Joining me is Dr. Kelli Rath, a gynecologic oncologist, and together we’ll explore the global landscape of women’s cancers—from cervical and ovarian to breast. We’ll talk disparities, prevention, HPV, and how geography still too often predicts survival. 1. What is the Cancer Atlas and why is it important for women’s health? 2. The Cancer Atlas shows that nearly half of all cancer deaths are linked to preventable factors. 3. What are the most concerning modifiable risk factors for women’s cancers...
Jul 18, 2025•17 min•Season 5Ep. 8
Rib-sparing DIEP flap refers to a technique used during Deep Inferior Epigastric Perforator (DIEP) flap breast reconstruction surgery where the surgeon preserves the rib and surrounding muscle when accessing the blood vessels that supply the flap. Quick Breakdown: • DIEP Flap Reconstruction: • Uses skin and fat from the lower abdomen to create a new breast after mastectomy. • Preserves the abdominal muscles (unlike TRAM flap). • Requires connection of the flap’s blood vessels (deep inferior epig...
Jun 24, 2025•19 min•Season 5Ep. 7
🎧 this episode of The Breast Cancer Podcast, Dr. Mark Cripe and I explore what science tells us about reducing the risk of breast cancer—and what that means for you. From nutrition, social connections and physical activity to alcohol use, sleep, early morning sunlight and early detection, we break down practical, evidence-based steps that can help you feel more empowered in your breast health journey. Whether you’re a survivor, a previvor, or simply seeking clarity, this conversation is a remin...
Jun 06, 2025•20 min•Season 5Ep. 6
On this Mother's dray, we honor the heart of every mother — the love she gives, the sacrifices she makes, and the quiet strength she carries every single day. But today, we also pause to ask: how can mothers take care of themselves? How can faith and medicine guide them to nurture not just others, but their own beautiful, essential selves? Whether you are a mother, lost a mother, hope to be one, or are simply someone who has been touched by the love of a mother, this episode is for you. Together...
May 11, 2025•32 min•Season 5Ep. 5
Please join myself and Dr. Tiwari as we discuss "How to get optimized for breast surgery" with Dr. Knackstedt, who is a plastic surgeon as well as a functional medicine specialist. 1. What does it mean to be truly “optimized” for breast surgery—both physically and emotionally? 2. What are some of the most important things patients can do in the weeks leading up to surgery to support healing and recovery? 3. How does nutrition play a role in surgical recovery, and are there specific supplements o...
Apr 04, 2025•43 min•Season 5Ep. 4
Welcome to cutting-edge approach to Breast Reconstruction: "The Nerve Sparing DIEP flap" A "Nerve sparing DIEP flap" refers to a surgical technique used in breast reconstruction where the surgeon carefully dissects and preserves the nerves that supply the rectus abdominis muscle when harvesting tissue from the lower abdomen using the deep inferior epigastric perforator (DIEP) flap, minimizing potential complications like abdominal weakness or bulging at the donor site by avoiding damage to these...
Mar 06, 2025•13 min•Season 5Ep. 3
In this episode, Dr. Mark Cripe and I are joined by Dr. Kevin Hughes, the Director of Cancer Genetics at the Hollings Cancer Center and the McKoy Rose, Jr., M.D. Endowed Chair in Surgical Oncology in the College of Medicine at MUSC. Dr Hughes is recognized nationally and internationally for his expertise in breast cancer, breast disease management, genetic testing and the identification and management of patients with hereditary breast cancer risk. His research focuses on developing tools that m...
Feb 03, 2025•41 min•Season 5Ep. 2
Please join Dr. Walton Taylor , Elaine Fielding from Impedimed and Mary Rose Gill, RN as we discuss: What is lymphedema? How does SOZO help with early detection of lymphedema? What do the L-Dex scores mean? What are the risk factors for developing lymphedema? What are some ways to minimize lymphedema? Dr. Walton Taylor is a general surgeon specializing in the care of patients with breast cancer and melanoma. Dr. Taylor is a former President of the American Society of Breast Surgeons. During his ...
Jan 07, 2025•38 min•Season 5Ep. 1
Please join Amy Durtschi, psychotherapist in Columbus, Ohio who discusses mental health during holidays, particularly with new cancer diagnosis, going through cancer treatment and someone suffering loss of a family or a friend. This podcast is filled with lot of good tips and Amy gives you a toolbox on how to navigate this difficult season. You can find her at "Enliven Health and Wellness. www.enlivenhealthandwellness.com Ph: 614-940-4868 Stay Connected with Dr. Deepa Halaharvi: TikTok: @breastd...
Dec 17, 2024•39 min•Season 4Ep. 18
Pathologists are our daily unsung heroes who work secretly behind the scenes – they are also called- “Doctors doctor”. Your treatment regimen is based on your pathology results. I am so honored to interview, an incredible pathologist in Columbus, OH, Dr. Syed Mohsin. He answers the following questions. What does a breast pathologist do? Why does it take a couple of days to get the pathology results? How can you tell a difference between cancer and benign under microscope? What is cancer anyway? ...
Dec 11, 2024•1 hr 15 min•Season 4Ep. 17
Dr. Shabana Dewani is board certified in Medical Oncology, Hematology, and Internal Medicine—and a joy to listen to! She breaks down the oncology process and important factors when deciding treatment. You'll be able to hear her passion for helping others ensuring they get the best treatment possible. Please listen to this episode as we discuss “Pregnancy and Breast cancer”. We talk about the definition of pregnancy associated breast cancer. How it is diagnosed and treated? Is chemotherapy and su...
Nov 12, 2024•19 min•Season 4Ep. 16
Dr. Shabana Dewani is board certified in Medical Oncology, Hematology, and Internal Medicine—and a joy to listen to! She breaks down the oncology process and important factors when deciding treatment. You'll be able to hear her passion for helping others ensuring they get the best treatment possible. -2800 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer and 530 men will die from breast cancer in 2024. -Male breast cancer is on the rise. -What are the risk factors for male breast cancer and why they nee...
Oct 08, 2024•21 min•Season 4Ep. 15
Dr. Shabana Dewani is board certified in Medical Oncology, Hematology, and Internal Medicine—and a joy to listen to! She breaks down the oncology process and important factors when deciding treatment. You'll be able to hear her passion for helping others ensuring they get the best treatment possible. As more women delay childbearing to their late 30s and early 40s, many young breast cancer survivors are concerned about preserving their future fertility. If you are a premenopausal woman recently ...
Oct 01, 2024•17 min•Season 4Ep. 14
Breast- Plastic Surgery Educational Series- 3 Dr. Tiwari of Midwest Breast and Aesthetic Surgery has teamed up with Breast Cancer Surgeon and Breast Cancer Survivor, Dr. Deepa Halaharvi to bring you this new educational series. In this episode, we discuss nipple sparing mastectomy and reconstruction. -Find out who are the ideal candidates -Learn about Nipple delay procedure -Learn about the risks and benefits of each procedure Connect with Midwest Breast on Instagram: Instagram: Instagram: @MWBr...
Sep 18, 2024•17 min•Season 4Ep. 13
Please join me and Dr. Tiwari as we talk with Dr. Karishma Kirti, who is an Oncoplastic Breast Surgeon in Mumbai, India. She discusses breast cancer incidence, diagnosis treatment in rural and urban India. She is a phenomenal breast surgeon who is spreading awareness on screening, diagnosis, and treatment of breast cancer. She uses social media to educate the community. This is an incredible episode that you don’t want to miss. Instagram: @ DrKarishmaKirti https://www.drkarishmakirti.com/ Stay C...
Aug 20, 2024•51 min•Season 4Ep. 12
In this episode Dr. Tiwari and I talk with Physical Therapist, Jodi Diestler from ReVital Cancer Rehab to learn how prehab and rehab can help a patient through oncology treatment. We discuss: They discuss: •Prehab before breast cancer surgery •Cancer rehab after breast cancer diagnosis •Limitations after breast reconstruction •Lymphedema, fatigue, exercise and more. Learn more about Revital Cancer Rehab or to find a location near you, click here . Instagram: @thebreastcancerpodcast...
Aug 07, 2024•40 min•Season 4Ep. 11
Two are better than one Breast surgeons: This is a model where two breast surgeons (myself and Dr. Mark Cripe) collaborate and operate together to perform double mastectomies. Over the last several years, Dr. Mark Cripe and I performed several double mastectomies together. We are both fellowship trained breast surgeons and we train residents and breast surgery fellow (who is already a general surgeon but getting another additional year of training to become a fellowship trained breast surgeon). ...
Jul 02, 2024•34 min•Season 4Ep. 10
Join me in a conversation with Breast cancer survivor and an author, Jennifer Skinnell and her Breast Surgeon, Dr. Mark Cripe about how she navigated her diagnosis and how she used her intuition to help guide her journey. Her life is also unique in a sense she lives in an RV. She is very inspirational for anyone who is recently diagnosed with cancer, or is in the middle of their journey. Don’t Wait provides a personal account of Jennifer’s diagnosis of breast cancer and her medical decision-maki...
Jun 25, 2024•53 min•Season 4Ep. 9
In honor of "PRIDE" month, please join me for a conversation with Dr. Lucy Bucher- she is a passionate OB/GYN and has been a fierce advocate for the LGBTQIA+ community. We talk about breast cancer and its impact in the LGBTQIA+ community. Risk factors Causes of disparities in care and how we can mitigate them Breast Cancer symptoms Breast cancer screening in: LGB women Cis-gender guidelines Transgender men Transgender Women How to remove barriers to screenings and be your own advocate? You don't...
Jun 18, 2024•35 min•Season 4Ep. 8
National Women’s Health week is celebrated each year, beginning on Mother’s Day, to encourage women and girls to make their health a priority. The theme for this year is, “Women’s Health, Whole Health: Prevention, Care and Wellbeing.” Please welcome, Dr. Anita Somani, she is a highly respected healthcare professional, currently works as an OBGYN as well as, she is currently serving her first term as State Representative for Ohio’s 11th House District, which includes the cities of Dublin and Hill...
May 22, 2024•44 min•Season 4Ep. 7
It is my honor to welcome, Dr. Jovita Oruwari, MD FACS. She is a superstar Breast Surgeon, Wife, Mom and an Author. She is also a fellowship, trained breast surgeon from Women and Infants hospital of Rhode Island – Brown University, currently practicing in St. Louis. She has been voted as one of St. Louis top docs by her peers every year from 2007 to present she was selected for excellence in healthcare award by St. Louis American newspaper. She’s very involved in the community outreach and educ...
Apr 23, 2024•31 min•Season 4Ep. 6
Your survivorship starts the day of your diagnosis. Being told you have cancer is life altering experience. In 2024, over 300,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer. Methods of breast cancer treatments could include chemotherapy, surgical removal of the ovaries, anti-estrogen therapy, and radiotherapy. Body Image is: •How you see or picture yourself. •How you feel others perceive you. •What you believe about your physical appearance. •How you feel about your body. •How you feel in your b...
Apr 10, 2024•36 min•Season 4Ep. 5
Breast- Plastic Surgery Educational Series- 2 Dr. Tiwari of Midwest Breast and Aesthetic Surgery has teamed up with Breast Cancer Surgeon and Breast Cancer Survivor, Dr. Deepa Halaharvi to bring you this new educational series. In this episode, we dive into the intricacies of dealing with breast cancer topics like: •Early detection through mammography •Understanding dense breasts •The various stages and types of breast cancer and the impact of family history. • When to ask your Doctor for "Breas...
Mar 31, 2024•58 min•Season 4Ep. 4
Your survivorship starts the day of your diagnosis. Being told you have cancer is life altering experience. In 2024, over 300,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer. Methods of breast cancer treatments could include chemotherapy, surgical removal of the ovaries, anti-estrogen therapy, and radiotherapy. This can induce menopause in women who are not yet menopausal. “Induced menopause” can cause intense menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes, vaginal dryness, sleep disturbance, urinary tr...
Feb 12, 2024•26 min•Season 4Ep. 3
Introducing Breast-Plastic Surgery Education- series 1 Dr. Tiwari of Midwest Breast has teamed up with breast cancer surgeon Dr. Deepa Halaharvi to bring you a NEW educational series: The Breast & Plastic Education Series! Join us as we discuss all topics pertaining to breast and plastic surgery. We will discuss different type of breast and reconstruction surgeries, give you tips on what to expect with your surgery. We will also discuss preoperative preparation as well as postoperative care ...
Jan 24, 2024•15 min•Season 4Ep. 2
Happy New Year, 2024. I have re-introduced myself and the reasons for why I want to keep working on this podcast. Your survivorship starts the day of your diagnosis. Being told you have cancer is life altering experience. Though, you may have completed surgery, chemotherapy and radiation, you may have lingering side-effects that continue for sometime. This is the first episode of the series, "Finding your New Normal"- "Fear of recurrence". I will talk about the triggers, when you should seek hel...
Jan 09, 2024•30 min•Season 4Ep. 1
"Is it possible to 'move on' after a cancer diagnosis?" This is a question that has been asked often. Join us as we discuss the answer together. Cancer can change your life in many ways, and it's okay to react differently. Some become advocates while others may not even want to talk about cancer. Ultimately, you must prioritize what is right for you. This conversation is sure to be enlightening and enjoyable. Stay Connected with Dr. Halaharvi: TikTok: @breastdoctor Instagram: @drdhalaharvi TBCP ...
Dec 19, 2023•18 min
Meet Shannon, a remarkable breast cancer survivor who recently began her journey of sobriety. She openly shares her story of alcohol dependency and how it affected her life. Shannon will highlight the challenges she faced while striving for a sober lifestyle and how she has managed to maintain it for the past five months. Additionally, Dr. Halaharvi and Monica Brooks will recount their own experiences with alcohol and how they've been able to manage their lives after overcoming cancer. Don't for...
Nov 21, 2023•38 min
Today is a special episode where we have 4 experts with us today to answer some of your burning questions. In this episode we welcome: Dr. Mark Cripe, Breast and Melanoma Surgeron Dr. Shabana Dewani, Medical Oncologist Emily Finn, DPT Dr. Deepa Halaharvi, Breast Surgeon You asked, we answered. Here's a snippet of a few questions that will be answered in this podcast: How can I do to manage lymphedema? How can long-term survivors take advantage of new drugs that are now available? How are decisio...
Oct 10, 2023•56 min
We all know how beneficial exercising is to our overall health. Physical Therapist, Emily Finn, breaks down the benefits specific to cancer prevention and a cancer diagnosis. Emily has her Doctorate in Physical Therapy. She's also a Level I CrossFit Coach, pelvic health educator, and works with cancer rehabilitation. In this episode we'll discuss: What exercise really means Exercise and Cancer Prevention/Recurrence Benefits during and after treatment Mental and physical benefits Cancer related f...
Sep 12, 2023•38 min
