Four years after giving birth to her son, Jaci Field was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 39. Listen to the episode to hear Jaci discuss: her breast cancer experience and her advocacy work the  discrimination she’s faced, both because of her race and whom she chooses to love how she finds joy

At the 2025 American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting, Hope Rugo, MD, chaired a session on managing the side effects of new breast cancer treatments and also presented information on how to manage the side effects of hormonal therapy medicines, which are used to treat hormone receptor-positive breast cancer. Listen to the episode to hear Dr. Rugo explain: ways to manage the side effects of tamoxifen and the aromatase inhibitors why talking to your doctor about side is crucial to managing them her advice for people who are having side effects from hormonal therapy medicines

At the 2025 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting Fumiko Chino, MD, summarized her presentation on how doctors can help the people they care for overcome financial issues. She also offered some strategies for patients. Listen to the podcast to hear Dr. Chino explain: some specific resources for people with cancer why people with breast cancer may have the most financial issues her top three recommendations for people having financial hardship

The 2025 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting featured five days of presentations and educational sessions on all types of cancer. Dr. Eleonora Teplinsky, a board-certified medical oncologist at the Valley-Mount Sinai Comprehensive Cancer Center in Paramus, NJ, summarizes the top breast cancer research. Listen to the episode to hear Dr. Teplinsky discuss: The SERENA-6 trial, which found that if metastatic hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer develops ESR1 mutations during first hormonal therapy treatment, switching to camizestrant from an aromatase inhibitor before the cancer grows improves outcomes. Results from the DESTINY-Breast09 trial showing that the combination of Enhertu (chemical name: fam-trastuzumab-deruxtecan-nxki) and Perjeta (chemical name: pertuzumab) is a better first treatment for metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer than the current standard of THP chemo.  The ASCENT-04/KEYNOTE-D19 trial, which found that people with metastatic, PD-L1-positive, triple-negative breast cancer fared better with the combo of Trodelvy (chemical name: sacituzumab govitecan-hziy) and Keytruda (chemical name: pembrolizumab) as a first treatment compared to people who received chemotherapy and Keytruda.

At the 2025 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting, Dr. Katie Schmitz chaired a session on ways to ensure that exercise is part of every cancer treatment plan. She also talked about how results of the CHALLENGE trial in colon cancer might apply to breast cancer. Listen to the episode to hear Dr. Schmitz explain: strategies doctors can use to make exercise an integral part of cancer care how people can afford and stay motivated to exercise the results of the CHALLENGE trial, which found that three years of exercise after colon cancer treatment improved disease-free survival (how long people lived without the cancer coming back) and overall survival (how long people lived whether or not the cancer came back)

At the 2025 American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting, Dr. Samantha El Warrak presented the results of her research on how five lifestyle factors affect the risk of dying from breast cancer.  Listen to the episode to hear Dr. El Warrak explain: the five risk factors included in the study which risk factors were most linked to breast cancer mortality what the results mean for women diagnosed with breast cancer

By 2030, researchers estimate that about 246,000 people will be living with metastatic breast cancer. METAvivor is the first organization dedicated to raising awareness of, and funding research on, stage IV breast cancer. Dr. Kelly Shanahan, current METAvivor president, has been living with metastatic disease for 11 years. Listen to the episode to hear Dr. Shanahan explain: how METAvivor started funding research the funding process why private funding is so important in today’s political climate what she’s most fearful of

Ashton Davidson was diagnosed with breast cancer during gender-affirming top surgery. He faced some unique challenges and situations during and after treatment. Listen to the episode to hear Ash explain: the emotions he felt when diagnosed how he decided to become an outspoken advocate how he lives authentically in the face of adversity how he finds joy, especially today

Can people diagnosed with metastatic hormone receptor-positive breast cancer avoid chemotherapy and take a CDK4/6 inhibitor instead? Do people diagnosed with DCIS need to have surgery? Will there soon be another oral selective estrogen degrader available? Breastcancer.org medical advisor Dr. Kevin Fox explains the details of the studies and what they mean for you. Listen to the episode to hear Dr. Fox discuss these studies: Young-PEARL: Ibrance plus Aromasin, along with ovarian suppression, offers better progression-free survival than Xeloda for pre-menopausal women with metastatic hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer who had previously received tamoxifen. PATINA: Adding Ibrance to standard-of-care first treatments for metastatic hormone receptor-positive, HER2-positive breast cancer increased progression-free survival by more than a year. EMBER-3:Imlunestrant led to longer progression-free survival than standard therapy if the cancer had an ESR1 mutation among people with estrogen receptor-positive, HER2-negative advanced-stage breast cancer. Adding Verzenio to imlunestrant improved progression-free survival compared to imlunestrant alone, whether the cancer had an ESR1-mutation or not. COMET: Can people with low-risk DCIS just be monitored instead of having surgery with or without radiation? 

It’s been known for many years that Black women are twice as likely as white women to be diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer. If diagnosed with this type of breast cancer, Black women are also more than twice as likely to die from the disease than women of other races and ethnicities. Researchers have been studying a number of factors that may play a role in these disparities. Dr. Sanchita Bhatnagar’s research has found that cells that have too much TRIM37 protein are much more likely to become cancerous. She and her colleagues also have found that the breast tissue of Black women are much more likely to have high levels of TRIM37. Listen to the episode to hear Dr. Bhatnagar explain: how she began studying the TRIM37 gene how a variant in the TRIM37 gene that causes more of the TRIM37 protein to be made is more common in Black women that white women how a medicine that targets the TRIM37 protein could help stop triple-negative breast cancer from metastasizing next steps for her research

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) are the largest funder of cancer research in the world. A January 2025 executive order froze NIH funding and cut indirect cost payments. Another executive order halted all public communications by a number of federal agencies. Challenges to the orders are winding through the courts.  Dr. Donald McDonnell, who studies and develops drugs to treat breast and prostate cancer, explains how these actions are affecting breast cancer research and what it might mean for people diagnosed with the disease. Listen to the episode to hear Dr. McDonnell discuss: why there may be no federal money allocated to cancer research this year why all cancer research will likely stop if no federal money is allocated how the funding freeze is affecting future scientists how the freeze may affect someone who was diagnosed with breast cancer today

About 10% to 15% of breast cancers are triple-negative. This means they don’t have receptors for the hormones estrogen or progesterone, and don’t have too many HER2 proteins. So, hormonal therapy medicines and medicines that target the HER2 protein aren’t effective against triple-negative breast cancer.  Chemotherapy and immunotherapy are commonly used to treat triple-negative disease. But scientists are working diligently to develop new treatments that are more precise and targeted.  Triple-negative breast cancer expert Dr. Lisa Carey explains the latest research. Listen to the episode to hear Dr. Carey discuss: the two main areas of research on triple-negative breast cancer what antibody-drug conjugates are and their potential for treating triple-negative disease  the benefits of combining antibody-drug conjugates with immunotherapy the features of triple-negative breast cancer that make researchers think a vaccine for it is possible

In January 2025, the U.S. Surgeon General put out an advisory on alcohol and cancer risk, calling for cancer risk-warning labels on alcoholic beverages. The advisory said alcohol contributes to nearly 100,000 cases of cancer each year, and about 20,000 deaths each year.  The advisory also cited a 2019 study showing that alcohol is more closely linked to breast cancer than any other cancer. More than 44,000 breast cancer cases in 2019 were related to drinking alcohol, which was about 16% of the total number of breast cancer cases that year. Lifestyle medicine researcher Dr. Tracy Crane discusses alcohol and breast cancer risk, including how to stop thinking of a drink as a reward after a hard day. Listen to the episode to hear Dr. Crane explain: why there is no amount of alcohol that is considered safe or healthy why alcohol seems to increase cancer risk more in women than men how alcohol increases risk how we can start to change the culture around alcohol

Hormonal birth control increases breast cancer risk in women with a BRCA1 mutation, but not women with a BRCA2 mutation. Levonorgestrel IUDs increase risk, but how much? The long-term risk of breast cancer coming back — recurring — as metastatic disease has gone down in the last 20 years, but younger women still have a higher risk than older women. What does all this mean? Breastcancer.org Professional Advisory Board member Dr. Kathy Miller discusses the details of these studies and how they may affect you. Listen to the episode to hear Dr. Miller discuss these studies: hormonal birth control ups risk of breast cancer in women with a BRCA1 mutation levonorgestrel IUDs increase risk breastfeeding after breast cancer seems safe the long-term risk of late, distant recurrence has gone down but age affects that risk

In cancer, biomarkers are features of the tumor, such as a genetic mutation or the presence of a certain protein. These biomarkers affect how the cancer behaves. Doctors use the results of biomarker testing to make treatment recommendations. Several organizations, including the American Cancer Society and the LUNGevity Foundation, through the No One Missed campaign, are working to pass laws to require insurance coverage for biomarker testing for people with cancer. Joanna Fawzy Doran, CEO of Triage Cancer, discusses some of the issues people face getting biomarker testing covered by insurance and how the new laws are helping. Listen to the episode to hear Joanna talk about: which biomarker tests are less likely to be covered by insurance the insurance plans the laws do and don’t apply to the options people have when a health insurance carrier denies coverage for a biomarker test deemed necessary by a doctor

Five patient advocates share what they like and what they’re excited about at the 2024 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium. The advocates are: Antoinette Greer, of My Sister My Friend Breast Cancer Support Gitte Joergensen, of the Lobular Breast Cancer Alliance Joan Mancuso, of Theresa’s Research Foundation Barbara Bigelow, of Metavivor and the MBC Alliance Christine Hodgdon, of GRASP Listen to the episode to hear the advocates: explain the research they’re most interested in, including circulating tumor DNA research what they like most about the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium what the symposium has inspired them to do Scroll down to below the “About the guest” information to read a transcript of this podcast.

The 2024 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium featured five days of research presentations, educational sessions, and advocacy meetings. Dr. Marisa Weiss, founder and chief medical officer of Breastcancer.org, breaks down the research that will have the most immediate impact for people diagnosed with breast cancer. Listen to the episode to hear Dr. Weiss discuss: results from the PATINA study showing that adding Ibrance (chemical name: palbociclib) to first treatments for metastatic, hormone receptor-positive, HER2-positive breast cancer improved outcomes research on the benefits of risk-reducing surgery for young women with a BRCA mutation and a history of breast cancer the importance of moving away from a “one-size-fits-all” approach to treating breast cancer and personalizing treatments for each unique person Scroll down to below the “About the guest” information to read a transcript of this podcast.

At the 2024 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, Dr. Aditya Bardia, director of the Breast Oncology Program and Translational Research Integration at the UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, presented results from the DESTINY-Breast06 study, showing that Enhertu (chemical name: fam-trastuzumab deruxtecan-nxki), also called T-DXd, was better than chemotherapy for metastatic, hormone receptor-positive, HER2-low or -ultralow breast cancer that grew after one or more hormonal therapy medicines. Listen to the episode to hear Dr. Bardia explain: results of the study what HER2-low and -ultralow breast cancer is whether people diagnosed with metastatic hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer should have additional HER2 testing

Cases of breast cancer in young women have been increasing dramatically in the last eight years. Dr. Matteo Lambertini, whose research focuses on breast cancer in young, especially fertility and pregnancy after a breast cancer diagnosis, chaired a session on breast cancer in the young at the 2024 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium. He also presented the results of a study that found young women with a BRCA mutation and a history of breast cancer had better survival and a lower risk of recurrence – the cancer coming back – if they had risk-reducing surgery to remove their healthy ovaries and fallopian tubes, as well as the remaining healthy breast, and any breast tissue left if they had had lumpectomy. Listen to the episode to hear Dr. Lambertini explain: possible reasons why breast cancer rates are rising in young women, even though researchers aren’t exactly sure yet some of the most troublesome issues young women with breast cancer face how he plans to use the results of his study with his patients

Andrea Hans was diagnosed with stage II triple-negative breast cancer when she was 28. With expertise in public health and health policy, she began working as an advocate to empower young women to understand their breast cancer risk factors. Andrea received an Alamo Breast Cancer Foundation Advocate Scholarship to attend the 2024 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium. Listen to the episode to hear Andrea explain: how she transitioned from patient to advocate the scholarship application process what being a scholar entails