Developing Story: CureWise Goes Live - The AI Platform Built by Cancer Patients, for Cancer Patients
You have ten minutes with your oncologist. Ten minutes to ask the right questions, understand what's happening inside your body, and make decisions that could change everything. For most cancer patients, that's not enough time — and nobody taught you how to prepare.
CureWise was built to change that. On June 20th, the AI platform created by cancer patients Steve Brown and Lisa Booth officially launched. On this episode of Live From Stage 4, we sit down with Steve, Lisa, and real beta users Lynda and Todd Weatherby to find out what it actually does, how it works, and why it matters.
Developing Story: Beyond Camizestrant — The Evolving Landscape of ER+/HER2- MBC with Dr. Sarah Premji
The oral SERD era has arrived, and the treatment landscape for HR+/HER2- metastatic breast cancer is changing fast. Hosts Victoria Goldberg and Abigail Johnston sit down with Dr. Sarah Premji of Sarah Cannon to map out what has shifted beyond SERENA-6, from new FDA approvals and emerging mechanisms to real-world sequencing decisions and the latest trial data. If you are trying to make sense of a rapidly evolving algorithm, this episode is for you.
Developing Story: The Camizestrant Vote, Doctors Weigh In with Dr. Sarah Sammons & Dr. Neil Vasan
When the ODAC voted 6–3 against the camizestrant strategy, the headlines told you what happened — this episode tells you why. We're back for round two with Dr. Sarah Sammons, newly appointed Co-Leader of Breast Oncology at the University of Maryland Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center, and Dr. Neil Vasan, Acting Chair of the ODAC and Director of Translational Research in Breast Cancer at NYU Langone Health, who sat in that room and cast one of the three yes votes. Alongside patient advocates Janice Cowden and Abigail Johnston, we break down the four FDA critiques that drove the vote, what the quality of life data showed and why regulators couldn't act on it, and what the FDA's new August 14th review deadline means for patients. Plus: why this science isn't going anywhere, and what ctDNA-guided treatment could look like in the very near future.
Developing Story: The Camizestrant Vote — When Your Blood Test Knows Before Your Scan Does
Six MBC patient advocates join host Victoria Goldberg to break down the FDA advisory committee's vote on camizestrant and the SERENA-6 trial. The panel unpacks what the vote really means, whether the science of molecular progression is ready for clinical practice, and why patient advocates need a seat at the table before trials are designed.
Front Row Seat: Dr. Fatima Cardoso on Aiming Higher - Hope and the Road to a Cure
For decades, metastatic breast cancer meant one thing: managing the disease. But a new global report — and a bold new charter — say it's time to aim higher. Host Victoria Goldberg sits down with Dr. Fátima Cardoso of the ABC Global Alliance to examine 10 years of hard-won progress, confront the inequalities that have grown worse, and explore why, for the first time, the word cure is entering the conversation.
Stage 4 Living: Palliative Care is Not Hospice with Dr. Mary Busowski
Palliative care is not hospice — and that one misconception is keeping cancer patients from getting support they desperately need. Dr. Mary Busowski, palliative care physician at Orlando Health, joins our hosts Abigail Johnston and Amy Russell-Parliman o set the record straight and make the case for getting palliative care involved from day one.
Front Row Seat: We'll Never Cure Cancer Without AI, Say Steve Brown & Lisa Booth
When Steve Brown's doctors missed his rare blood cancer for months, he turned to AI for answers. The system he built spotted the warning signs immediately—the same lab results his physicians had dismissed.
Now, as CEO of CureWise, Steve and patient advocate Lisa Booth are pioneering a new approach to cancer care: using AI agents trained as specialist doctors to help patients navigate treatment options, find clinical trials, and advocate effectively with their oncologists.
"There's a gap between what's possible and what most people are getting," Steve explains. "Cancer isn't just one disease. Everybody has their own unique version of it."
Lisa, an 11-year metastatic breast cancer survivor, adds: "My oncologist sees 600 patients. CureWise empowers me to show up to that seven-minute appointment with the right questions already researched and the clinical trials already identified."
This conversation explores how AI is transforming patient empowerment—and why knowledge might just save your life.
Live Chat: The Courage to Choose Life on Your Terms with Dar Finkelstein
"One of my MBC friends said to me, 'You're feeling guilty about making people cry, but you've instilled in them so much joy and what they're doing, what you're seeing is them sharing the joy back to you.' And she said, 'It looks like tears, but that's their love coming back to you.'"
—Dar Finkelstein on accepting loved ones' grief
Live Chat: From Devastating Diagnosis to Distinction with Lesley Stephen MBE
Imagine this: You're a mother of four. You think you have a chest infection, but it turns out to be stage four metastatic breast cancer—in your lungs, liver, and bones. The nurse sitting across from you has tears in her eyes. You're given one, maybe two years to live. Treatment after treatment fails. Finally, your doctor says the words no one wants to hear: "You need to get your affairs in order."
So you take your kids to New York for one last family vacation.
But when you come home, there's one spot left on a clinical trial in Glasgow. You take it. And against all odds, it saves your life—for seven years.
That's the beginning of Lesley Stephen's story. Twelve years later, she's not only alive and cancer-free—she's just been honored by the British Royal Family with an MBE. Princess Anne herself presented Leslie with her medal at Windsor Castle for her extraordinary work transforming how metastatic breast cancer patients access clinical trials and cutting-edge care.
Future at Risk: Why We Can’t Turn Back Now with Josh Newby
In this episode, co-hosts Victoria Goldberg and Martha Carlso are joined by Josh Newby, Founder and Executive Director of Theresa’s Research Foundation (TRF), for an in-depth conversation about the evolving landscape of metastatic breast cancer research and advocacy. Josh shares the origins and mission of his foundation, the challenges faced in funding and organizing medical conferences, and the shift toward curative approaches for metastatic breast cancer. The discussion covers the impact of recent funding cuts, the importance of collaboration among institutions and industry partners, and the critical role of patient advocates. The group also explores the realities of grant funding, the effects of political and economic changes on research, and the need for credible information and community support for patients. Throughout, the conversation highlights the resilience and determination required to push forward in the face of uncertainty, emphasizing the message: we can’t turn back now.
Live Chat: Shining a Light on MBC with Tami Bowling
When a life-changing diagnosis led Tami Bowling to advocacy, she fueled the movement to Light up MBC. In this episode, Tami shares her personal experience, the origins of LightUp MBC and LightUp MBC Live, and how lighting up landmarks is bringing hope, awareness, and vital research funding to the metastatic breast cancer community.
Future at Risk: A Researcher’s Story
Host Victoria Goldberg interviews scientist Na Zhao about the personal and professional fallout from NIH budget cuts, highlighting how these funding challenges threaten cancer research and the careers of young scientists. Na shares her own story of lost opportunities and the broader impact on the scientific community, while both guests stress the importance of advocacy and hope for a future where cancer becomes a manageable disease
Fighting for Patients: Dr. Rebecca Shatsky on Insurance, Burnout, and Hope in MBC
Dr. Rebecca Shatsky, Director of Breast Medical Oncology at UC San Diego, shares her experiences fighting for patients with breast cancer. In this episode, Dr. Shatsky discusses the growing challenges clinicians face—from insurance denials and funding cuts to the emotional toll of burnout and the spread of cancer misinformation.
Hear real stories about advocating for life-saving treatments, navigating the complexities of clinical trials, and the importance of patient empowerment. Dr. Shatsky also offers hope, highlighting the latest breakthroughs in metastatic breast cancer research and the progress being made in treatment options.
Whether you’re a patient, caregiver, or healthcare professional, this episode delivers candid insights, practical advice, and a message of resilience and hope in the face of adversity.
MBC Insiders: MBC Awareness Day and More
This is a special episode released Oct 13 for National Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day. It is the first in our recurring series, we call “MBC Insiders.” We’ll explore the issues that matter most to people with MBC, including how the language clinicians and media use can harm or help, and candid conversations about progression and the idea of “cure.” Stay tuned for an important, honest discussion.
Future at Risk: Protecting Research, Protecting Lives
What if the decades of progress against cancer — the breakthroughs, the rising survival rates, the new vaccines and cutting‑edge therapies — were suddenly put in jeopardy? Five decades after the “war on cancer” began, the hard‑won momentum now faces existential threats: canceled grants and clinical trials, proposals to slash the NCI budget, and an unprecedented politicization of biomedical research funding.
Victoria Goldberg is joined by Pam Traxel, Senior Vice President at the American Cancer Society and a lifelong patient advocate.
Future at Risk: About Us, MBC, and the Role of Research
In this powerful panel episode, hosts Victoria Goldberg and Abigail Johnston are joined by Dr. Jill Tirabassi and Alexis Desai—each bringing their unique perspective as patients, advocates, and experts living with metastatic breast cancer (MBC). Together, they share personal stories about navigating diagnosis, the critical role of research in extending lives, and the real-world challenges of accessing clinical trials.
The conversation dives deep into why research funding matters, how advocacy can drive change, and the urgent need for patient-centered care. Whether you’re a patient, caregiver, or ally, this episode offers insight, hope, and a call to action for everyone invested in the future of cancer research.
Tune in to hear firsthand experiences, learn about the latest advocacy efforts, and discover how you can help move the needle for those living with MBC.