Martha lives in Illinois and was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer in January 2015. She has a husband and three children, ranging in age from 12 to 18, a dog and a lizard.
Metastatic Breast Cancer: Access to Care and Why It Matters
Lost homes, delayed treatments, death. Metastatic breast cancer patients have a shot at changing the access paradigm.
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Survivor? Don't Call Me That
Words matter when you talk about cancer.
How To Live With Cancer's Uncertainty
Five techniques to help you when "wait and see" is the only option
Palliative Care: Early and Often
Palliative care doesn't mean giving up treatment, it means getting the support you need as a patient with metastatic cancer.
Parenting Teenagers When You Have Cancer
It can feel like you're running out of time to get it right, says this patient with metastatic breast cancer.
Nurses: A Love Story
For more than three years, oncology nurses have poked, prodded and put a smile on this patient's face.
Clinical Trials and Cancer
If you've ever thought about clinical trials for your care, different resources may make that decision easier.
Letters of Love and Hope
Don't be scared to write "legacy letters." Here's advice on getting started and why it matters from a woman with metastatic breast cancer
Reading My Oncologist's Notes
How I learned I was "no evidence of active disease," was reminded of an important appointment and the other benefits that the OpenNotes movement wants to make available to all patients
Metastatic Cancer's Cloak of Invisibility
What it's like to live in a world that includes me, yet somehow keeps me out.
5 Ways to Feel Less Isolated After a Cancer Diagnosis
There are ways to bring a sense of belonging back to your world.
Kicking Chemobrain to the Curb
This cancer patient undertook a brain training regimen to knock out chemobrain.
Positivity and the Placebo Effect
How we think about things can have a powerful impact on our experiences. Here's why that matters for people with cancer.
Living Or Living With Cancer
Using some simple reminders that life is still happening can help put cancer anxiety and fear back where they belong.
What's Next And Other Things Metastatic Patients Want to Know
Individual advocates and larger organizations offer hope as they help us understand what future treatments are in the pipeline.
Living Scan To Scan
Three years of scans every three months means finding a way to grow and change that's not limited or defined by cancer
When the Patient Is the Loser
A major insurer takes a 20-year, first-line standard treatment off its preferred list in one market. But where will it end?
Fear of Recurrence
Don't be ashamed that you haven't "moved on," says this metastatic breast cancer patient.
When Holidays Celebrate What You Might Lose
Statements to live by in making this time of year a little easier.
"Can You Live Like This?"
Treatment for metastatic cancer can mean asking a tough question every single day.
When Caregivers Grieve
Patients with cancer can help their caregivers find paths through the pain, with all the techniques we use to find our own peace.
The Changing Science Of Metastatic Breast Cancer
Five years post-treatment is no longer the end zone for breast cancer, and it's about time we did something to change that.
Cancer Solace in Strange Places
A patient with metastatic breast cancer discusses what helps her find comfort.
Shutting Down Unwanted Cancer Advice
During the holiday season, cancer patients get a lot of well-intentioned but unhelpful advice. Here's how to make it stop.
Can Science Improve My Cancer Care Right Now?
Scientists in the lab and in the clinic can help patients with metastatic breast cancer make informed choices.
Pink Money and the Cure for Metastatic Cancer
Research into metastasis is changing the future for all stages of breast cancer.
Improve Communication With Your Oncologist
9 tips for better communication, taken from guidelines devised for oncologists.
Is the Number of Breast Cancer Deaths Really Dropping?
A recent study touts a huge drop in breast cancer mortality, but annual deaths are holding steady at 40,000 American every single year.
Hear My Voice: Advocating For Cancer Care and Research
Martha Carlson talks about what it's like to join a group of active advocates for stage 4 breast cancer
Accepting Others’ Decisions to Continue or End Cancer Treatments
It's hard to watch someone choose to end or forgo conventional treatment without succumbing to the urge to educate. But education isn't always what patients need.