Talking to Kids About MBC

bctt on November 1, 2018

If you are a parent, there will come a time when you need to talk to your child(ren) about your diagnosis of metastatic breast cancer.

Below are articles, personal stories and websites that can help you have that conversation. We’ve also included a link to a children’s book, The Cancer That Wouldn’t Go Away.

If there are resources we missed that you have found helpful, please let us know.

Biosimilar Drugs & Breast Cancer

bctt on November 1, 2018

A biosimilar drug is a treatment that is highly similar to and that has the same efficacy as an approved biologic medicine. To date, one biologic has been approved for breast cancer care. More are expected.

Below you will find a podcast, video and article that can help you understand what biosimilar drugs are, how they are prescribed, and why they have the potential to decrease the cost of cancer treatments.

Immunotherapy & Metastatic Breast Cancer

bctt on October 3, 2018

Immunotherapy is a type of biological therapy that uses the body’s immune system to fight cancer. Different types of immunotherapies are being used to treat specific types of cancers, and it is an active area of cancer research–in the lab and in the clinic.

Below you will find links to articles and videos that can help you understand how immunotherapy works and its potential for treating metastatic breast cancer.

Living with Triple Negative MBC

bctt on October 3, 2018

Triple negative breast cancer makes up about 15 to 20 percent of all breast cancer diagnoses.This month we feature three stories by women living with metastatic triple negative breast cancer.

You can learn more about triple negative breast cancer on these websites:
Triple Negative Breast Cancer Foundation
National Breast Cancer Foundation: Triple Negative Breast Cancer
CDC: Triple Negative Breast Cancer

You can find clinical trials for Triple Negative Breast Cancer on BreastCancerTrials.org. These trials are also listed on Metastatic Trial Search (MTS)

The Lack of Diversity in Clinical Trials

bctt on October 3, 2018

The lack of diversity in clinical trials continues to draw attention and concern.

Below you will find a recent analysis by journalists that found African Americans and Native Americans are under-represented in clinical trials of new drugs in the U.S., even for types of cancers that disproportionately affects them. There is also an article that looks at the global nature of this problem. 

Where to Find Financial Support

bctt on October 3, 2018

Studies have found that about one in three cancer patients reports having difficulties paying their medical bills. In this issue, we provide links to organizations and programs that may be able to help you manage bills related to your cancer or its treatments.

Education
Services & Support
Companies that Work with Trial Sponsors to Help Patients

Click on the links below to learn about companies that help trial participants with finances and travel. Consider asking if these services are available for a trial that you are interested in.

Additional Resources

Insights into Treatment Resistance

bctt on September 1, 2018

Over time, cancer cells often stop responding to the treatment that is keeping the tumor in check. This is called treatment resistance.

Below you will find three articles that address different aspects of treatment resistance. The first article describes research looking into the genetics of cells that become resistant. The goal is to use this information to identify new treatments. Following that are articles about treatment resistance in ER+ breast tumors and the relationship between HER2 mutations and resistance to hormone therapies.

Looking for more information? There’s an entire journal devoted to the topic: Cancer Drug Resistance. You can find it here: CDR Journal.

Speaking Out on Inflammatory Breast Cancer

bctt on September 1, 2018

Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) is a rare, aggressive form of breast cancer. You can learn more about IBC on these websites:
Inflammatory Breast Cancer Research Foundation
Inflammatory Breast Cancer Network Foundation
MD Anderson Inflammatory Breast Cancer Research Program & Clinic

This month we feature three stories by women who were diagnosed with metastatic IBC.

Perspectives on Clinical Trials

bctt on September 1, 2018

Entering a clinical trial may be an option for many women and men with metastatic breast cancer. As you decide whether to enter a trial, you may want to hear multiple perspectives on clinical trials.

This month, we feature an overview of clinical trials as well as two webinars on metastatic clinical trials–one from the patients’ perspective and one from the oncologists’ perspective.

We also have included a video about the importance of research and clinical trials that features patient advocate Karen Durham. Karen died in March, a few months after the video was made. You can read more about her and her advocacy on the Komen website.

Living with MBC

bctt on September 1, 2018

What is it like to live with Metastatic Breast Cancer?

In this issue, we provide insights via links to a video of Dana-Farber social worker Liz Farrell discussing life with MBC with two patients and LBBC’s Guide to the Newly Diagnosed.

Below you will also find a link to stories on MBCN by patients who’ve lived with metastatic breast cancer for 10 years or longer.