Our MBC Life

Roberta Lombardi wanted to do something for the Connecticut moms and kids with breast cancer, but that *something* quickly morphed into a nonprofit effort to help break through barriers in the lives of moms with MBC. Laser focused on single moms with kids under 19 living at home and financial need, Roberta took her nonprofit (she calls it her fourth child) nationwide in mid-2023 and is already serving women in 27 states. While providing 6 months of financial support to approved applicants remains the core of Infinite Strength, Roberta has added to the support through one-day local (Connecticut) mom-and-kid retreats, in-person and online panels with some of the best experts in cancer care, a 2024 MBC conference, and a groundbreaking effort to change the picture through the Connecticut Coalition of Oncologists. This is a woman who does not sit still and we are so lucky to have her as an ally for people living with MBC. This episode may inspire *you* to get out there and do something!

Welcome to the second part of our post–2022-ASCO analysis of the state of affairs in the HR-positive MBC. It was not so long ago that our only options were single-agent endocrine therapy and systemic chemo. We have come a long way over the last couple of decades. Today we are asking Drs. Stephanie Graff, Sara Hurvitz, and Kevin Kalinsky to talk about how they make decisions in the clinic in selecting and sequencing treatments, specifically CDK4/6 inhibitors and the newly approved targeted therapies.

There’s a FDA- approved diagnostic imaging agent developed to comprehensively evaluate estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) lesions in recurrent or metastatic breast cancer as an adjunct to biopsy. By creating a “whole-body” picture of ER+ lesions, Cerianna may be a helpful diagnostic tool in helping oncologists better determine the most appropriate course of treatment. Learn more in this episode.

Celebrate OMBCL’s 100th episode and National Family Caregiver Month by listening to our candid conversations with three committed and courageous caregivers.

While HER2-Low and DESTINY-Breast04 garnered most of the headlines from the ASCO 2022 in June, it was not the only reason for optimism. Our MBC Life takes a deeper dive with Dr. Stephanie Graff and Dr. Hope Rugo in this first episode of our two-part series.

We Remember honors all who died from metastatic breast cancer over the past year—parents, children, spouses and partners. In this episode, the MBC community gives voice to both the grief and the love that endures after each death.

Welcome to the Meditation Mondays series, created with MBC patients in mind and designed for people who want to assist their body’s natural tendency to repair and heal. The focus of this episode is practice of awareness. When we meditate, what do we learn about ourselves?

MSK’s Dr. Shanu Modi, lead investigator on the DESTINY-Breast04 trial, talks with the Our MBC Life team about the trial’s standing ovation at ASCO, how to know if we’re HER2-low, and what this all means for us.

Being diagnosed with MBC can feel like you’ve been dropped into a dangerous and alien landscape, one whose inhabitants speak a new and confusing language. Numb and bewildered, you face a mountain of medical decisions—each with seemingly high stakes. The last in Our MBC Life’s 3-part series for people newly diagnosed with MBC, this episode’s interview with Dr. Rebecca Shatsky, interspersed with experienced-patient voices, sheds light on cancer types, tests, and treatment—and empowers listeners to navigate this challenging new terrain with understanding, knowledge, and confidence.

The DESTINY-Breast04 trial at ASCO 2022 introduced many people to the term “HER2-low.” But how do you know if you’re HER2-low? In this episode, with the help a breast pathologist and a clinical oncologist we dive into this subtype and what it means to us.