Every breast cancer treatment plan is highly personalized, and understanding potential side effects can help patients feel more prepared, informed, and empowered throughout care.

In this episode of Breast Cancer Conversations, Laura speaks with Debbie Ciak, a breast cancer survivor diagnosed with Stage 2B ER/PR-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer with lymph node involvement.

Due to features associated with a higher risk of recurrence, Debbie’s care team recommended treatment with Verzenio (abemaciclib), a CDK4/6 inhibitor commonly prescribed alongside endocrine therapy for certain HR+, HER2- breast cancers.

During treatment, Debbie experienced significant gastrointestinal symptoms and later developed respiratory symptoms that were ultimately identified as drug-induced interstitial lung disease (ILD), also known as pneumonitis.

Debbie also shares how integrative support resources and survivorship programming helped her continue moving forward after treatment.

Her story underscores the importance of individualized care, ongoing monitoring, and open communication between patients and healthcare providers when incorporating newer therapies into treatment plans.

While every patient responds differently to therapy, conversations like this help support more informed discussions between patients and their care teams.

Topics Covered

• Stage 2B ER/PR+ breast cancer diagnosis
• understanding recurrence risk factors
• treatment decision-making
• why Verzenio was recommended
• managing common CDK4/6 inhibitor side effects
• Debbie’s experience with ILD/pneumonitis
• recognizing respiratory symptoms early
• coordinating care across oncology and pulmonology
• survivorship and ongoing monitoring
• exercise and recovery
• patient empowerment and advocacy

This episode is part of an ongoing series sharing real-world patient experiences on various therapies, highlighting the importance of education, communication, and personalized treatment decisions in breast cancer care.

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293. Starting Verzenio? Debbie’s Experience May Help You Prepare