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Metastatic Breast Cancer Program

Metastatic Breast Cancer Forum Highlights

  • from 2019

    Patients with metastatic breast cancer and their loved ones gathered on October 5, 2019, for a full day of education, support, and companionship. Below are some highlights from the annual forum, directed by Nancy Lin, MD, and sponsored by Dana-Farber's Susan F. Smith Center for Women's Cancers and EMBRACE (Ending Metastatic Breast Cancer for Everyone).


  • Introduction and Welcoming Remarks

  • Nancy Lin, MD, and Eric P. Winer, MD, welcome patients and caregivers to the EMBRACE Metastatic Breast Cancer Forum and discuss advances that have been made in the care and treatment of metastatic breast cancer in recent decades.


  • Breast Cancer and the Immune System

  • Sara Tolaney, MD, MPH, discusses advances in immunotherapy to treat metastatic breast cancer.


  • Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: What's New in Treatment and Research

  • Nancy Lin, MD, discusses advances in research and treatment for patients with triple-negative breast cancer.


  • ER-Positive Breast Cancer: What's New in Treatment and Research

  • Daniel Abravanel, MD, PhD, and Otto Metzger, MD, discuss advances in research and treatment for patients with estrogen-receptor (ER)-positive (ER+) metastatic breast cancer, the most common subtype of breast cancer.


  • HER2-Positive Breast Cancer: What's New in Treatment and Research

  • Heather Parsons, MD, MPH, and Ian Krop, MD, PhD, discuss advances in research and treatment for patients with HER2+ metastatic breast cancer.


  • Coping with Metastatic Breast Cancer: Improving Quality of Life

  • Elizabeth Farrell, MSW, LICSW, provides practical advice for coping with the challenges that metastatic breast cancer presents, including feelings of isolation, fear, anger, sadness, and grief; changes in appearance; and financial concerns.


  • Clinical Trials 101

  • Adrienne (Ada) Gropper Waks, MD, provides an overview of clinical trials, focusing on trials for metastatic breast cancer.


  • Genetics and Genomics Testing in Metastatic Breast Cancer

  • Huma Rana, MD, discusses genetics and genomics testing, and how testing for genetic mutations can help direct treatment and influence decisions about surgery in patients with metastatic breast cancer and their families.


  • Food as Fuel: Strategies for Maximizing Energy

  • Hannah Dalpiaz, RD, LDN, CNSC, discusses fatigue as a side effect of cancer therapy and ways that nutrition can contribute to alleviating fatigue.

  • The forum also included a screening of the short film, Living. Living is a 40-minute documentary profiling four metastatic breast cancer patients who share their stories about living with MBC. View the film.