A diagnosis of breast cancer — or any type of cancer — is often isolating, and it’s even more so when you don’t see anyone like you represented in stories and information about the disease. If you are a part of any marginalized group, are diagnosed at a younger-than-average age, carry a genetic mutation that predisposes you to breast cancer, or are diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer (MBC), it can be difficult to know where you fit in and find people who understand and speak to your experience.
Here’s what to read, watch, and listen to for a diverse range of perspectives on breast cancer.
‘Twisting Fate: My Journey With BRCA — From Breast Cancer Doctor to Patient and Back’
A medical oncologist who treats breast cancer patients, Pamela Munster, MD, was an expert on the disease — from a doctor’s perspective. When she received a breast cancer diagnosis in her forties, she found herself on the other side of cancer care, undergoing treatment and also learning that she carried a BRCA gene mutation. Dr. Munster had the unusual ability to bring her knowledge as a clinician, scientist, and researcher to her experience as a patient. She weaves together an easy-to-understand, compelling story that can serve as a helpful guide for anyone going through breast cancer treatment or learning that they have a genetic mutation like BRCA1 or BRCA2 that puts them at risk for hereditary breast or ovarian cancer (HBOC).
Twisting Fate: My Journey With BRCA — From Breast Cancer Doctor to Patient and Back, by Pamela N. Munster, MD; $24.95, Amazon.com
‘In-Between Days: A Memoir About Living With Cancer’
You can’t create a list of recommended resources for breast cancer without including metastatic breast cancer — a terminal form of the disease. At the age of 37, Teva Harrison was diagnosed with “de novo” metastatic breast cancer — meaning the cancer was already metastatic at the time of diagnosis. Through raw, journal-like entries and illustrations, Harrison documents what it’s like to live with an incurable disease and not get the distinct treatment timeline of beginning, middle, and end that those without metastatic breast cancer experience.
In-Between Days: A Memoir About Living With Cancer, by Teva Harrison; $14.19, Amazon.com
‘Kimiko Does Cancer: A Graphic Memoir’
As a queer, mixed-raced woman diagnosed with breast cancer in her twenties, Kimiko Tobimatsu didn’t relate to the mainstream cancer narrative: “The peppiness seemed to gloss over the way cancer affected people differently based on race and class,” she writes. Through her story, as well as illustrations by Keet Geniza, Tobimatsu sheds light on the challenges she faced undergoing cancer treatment and coping with the lingering effects on her physical and mental health, from early chemically induced menopause to feelings of fear, isolation, and grief.
Kimiko Does Cancer: A Graphic Memoir, written by Kimiko Tobimatsu and illustrated by Keet Geniza; $16.95, Amazon.com
‘Inheritance’
While BRCA gene mutations, which significantly increase the risk a woman will develop breast or ovarian cancer, are commonly associated with the Jewish population (1 in 40 women of Ashkenazi Jewish descent has a BRCA gene mutation), this documentary makes the point that people of all races and ethnicities can have BRCA mutations and the associated cancer risks. Inheritance follows several BRCA-positive women, including the film’s co-producer Alejandra Campoverdi, a 38-year-old Latina women’s health advocate in Los Angeles, and Lilith Costa, a 33-year-old African American writer with two young children in New York. Both opt to take preventive action and get a prophylactic double mastectomy to reduce their breast cancer risk — and both find their decisions to be empowering, changing their lives for the better.
Inheritance, from Saybrook Productions and PBS; $3.99 to stream, Amazon.com
‘Vincible’
Filmmaker Kayla Redig was diagnosed with breast cancer at 24, and overnight, her life became drastically different from that of her peers. On top of that, she didn’t see any other young people experiencing what she was going through. In Vincible, Redig seeks out other young cancer survivors who were diagnosed with breast cancer and other types of cancers in their teens, twenties, and thirties, and addresses the unique experiences and needs of the young adult cancer population. The film shows the devastating impact that being diagnosed with cancer early in life can have on mental health, fertility and family planning, career, friendships and social life, and more — and the healing power of connecting with other young survivors and building community.
Vincible, from Surf Shack Productions; $3.99 to stream, Amazon.com
‘Baddie 2 Baddie Breast Cancer Podcast’
No topic is off-limits in this uncensored, candid podcast produced by For the Breast of Us (FTBOU), an organization that provides resources, community, and support for women of color affected by breast cancer. The podcast's host and FTBOU cofounder and CEO Marissa Thomas is joined by other women from their community, whom they refer to as Breast Cancer Baddies, to discuss topics such as sexual side effects of cancer treatment, navigating the healthcare system and advocating for yourself, and breast reconstruction options. “Baddie Brief” episodes also highlight nonprofit organizations that provide helpful services during and after breast cancer treatment.
Baddie 2 Baddie Breast Cancer Podcast, on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other streaming platforms
‘Interlude: Women’s Cancer Stories With Dr. Teplinsky’ Podcast
Host Eleonora Teplinsky, MD, is a medical oncologist who specializes in breast and gynecological cancers, and in this podcast she combines evidence-based medical information and patient stories about breast, gynecological, and other types of cancers. Episodes range from survivor stories (categorized by type of cancer and age of diagnosis) to relevant topics like healthy nutrition and lifestyle after diagnosis, how to prepare for chemotherapy, and questions to ask your oncologist, as well as interviews with other medical providers with expertise in cancer care.
Interlude: Women’s Cancer Stories With Dr. Teplinsky, on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other streaming platforms