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Cancer related fatigue is one of the most persistent and frustrating symptoms. In this deeply validating and informative episode of Breast Cancer Conversations, host Laura Carfang, Ed.D., sits down with Dr. Jessa Landmann, naturopathic doctor and integrative oncology specialist, to unpack why fatigue, brain fog, weight gain, joint pain, and sleep disruption linger long after chemotherapy, radiation, or hormone therapy.

Too often, those diagnosed with breast cancer are told to “give it time,” “exercise more,” or “push through.” This conversation reframes fatigue as a treatable, understandable consequence of cancer and its therapies—and offers compassionate, practical strategies to reclaim quality of life.

Whether you’re newly diagnosed, in active treatment, living with metastatic disease, or years into survivorship, this episode reminds you: you’re not broken—and you don’t have to live exhausted.

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In this powerful episode of Breast Cancer Conversations, host Laura Carfang, Ed.D. sits down with philanthropist Sheri Biller of the Sheri and Les Biller Family Foundation to explore the often overlooked—but absolutely essential—role of supportive cancer care.

After losing her two closest friends to breast cancer over 35 years ago, Sheri made a promise: if she ever had the resources, she would dedicate her life to improving the emotional, psychological, and practical support available to everyone facing cancer. That promise became the Biller Family Foundation and later the national coalition Together for Supportive Cancer Care.

This episode dives deep into:

• Why the words supportive care matter—and how they differ from palliative and hospice care
• How siloed hospital systems leave millions without access to emotional and psychosocial support
• Why cancer is becoming an elitist disease—and how technology and policy can fix it
• Caregiver burnout and why Sheri believes we need a “Teach for America” for caregivers
• The shocking lack of trust, education, and information in underserved and rural communities
• Why supportive care should be a standard of care for all life-threatening illnesses

If you’re a patient, caregiver, clinician, or advocate for equity in cancer care, this conversation is a must-listen.

Topics We Cover

✔️ Sheri’s personal story and the loss that inspired her life's work
✔️ Early challenges in cancer language, communication, and stigma
✔️ Why patients “shut down” the moment they hear the word cancer
✔️ Supportive care vs palliative care—what’s the difference?
✔️ Breaking barriers for rural, underserved, and Spanish-speaking communities
✔️ Why caregivers are the next major crisis in healthcare
✔️ The need for culturally competent engagement in faith communities
✔️ Financial toxicity and the real-world burdens families face
✔️ AI and the future of early diagnosis and survivorship support
✔️ How hospitals, pharma, policy, and nonprofits are finally working together

Why This Matters

Supportive care is more than comfort—it’s critical to surviving and living with cancer. From mental health to financial navigation to caregiver support, Sheri explains how integrating supportive care into every diagnosis could transform outcomes for millions.

Resources:

The Biller Family Foundation:

https://billerfamilyfoundation.org/

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In this powerful conversation, host Laura Carfang, founder of SurvivingBreastCancer.org, sits down with Adrian Mendes, CEO of Perimeter Medical Imaging, and Dr. Allison DiPasquale, breast surgical oncologist and technology innovator. Together, they unpack one of the most anxiety-provoking moments after breast cancer surgery: “Did we get clear margins?”

Today, surgical innovation is radically changing that question.

Dr. DiPasquale walks listeners through the current challenges surgeons face with breast surgery, why 20–25% of patients traditionally require a second surgery, and how new real-time imaging tools are dramatically lowering that number. Mendes shares how Perimeter’s groundbreaking optical coherence tomography (OCT) and AI-powered margin assessment technology enables surgeons to visualize tissue in the operating room with near-microscopic detail—helping them achieve clear margins the first time.

In this episode we discuss:

• What “clean margins” really mean and why they matter
• Why many patients still face additional surgeries — and how that’s changing
• How OCT imaging works
• What AI can detect that the human eye can’t
• How this technology reduces repeat surgeries and emotional burden
• What patients should ask their surgeon before going into the OR
• The upcoming FDA review and when patients can expect wider availability
• How rural and community hospitals could benefit from AI-assisted surgical tools

Support the show

Latest News:

• Become a Breast Cancer Conversations+ Member! Sign Up Now.
• Join our Mailing List - New content drops every Monday!
• Discover FREE programs, support groups, and resources!
• Enjoying our content? Please consider supporting our work.