Being diagnosed with breast cancer at any age is frightening and unexpected. But if you’re diagnosed in your 20s – before any type of screening starts – you face different challenges than if you’re diagnosed later in life.

LaShae Rolle, who studies cancer disparities, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2023 at age 26. When she found a lump in her breast she wasn’t concerned because no one in her family had ever had breast cancer. But a mammogram and ultrasound found at least eight cancer tumors in different quadrants of her breast.

Listen to the episode to hear LaShae explain:

• why she decided to have a check-up after she found the lump
• how powerlifting helped ease some side effects
• how her diagnosis changed the focus of her research
• her advice to other people who are too young to start cancer screening

Inflammatory breast cancer is a rare and aggressive type of breast cancer; only about 1% to 5% of all breast cancers diagnosed in the United States are inflammatory. This type of breast cancer tends to be diagnosed in younger women and has very different symptoms than other types of breast cancer; it can be mistaken for an infection.

Dr. Filipa Lynce, director of the Inflammatory Breast Cancer Center at Dana-Farber, explains what you need to know about inflammatory breast cancer.

Listen to the episode to hear Dr. Lynce explain:

• the signs and symptoms of inflammatory breast cancer
• how inflammatory breast cancer is diagnosed
• how inflammatory breast cancer is treated

A breast cancer diagnosis is a trauma, both physically and emotionally. You may find yourself wondering why no one is calling you one day and wishing you could just be left alone the next. This podcast is the audio from a special Virtual Community Meetup featuring guest moderator Kelly Grosklags.

Listen to the podcast to hear Kelly and Community members discuss:

• navigating through both fear and hope
• how to stay grounded in what exists today
• giving yourself grace for living a different life

A number of breast cancer treatments, including chemotherapy and some targeted therapy medicines, like Herceptin (trastuzumab), can cause oral side effects, including mouth sores, dry mouth and infections.

Dr. Sollecito explains why these side effects happen and how they’re treated.

Listen to the episode to hear Dr. Sollecito explain:

• why it’s a good idea to see a dentist before starting chemotherapy
• the type of dental check-up schedule someone receiving breast cancer treatment should consider
• what to do if you develop a cavity or need a root canal during treatment

While preparing for breast cancer surgery and reconstruction, Erica Neubert Campbell was understandably scared and anxious. She also had no idea what her reconstructed breasts would look like. Then a colleague shared that she had been through the same experience and showed Campbell her results. The information gave Campbell hope and strength, and she hopes to offer the same to other women with her new book, The Mastectomy I Always Wanted.

Listen to the episode to hear Campbell discuss:

• why she wrote the book
• how the book was a release, but also brought up a lot of the raw emotions she was feeling when she was first diagnosed
• how she hopes the book, including the more than 50 photos, will help other women

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force updated its screening mammogram recommendations. Having a double mastectomy after being diagnosed with breast cancer in one breast doesn’t lower the risk of dying from the disease. Certain types of exercise can reduce the risk of metastatic recurrence and neuropathy caused by chemotherapy. 

What does all this mean? Breastcancer.org Professional Advisory Board member Dr. Holly Pederson discusses the details of these studies and how they may affect you.

Listen to the episode to hear Dr. Pederson discuss these studies:

• updated U.S. Preventive Services Task Force breast cancer screening recommendations
• double mastectomy after a cancer diagnosis in one breast reduces the risk of cancer in the other breast, but doesn’t decrease the risk of dying from breast cancer
• neuromuscular training reduces chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy
• exercise reduces the risk of metastatic recurrence of hormone receptor-negative breast cancer
• hormonal therapy doesn’t increase dementia risk

Scroll down to below the “About the guest” information to read a transcript of this podcast.

Certain breast cancer treatments, including the aromatase inhibitors – medicines that stop the body from making estrogen – and certain chemotherapy medicines can compromise bone health and lead to osteoporosis.

Listen to the episode to hear Dr. Shahane explain:

• the difference between osteoporosis and osteopenia
• osteoporosis risk factors
• how osteoporosis is diagnosed
• osteoporosis treatments

Carly Fauth was diagnosed with breast cancer in January 2024. Scheduled to start chemotherapy in May, Carly decided to start a podcast called Chemo Coffee Talk, which she records from her chemo chair during her twice-monthly infusions at the Dana-Farber Brigham Cancer Center.

Listen to the episode to hear Carly discuss:

• how recording the podcast takes her mind off chemotherapy
• how she selects her guests
• what she plans to do with the podcast when her chemotherapy regimen ends

Palliative care is often confused with hospice care, but the two are very different. This podcast is the audio from a special Virtual Community Meetup featuring guest moderator Dr. Joe Straton.

Listen to the episode to hear Dr. Straton discuss:

• the issues palliative care addresses
• the difference between palliative care and hospice care
• the appropriate time to request palliative care
• insurance coverage for palliative care

In late 2019, Meredith’s routine mammogram showed an area of concern. Both her doctor and AI – an artificial intelligence program -- read her mammogram. Her doctor looked at the images and knew she had cancer, while the AI reading wasn’t so clear.

Listen to the episode to hear Meredith explain:

how AI is taught to read and interpret a mammogram

the factors a doctor considers when making a diagnosis versus the factors an AI considers

how bias is introduced into AI

why she wants a doctor to read her mammogram rather than AI

At the 2024 American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting (ASCO) in June, an entire poster session was dedicated to treatment-related side effects.

Listen to the episode to hear:

• Dr. Miriam Klahr discuss links between high blood sugar (hyperglycemia) and chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy :42-2:20
• Dr. Ana Ferrigno Guajardo explain her study on sexual function in young Mexican women with breast cancer 2:21-4:44
• Dr. Mingxiao Yang talk about how acupuncture and yoga may help ease chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy 4:45-5:56
• Erin Hong detail the results of a study on the Amma, a scalp cooling cap to prevent hair loss from chemotherapy 5:57-9:52
• Dr. Laila Agrawal report the results of an online surgery on sexual health after breast cancer 9:53-11:50