Events > Thriving Together: 2023 Conference on Metastatic Breast Cancer

Thriving Together: 2023 Conference on Metastatic Breast Cancer

The Power of Community: Seen. Heard. Connected.

Browse highlights from the 2023 Conference.

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Date and Time

Wed, Apr 26, 2023 to ET

Fri, Apr 28, 2023 to ET

Sat, Apr 29, 2023 to Sun, Apr 30, 2023 ET

Location

Virtual and In-Person

The Hilton Philadelphia at Penn’s Landing 201 South Columbus Blvd. Philadelphia, PA 19106
Get Directions

Watch recordings

About this conference

Our Conference on Metastatic Breast Cancer has been providing people living with metastatic breast cancer and their families and friends with a dedicated space to gather trusted information and a community of support for 17 years.

Learn more

Date and Time

Wed, Apr 26, 2023 to ET

Fri, Apr 28, 2023 to ET

Sat, Apr 29, 2023 to Sun, Apr 30, 2023 ET

Location

Virtual and In-Person

The Hilton Philadelphia at Penn’s Landing 201 South Columbus Blvd. Philadelphia, PA 19106
Get Directions

Watch recordings

About this conference

Our Conference on Metastatic Breast Cancer has been providing people living with metastatic breast cancer and their families and friends with a dedicated space to gather trusted information and a community of support for 17 years.

Learn more

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To all the attendees, speakers, vendors and volunteers who joined us in bringing the metastatic breast cancer community together in-person for the first time since 2019…thank you. Your support and contributions made this event a success, and we couldn't have done it without you.

One of the most impactful aspects of the Thriving Together conference was the deep connections and life-long friendships that were formed among attendees. For many individuals living with metastatic breast cancer, finding a supportive community can be challenging. However, this conference provided a safe space for people to come together, share their experiences, and form meaningful relationships.

We are grateful for the bonds that were formed and the strength they bring to the metastatic breast cancer community.

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Featured recording

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Keynote: Living well with metastatic breast cancer

Speakers: Stephanie Broadnax Broussard, LCSW, ACHP-SW and Don S. Dizon, MD, FACP, FASCO
Sunday, April 30 | 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (ET)

Get the information and tools you need to manage the physical and emotional impact of metastatic breast cancer and its treatments. Explore the quality-of-life issues that impact living well, the gift of self-care, and how to define well-being for yourself to live as fully as possible.

Schedule Section

Recordings

Learn more about each of the sessions held during this year's Conference on Metastatic Breast Cancer and find links to watch session recordings on our YouTube channel in the 2023 Conference on Metastatic Breast Cancer playlist. Some sessions are also available in audio format on our SoundCloud or as complete transcripts.

Keynote | Ask the expert: Diet, physical activity and sleep

Speakers: Rachel Beller, MS, RDN and Pallav K. Mehta, MD
Saturday, April 29 | 9:45 – 11:00 a.m. (ET)

We all know a good diet, exercise, and adequate rest help to optimize well-being. As a person living with metastatic breast cancer, you may face unique challenges in these areas. In this 60-minute Q&A session, ask your questions and gather strategies from our experts about optimizing your nutrition and getting the sleep and physical activity you crave.

WATCH NOW

Keynote | Recently approved therapies and promising approaches for the future

Speaker: Nancy U. Lin, MD
Saturday, April 29 | 11:45 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. (ET)

Hear about drugs that have been approved for metastatic breast cancer over the last 2 years and how they impact each subtype of breast cancer. Learn how these latest approvals compare with previous standard-of-care therapies, what we know, and what we don’t, and hear about the exciting drugs and approaches in the pipeline for the next 3 to 5 years.

WATCH NOW | READ TRANSCRIPT

Keynote | Coping with grief

Speaker: Kelly Grosklags, LICSW, BCD, FAAGC
Saturday, April 29 | 2:30 – 3:30 p.m. (ET)

In this session, we will discuss the implications of daily loss while living with MBC. There are both subtle and profound losses that can influence feelings of sadness, anxiety, and depression. Our speaker will discuss the concept of anticipatory grief and how important it is to name your losses and allow others in for support.

WATCH NOW

Keynote | Shared voices: Learning from each other

Panelists: Thomasina Butler, Sheila Godreau, Cheryl Law, and Deb Ontiveros
Sunday, April 30 | 9:45 – 11:00 a.m. (ET)

Listen to, learn from, and share with a panel of your peers. Topics will include living with uncertainty, setting goals and having hope, parenting, navigating relationships with friends and family, managing finances, work and insurance matters, and much more.

WATCH NOW

Keynote | Living well with metastatic breast cancer

Speakers: Stephanie Broadnax Broussard, LCSW, ACHP-SW and Don S. Dizon, MD, FACP, FASCO
Sunday, April 30 | 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (ET)

Get the information and tools you need to manage the physical and emotional impact of metastatic breast cancer and its treatments. Explore the quality-of-life issues that impact living well, the gift of self-care, and how to define well-being for yourself to live as fully as possible.

WATCH NOW | READ TRANSCRIPT

Breakout | Newly diagnosed: A guide for understanding a diagnosis of MBC

Speaker: Zanetta Lamar, MD
Wednesday, April 26 | 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. (ET)

Whether this is your first breast cancer diagnosis, or you have had breast cancer before, learning you have metastatic breast cancer is likely to be overwhelming. This session is designed to provide you with the medical information and practical support necessary to help you make informed decisions about your treatment and to get your bearings during the first months after a metastatic diagnosis. This session may also be helpful to those who aren’t newly diagnosed but need a basic understanding of metastatic breast cancer and how it is treated.

WATCH NOW | LISTEN

Breakout | Living long term with MBC: Making treatment decisions

Speakers: Virginia Borges, MD, MMSc and Abigail Johnston
Wednesday, April 26 | 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. (ET)

As a person living long term with mets, you may have experienced several lines of treatment or changes to your treatment. We’ll explore the variables involved in making these decisions, the questions you can ask to better understand available treatment options, ways to honor your quality-of-life goals (including when to halt or stop treatment), and how to communicate your decisions and needs effectively with your provider and your family.

WATCH NOW | LISTEN

Breakout | Bone mets

Speakers: Carmen Bergom, MD, PhD and Katherine N. Weilbaecher, MD
Wednesday, April 26 | 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. (ET)

The bones are the most common place for breast cancer to spread. In this session, learn about treatment options, and get strategies to limit side effects, manage bone pain, and maintain bone strength. We’ll also discuss how to understand screening tests, and we’ll share updates on clinical trials studying new treatments and quality of life.

WATCH NOW | LISTEN | READ TRANSCRIPT

Breakout | Managing side effects

Speaker: Kimberly A. Curseen, MD
Wednesday, April 26 | 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. (ET)

Managing side effects of your treatment is crucial to living well with metastatic breast cancer. In this session, learn about effective strategies to manage side effects from targeted, localized, and systemic treatments. Ask questions of our expert and share tips with others in the chat throughout this session.

WATCH NOW | LISTEN

Breakout | Newly diagnosed: Managing emotions

Speakers: Jenny Burkholder and Celeste Vaughan-Briggs, LCSW
Wednesday, April 26 | 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. (ET)

A metastatic breast cancer diagnosis can feel like a shock to the system. If you’ve recently been diagnosed, we know that you may be experiencing intense emotions and uncertainty. Join this breakout to explore these complex emotions, hear from others who have been there and get strategies for managing feelings now and as you go forward.

WATCH NOW | LISTEN

Breakout | Living long-term with MBC: A panel discussion on the tough stuff

Facilitator: Cheryl Hughes, MSW, LCSW, OSW-C
Panelists: Ann Camden, Stephanie Walker, and Toni Willis
Wednesday, April 26 | 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. (ET)

Living with metastatic breast cancer can feel like a roller coaster. You may have experienced several changes in treatment, managed many side effects, and had to make hard choices about practical matters like career, relationships, and how to spend your time and energy. Join this breakout session to discuss these challenges, hear from others like you, and get strategies for managing the toll that these medical, emotional, and everyday matters take from you over time.

WATCH NOW | LISTEN

Breakout | The cost of cancer for MBC patients

Speakers: Mary E. Costello and Pam Traxel
Wednesday, April 26 | 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. (ET)

According to a poll from the Kaiser Family Foundation, around 20% of adults who have personally had cancer or have a family member who had cancer said they owe $10,000 or more in medical debt. This debt has been fueled in part by the "eye-popping price tags" of new treatments. For those living with metastatic breast cancer, that dollar amount is most likely much higher. This workshop looks at the costs of cancer seen through the lens of metastatic breast cancer patients.  The cost of cancer care and potential advocacy solutions will be explored by American Cancer Society’s Pam Traxel, while Mary E. Costello, an MBC advocate, will share her story of facing staggering medical costs.

WATCH NOW | LISTEN

Breakout | Managing pain

Speaker: Joshua A. Jones, MD, MA
Wednesday, April 26 | 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. (ET)

Understand different types of pain, and hear about medicines and methods to manage pain while preserving your quality of life. Learn how to include pain management in your overall treatment plan, including ways to communicate with your doctor about concerns and finding resources and pain specialists.

WATCH NOW | LISTEN | READ TRANSCRIPT

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Advisory committee

We are grateful to this year’s advisory committee who have partnered with us to ensure the annual conference remains relevant and inclusive of all the ways people experience this disease.

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Speakers

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Rachel Beller, MS, RDN

CEO, Beller Nutritional Institute

Carmen Bergom headshot

Carmen Bergom, MD, PhD

Associate Professor in Radiation Oncology, Washington University School of Medicine

Virginia Borges, MD, MMSc

Deputy Head, Division of Medical Oncology; Director, Breast Cancer Research Program & Young Women’s Breast Cancer Translational Program, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

Stephanie Broadnax Broussard, LCSW, APHSW-C

Director of Palliative Care and Social Work, Texas Oncology

Jenny Burkholder

Jenny Burkholder

Patient Advocate

Thomasina Butler

Patient Advocate, New York

Ann headshot

Ann Camden*

Patient Advocate

Mary Costello

Mary E. Costello

Patient Advocate, Maryland

Kimberly Curseen

Kimberly Curseen, MD

Director, Supportive and Palliative Care Outpatient Services, Emory Healthcare

Don S. Dizon, MD, FACP, FASCO

Director, The Pelvic Malignancies Program, Lifespan Cancer Institute

Gregory D. Garber, MSW, LCSW

Administrative Director, Division of Supportive Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Jefferson Health

Sheila Godreau

Patient Advocate, Florida

Kelly Grosklags, LICSW, BCD, FAAGC, FT

Clinical social worker

Farah Hassanbhai-Kapoor

Farah Hassanbhai-Kapoor

Yoga Instructor

Nancy Herard-Marshall headshot

Nancy Herard-Marshall*

Patient Advocate; Dance/Movement Therapist

Cheryl Hughes headshot

Cheryl Hughes, MSW, LCSW, OSW-C

Oncology Clinical Therapist II, Inova Life With Cancer

Abigail Johnston

Patient Advocate

Joshua Jones headshot

Joshua A. Jones, MD, MA

Director, Palliative Radiotherapy Service, University of Pennsylvania Health System

Zanetta Lamar, MD

Medical Oncologist, Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute

Cheryl Law headshot

Cheryl Law

Patient Advocate, Alabama

Nancy U. Lin, MD

Associate Chief, Division of Breast Oncology; Director, Metastatic Breast Cancer Program, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Natasha McIntosh headshot

Natasha McIntosh

Patient Advocate, North Carolina

Stephanie McLeod-Estevez headshot

Stephanie McLeod-Estevez, LCPC

Licensed clinical professional counselor; art therapist

Pallav Mehta

Pallav K. Mehta, MD

Medical Director, Reimagine Care; Assistant Professor of Medicine, MD Anderson Cancer Center at Cooper

Deb Ontiveros

Deb Ontiveros

Patient Advocate, Utah

Pam Traxel headshot

Pam Traxel

Senior Vice President, ACS CAN

Celeste Vaughan-Briggs headshot

Celeste Vaughan-Briggs, LCSW

Program Manager, Breast and Cervical Cancer Screening Program; Oncology Social Worker at Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson

Stephanie Walker headshot

Stephanie Walker

Registered Nurse

Katherine N. Weilbaecher, MD

Oliver M. Langenberg Distinguished Professor, Oncology, Washington University School of Medicine

Toni Willis

Toni Willis

Patient Advocate, Texas

3 Tier Sponsors

Thank you

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