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The first days, weeks, and months after being diagnosed with MBC can feel like you’ve been dropped into a dangerous and alien landscape, one whose inhabitants speak a new and confusing language. Numb and bewildered, you face a mountain of medical decisions—each of them seemingly high stakes.

If that sounds all too familiar, take a deep breath. Our goal for this third episode in our 3-part series for newly diagnosed patients is to help our listeners: 

1. Understand the Basics of their diagnosis

2. Make Informed Decisions about the tests their doctors order—and understand what the results mean

3. Feel Confident and Empowered to ask their doctors and other medical providers questions and to advocate for their best treatment

OMBCL senior producer Martha Carlson began by asking newly diagnosed MBC patients about what was most difficult with their medical care. The responses shaped this episode because what she heard back touched on everything from hearing the news to treatments to tests. Martha turned to leading medical oncologist Rebecca Shatsky, MD from UC San Diego Health for her take on these real-life, patient-focused topics. Dr. Shatsky not only demystified doctor-speak, she gets into the details of first steps and first tests for MBC subtypes, the differences between CTs and PET scans, what blood biopsies and tissue biopsies tell our oncologists and so much more. Because few things connect us better than sharing our stories, Martha also asked experienced MBC patients a single question: What do you wish you knew when you were first diagnosed? Throughout the episode, we hear from experienced patient advocates Dr. Kelly Shanahan, Joan Mancuso, Sheila Johnson, Marissa Holzer, and Ashley Fernandez.