INTERLUDE: Cancer Stories with Dr. Teplinsky

Bone health is about much more than avoiding fractures later in life—it’s an essential part of healthy aging, cancer survivorship, and overall wellness. In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Adrienne Bitar, co-founder and co-CEO of Seen Nutrition and a lecturer in food studies at Cornell University, to discuss osteoporosis, bone health, and why women’s bone health deserves far more attention than it receives.

Seen Nutrition is a bone health nutrition startup that innovated the first dietary calcium chew made entirely from food.

Dr. Bitar is also a lecturer at Cornell University and author of Diet and the Disease of Civilization, a monograph on the cultural history of American diet. She holds a PhD from Stanford University, undergraduate degree from UC Berkeley, and completed her postdoctoral work at Cornell University.

Today, we break down what osteoporosis is, why it’s known as a “silent disease,” how DEXA scans are used to measure bone density, and why waiting until age 65 for screening may be too late for many women. We also discuss the impact of cancer treatments and other cancer therapies on bone and muscle health, when to consider earlier bone density testing, and how DEXA results can influence treatment decisions and long-term survivorship care. Finally, we cover practical, evidence-based strategies you can start today to protect your bones, including calcium and vitamin D, strength training, weight-bearing exercise, balance training, and fall prevention.

Whether you’re approaching menopause, navigating cancer treatment or survivorship, or simply thinking about your long-term health, this episode is full of practical information to help you build and maintain strong bones for years to come.

You can learn more about Seen Nutrition and Seen’s innovative calcium chew at http://www.seennutrition.com or follow Seen on Instagram and other socials @thecalciumqueens.

Follow Seen Nutrition on their website or on Instagram.

Follow Dr. Teplinsky on Instagram @drteplinsky, on TikTok, YouTube, or on any other social media platform. You can also visit http://www.drteplinsky.com.

Books:

My book, Beyond The Pink: Navigating Life, Health, and Breast Cancer is out on 9/29/2026!! Pre-order today!

Dr. Bitar’s book: Diet and the Disease of Civilization

Medical Disclaimer: The information provided in this episode is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the guidance of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment.

On today’s episode, I’m joined by Ebonie Michelle, a breast cancer survivor, patient advocate, and founder and CEO of Prowl The LAB. Through Prowl The LAB, Ebonie empowers women and couples to reclaim their health and sexuality as they navigate disease, different-ability, and trauma. Her work highlights the connection between health, intimacy, body image, and overall well-being—topics that are so important, yet too often overlooked in cancer care.

In today’s conversation, we talk about Ebonie’s own breast cancer diagnosis and how it shaped the work she does today. We discuss why conversations about sexual health need to happen earlier and more often, the impact that cancer can have on body image, relationships, and identity, and why survivorship is about so much more than finishing treatment. We also talk about practical ways that patients can begin reconnecting with their bodies after cancer, how clinicians can feel more comfortable bringing up these conversations, and why sometimes simply acknowledging what a patient is going through can make all the difference.

This is such an important conversation for patients, survivors, caregivers, advocates, and healthcare professionals alike. I hope you’ll come away with a better understanding of why caring for the whole person—including their sexual health and overall well-being—is an essential part of cancer care.

Follow Ebonie on Instagram and visit Prowl the LAB for incredible resources

Follow Dr. Teplinsky on Instagram @drteplinsky, on TikTok, YouTube, or on any other social media platform. You can also visit http://www.drteplinsky.com.

Books:

My book, Beyond The Pink: Navigating Life, Health, and Breast Cancer is out on 9/29/2026!! Pre-order today!

Medical Disclaimer: The information provided in this episode is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the guidance of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment.

In this episode of the Interlude podcast, I sit down with Sarrah Strimel Bentley. Sarrah was a former Broadway performer and yoga instructor when she was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 38 in 2020. She underwent surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, and fertility preservation before making the decision to build her family through surrogacy while continuing long-term endocrine therapy. Today, we talk about it all: navigating fertility and surrogacy after cancer, survivorship, mental health, finding joy in the hard moments, and redefining life after a breast cancer diagnosis. Sarrah shares her recent decision to go alcohol-free and how she’s living fully after cancer. She is also the founder of A Chance For Life, an incredible organization that brings the gift of a total surrogacy journey to young breast cancer survivors and I highly recommend supporting!

Follow Sarrah on Instagram.

Follow Dr. Teplinsky on Instagram @drteplinsky, on TikTok, YouTube, or on any other social media platform. You can also visit her website at http://www.drteplinsky.com.

Books:

My book, Beyond The Pink: Navigating Life, Health, and Breast Cancer is out on 9/29/2026!! Pre-order today!

Medical Disclaimer: The information provided in this episode is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the guidance of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment.

In this episode of the Interlude podcast, I speak with Kathy Myers, a long-term breast cancer survivor

whose story takes us from a surprise diagnosis to a powerful, community-centered life after treatment. We recorded this conversation on Kathy’s 67th birthday, which was really meaningful. Kathy was diagnosed back in 2002 when her doctor felt a small breast lump just shortly after a normal mammogram. She was diagnosed with stage I breast cancer and went through treatment, including surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. She initially joined a poetry group but then discovered dragon boating. Dragon boat racing is a high-energy water sport originating in ancient China. Teams of up to 20 paddlers move in unison to a drummer’s beat, in long boats decorated with dragon heads and tails. Through dragon boat racing, she found community and her team Hope Afloat USA (based out of Pennsylvania, on the Schuylkill River) is made up of breast cancer survivors and thrivers. Kathy talks about how transformative dragon boat racing has been for her over the last two decades and reflects on the complex emotions of survivorship: navigating family and caregivers’ coping styles, ending a toxic marriage, finding love again, worrying about her daughters’ risk and undergoing genetic testing, and learning that it’s okay to keep talking about cancer even when treatment is “over.” This conversation is about movement, community, and connection as medicine—finding your people, and redefining what it means not just to survive, but to truly live after cancer.

Follow Dr. Teplinsky on Instagram @drteplinsky, on TikTok, YouTube, or on any other social media platform. You can also visit her website at http://www.drteplinsky.com.

Books:

“Beyond The Pink” by Dr. Eleonora Teplinsky (out 9/29/2026- pre order today!).

Medical Disclaimer: The information provided in this episode is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the guidance of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment.

Ovarian function suppression (OFS) is a key part of treatment for many premenopausal patients with hormone receptor–positive breast cancer, and is combined with tamoxifen or an aromatase inhibitor. OFS can be achieved surgically by removing the ovaries or medically with GnRH agonists such as Lupron or Zoladex.

At the 2026 ASCO Annual Meeting, a meta-analysis of 15 studies by Pedro Reis et al (Abstract 542) involving more than 4,300 patients compared monthly versus every-3-month GnRH agonist dosing. The findings suggest that every-3-month dosing provides ovarian suppression, survival outcomes, and safety profiles comparable to monthly administration.

However, the study also found that approximately 10% of patients experienced ovarian escape (inadequate ovarian suppression), with rates rising to 31% when ultrasensitive estradiol assays were used. What these findings mean in practice—and whether routine estradiol monitoring should become standard—remains unclear.

In this episode, Dr. Eleonora Teplinsky breaks down the study, discuss how it may influence clinical practice, and explore the ongoing questions surrounding ovarian suppression, estradiol monitoring, and treatment optimization for premenopausal patients with hormone receptor–positive breast cancer.

Links:

Follow Dr. Teplinsky on Instagram @drteplinsky, on TikTok, YouTube, or on any other social media platform. You can also visit her website at http://www.drteplinsky.com.

Books:

“Beyond The Pink” by Dr. Eleonora Teplinsky (out 9/29/2026- pre order today!).

Medical Disclaimer: The information provided in this episode is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the guidance of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment.