to mobilize our communities to take action. Susan G. Komen’s Center for Public Policy serves as the leading voice of the more than 3.8 million breast cancer survivors, 168,000 people living with metastatic disease, and the scientists, health care professionals, caregivers and members of the public who are concerned about breast cancer. Komen works to educate people about public policy issues, so they are empowered to become forceful advocates for themselves and their neighbors, and then unites their collective voices for maximum impact. Sound government action is critical for making the broad, systemic and lasting changes we need to save lives and end breast cancer forever. That means that Komen – as a patient advocacy organization with first-hand knowledge of how breast cancer touches people and communities – must advocate at all levels of government.  The Center for Public Policy, focuses on work to: Empower people and policymakers with knowledge; Connect advocates together; and Mobilize everyone to Act for lasting change. Joining us today is Molly Guthrie, Sr. Director, Public Policy and Advocacy.

Special Guest: Molly Guthrie.

A breast cancer diagnosis can bring a wide range of emotions including shock, fear, sadness and anger. The support of family, friends and others can be helpful as you go through diagnosis, treatment and beyond. Thankfully, there are support groups to help you navigate breast cancer easier and to improve your quality of life during and after treatment. Today’s guest has dedicated her life to helping motivated patients overcome the challenges of breast cancer and to invest in their social, physical and emotional wellbeing.  Here today to share her breast cancer journey and how it has impacted every area of her life is Beth Wilmes.

Special Guest: Beth Wilmes.

About 1-5 percent of breast cancers in the U.S are Inflammatory Breast Cancer.  This is an aggressive form of breast cancer, with signs that tend to arise quickly, often within weeks or months. There are some challenges of diagnosing IBC, such as the fact that it may first be mistaken for an infection or mastitis because of its symptoms.  Routine mammography may also miss IBC because of its rapid onset.  Our guest today is Sara Diemer, who is here to share  her story of living with Inflammatory Breast Cancer and to help educate us on the signs and symptoms of this rare disease, in hopes that it can help other women to recognize it more quickly.   Sara, welcome to the show!

Special Guest: Sara Diemer.