Hope in Diagnosis: Navigating Breast Cancer with Dr. Susan Schaffer Whiteman

According to the American Cancer Society, 1 in 8 women in the U.S. will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. It is one of the most impactful and prevalent health challenges facing women today, highlighting the need for quality screening, diagnosis, and treatment.

On this episode of For the Love of Health, we're speaking with Dr. Susan Schaffer Whiteman, medical oncologist at ChristianaCare's Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute. Dr. Schaffer Whiteman shares her expertise on how to catch breast cancer early, what the different breast cancer diagnoses actually mean, and how complementary therapies such as acupuncture and proper nutrition can ease treatment side effects. We also discuss the power of comprehensive cancer centers.

If this conversation helps you or someone you love feel more prepared and less alone, share it and subscribe for the next episode.

Susan Whelen Schaffer Whiteman, D.O., is a board-certified Medical Oncologist, Hematologist at ChristianaCare’s Helen F. Graham Cancer Center, specializing in breast and neurological cancers. She earned her medical degree from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine and completed her training in Delaware, Virginia, and Arizona. Dr. Whiteman has held roles as an attending physician and medical director.

Links

• ChristianaCare Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute
• ChristianaCare Breast Cancer Screening
• Breast Cancer Care at the Tatiana Copeland Breast Center
• American Cancer Society: Breast Cancer Facts & Figures

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Chapters

• 0:00 Why Symptoms Still Matter
• 0:25 Meet The Hosts And Mission
• 0:35 Prevalence And First Steps To Diagnosis
• 1:11 What To Look For Beyond Mammograms
• 2:28 When A Negative Mammogram Misses Cancer
• 2:36 When To Start Mammograms
• 2:51 Understanding Breast Cancer Subtypes
• 4:25 The New HER2-Low Category
• 5:01 Research Drives Evolving Classifications
• 5:13 From One-Size-Fits-All To Precision Care
• 6:00 Genomic Testing And Chemo Decisions
• 6:24 What Personalization Really Looks Like
• 7:21 Complementary Therapies That Help
• 8:12 Acupuncture, Nutrition, And Side Effects
• 9:20 Empowerment Through Food Choices
• 10:50 Why Care At Helen F. Graham
• 12:05 Research, Genetics, And Navigation
• 13:12 Mental Health Support In Cancer Care
• 14:08 Hope, Self-Care, And Self-Advocacy