In April 2013, Roberta Albany was told her mammogram was clean. That December, she was diagnosed with stage 2B breast cancer. It never showed on the mammogram because she has dense breasts. The reason it was caught while still early is that Roberta, training for a half-marathon, lay down on her dining room floor, did a self-exam, and felt a lump the scan had missed. An ultrasound confirmed it.

That experience turned Roberta into a force. A 13-year survivor, founder and CEO of Cancer in the Know, and a breast cancer coach with the Chrysalis Initiative, she fired the doctors who dismissed her, pushed her way into the clinical-trial spaces where Black patients are too often missing, and built a life around helping others advocate for themselves. In this honest conversation, she and host Talaya Dendy talk about dense breasts, self-advocacy, survivorship, grief, and the word she chose from the book she co-authored, Bruised, Broken, and Blessed. Blessed, she says, because she is still here.

✨ Episode Highlights:

[6:52] The self-exam that caught what a “clean” mammogram missed.

[14:28] What dense breasts are, and why they can hide cancer on a mammogram.

[17:43] Firing her medical team: what self-advocacy really looks like.

[33:58] What she tells a woman who is “the statistic”: give yourself grace.

[45:33] Her first step for the newly diagnosed: breathe.

Transcript: https://bit.ly/podscript187

Connect & Engage with Roberta

Website: https://www.cancerintheknow.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/roberta-a-albany-609a2735/

Call to Action

If this episode moved you, do two things: subscribe and follow Navigating Cancer TOGETHER, and share it with the women and men you love. And if you have dense breasts, ask your doctor about an ultrasound or MRI. New episodes on Wednesdays on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or your preferred podcast app. https://bit.ly/NCTpodcast

Sponsor: This episode is brought to you by On the Other Side, a cancer doula and survivor strategist helping leaders redefine life after cancer. If you finished treatment and you are wondering what comes next, connect with an experienced cancer doula at ontheotherside.life.

Hosted, Produced, Written, and Edited by: Talaya Dendy

Video Editor: Shawn Smith

⚠️ Disclaimer: The information shared on this podcast is for general informational purposes only and SHOULD NOT be used as a substitute for sound professional medical advice, evaluation, or care from your physician or other qualified health care provider.

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.