Bonding over Breast Cancer

Kerri: This is the American Cancer Society's Hope Lodge in Boston. It's a home away from home for cancer patients, that are getting treatment in Boston and need a place to stay.

Charles River has been a gracious supporter of the Hope Lodge, over the years, and we need that support in order to keep the lights on here.

The lodge, aside from it being a housing lodging program, it really is an opportunity for community.

This is Charles River's suite. They're generous, funding that they've provided us over the years. We've been able to name a suite on their behalf.

We're here today to celebrate the partnerships between Charles River Labs and ACS, and part of our celebration is the ten-year anniversary of this breast cancer roundtable. So, for those who are unfamiliar with your stories, can you each share a little bit about your cancer journey and how you're doing today?

Nancy: So, I'm a sixteen-year cancer survivor, triple negative breast cancer, with node involvement, lymphedema, the whole nine yards, went through sixteen rounds of chemotherapy, forty rounds of radiation, and here I sit today, a survivor.

Susan: Hearing that this roundtable is ten years, is special to me because I was diagnosed ten years ago. So, I was diagnosed with sort of triple positive, breast cancer, went through, chemo, surgery, radiation, doing well, managing normal side effects that I think we all have.

Jilliane: I was diagnosed eight years ago when I was twenty-four years old with triple positive breast cancer. I did sixteen rounds of chemo. I did surgery, and I did thirty rounds of radiation. Happy to say once I finished my treatment, I have been good to go since. And here I stand today happy to be a survivor with all these women.

Rachel: I was diagnosed with, breast cancer twelve years ago and, went through bilateral mastectomy, surgery, so through that, and then, chemotherapy and then radiation, and was doing really great up until last October where I was diagnosed with stage three colon cancer. So, I'm battling that now today and doing okay.

Kerri: What has this group meant to you all for over the years?

Susan: Well, for me, it's been sort of a support group. And there's nothing better when it comes to cancer is talking to someone and sharing your stories with someone that's been in your shoes.

Nancy: It's nice to have the like, in this location, the Hope Lodge, the camaraderie, the the companionship of somebody that you know has been there, done that, you know, so it's nice to sort of lean on other people.

Jilliane: I've really enjoyed just having women to talk to knowing that I'm not alone, and I feel this roundtable has given me a voice, to really spread the word that it can happen to anyone.

Kerri: I know that Charles River Labs is really committed to supporting cancer patients and their families in every aspect of the journey. How important is it for you, given everything you have gone through to be able to work for a company that gives back in this way?

Nancy: I have two friends that are both Stage 4 breast cancer, and just by working at Charles River and knowing that we have a hand in so many of the therapies that are out there that are available. To think of what I went through sixteen years ago and how far it's come just in the last even five years is incredible.

Susan: Knowing what Charles River does was just such a positive motivator for me. You know, we would sit in those infusion chairs for many hours. You have a lot of time to think. And part of my thought process was thinking, oh my god. I'm part of Charles River. Not that I'm a scientist, but in my own little way, am am I helping myself? Am I helping others? So, it just really a positive impact in my life.

Kerri: What is your Charles River moment?

Rachel: My Charles River moment was, listening to my oncologist who I've been with for twelve years. He's going through all sorts of all this information about my current diagnosis with colon cancer, and he's like, we're we're gonna see if we can give you some Keytruda and and go immunotherapy route. The one thing I understood was Keytruda, and I knew that we worked on it, and that it was gonna save my life again. And that was a Charles River moment for me, because it definitely was full circle yet again, just to know, we touched those drugs.

Nancy: When I was going through treatment myself, I always said to myself, one day, one step at a time, because it was a long journey, and I knew there was gonna be an end to it. So that's why I did one day, one step at a time.

Rachel: How amazing is it that a company that I work for gives us this voice and this opportunity together and to talk, and and to share our experiences, to me that's pretty remarkable.