October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and in this episode, Stacy is joined by three women who've lived where breast cancer and menopause collide: journalist and survivor Gaby Natale, Alloy co-founder/co-CEO and survivor Monica Molenaar, and breast oncologist and survivor Dr. Marisa Weiss of Breastcancer.org.
Gaby talks about "breaking the news to yourself" after her diagnosis, and the hot flashes that hit mid-interview on live TV. Monica shares how she went into surgical menopause overnight at 40 with no warning, spent years getting conflicting advice, and later chose a preventive double mastectomy partly so she'd never have to give up hormone therapy. Dr. Weiss breaks down what's actually on the table for survivors and high-risk women, because "no hormones" isn't the same as "no relief."
In this episode:
Why BRCA1 and BRCA2 can lead to very different conversations about hormone therapy
Local vaginal estrogen vs. systemic hormones, and the non-hormonal options survivors often never hear about
Why some common hot flash medications shouldn't be combined with tamoxifen
How cultural taboos and language barriers keep Latina women from getting care
How to prep for an appointment so your biggest questions don't come up with the doctor's hand on the doorknob
The baseline every woman facing treatment should know: bone density, vitamin D, strength and balance
Gaby Natale is a three-time Daytime Emmy–winning journalist, author, and founder of Menopausia.com, a bilingual menopause platform. Monica Molenaar is co-founder and co-CEO of Alloy Women's Health. Dr. Marisa Weiss is a breast oncologist and the founder of Breastcancer.org.
Hello Menopause is a podcast from Let’s Talk Menopause. Produced in partnership with Studio Kairos. Supervising Producer: Kirsten Cluthe. Artwork by Stacey Geller. Subscribe to Hello Menopause on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. And if you loved this conversation, leave us a review and share it with your community.
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