The Tamsen Show
The #1 Breast Cancer Doctor on the Truth About Mammograms, Hormones & Dense Breasts
Wed, 16 Apr 2025
This is the episode to send to every woman you love. Tamsen sits down with Dr. Elizabeth Comen, a leading breast oncologist, Harvard Medical School graduate, and author of the bestseller ‘All in Her Head’, for a myth-busting conversation about breast cancer, early detection, and why advocating for yourself could save your life. Dr. Comen shares how far we've come in treatment and breast reconstruction, the emotional toll of diagnosis, and why a breast cancer diagnosis is not a death sentence today. Tamsen opens up about losing her own mother to breast cancer, and how that grief has shaped her own choices. This episode is packed with information that could change — or save — a life, breaking down exactly when to start getting mammograms, what dense breasts mean (and what to do about them), and the truth about alcohol, hormones, and the rising rates of cancer in younger women. You’ll learn: The latest guidelines for screenings The difference between local and systemic disease What metastatic breast cancer really means The real link between alcohol and breast cancer How and when to check your own breasts Why you should not be apologetic to Doctors Breast cancer myths debunked from deodorant to bras Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Tool: https://bcrisktool.cancer.gov/ Watch the Full Episode Here: https://www.youtube.com/@TamsenFadalTV Get my new book, How To Menopause, Take Charge of Your Health, Reclaim Your Life and Feel Even Better Than Before 💖 http://www.howtomenopause.com Follow The Tamsen Show: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thetamsenshow/ Follow Tamsen Fadal: Website: https://www.tamsenfadal.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tamsenfadal Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tamsenfadal Today's episode is sponsored by Field of Greens! Get 20% off your first order! Just use code TAMSEN at fieldofgreens.com. You can find Dr. Elizabeth Comen here: Website: www.drelizabethcomen.com Book: https://www.drelizabethcomen.com/book Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drelizabethcomen Medical Disclaimer: The information provided in this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Always consult with a qualified healthcare professional regarding any medical concerns or treatment options. The views expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of The Tamsen Show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Chapter 1: What personal experience does Tamsen share about breast cancer?
Das ist unser... Ich auch.
Es sitzt einfach da. Und ich glaube nicht, dass es nur darum geht, dass ich meinen Brustkanzer verletzt habe. Ich glaube, es sitzt einfach da. Ja. Also für mich, als die Menopause kam, war ich so, dass ich nicht darüber nachdenke. Ich denke an den Brustkanzer. Ich denke an all diese Dinge. Wo beginnen wir mit der Hilfe, dass Frauen zuerst verstehen, wie viel Erfolg gemacht worden ist? Ja.
Wir müssen das verstehen. Und ich verliere mich fast immer ein bisschen, wenn ich sage, dass ich meinen Brustkanzer verletzt habe, weil ich nicht möchte, dass Leute immer Angst haben. Ja.
Ich liebe es, dass du das sagst. So moving away from a very sad, sad story. There is a lot of hope with breast cancer. Majority, the vast, vast majority of women that are diagnosed are cured of breast cancer. And that's because early detection saves lives.
And early detection saves lives because it's not just about catching a cancer sooner when it can be treated with more what we call curative intent, meaning more likely to be cured. aber auch eine weniger aggressivere Therapie. Je kleiner etwas ist, desto weniger wahrscheinlich ist es, Chemotherapie zu benötigen, umfassendere Arthritis und umfassendere Behandlung nach der Therapie.
Und auch während meiner Karriere habe ich so viel verändert, in Bezug auf das, wie wir die molekulare Biologie des Brustkanzers verstehen. Und wir können sehr individuelle Behandlung von Patienten bieten. Und ich denke, es gibt diesen historischen, verstehenswerten Angst vor Brustkanzer, weil wir so viele Menschen davon gesehen haben und es so oft ist.
But I really want to be hopeful in the messaging today that I really hope it doesn't pull women away from the important screening. Because while it may be common, it is almost always curable.
I love those words. And those words weren't around when my mother was diagnosed. It was a death sentence. It is not. It is not today. So let's start with some of the basic facts. Because I know the guidelines have changed. It's very confusing. Yeah. We try to remember our own anniversaries and birthdays. So to remember guidelines of what we're supposed to do early.
So can you just break down for all of us the guidelines for breast cancer screening so we all know what we need to do every year when we reset. Okay.
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Chapter 2: Who is Dr. Elizabeth Comen and what are her credentials?
Lokale Kontrolle bezieht sich auf das, was wir für die Brüste tun und vielleicht die Lymphnoten, die unter dem Armpit sind. Es gibt zwei verschiedene Wege, wie wir das machen können. Wir können das mit einer Surgery machen, einer Lumpektomie oder einer Mastektomie. Lumpektomien sind meistens mit Radiation kombiniert. Aber eine Lumpektomie plus Radiation versus a mastectomy.
I know we're getting biological here, but people can play it back. Lumpectomy plus radiation or a mastectomy are equivalent in terms of survival from breast cancer.
Wow.
Okay. Why is that? Because what makes breast cancer potentially deadly has nothing to do with what's in your breasts. If I had both my breasts filled with breast cancer and it was rock hard and it looked weird and I touched it and it was terrible, but those cells never traveled outside my breast, Es wäre nie eine Bedrohung für mein Leben gewesen.
Wenn Frauen sagen, dass sie eine Bilaterale Total Mastektomie bekommen wollen, dass sie mit Breastcancer behandelt wurden, und dass sie niemals davon sterben wollen, dann ergibt das keinen Sinn. Es ergibt keinen Sinn, weil der Risiko ist, ob irgendein schmutziger Zellkörper fliegt.
Es ist ein lymphatischer System.
Lymphatischer oder Blut, das wissen wir nicht. Der zweite Grund für Breastcancer-Besuch ist systematische Kontrolle. Und es gibt verschiedene Arten, wie wir das tun, mit Hormontherapie, mit Chemotherapie, abhängig davon, welchen Art von Brustkrankheit eine Frau diagnostiziert wird.
Wenn also eine Frau sagt, mit Stage-0 oder Stage-1 Brustkrankheit möchte ich niemals von dem sterben, dass ich eine Bilaterale Mastektomie bekomme, gibt es da keine Logik. It's about what we're doing to find or decrease the risk of what we call metastatic disease. What local control does if you get a bilateral mastectomy is decrease your risk of a new breast cancer. I see.
Or recurrence from the one that you had. So if you are diagnosed with an early stage breast cancer and you say I want a bilateral mastectomy. Maybe you're saying it because you don't want radiation. Maybe you're saying it because the stress of going for a mammogram is so damn high. I never want to go through this again. I don't want to worry about a new diagnosis of breast cancer.
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