New Discovery Health Channel Show About Early Stage Breast Cancer (Including Her2+)

Cynthia · 02-24-2008, 02:32 PM

Friends,

The Discovery Health Channel ran a show this morning called “Discovery Health CME Breast Cancer.” It is designed to educate physicians on the latest in systemic therapies for early stage breast cancer patients. In addition to a panel discussion among three oncologists specializing in breast cancer, three patient stories are presented representing patients with different types of breast cancers. There is one patient who is a Her2+ survivor named “Cynthia,” who looks and sounds an awful lot like me. Aside from my small part in the program, I think they do a good job of explaining current treatments for early stagers.<O:p</O:p
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The program will air on the Discovery Health Channel about once a week for the next year or so. Below is a link that will let you view it online.<O:p></O:p>
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http://discoveryhealthcme.discovery....rId=1426748990<O:p></O:p>
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Best regards,<O:p></O:p>
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Leslie S · 02-24-2008, 05:33 PM

Cynthia,
Thanks so much for posting the link for the Adjuvant Breast Cancer Therapy program. I just finished watching it online and found it very well done. I liked that it covered all subsets of women. ( I happen to be a triple negative).You did a wonderful job in your interview and looked so pretty!!
Thanks, Leslie S.

lilyecuadorian · 02-24-2008, 06:57 PM

that was very good ...and you look prettier then your picture .....

Hazel Joyce · 02-24-2008, 07:00 PM

Cynthia,

Thanks for posting the link. I never tire of hearing how effective Herceptin is!

It was wonderful to see and hear you!

Cynthia · 02-25-2008, 09:05 AM

Leslie S., Lily and Hazel Joyce,

Thank you all for your very sweet words.

Best regards,

dhealey · 02-25-2008, 07:27 PM

Thank you Cynthia for posting the link. I found it very interesting and enjoyed your part iin it. I am also a nurse so I plan on taking the test for the free CME credits.

TSund · 02-25-2008, 07:34 PM

Cynthia! Well done! You are quite articulate...very impressive.

Sheila · 02-26-2008, 07:23 AM

Cynthia
You represent us all so well...very impressive....I too plan on taking the test for the continuing ed credits for my nursing license.....great job!!!!!

LAURIE · 02-26-2008, 07:34 AM

I saw the program on Sunday morning and totally recognized you. Thanks for representing. Great job!!!!!!!

Cynthia · 02-26-2008, 10:26 AM

Friends,

Thank you again to all who wrote such kind comments. By the way, I gave not one, but two, heavy plugs for www.her2support.org and the incredibly intelligent contributors to this site. Unfortunately, those mentions ended up on the proverbial cutting room floor along with so much else that was said over two full days of filming.

Thanks again. You are all the best.

AlaskaAngel · 02-26-2008, 01:55 PM

Cynthia,

I wish something like this would have been available when I was diagnosed 5 years ago, even though a lot less was known then in offering patients choices in therapies. Back then there was no Adjuvant available, there was no Herceptin except for those eligible for clinical trial (which left out many early stage patients entirely), and there was no Oncotype Dx for any patients to use. The AI's were only used for metastatic bc. I'm thankful that you shared this online access with people here so they can get past some of the complexities and confusion at time of diagnosis.

The patients in this presentation are to be deeply admired for sharing the very personal nature of their disease.

As with many such introductions, there is still room for improvement and I hope my comments will be accepted in that light. Although it isn't possible to include everything in such a limited discussion, I still think it is grossly unreasonable to that the issue of sexuality continues to be left out at the very time when decisions are being made that often have a major impact on quality of life. Consider, for example, those for whom all of the best-intentioned therapy still leaves the patient not benefitting from any of it, bald, sick, and also then having to deal with the loss of sexuality due to treatment that everyone "forgot" to mention. How betraying that belated discovery is. If one considers only those patients portrayed in the Discovery program who never mentioned any aspect of sexuality it is much easier to think "that won't happen to me" or "it will just mean cessation of periods" because there is no mention at all about it. I do want to thank Dr. Goldstein for continually emphasizing throughout the presentation the importance of genuine patient participation in the decision-making process. I think the program would have been vastly more credible if even just one of the physician panel would have emphasized specifically (even if only briefly) the importance of full disclosure and discussion with the patient about what is known and what isn't in regard to sexuality after treatment.

Even so, I think the presentation is very well done and very valuable.

Sincerely,

AlaskaAngel

lkc Gumby · 02-27-2008, 12:57 PM

Laurie,
I was just cruising through the threads ( i Hardly post anymore )
Anyhoo, we have almost the identical path & tx!( I was older though, 50)
I WAS dxed Stage IIIC May 05, , 12 out of 14 pos nodes, er pr negative , her +++.
and doing great.
Glad to see you are doing well too!
I tink it's always good to see soemone with similiar dxs doing well.
Take Care!

harrie · 03-02-2008, 12:40 AM

Can anyone tell me when this show should be airing again?
Maryanne