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Breast Cancer Now

Breast Cancer Now

By: Breast Cancer Now
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About this listen

 If you’re looking for authentic stories about life with and beyond breast cancer, we’re here. Welcome to the Breast Cancer Now podcast.

Join host Laura for open, supportive and honest conversations with guests who have personal or professional experience of breast cancer.

Laura Price is a writer, podcaster and author of the novel Single Bald Female. She’s living with secondary, incurable breast cancer.

We’re Breast Cancer Now, the research and support charity. If you’ve got questions about breast cancer, go to our website breastcancernow.org.

New episodes every other Friday.


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Episodes
  • S6 Ep15: Sam on sex and intimacy after breast cancer

    S6 Ep15: Sam on sex and intimacy after breast cancer
    Sep 12 2025
    Sam Evans is an intimate health and pleasure expert who shares tips on intimacy during menopause and coping with the side effects of cancer treatment. This week on the Breast Cancer Now podcast, Sam talks candidly about the effects of breast cancer on our sex lives, and how these may be relieved to allow more enjoyment of sex and intimacy again. She also speaks about why she set up the online company Jo Divine, which sells sex products with a particular focus on safety and sexual health.

    Sam is joined by Jane, one of Breast Cancer Now’s nurses, who gives insight into the sex and intimacy concerns we hear about from people with breast cancer on our helpline and ask our nurses service.

    Jo Divine has kindly provided a discount to listeners: BCN10 (£5 minimum spend on full-priced products excluding P&P). This promo code expires on 30/11/25.

    You can visit the Jo Divine website
    You can find Sam on Instagram @samtalkssex

    Listen to Liz O'Riordan's episode here
    Listen to Dani Binnington's episode here

    If you'd like to find out more about Breast Cancer Now's support services, visit the Breast Cancer Now website or phone our free helpline on 0808 800 6000 (UK only).

    You can subscribe to this podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Every episode is available to watch or listen to on the Breast Cancer Now website. You can also watch it on YouTube.

    Key Topics:
    2:01 Sam talks about her work in sex and intimacy
    2:55 Jane talks about her work as one of Breast Cancer Now's nurses
    3:45 The effects of breast cancer treatment on sex life
    5:51 Discussing the menopause and the perimenopause
    9:36 What is hormone replacement therapy (HRT)?
    13:16 Discussing low libido after breast cancer treatment
    15:17 Dealing with vaginal dryness during sex
    16:59 The importance of checking ingredients of lubricants
    23:54 The effects on the vagina of lowered oestrogen levels
    25:39 The benefits of vaginal oestrogen for sex life
    28:06 The psychological effects of breast cancer treatment on sex and intimacy
    30:13 The importance of communication
    33:45 Approaching sex after breast cancer as a single person
    38:51 The benefits of sex toys
    48:02 Where to turn if you don't feel you can talk to your treatment team about sex and intimacy
    55:32 Useful resources
    1:03:09 What it means to Sam to "live well"
    1:03:24 What is means to Jane to "live well"
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 5 mins
  • S6 Ep14: Helen on dealing with grief

    S6 Ep14: Helen on dealing with grief
    Aug 29 2025
    Helen Skelton is a psychotherapist and campaigner who lives with secondary breast cancer. In this episode, Helen talks in depth with Laura about grief. How grief isn’t just about losing someone, but about the loss of anything; your hair, your body image, your friendships, the life you hoped you’d have.

    Drawing on her own experience, Helen shares the grief she’s experienced as part of her breast cancer diagnosis and treatment, and how that grief extends to losing friends in the breast cancer community she’s a part of. She also promotes acceptance of grief and anger as emotions that should be recognised and lived with, and shares some outlooks that may help others see their grief in a new light.

    You can find Helen on Instagram @secondary.psych
    You can read Helen's writing on Substack

    If you'd like to find out more about Breast Cancer Now's support services, visit the Breast Cancer Now website or phone our free helpline on 0808 800 6000 (UK only).

    You can subscribe to this podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Every episode is available to watch or listen to on the Breast Cancer Now website. You can also watch it on YouTube.

    Key Topics:
    2:08 Helen is diagnosed with breast cancer in 2020
    5:51 Dealing with a cancer diagnosis during COVID
    8:22 Living with secondary breast cancer
    10:39 Getting a primary and secondary breast cancer diagnosis at the same time
    16:35 There's more to grief than just the dictionary definition
    23:19 Grief as a result of a cancer diagnosis
    25:49 Processing the grief from losing someone to the same disease you have
    29:17 Helen attends a grief retreat
    33:09 What is grief tending?
    34:05 Discussing rage and anger, and how to come to terms with them
    37:29 Why it's important to talk about emotions and feelings
    41:27 Helen shares tips and techniques for coping with grief
    46:14 Emotional triggers can cause you to reevaluate and make different decisions
    53:38 What it means to Helen to "live well"
    Show More Show Less
    58 mins
  • S6 Ep13: Kelly on acceptance and taking on challenges

    S6 Ep13: Kelly on acceptance and taking on challenges
    Aug 15 2025
    Kelly Crump is a model and influencer who lives with secondary breast cancer. On the Breast Cancer Now podcast she talks to Laura about finding out at the age of 40 that her cancer had spread, and how she feared she wouldn’t be able to continue doing the things she loves, like hiking and running.

    But Kelly also shares how exercise, positivity and talking openly and honestly all helped her to live life on her own terms, even while living with breast cancer. She speaks about her experience climbing Mount Kilimanjaro and how she was the first person to post with a mastectomy scar in Sports Illustrated Swimsuit magazine.

    You can follow Kelly on Instagram @itskellycrump

    If you'd like to find out more about Breast Cancer Now's support services, visit the Breast Cancer Now website or phone our free helpline on 0808 800 6000 (UK only).

    You can subscribe to this podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Every episode is available to watch or listen to on the Breast Cancer Now website. You can also watch it on YouTube.

    Key Topics:
    1:45 Kelly is first diagnosed with breast cancer
    3:44 Kelly is diagnosed with secondary breast cancer
    5:28 The impact of breast cancer treatment on fertility
    9:02 Kelly's lines of treatment for secondary breast cancer
    14:10 The experience of when a drug stops working
    15:45 Sharing a breast cancer story on social media
    17:17 Challenging the perceptions of what a person with cancer looks like
    19:10 Breast cancer and body image
    21:37 Kelly climbs Kilimanjaro, and other challenges
    26:36 Kelly's tips for taking on physical challenges
    34:09 Dealing with the physical challenges of a cancer diagnosis
    38:08 Dealing with death in the secondary breast cancer community
    40:42 Important to talk about experience, challenge media perceptions
    40:59 Kelly has to give up her career in fashion after her diagnosis
    43:47 Making plans living with secondary breast cancer
    48:51 Kelly models her mastectomy scars in Sports Illustrated
    52:48 Positive attitude to body image after breast cancer treatment
    54:40 What it means to Kelly to "live well"
    Show More Show Less
    57 mins
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