Amplifying Voices, Sharing Realities

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Many people are unfamiliar with Postpartum Breast Cancer (PPBC), a little-known subset of breast cancer that occurs in women within 10 years of childbirth. This episode of our podcast delves into this personal topic for several members of our team.

Drs. Virginia Borges and Pepper Schedin are launching the first-ever clinical trial to prevent PPBC. Their groundbreaking approach involves giving healthy new mothers a brief course of ibuprofen as they wean their babies from breastfeeding. This trial holds huge potential for global impact, and the doctors need the public’s help to make it happen.

Have you ever wondered how our cancer metastasizes? Why is it that some treatments just don’t work? Can we as patients living with MBC alter cellular level activity? In this episode, you will hear the answers to these questions and more. Join us as we take a step back to the basics of tumor microenvironment with our guest, Dr. Amy Beumer, who will break down the science into smaller, digestible bites. In this lively discussion, Dr. Amy explains the how and the why of this tough topic. You will hear her say “This is fun” and use engaging, relatable metaphors like “Picture your neighborhood and that one neighbor…..”  By the end, I assure you that you’ll walk away with a deeper understanding of tumor microenvironment than when you started. 

Pull up a chair, listen in your car, or on your daily walk, we are with you wherever you listen to your podcasts. Terms and other resources are provided in the episode notes.

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, messy, 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 bear witness with us to this outpouring of love for those we have lost.

Many with metastatic breast cancer fear for their children and siblings: How can we help them avoid the same diagnosis? Are there ways to minimize risk?

In this episode, host Martha Carlson speaks with her eldest child, who’s navigating personal and family risk factors despite no known genetic predispositions. Join us for this powerful and informative episode where we interview Dr. Sagar Sardesai from Ohio State University’s High Risk Breast Clinic.

On today's episode, we are thrilled to discuss an important and often misunderstood area of oncology- biosimilars and their increasing use in cancer care. You might be curious, what exactly are biosimilars? How are they developed and approved? And most importantly, how are they transforming the lives of patients diagnosed with cancer?  We will break down these questions and more as we explore this with an overview from Dr. Julie Gralow, a breast medical oncologist and chief medical officer at the American Society of Clinical Oncology.