Videos

On behalf of METAvivor, CURE spoke with Jamil Rivers and Kate Watson about metastatic breast cancer – from its treatment to how it affects individuals and their families.

Learning the Ins and Outs of Metastatic Breast Cancer

Articles

Numerous challenges present themselves when a patient chooses to get screened for colorectal cancer, but we know very little about why patients may opt-out of getting screened.

Patient Inhibitions A Significant Barrier to Colon Cancer Screening

Organized as a virtual event, the DONNA Foundation’s 2021 National Marathon to Finish Breast Cancer will allow participants to run in their neighborhoods — or on their treadmills. 

Participants of the DONNA Foundations 2021 National Marathon to Finish Breast Cancer Will Lace Up Their Running Shoes Virtually

How does a metastatic cancer diagnosis affect families, especially children? CURE® spoke with Kate Watson, a patient ambassador for METAvivor, about the tricky balance of protecting and empowering kids.

How Metastatic Breast Cancer Affects Everyone in the Family

During each October's Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the color pink makes its mark on everything from T-shirts to ribbons to merchandise, raising awareness about the disease and generating funds for research. Love the association with pink or hate it, the color is a reminder of the decades of patient advocacy that have brought breast cancer out of the shadows and into the public conversation and scientists’ labs.

, we look back at that patient advocacy movement and tell the story of how it began and where it has taken us. Our cover article begins in the 1950s, when the word “breast” couldn’t be uttered in public and women were not consulted before being given mastectomies. 

We follow the movement through the rich culture of advocacy that has raised billions of dollars for research and led to not only a much deeper understanding of the disease but also choice for patients about how to treat it. Today’s community welcomes a wider swath of those affected by breast cancer, including previvors who face an inherited predisposition to the disease. We hope you enjoy this feature brimming with the stories of advocacy pioneers, including Terese Lasser and Susan G. Komen founder Nancy Brinker.

In this issue, we also delve into the question of when patients with early-stage breast cancer can safely be spared surgery.


In cases of ductal carcinoma in situ, stage 0 cancer, there is debate about whether surgery is always needed and if it should be lumpectomy or mastectomy. This type of breast cancer is considered preinvasive, and the difficulty in choosing a treatment revolves around a lack of methods for predicting which cases are aggressive and more likely to recur. In our feature article, we present the latest thoughts on this topic.

A third feature explores new developments in treating breast cancer that has spread to the brain.

Elsewhere in this issue, we consider the safety and potential benefits of a shorter course of hypofractionated radiation therapy for certain women with breast cancer. We also discuss blood-based biomarkers as a way to predict the recurrence of triple-negative disease.

Five people who have metastatic breast cancer, all ambassadors for a website that provides emotional support, let us glimpse life with the disease through their eyes. In the same vein, a group known as The Breasties aims to inform and encourage younger people affected by women’s cancers, and two of their founders discuss their experiences.

We hope that this array of material is both inspiring and educational, offering insights that help you ask key questions and make solid decisions about your care. As always, thank you for reading.

For more news on cancer updates, research and education, don’t forget to

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month and is deeply associated with the color pink, but it wasn't always like that. Here's how the breast cancer awareness movement began. 

A Look Back at the Movement That Changed the Breast Cancer Journey

A native New Yorker, Shira Kallus Zwebner is a communications consultant and writer living with her husband and three children in Jerusalem, Israel. Diagnosed in 2017 with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, she's fighting her cancer battle and blogging about the journey at hipstermomblog.com

Two weeks after finishing treatment, with the after-effects of more than 8 months of chemotherapy still coursing through my veins, I drove an hour away from my city to meet with a nutritionist. She had come "highly recommended" and I yearned for someone to help my body heal from cancer, from the poison in it that killed my cancer. I was desperate to keep myself in remission and was willing to pay, do and try anything. Even in cancer debt, I was willing to shell out more than $500 that I didn’t have if it meant I would stay cancer-free.

I brought my medical records with me, the new set of blood test results she requested and my bag full of medication and supplements. We sat together for over an hour while she created a new wellness program for me, which included supplements, daily juices, exercise, and naps.

 With a full-time job and three children under the age of 9, daily naps were never going to happen.

Then she reached over her cluttered desk and took my hands, looked deep into my eyes, and promised me she would be there for me no matter what. I walked out of her office and drove straight to an appliance store to spend another $300 on a top of the line juicer that I couldn't afford, hopeful that I had found my answers. The following day, I emailed her with a question and never heard from her again.

Sadly, she was not the first person to take my money and disappear; over the past two and a half years I have fallen victim to people who preyed on my cancer vulnerabilities. I’ve met with homeopaths who promised to keep me in remission, while charging exorbitant monthly fees, and hired personal trainers who said they specialized in working with past cancer patients, but then created workout programs that left me limping and in pain. COVID-19 has just exacerbated these vulnerabilities while increasing the number of people savvy enough to prey on our fears.

Living in Israel, I have gone through two official COVID-19 lockdowns, the most recent one currently in the first stages of lifting. For the past month, over the Jewish high holiday season, our movements were restricted. Shops and restaurants were all closed, with some offering food deliveries. Families were told they couldn’t get together for holiday meals, while all beaches and nature parks were closed to the public. We couldn't walk more than 1 kilometer from our homes while gyms and other exercise facilities were shuttered. Schools were closed and children reverted to distance learning, while offices of non-essential workers were closed and many parents were forced to work from home. And during this lockdown, I had my fall scans which included an abdominal ultrasound and blood work. My ultrasound was clear but my blood work wasn’t, and as a lymphoma survivor, the results shook me to my core.

Depressed and scared about my blood test results, and the upcoming follow up tests, I spent a lot of time on social media. On Facebook and Instagram, I was bombarded by people and brands peddling their wares, services and 

. This doctor has a nine-day liver cleanse that looked promising, while that wellness guru offered a 30-day meditation package that promised to “calm, relax and heal” me.

Then I saw a Facebook post from a local photographer who specialized in boudoir sessions, who was offering a 30-minute lockdown special that looked promising. I was desperate to do anything that would make me feel better, so I got in touch to ask for more information. I soon realized it wasn't for me, but she kept following up with me. I was weak and tried to be kind, I kept telling her I would think about it. She followed up again and I told her that while it sounded so great, I just wasn't comfortable with my body. She responded that lots of people found it empowering, that the session would do wonders for my self-confidence. She used all the right words, said all the things I needed, and wanted, to hear.

I sent her payment, booked a session and days later canceled. I never rescheduled and, unsurprisingly, she never followed up with me.

When I realized that I essentially paid this woman to leave me alone, I surrendered my credit cards to my husband. Sadly, the only way to avoid falling victim is to completely disconnect. I take ownership of my weaknesses; no one forced me to sign up, pay for, or make appointments with any of these people. They just didn’t make it easier for me to say no either.

Miracle cures, juice cleanses, even ancient supplements, cancer patients and some survivors often fall victim to people who prey on our vulnerabilities from cancer.

Vulnerability In Cancer Survivorship And Looking For A ‘Cure’

Award-winning actor Jeff Bridges announces he has received a diagnosed of lymphoma.

“As the Dude would say...New S**T has come to light,” actor Jeff Bridges 

, evoking his famous role from the film “The Big Lebowski.”

“I have been diagnosed with lymphoma,” he wrote. “Although it is a serious disease, I feel fortunate that I have a great team of doctors and the prognosis is good.”

The actor has not disclosed further details of his cancer diagnosis, nor discussed what kind of treatment he is beginning. Bridges is currently in production for the new drama series “The Old Man,” in which he stars. After his announcement, FX Productions issued a statement of support for its leading man.

Rush Limbaugh announces a setback in his fight against cancer.

Recent scans indicated Rush Limbaugh’s stage 4 lung cancer had progressed in “the wrong direction,” the controversial conservative radio host revealed Oct. 19 during his nationally syndicated show that has remained on their air throughout his treatment.

Limbaugh announced in February that he had received a diagnosis of lung cancer. After that, the 69-year-old shared news of the cancer’s reduction to a manageable level.

"It's tough to realize that the days where I do not think I'm under a death sentence are over," Limbaugh said after announcing his disease had worsened. "Now, we all are, is the point. We all know that we're going to die at some point, but when you have a terminal disease diagnosis that has a time frame to it, then that puts a different psychological and even physical awareness to it."

Pet dog helps sisters discover they have breast cancer.

Amanda Tasca wasn’t expecting it, but when her pet pug, Daisy, jumped onto her chest, she experienced pain and found a lump roughly the size of a grape. Shortly afterward, her sister, Amy Niosi, found a lump the size of a clementine while watching TV. After comparing notes, the two went to their physicians and received diagnoses of breast cancer.

Both Niosi and Tasca, who are in their 30s, underwent double mastectomies, and Niosi, whose stage 3 disease had spread to her lymph nodes, also needed chemotherapy and radiation.

“One hundred percent, I know it was her, and throughout my entire recovery, she’s never left my side,” Tasca said, 

 to Daisy for finding the cancer quickly and prompting the women to get checked.

“This is definitely a first for me,” said Dr. Deena Mary Atieh Graham, who is treating the sisters and says they have a good prognosis. “Generally, we recommend screening mammograms, but whatever way we can discover things as quickly as we can.”

Volunteers build backyard playset for 3-year-old with leukemia so she can play without risk of infection.

Three-year-old Sonya Snell is being treated for acute lymphocytic leukemia and has been unable to play in public playgrounds because of her compromised immune system. That’s why volunteers from the ROC Solid Foundation and Dominion Energy in Reston, Virginia, built Sonya and her sister, Emy, a brand-new playset in their back yard. In an 

, Emy expressed her excitement about playing their favorite game, pirates and wizards, and about Sonya having a chance to share her excitement over something, as the girl’s cancer journey has included many upsetting challenges.

"In this area, there are a lot of great playgrounds, and we always name them something fun, so we're happy we can call it ‘Sonya's playground’ and she can play whenever she wants,” said Sonya’s father, Josh. Volunteers wrote messages of hope to Sonya in permanent marker on the playset so that it will always be hers.

From acclaimed actor Jeff Bridges tweeting about a new lymphoma diagnosis to controversial conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh announcing that his stage 4 lung cancer has progressed, here’s what’s happening in the cancer landscape this week. 

Friday Frontline: Jeff Bridges Receives a Lymphoma Diagnosis; Controversial Radio Host Rush Limbaugh Announces His Lung Cancer Has Progressed; And More

Breast cancer can be scary and life altering at any stage, but those with metastatic disease, which has spread to areas beyond the breast and nearby lymph nodes, live a unique experience. Their perspective and decisions are shaped by the knowledge that their illness is incurable and that they’ll need treatment for the rest of their lives.

Patients facing this diagnosis often say that only others in the same situation can truly understand what they’re going through. 

® talked with five people living with the disease, all ambassadors for Facing MBC Together, an Athenex Oncology program that includes a website and app designed to provide practical and emotional support. Here, we share an excerpt from Stephanie Walker’s journey with metastatic breast cancer.

When Walker first heard that her mammogram looked abnormal, she repeatedly hung up on the person delivering the news. “I was not being rude, but I kept thinking she had the wrong person, because I had been doing this for over 25 years and never had an abnormal mammogram,” says Walker, 61, of Tarboro, North Carolina.

After more tests, the married mother of adult children and career nurse received a call on July 9, 2015, confirming that she had breast cancer; it was determined to be metastatic two weeks later. “I rolled over and went back to sleep because I had to work that night,” recalls Walker, who has had no evidence of disease since 2016. “When I got up, I thought, ‘Man, that was a wack dream,’ until I turned my phone over and saw that I did have that conversation.”

On having cancer after working as a critical and hospice care nurse

“When I worked in pediatrics, the children had leukemias and Hodgkin’s disease and multiple brain tumors, (and the way they handled their) chemotherapy and side effects helped me through my chemo. When I wanted to feel really crappy and not do anything or mope around or cry, I would always think about those little kids who would get chemo, throw up, their hair would fall out, and all they would want me to do was to set them on their little IV pole and roll them to the playroom. I thought, ‘If those kids can do it, why can’t I?’”

On retiring because of a blood clot and ministroke

“That news of having to stop working was worse than a cancer diagnosis. It still makes me tear up. Being a hospice nurse is a calling, and I loved what I did. Cancer takes everything that you’ve ever known; it pulls the rug out from under you. You have a job on Tuesday and find out that you don’t have a job on Wednesday, and by Friday, you have no insurance. It was devastating.”

“Cancer not only wrecks your body, it financially ruins you. My husband was retired, so he was getting Social Security and Medicare, but I had nothing. I didn’t qualify for Medicaid. We finally got food stamps, but it was hard. I was encouraged to file for permanent disability through Social Security, and that was approved in less than two weeks. But during the five months that I got nothing, every day, for eight hours a day five days a week, it was my job to find organizations that could help pay our bills. Tons came through for me, and I found organizations that other people didn’t know, so I compiled a lengthy list. What I do now is share those resources.”

Stephanie Walker, who was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer in 2015, recalls how her disease has pulled the rug out from underneath her.

Metastatic Breast Cancer Took Everything from This Patient

Any health issue that has to do with the brain imparts concern and fear, for good reason: This delicate, mysterious organ defines how we think and act and who we are. In many cases, patients undergo surgery and radiation without many effects on brain function, but sometimes the consequences are more pronounced, particularly in certain areas of the brain. And, of course, medically, cancer in the brain, whether from a primary tumor or disease that spreads from elsewhere, can be very serious.

The brain can be a common site of metastasis of breast cancer, depending on the biology of the disease. For example, higher-grade cancers, such as those that are triple-negative or HER2-positive, are more likely to spread to the brain. 

In the case of HER2-positive disease, this may be because recent advances led to more targeted treatments. This may sound like a purely positive development because these antibody-based therapies do a better job of targeting cancer cells; however, they are large molecules and thus do not penetrate the blood-brain barrier well. That’s why, until recently, the standard of care in HER2-positive breast cancer that spread to the brain has been surgery or radiation.

In February, a combination of the chemotherapy capecitabine and Nerlynx (neratinib), a kinase inhibitor capable of crossing the blood-brain barrier, received Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval. That was a move in the right direction, because newer drugs that inhibit the activity of proteins known as kinases are quite effective in the brain and, in some cases, may be used in place of local therapies such as surgery or radiation.

Then, in April, the FDA approved the tyrosine kinase inhibitor Tukysa (tucatinib) combined with a standard regimen, capecitabine and the monoclonal antibody Herceptin 

(trastuzumab), for patients with inoperable or metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer. Tukysa adds an element to the regimen that, in a clinical trial, helped slow the progress of disease that had spread to the brain and prolonged life.

Investigators are studying Tukysa plus another drug used to treat HER2-positive breast cancer, Kadcyla (T-DM1), and looking into other novel drugs expected to cross the blood-brain barrier.

Decades ago, no one would have thought that patients could live for years with brain metastases, but that is exactly what is happening. We hope to soon have even more effective drugs that can treat brain metastases from breast cancer, as is the case in melanoma, for which immunotherapy is now replacing radiation as the first option for disease that has spread to the brain.

Treatments like kinase inhibitors are changing the options patient may have for when their breast cancer spreads to the brain. 

Kinase Inhibitors Hold Promise in Treating Breast Cancer That Has Spread to the Brain

Patients facing this diagnosis often say that only others in the same situation can truly understand what they’re going through. CURE® talked with five people living with the disease, all ambassadors for Facing MBC Together, an Athenex Oncology program that includes a website and app designed to provide practical and emotional support. Here, we share an excerpt from Susan Swanson’s journey with metastatic breast cancer.

Susan Swanson’s diagnosis of stage 1 breast cancer in 2012 came at a particularly inopportune time. “My mom had died three weeks earlier and we had sold our house three days prior,” recalls the 56-year-old Sea Girt, New Jersey, resident, who received a diagnosis of metastatic breast cancer in 2014. “My twins were graduating from high school and my oldest from college. We were packing, and my husband was going back and forth trying to get our kids through school while I was trying to figure out what had happened to me and where I was going to be treated. It was a very challenging time.”

“You don’t know what questions to ask because you don’t even know what the words mean, so you have to get up to speed quickly. I read and talked to anybody I could. I met a woman from a pharmaceutical company through a friend of a friend, and she ended up being this amazing source of information, so I tell people they have to connect and network.”

On handling the emotions that come with cancer

“I don’t see my therapist much anymore, but at the time, he got me out of my funk. When we moved, I lost my support network. I used to say to my husband, ‘If I died today and you weren’t here, no one would even know I was in the house.’ What has really saved me is walking. I probably walk five to seven miles a day, and it’s what keeps me sane. It has helped my side effects, and mentally, it keeps me in a good place.”

“People need to have a good network around them if they possibly can, and sometimes that means losing friends. Some people can’t handle it, and that’s OK. If you don’t have support, you’ve got to find it on social media. I always reach out to Living Beyond Breast Cancer because they’re a trusted source and always seem to have the information I need. You can’t think you’re going to walk this walk alone. It’s a very lonely walk.”

Susan Swanson, who was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer in 2014, says it’s very important for patients to surround themselves with a good support network.

A Metastatic Breast Cancer Journey Can Be Very Lonely

Ron Cooper writes about the funny and serious sides of cancer. He is the author of “A Grateful Survivor” (Amazon) and blogs at RonCooperAuthor.com. Come along for the ride on his cancer journey!

This pandemic thing can throw a guy off his game and you can forget the really important things.

I was diagnosed with stage 3 prostate cancer in 2014 and suffered a recurrence the following year. Radiation and hormone therapy intervened and staved off my cancer, ushering in a very welcome remission.

I thought cancer would be the major challenge of my life, but little did I know that something called the novel coronavirus would change that forever. So, when I went into lockdown in March 2020, my whole life seemed to revolve around fending off the deadly virus.

Some of the COVID-19 questions that I have wrestled with are:

How can I manage to achieve a germ-free environment without wearing a hazmat suit?

Am I isolating enough or should I give a quick hug to my family members, come what may?

Should I put off in-person Thanksgiving plans and do a socially distant drive-by with loved ones instead?

Have I cleaned my curbside groceries enough, or should I give them a twice-over treatment?

Is it safe to go to the movies even if every row has plexiglass all the way to the ceiling?

With no easy answers, I nearly forgot that cancer cells are still rummaging around inside me. Almost forgot that stage 3 can morph into stage 4 in a heartbeat. Almost forgot that cancer kills more than 600,000 Americans just in the last year.

I practically forgot about cancer, even though I’m part of a support group at Gilda’s Club. Twice a month, we hold a Zoom session where we talk about how we are coping with the coronavirus. Cancer is a distant second in topics during our confabs. Did I mention that we’re all, thankfully, in remission?

I was nudged back to reality when I learned that countless cancer survivors are postponing their treatments due to the pandemic. That people who may need to have cancer screenings are putting them off. And that we all need to look out after one another— especially during a health crisis.

I became painfully aware that not everyone in the cancer community is in the remission bubble. That many of our brothers and sisters in active treatment are taking one worrisome step at a time. And that they’re consumed with appointments, tests and anxiety.

But now that I’m back down to earth about cancer, I want to make some solemn pledges:

To spread the word on the importance of cancer health screenings.

To hold the hand of my fellow survivor awaiting scan or blood tests results.

To reach out by phone and email to other survivors who remain shut-ins to reduce their chances of contracting COVID-19.

To give financial support to Gilda’s Club and the American Cancer Society to further their important work.

And I pledge never to forget that I’m part of a close community of survivors, comrades in arms in our fight against cancer and the coronavirus.

The novel coronavirus that led to the COVID-19 pandemic has been a constant fixture, not dissimilar to how cancer hangs over our lives as well. 

With The Novel Coronavirus, Cancer Sort Of Slipped My Mind

EDUCATED PATIENT® Advanced Bladder Cancer Webinar here! 

Our expert faculty spoke to nurses, patients and caregivers regarding clinical trials, advancements in treatment, and managing side effects. A special topic of discussion was for nurses, focusing on their role in supporting patients with bladder cancer.

Live on the webinar, participants also had the opportunity to submit questions to be answered live by our expert panel.

Developments in treatment of advanced bladder cancer

Managing side effects of cancer treatment

Multi-faceted role of nurses supporting patients with cancer.

At the CURE® EDUCATED PATIENT® Advanced Bladder Cancer Webinar, experts discussed the role nurses play in care for patients with bladder cancer, new treatments and more. 

EDUCATED PATIENT® Advanced Bladder Cancer Full Webinar

recognized five individuals for their contributions to the lung cancer space and raising awareness to end the stigma, inform, connect, and empower anyone who has been impacted by lung cancer.

, four individuals — two physicians, a nurse and a patient turned advocate — were awarded for their contributions to the lung cancer community. The program also recognized one Lifetime Achievement award winner.

” podcast, we spoke with Bonnie J. Addario, Carolyn Baggett, Dr. Jennifer Garst, Dr. Fred Hirsh and Deborah Pickworth about their contributions and why bringing the lung cancer community is vital in raising awareness around the disease.

Podcasts

In this episode of the “CURE Talks Cancer” podcast, we looked back on CURE’s Lung Cancer Heroes event and recognized each winner that helps bring together the lung cancer community to raise awareness.

Bringing Together the Lung Cancer Community

Breast cancer can be scary and life-altering at any stage, but those with metastatic disease, which has spread to areas beyond the breast and nearby lymph nodes, live a unique experience. Their perspective and decisions are shaped by the knowledge that their illness is incurable and that they’ll need treatment for the rest of their lives.

Patients facing this diagnosis often say that only others in the same situation can truly understand what they’re going through. CURE® talked with five people living with the disease, all ambassadors for Facing MBC Together, an Athenex Oncology program that includes a website and app designed to provide practical and emotional support. Here, we share an excerpt from Kirby Lewis’s journey with metastatic breast cancer.

Looking back at the night in 2012 when he found a lump in his chest and knew in his gut that it was breast cancer, Lewis easily finds the silver lining: When he under-went preliminary exams for mastectomy, doctors found that he needed open-heart surgery.

“I tell a lot of people that breast cancer saved my life,” says the married 60-year-old resident of West Virginia, who received a diagnosis of stage 2 disease in March 2012 and of metastatic disease in March 2016. “My oncologist and thoracic surgeon and cardiologist all agree that, had I not found the breast cancer, the heart issues would not have been detected, and I would have probably just been walking down the street one day and that would have been it. So, I feel like, in a way, it was quite a blessing.”

On adjusting to life with metastatic disease

“My wife’s first words to me were ‘How are we going to plan anything ever again?’ It ate at my core, but my answer was simply ‘What did we do yesterday?’ Because, yes, it’s not a good prognosis, but you just move on. Plans sometimes are going to be interrupted, but it comes back to my core belief that we don’t get to pick and choose what happens to us. We just get to learn how to live with it.”

On being shunned as a man with breast cancer

“I was at a conference in Philadelphia, hosted by a patient advocacy organization, at a group class teaching how to become a patient advocate in the metastatic breast cancer community, and a woman came up to me and got right in my face — not knowing that I have metastatic breast cancer — pointing her finger and hollering. She said, ‘You have no right to be here.’ It really took the wind out of my sails and made me very anxious, because I was trying to do the best I could.”

“Five months after the advocacy group class, we had lost five of the 28 members. I’m sure everybody was wondering: ‘Am I going to be next?’ So, I contacted everybody and said, ‘If you’re feeling like I am, we need to talk.’ I couldn’t live with the thought that somebody might be so depressed because of this that they would maybe consider taking their own life. That experience was the catalyst that pushed me to say, ‘I want to go back to school for a master’s in psychology, and this is what I want to focus on.’”

Kirby Lewis, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2012 and whose disease metastasized in 2016, says his diagnosis helped his care team detect a heart condition.

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