Senator Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr. hosted a special podcast in recognition of October as Breast Cancer Awareness Month, aiming to shed light on the impact of the disease, advances in treatment, and the resilience of those affected.

In this episode, Senator Addabbo's guests were Dr. Rosa Nouvini, Medical Oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and Medisys Cancer Center, and Racquel Chariah a breast cancer survivor and the CEO & Founder of Let Your Light So Shine.

“Breast cancer touches families across our state in countless ways, and it is only through conversation, education, and compassionate care that we can turn awareness into action,” Senator Addabbo said. “By elevating the voices of clinicians and survivors, we hope to empower New Yorkers to seek screening, support loved ones, and advocate for policies that improve prevention, treatment, and survivorship.”

Breast cancer is the most common cause of cancer among women in the United States, but it has seen a reduction of 44% percent since 1989 due to improvements in technology and early detection, Addabbo said, citing information from American Cancer Society Breast Cancer Facts & Figures 2024-2025 report.

Breast cancer screenings for women age 40 and older are critically important, Dr. Nouvini noted, because when women detect their breast cancer early before symptoms develop, there is a chance for a cure.

“That’s what we want,” Nouvini said. “We want to extend your life as much as possible, if you are diagnosed with cancer.”

“It is a highly stressful, highly upsetting and highly confusing time, when one is diagnosed with cancer,” Dr. Nouvini continued. “It’s important that in your initial visit with your doctor that you have someone you trust with you.” That support person can take notes and help you absorb all the information that you may miss during this trying time.

Dr. Nouvini said the most important questions to ask are: What kind of breast cancer do I have? Because treatment varies depending on the type of cancer, and there are many different types of treatment. It is also important to know what stage of cancer a patient has, and they can range from one through four, because that affects the prognosis, meaning the length of life. It’s also important to know the side effects of treatment and how to address those side effects.

Racquel Chariah is a breast cancer survivor and the CEO & Founder of Let Your Light So Shine, which is a non-profit providing customized consulting and coaching services to nonprofit organizations and leaders in underserved areas, helping them overcome challenges in business practices to achieve success, sustainability, and social impacts. In her journey as a breast cancer survivor, Chariah said she was helped by her Christian faith, support from her family, and her strong will to live.

She was diagnosed at the age of 40, just when she felt the healthiest she had been in her life. Suddenly she discovered a lump in her breast.

“Something felt a little strange,” she said, “and I got checked and biopsied and underwent all of the traditional tests.” She described going to the doctor with her husband when she was diagnosed and how her physician went over her plan of care. Chariah said even though she was shocked to have breast cancer she knew that she had a strong support system, and she would get through it.

“I was young,” Chariah said. “I had three small children and every single day I was waking up and asking God to give me someone to help. Ok, I’m in this situation, but give me someone to help. So, every day I was in school as a PTA president. I never missed a meeting. I never missed a day of school, and I supported the community. By me doing that it really made cancer feel small and everything else bigger. Of course, it was a difficult period in my life, but my focus was on others.”

The complete podcast is available to view on Senator Addabbo’s YouTube channel at the following link https://youtu.be/6syRofJJNT0