We're partnering with Eli Lilly and Company for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

A cancer diagnosis can impact every aspect of someone's life, but they shouldn't face it alone.

Research shows that support and human connection play a significant role in one's healing and mental health.

That's why Lily is working with patients, caregivers, and advocates to amplify voices, advanced treatment, and empower the early and metastatic breast cancer community.

Learn more about how Lily is making a difference at Lily dot com.

Hi everyone, I'm Kitty Kuric and this is next question.

As many of you might know, I've been through my own breast cancer journey and the one thing I've learned is that the story doesn't necessarily stop when treatment ends.

In fact, for so many women, that's when a whole new chapter begins.

Today I'm talking with doctor Lilly Smith, Senior Vice president and Global Development head for breast Cancer at Eli Lilly and Company, as well as breast cancer patient advocate and Lily partner Lecha Role.

We're talking about life after diagnosis and treatment.

Why knowing your body's normal is so critical, how to understand your risk of recurrence, especially when diagnosed with early breast cancer that does have a high risk of coming back, and what it means to be your own advocate and follow up care.

Doctor Smith and Leshay, Welcome to both of you.

I'm so excited to be with you and have this important conversation about breast cancer and really life after breast cancer treatment.

And doctor Smith, may I call you Lily?

You may, of course.

Let me start with you.

I know you went into oncology and then you decided to really focus on breast cancer.

What led you down this path?

What was it about breast cancer in particular that interested you?

So you know, honestly, it was the patients that drew me in.

I mean, obviously, breast cancer predominantly affects women, and I got the sense really early on in my training that these were the women and the patients that I wanted to look after.

It just always felt like critically important work.

And then I would say, added to that, the science pulled me in.

Breast cancer is one of the fastest moving feels in oncology, and the more I treated patients, the more motivated I became to really try and find new and improved ways to care for those patients.

Ultimately, I just wanted to be part of driving improved outcomes for patients with this disease.

Lche.

I know that you share a lot of interest with Lilian and that you were studying breast cancer prevention and you were getting a PhD and still are in public health when ironically you were diagnosed yourself with breast cancer.

Tell me about that, and that was I know, in twenty twenty four, you were just twenty six years old.

Liche, Yeah, I was young.

So for me, basically, I was in the middle of my PhD.

Second year of my PhD, and I thought, I'm doing cancer research, cancer prevention in particular, and I felt a lump.

I was like, hmm, that's one of those things that I tell people might be a risk factor.

And I felt a little pain in my breast and I was like, that's another red flag.

And so I did with.

What I hope many people do when they find that something is wrong, they going to get checked out.

So I went to do a woman's health exam at the student Health Center and they let me know that, hmm, you have a lump there.

Maybe it could be something could not be most likely due to your age.

It's fibrus tissue.

But they went and sent me off to do a mamma gramina ultrasound anyway, and we all know that story ended.

They found that I did indeed have cancer.

And I credit me doing my PhD in this field to finding that because I think had I been in a different place in my life or not in this field, I would not have been alarmed by those things, and I maybe would not have known that that was something that could be related to cancer.

And so my biggest thing that I tell people all the time is get to know your body and what is your normal, so that if something is wrong, you know to get checked.

Well.

Thank goodness, Lilian that Leche was studying this, knew that this needed medical attention, did not blow it off when and got it taken care of, but goodness she would just she's twenty eight now, just twenty six years old.

We're seeing many more people, many more women getting diagnosed with breast cancer at an earlier and earlier age, aren't we We are?

I mean, in fact, it has resulted in US sort of adjusting the screening guidelines within the US to lower that age to forty, where the recommendation is to have yearly mammograms from that age, So there is no doubt that younger age a diagnosis breast cancer is rising in incidents, both globally and specifically within the US.

So it's really important that folks remain aware of that.

And I think telling stories like Ache is describing today is just hugely important for everyone to understand the changes that are happening out there.

Because at her age, she was well below the guidelines for getting screened, and yet you were aware enough to notice a change in your body and Lechee, I really admired the fact that you have shared your experience very publicly.

You've created a platform you talk about what happened to you.

Why has that been so important to you?

It's been extremely important for me because at the time when I was diagnosed, I went to Instagram, I went all over the internet and I tried to find somebody who was like me, that was sharing maybe some aspect, not even the full story like I am.

And I couldn't find anyone.

I couldn't find anyone my age, I couldn't find anyone that looked like me.

I couldn't find anyone who was powerlifting.

And yes, Bury the lead You're a power left.

I'll get to that.

In a moment.

Yes, And so what I wanted to do was I wanted to create that person for other women who are going to be diagnosed young, or who want to engage in those activities, or or who have similarities to me.

And so that's why I want to share that, to spread awareness and to have somebody who was out there to be that person that I needed at the time.

What kind of feedback have you gotten, Liche?

Has it been gratifying to see that you're striking a chord and educating so many women who not only look like you, but who don't look like you and need to be aware of the symptoms of breast cancer, especially at an early age.

Yes, so it's been monumental.

It's taken off much more than I even thought.

So initially I just posted that night.

I did want to share it with some people, and I did want to make an impact, but it's made much more of an impact than I could have ever thought of, reaching people in different countries, like you said, not just to look like me, everybody, and getting people moving and people tagging me and saying I'm working out today because I'm channeling my inner strong after cancer, and I'm like, wow, this is incredible, And people are messaging me saying they got their first mama around because they realized that I was diagnosed so young and it actually runs in their family and they weren't just getting screened even though it runs in your family.

And I'm sure that many people can get screened because when you have a genetic history, they do allow you to get it covered and screened.

And you know, I just A'm very proud of what has happened, and I think that I have no regrets.

Well, I'm so proud of you that you have shared your story, and I want to mention something because I think sometimes family history is used as an excuse or no family history, I should say, for not really pay attention to many cancers, including breast cancer.

And the fact of the matter is Lilian that most women who are diagnosed with breast cancer have no family history, right.

Correct, entirely true, exactly.

So I mean I think that that's to your point.

It's about understanding that you need to know what normal is for your body and to report any symptoms or red flags as you term them, like new lumps, pains, issues.

You really have to talk to your doctor about them and don't dismiss them and think, oh, well, this would never happen to me, or it doesn't.

Run in my family, right because it didn't run in Lache's family.

Absolutely, Let's talk about the steps you need to take after you're diagnosed, and just having experienced it myself a few years years ago, the staging is critically important.

So can you help people understand who haven't gone through what Leche and I have or don't have your background, Lilian, what the difference is between early stage breast cancer and metastatic breast cancer.

Yeah, absolutely, so it's a critical distinction, and it's the distinction that we make right at the time of diagnosis.

So early stage breast cancer is by far the most common presentation, and that basically consists of breast cancer that is confined to the breast or the local lymphnotes, and the treatment intent for early breast cancer is cure.

Typically it consists of surgery first, so either a partial removal of breast tissue or full removal of breast so.

You're talking about a lumpa lump versus aspect.

To me exactly, and then often that's followed by radiation therapy and then in some cases chemotherapy or targeted therapy like hormone therapies are offered.

So that's early stage breast cancer.

Metastatic or advanced breast cancer is breast cancer that has spread beyond the breast and local lymph node area to a distant organ like long liver or bone, and the treatment intent in that scenario is different.

It is long term treatment that is focusing on disease control and maintaining quality of life for as long.

As we can.

That's why early detection is so critically most important, because it is much easier to eradicate the disease when it's caught early instead of just managing the.

Disease correct andentarly.

Absolutely, let's talk lche about life after treatment.

Your breast cancer was stage two B, so that meant lymph node involvement correct.

Yes, So I had lymph node involvement.

So that meant you needed chemotherapy and you got a mestectomy.

Yes.

So first of all, how was that treatment for you?

So for me, it honestly was it was a lot.

So being so young and having to have my breast removed, it was just something I was not thinking about at all, and it's something that's it feels so feminine, like it feels like something that all women have.

You have your breast.

That's one of the things that really sets us apart.

And so I had that removed and that was a big thing.

But then when I found out later that it had spread all my lymph nodes because we were still waiting for how many positive lymph nodes I had.

After surgery, found out I had to do chemo, and you know when you hear the word chemo, it's very intimidating.

And so I had to do taxitair and cyclophosphamide that's TC for four cycles and I lost all of my hair and it was very, very emotional for me.

But you know, after I lost my hair, I was like, well, that's it smooth sailing from hair.

I was trying to avoid losing my hair.

That was the biggest thing.

And I just powered through it.

And with the help of my family and my dog.

He was a big part.

He was a big part of my journey.

I was able to get through those two parts.

And then I had radiation after wood.

And which can make you very tired.

Oh yes, I had a lot of fatigue and there was some mark, so it had some burning and discoloration in that area.

But just like chemotherapy, I got through it, and I didn't stop doing anything throughout it.

Throughout all my treatment, I was still doing my PhD, I was still working out, I was still living my life, and I didn't let it stop me.

So it might have been hard, but you know what, I'm tougher than cancer.

I think a lot of people focus on the treatment liche, but there's also life after treatment, something that I think patients aren't necessarily prepared for.

Lillian, what do you tell patients who are saying, Okay, I'm done about the things they might experience once the treatment is actually over.

Yeah, it's such an important question.

So I would say, once the upfront treatment of surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy is completed, patients move into this active follow up schedule of follow up visits.

So typically what that looks like is they will be seeing their clinician every three to four months for the first two years, then it sort of moves out every six to twelve months up until year five, and then after that fifth year they're really just coming in every year, And the purpose of those visits is really a check in to see how are you doing, do you have any worries or concerns, do you have any symptoms that are new, have you any side effects from treatment, or are you expect lear and seeing new side effects from ongoing treatment.

It's really an opportunity to support those patients who are still on ongoing treatment because, as you may know, many breast cancers are hormone receptor positive and for those patients, they're recommended hormone therapy for at least five years and sometimes up to ten years.

So it's actually really important to check in with those patients and see how they're doing.

Are you actually taking your medication, how does that feel, do you have side effects?

And you know, the typical issues that we would be discussing in clinic are things like sexual health, hot flashes, bone health, and it's just really important that patients feel comfortable to bring up these topics in the clinic.

I would say from an imaging perspective, their follow up usually looks like a mammogram every year.

We follow bone health with a dexa scan every other year, and that's really important for postmenopausal patients and patients who are on hormone therapy, and then, as you mentioned history and genetics, if we identify that a patient has a family history or an increased risk a genetic risk, then we have to tailor their treatment plan and their follow up appropriately.

So I guess I would say high level life sort of after the upfront treatment really looks like staying very connected with your care team, being proactive, and you know, for us as providers, it's just about giving patients the tools to live well so that all issues can be flagged early.

We're partnering with Eli Lilly and Company for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

A cancer diagnosis can impact every aspect of someone's life, but they shouldn't face it alone.

Research shows that support and human connection play a significant role in one's healing and mental health.

That's why Lily is working with patients, caregivers, and advocates to amplify voices, advanced treatment, and empowered the early and metastatic breast cancer community.

Learn more about how Lily is making a difference at Lily dot com.

Lyche you have been a very vocal advocate for your own follow up care.

Tell us about that and examples of how you have spoken up and made your needs known to your healthcare providers.

Yeah, so one of the biggest things I do is I share with people on Instagram that if there's anything wrong or you have any issues, make sure that you tell your care team that because it's very important.

Like doctor said, you must, you know, keep your team informed.

And so for me, like doctor touched on a lot of those things like hot flashes, etc.

Because I'm also hormone positive, there are a lot of things after cancer treatment, and so for me, I just would share those things with my doctor and I would let her know and she would basically tailor a lot of those hormone therapies and just help me have an overall much better experience.

And I've been able to maintain and stay on all of the drugs and I'm in a good place.

All of my scans are clear and everything's going well.

So I would just say having that open line of communication and just being aware that your body is still going through a lot and trying to recover after treatment.

I would say that cancer patients, no matter what the type of cancer, just know that your body went through a lot and just be gentle with yourself and try to build back.

But I think you're so right.

I mean, I think it's so important for patients to talk to their physicians about, say, the side effects of follow up care.

For example, a romantase inhibitors.

Right, if you have hormone receptor positive breast cancer, you have to take these inhibitors that basically suppress estrogen because the cancer feeds on estrogen.

Am I getting that right there, Darley?

Yes?

And there are ways to mitigate some of the side effects from taking those drugs, and a lot of women do not take the drugs because of the side effects, and it's really important to talk to your healthcare provider about that so they can help you manage the side effects and you still take the drugs.

Absolutely, that's the message.

How do you get women to feel comfortable and feel like they're not bothering you by saying, hey, Lillian or doctor Smith, you know I feel like hell because of this, you know, follow up medication, and you know sex is painful or my bones really hurt.

I mean, there are all kinds of things that sometimes come with that.

And how would you encourage women to be open and honest and assertive about that without worrying that they're whining?

Oh my god, Yes, I mean I think It starts with just giving yourself permission to ask questions right and lots of them, and start broad.

You know, if you don't understand what follow up looks like, ask the question, what does my follow up look like?

What should I expect from these clinic visits?

I mean, I always say to patients before a clinic visit, just take a few minutes to sit with yourself and think about how am I feeling.

You know, do I have any new symptoms?

And write down?

Write it down.

That's exactly what I was going to say, right, Like, make a note of your symptoms, your side effects, your questions, your worries, your concerns, and just bring that in with you into the clinic visit, because you know, often patients are like a deer in a headlight right when they arrive at the clinic visit.

And I think it's important for you as a patient to feel like you've used your time well and that you leave that clinic visit satisfied that you've gotten that opportunity to ask all of those questions.

And I will say I do think the clinicians are genuinely of the mind that they want patients to feel empowered to talk to them openly, and you know, open and honest communication is a good This can improve outcomes because it will keep patients on therapy longer.

Let's talk about recurrence because obviously that's what you really are trying to avoid for breast cancer patients.

And how do you determine the likelihood of recurrence?

Today, breast cancer doctors on coologists have all kinds of tools at their disposal that they didn't have even ten years ago that can help really determine the kind of care of breast cancer patient gets.

So let's talk about recurrence.

Yeah, so recurrence is a term, or risk of recurrence is a term that we use a lot, and really what that means is the chance of the breast cancer coming back after you've completed treatment.

So we think about risk of recurrence.

When we're trying to estimate that risk, we look at patient factors and we look at tumor factors.

So the things we consider in patient factors are, you know, agent diagnosis that's critically important, is there a family history?

And then the tumor factors that we're especially interested in are how big is that tumor, has the tumor spread to the local lymph, nodes, what is the grade of that tumor, which is really just a pathologist way of describing how different that cancer cell looks to normal cells.

And then we look at the tumor biology.

So you mentioned the estrogen receptor, so we stain the breast tumor tissue for the estrogen receptor and for the herto receptor, and if a patient is found to be positive for those receptors, that information tells us that we should consider a specific type of targeted therapy for those patients.

I would say that we also, as you mentioned, have lots of new tools, so we sometimes use validated risk scores, which basically pool all of that information together.

We use genomic tests, and all of these information factors essentially give us a more acise estimate of risk.

Once we understand what that risk of recurrence is, then we can tailor the treatment plan.

We can decide with the patient whether chemotherapy or targeted therapy like hormone therapy is needed.

I would say it's important to recognize that talking about risk of recurrence is not about creating fear.

It is about ensuring that patients are getting the right treatment plan that is individualized to their situation.

So you know, information is power.

That's the reality.

Amen to that, sister, And I am so thrilled that doctors like yourself have this whole panoply of tools now that can be really evaluated in concert and help a patient navigate and determine the course of treatment.

And Leche miss PhD and public health.

You know somebody who really understands whose specialty is cancer prevention.

How did these tools help you navigate your own treatment and life after treatment?

Oh?

It helped me a lot.

It helped me understand more about what was going on because a lot of the things that from the patient perspective, you just confuse and you don't know what's going on.

Right, that's a lot to kind of digest all that stuff that Lilian was.

Talking about, Right, You're like, what, like imagine if you know just nothing not right?

What is ER positive?

What is PR positive?

And what is a mama print?

And an oncode type?

What is RAT?

And so for me being able to break those things down read studies, it helped me a lot with my treatment.

For example, with my surgery, I had a unilateral mastectomy, so only one side the brast that was affected was removed because studies have found that there was no benefit to doing a bilateral mastectomy, and so together with me and my surgeon, we decided on just removing the disease tissue.

And so me being able to break that down and read things as an epidemiologist and understand statistics, it helped me a lot.

And so then also.

Being able to look at the oncotype and mamma print results that I got, I was able to look at my risk of recurrence and so I saw, Okay, if I take on aroma taste inhibitor or something similar to that, my risk goes down by this much.

If I have chemo, my risk goes down by this much, if I have radiation.

And so because of that, I think that's one of the reasons I ended up opting for everything, give me everything to make sure this does not come back, particularly because of my age, because just because I'm younger, I'm going to be around longer, So inherently I'm going to have an increased risk just because of the mere fact that I'm younger.

So I wanted to have my best bet of never seeing this disease again, and so it helped me a lot with that, and then also doing a lot of the complimentary treatment, so being able to lessen my stress, eat more fruits and vegetables, and following some of those guidelines, working out, and just working together with some of my mentors.

It was just great.

You know, we talked about treatment and follow up after your initial treatment, but one of the things I didn't ask you about, Leche was some of the sort of psychological and physical challenges that one faces after breast cancer treatment as they continue on this path.

And as somebody who is a powerlifter, which what does that mean exactly?

You just lift super heavyweights?

Is that the deal?

Yeah, So with powerlifting, it's three lifts, So it's squat, bench press, and dad lift, and so it's the CUMU lift total of those three lifts, and so you try to lift as much as you can for one lift.

Then you have three attempts in a competition.

So, yes, how did you get into that?

By the way, So I played college basketball and during the training we would do a lot of lifting in the gym to strengthen up, and I noticed, wow, I'm pretty strong.

I'm strong, and then a lot of the people around me.

And so once I completed playing college basketball, I said, oh, I'm just I'm not going to just sit around and do nothing.

I need to work out and do something.

And I wanted to compete as well, because I'm a competitor.

I've been competing my whole life.

And so I said, okay, this is the best of both worlds.

I can work out and not do too much running and stuff, because all that running was it was a lot with powerlifting, and I can compete, and so then that's what I did.

So I'm thinking about you as a powerlifter and somebody who is a competitor and loves doing that.

And you get a mastectomy, right, which often affects your mobility and also your energy.

Love, so that was something that you had to overcome following your treatment.

What was that like?

It was very difficult, mainly because I just it's like a block.

It was a mental block.

It's like, you know, that area is removed.

How am I gonna listen?

I'm sure it accepted, right, You're just physically how much you could move your arm right for a while.

In the beginning.

Yes, so about a month after my mastectomy, I had full range of motion only because I did a lot of prehab.

I met with a physical therapist, and due to my background working in lifestyle medicine oncology, I just knew the blueprint and what to do and I prepared for it.

So I think a month turnaround is just insane when I look back at it.

But for me, yeah, it was.

It was a period of time where I did not have that mobility or the strength.

But at the time I reached chemotherapy, I was bench pressing two hundred and fifty then bounds.

So that's amazing.

I mean, Lilyan in many ways, Leche is such an ideal patient because she had a deep understanding of cancer, cancer prevention, she did prehab, rehab, so she gets like a gold star in every category.

But a lot of people don't have this understanding of cancer.

Why do you think conversations like this are so important?

And I'm really asking both of you in the public sphere for people to feel less afraid for breast cancer and really all cancers to be less stigmatized.

Why do you think this is so valuable for someone who doesn't have Lchee's background, your background, or even my background.

It's such a good point.

I mean, I think that at a minimum, it gives folks a language to even talk about, right, because all of these terms that we're using, you know, if you're not dealing with cancer care or you don't know someone who has been affected by cancer, it's alien concepts talking about tumor size and grade and receptors.

So I think that the more and more that the community can understand and have an awareness of what's going on with respect to cancer, it's just a good thing.

You know.

It's not that we want to normalize, but in some ways you sort of do because it's part of life, and it's really understanding that if you have a problem, go to a physician, get yourself checked out.

You know.

I think giving information to the community is just always valuable.

It's never a bad thing.

Lache, I know that, as I said, you have been able to translate your academic understanding of cancer as well as your personal understanding of cancer to all kinds of people.

Why do you think that's so valuable in terms of sharing your journey with complete strangers by the way, yeah.

I think it's very important because you need somebody out there to look up to and who's going through a similar thing.

We all need that support person.

We all need that person to saying Oh, but she went through the same thing, and she can do it, maybe I can do it.

And I think you also need people who understand what's going on to break it down in the language you could understand.

I was going to say, I think you need someone to translate all this science and no offense.

Lilian, you're it.

You're really good at explaining.

But a lot of doctors and scientists are so used to kind of talking about something at this level, they're not very good at dumbing it down because they're so smart basically, And I think, you know, for you to do that, Lche is so helpful for people.

Yes, I think it's a big benefit to to public health and public health training.

What they teach us is you have to find ways to break down for any disease messages out of fifth grade level so that everybody, no matter what, they can understand.

And so that's something I already had with my training, was that you have to be able to give messages in small bursts because people might not want to pay attention for as long and just let them know the key things.

And so with early breast cancer detection, the biggest thing that I try to send a message about is if you get screened early.

So when you look at the American Cancer Society and you look at some of the things they have, if you get screened, then you find it early, you have a high likely or a high chance of being around.

So you know it shouldn't be that scared and see nice people like doctor Smith.

She'll get you in a good physician.

And I applaud you for so many things lche that you were doing.

I think you're taking a personal challenge and I'm sure what was a very frightening experience, and you're using it to really help other people, which I think is very therapeutic.

It was certainly therapeutic for me when I lost my husband a calling cancer, and really therapeutic when I experienced breast cancer myself to be able to share what I learned to other people.

But I also so appreciate the fact that you're participating in some studies that will really help doctors like Lilian understand some of the biology of this disease.

Tell us about that.

Yeah, So I thought it was extremely important because one of the things we tend to look at is genetic mutations, and for me, when I did the test to the comprehensive test.

There were no genetic mutations that I had linked to anti cancers, not just breast cancer.

Not known genetics takes about to get.

To and so what I did was I donated my tissue because right now at UM they're doing studies.

Where they're University of Miami and oh yes.

At University of Miami, they're doing studies where they're looking at people of West African genetic ancestry, which I happen to be a part of, and they're looking at our tumor biology to see if there's another gene that we're unaware of on other genetic factors.

And so that's one of the things.

Maybe down the line there might be a reason I got this because right now we don't know none of the known risk factors.

I have none of those, So no faunily history.

I exercise ate, right, all those nice things, never smoked, don't drink nothing, And so you know, I want to pay it forward because me as a researcher, I want to get data.

I want people to participate, and so I want to be a part of pushing the science forward.

And I think it's so important because it helps not only you but others.

And if you participate in clinical trials, you get more appointments, you get to see your doctor, you get extended care.

Who doesn't want that.

It is really important that the data represents a broad swath of human biology, isn't it.

It's incredibly important And Lashaye and I were chatting about this before the recording.

It is just unbelievably amazing to advocate for improving research and breast cancer clinical trial participation.

I mean, we are going to learn so much more if we all work together, contribute tissue samples, participate in clinical trials.

It's how we learn, it's how we advance the field.

And I just commend you for doing that because someone will benefit from that.

It really that's how it works.

Yes, what is the most important thing for both of you to leave patients or just people who are perfectly healthy?

What do you want them to know after watching this?

What are sort of the top line messages you would like to impart.

One of the biggest things I'd like to impart is that if for some reason you do get cancer, it's not a death sentence and you can be like me.

You can go through treatment and you can be cancer free.

You can look quote unquote normal like nothing ever happened to you lift four hundred and eight pounds for your last chemotherapy treatment, and yeah, you can just live an amazing life.

And also just be aware of your body.

Get to know your body, if it's one thing you learn from this session and watching us here, get to know what is your normal and if you see something wrong, get it checked.

And what about you, Lilyan, Especially for people once their treatment is complete, what do you want those people watching to understand?

Yes, I have a very similar message to Lache there is life after breast cancer.

Most patients who were diagnosed with early breast cancer, once they've completed treatment, this becomes something in their rear viewmer it is very unlikely to be an issue for them again.

And I think that that's a piece of information that isn't out there, and I would like to emphasize that.

I would also say, you know, we've touched on this.

For the patients who are hormone receptor positive who've been recommended hormone therapy, do try to stick with it.

I know it's hard.

We know that adherents can be hard.

We know that patients often struggle to even admit to their provider that they're struggling with the side effects.

But I would say, if you are struggling, speak up, speak to your doctor, because there are ways that we can help.

There are other options that we consider, so I think that's an important message.

And then I would say, you know, it's like all of us.

Try to do as best you can.

Exercise, eat well, reduce alcohol, avoid.

Smoking, and just get back to living your life well.

This has been such an important conversation.

Lyche, I'm so grateful for you talking about this and sharing your story.

And doctor Smith, Lillian, I'm so grateful for your dedication to all your patients and to breast cancer research.

I applaud you and all your fellow clinicians and scientists.

You are my heroes and I've added you to my list too.

Oh, thank you so much.

You're ready on my list.

Thanks so much to both of you.

Really appreciate thanks for having me.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

All conversations like this remind us that breast cancer isn't just about diagnosis and treatment.

It's about what comes after and how we can empower patients to feel informed, supported and hopeful every step of the way.

I'm grateful to Eli Lilly for making these important discussions possible, and for their ongoing commitment to advancing science and amplifying patient voices.

And to all of you listening and watching, remember you are your own best advocate.

Pay attention to your body, stay informed, and take care of yourself and the people you love.

Thanks for listening everyone.

If you have a question for me, a subject you want us to cover, or you want to share your thoughts about how you navigate this crazy world, reach out send me a DM on Instagram.

I would love to hear from you.

Next Question is a production of iHeartMedia and Katie Couric Media.

The executive producers are Me, Katie Kuric, and Courtney Ltz.

Our supervising producer is Ryan Martz, and our producers are Adriana Fazzio and Meredith Barnes.

Julian Weller composed our theme music.

For more information about today's episode, or to sign up for my newsletter wake Up Call, go to the description in the podcast app, or visit us at Katiecuric dot com.

You can also find me on Instagram and all my social media channels.

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We're partnering with Eli Lilly and Company for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

A cancer diagnosis can impact every aspect of someone's life, but they shouldn't face it alone.

Research shows that support and human connection play a significant role in one's healing and mental health.

That's why Lily is working with patients, caregivers, and advocates to amplify voices, advanced treatment, and empower the early and metastatic breast cancer community.

Learn more about how Lily is making a difference at lily dot com.