These episodes cover some of the basics of clinical trials, along with discussions on the current challenges regarding participation & opportunities for people living with MBC who wish to participate in them.
Welcome to the first Road to A Cure episode of Season 6. Our guest is the incomparable Dr. Erika Hamilton, a breast oncologist and researcher who, as she says herself, doesn’t shy away from difficult questions. In this episode, we get a review—subtype by subtype—of the biggest news over the past 15 months. Of course, we also talk about what is on the horizon in MBC.
Jumping hurdles to get the treatments you want is the reality for people living with MBC. Add systemic racism into the healthcare mix and it’s clear that more needs to happen, and soon, to create equity and greater diversity in one of the most important tools in the MBC toolbox: clinical trials. In this episode, we check in with Stephanie Walker, who led the BECOME project and spearheads the Black Wo(Men) Speak Symposium, patient advocate and clinical trial participant Rev. Dr. Tawana Davis, and Patient Navigator Valarie Worthy. How does systemic racism affect what Black patients learn about MBC clinical trials? And how can those who need it most break down barriers to the best care?
The future of personalized care for those living with MBC is already here, and it is happening in Kansas City, Missouri. Dr. Timothy Pluard, Medical Director of the Kansas City’s Saint Luke’s Koontz Center for Advanced Breast Cancer is with us today and we’ll ask him how he and his team create an individualized, completely comprehensive plan for each woman.
This is the sixth stop in our series Road to a Cure. From the start our goal for this series was not only to educate and give hope to every listener but also to ensure that each of these special interviews feels like an intimate conversation with our smartest friend who also happens to be an oncologist researcher. This episode will not disappoint., Co-hosts Victoria Goldberg and Lisa Laudico, sit down with the Director of the Breast Unit of the Champalimaud Clinical Center in Lisbon, Portugal, Dr. Fatima Cardoso.
This week we are visiting Dr Stephanie Goff at the NIH in Bethesda, Maryland. Dr Goff is a surgical oncologist and a senior member of a research team led by Dr. Steven A. Rosenberg, a man widely regarded as the father of immunotherapy. A friend, who knows a thing or two about this place. is joining us on this trip. Her name is Judy Perkins, and she is the first MBC patient who has been cured by a revolutionary immunotherapy treatment, known as adoptive cell therapy, that was administered by Dr Goff and her colleagues at the NCI.
The MBC Alliance asks the question “How can we ensure Black people are better represented in cancer research? Finding the answer starts with patient voices.” The BECOME Project is positioned to do just that. BECOME project lead Stephanie Walker and committee member Sheila Fuhs join Lisa Laudico to talk about the important initiative and how YOU can get involved.
We know the challenges of trials and the barriers to recruitment as outlined in part 1. Now in Part 2 we explore solutions with patient advocates and medical professionals who are working to find ways forward. Clinical Trials from a Patient Perspective Part II. Let’s solve this.
What’s it like to try and find a trial as a patient? What are the challenges and hurdles that have to be overcome? How do we get to a better place? In this episode we hear the perspective of patients and then go to the experts to get some answers. Part 1 of a 2 part series on Clinical Trials.
Welcome to this bonus episode of Our MBC Life. We are pleased to again highlight a program from our parent non-profit SHARE Cancer Support.
For many of us living with cancer there are numerous questions about COVID-19, the vaccines, and what we need to know to best take care of ourselves.
On February 11 SHARE invited Dr. Joshua Hill from Fred Hutchinson Research Center to discuss the COVID-19 Vaccine in relation to cancer patients and their treatment
We are excited to share another Best of from Season One. 3 Black Docs know how to keep it real and laugh and have fun. Dr. Karen Winkfield, Dr. Zanetta Lamar, and Dr. Tiffany Avery bring their professional take on racial disparities in healthcare and addressing structural barriers that lead to disparities in treatments and outcomes.
Kate Keith and Michael Singer share their experiences with male breast cancer. Kate shares personal stories about her husband Ryan who died earlier this year from metastatic breast cancer.
Dr. Dorraya El-Ashry, the Chief Scientific Officer for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF) joins host Lisa Laudico to talk about the many exciting MBC research initiatives that BCRF is undertaking. Dr. El-Ashry provides an excellent overview of the bright spots and the challenges in MBC research. She has a personal connection to MBC and discusses her own research.
Over the last 20 years, advances in HER2 targeting treatments, antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), and cyclin-dependent kinase 4 and 6 inhibitors (CDK4/6is) have prolonged survival and changed the breast cancer treatment landscape. Success leads to more questions about optimal drug sequencing, mechanisms of resistance, and how to overcome that resistance. Let’s ask Dr. Stephanie Graff to help us tackle these topics and more.