Breastcancer.org Podcast

In Caitlin Shetterly’s latest novel, the main character has been diagnosed with breast cancer in her left breast. Six months after sending in her draft, Shetterly was diagnosed with breast cancer in her left breast. Breast cancer had broken the fourth wall between Shetterly, her characters, and her readers.

Listen to the episode to hear Caitlin explain:

how she came up with the idea of her character Alice being diagnosed with breast cancer

why she thought Alice would be the only person who could understand what she was going through

how breast cancer changed her as a person and as a writer

For some people a breast cancer diagnosis can bring on a rush of feelings: grief, anxiety, fear, hope, resentment, and anger. This podcast is the audio from a special Virtual Community Meetup featuring guest moderator Kelly Grosklags.

Listen to the episode to hear Kelly explain:

why some people might feel more anxious after treatment is completed

why feelings about a cancer diagnosis can be a form of grief

how to make space for both/and instead of either/or

how to move forward when you have ongoing oncology appointments

Peripheral neuropathy is damage to the nerves that run to your hands, feet, arms, and legs. Neuropathy can cause burning pain, numbness, tingling, or muscle weakness in the areas that are affected. Chemotherapy, especially medicines called taxanes – Taxol, Taxotere, and Abraxane – are common causes of neuropathy in people receiving breast cancer treatment. While there are treatments that may help ease the symptoms of neuropathy, there is nothing available that can repair the damaged nerves. So studies are looking at ways to prevent neuropathy in the first place.

Dr. Eleonora Teplinsky, head of breast and gynecological medical oncology at Valley-Mount Sinai Comprehensive Cancer Care in Paramus, New Jersey, is the principal investigator at her institution of the ICE COMPRESS study, which is looking at cooling mitts and socks and compression to prevent neuropathy during chemotherapy. The study is being done at more than 20 sites across the United States.

Listen to the episode to hear Dr. Teplinsky explain:

risk factors for neuropathy

the rationale for the ICE COMPRESS study

her advice to people who want to try icing and compression on their own during chemotherapy

Secreted frizzled-related protein 2 is a protein that helps cancers grow by supporting the formation of new blood vessels, stopping cancer cells from dying, and weakening immune cells that should recognize and attack cancer cells. Dr. Nancy Klauber-DeMore is developing an antibody that blocks this protein. Early research suggests the antibody may halt the growth of triple-negative breast cancer.

Listen to the episode to hear Dr. Klauber-DeMore explain:

what secreted frizzled-related protein 2 does and why she thought blocking it might help treat breast cancer

why she’s focusing her work on triple-negative breast cancer

the next steps for the antibody she and her team have developed

Twenty years ago, seven people diagnosed with metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer received a cancer vaccine as part of a clinical trial. Today, they’re all still alive. This prompted Zachary Hartman to study the immune systems of the people in the trial to see what was happening. He found that the women had immune cells that continue to recognize the cancer and keep it under control. Now his goal is to make that vaccine even more effective and make it work on other types of breast cancer.

Listen to the episode to hear Dr. Hartman explain:

how the original study was done

how he’s working to make the vaccine even more effective

how the vaccine might be modified to work on hormone receptor-positive and triple-negative breast cancer