Keeping Abreast with Dr. Jenn

Dr. Jenn Simmons
  • 4.7 (123)
  • Medicine
  • Updated Weekly

Keeping Abreast with Dr. Jenn is a podcast dedicated to empowering women and promoting breast health through a functional medicine lens. Dr. Jenn is a leading functional medicine practitioner specializing in restoring health to the breast cancer population. She explores a range of topics related to breast health, including prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and holistic approaches to support overall well-being.  Whether you're a breast cancer survivor, a woman seeking to improve your breast health, a caregiver supporting a loved one, or you are just looking to thrive in this complicated world, this podcast is designed to meet your needs. Discover how functional medicine approaches can complement conventional treatments, support hormone balance, enhance nutrition, manage stress, optimize lifestyle choices, and promote overall well-being.  Tune into Keeping Abreast with Dr. Jenn to gain the knowledge, tools, and resources to take control of your breast health journey.  Remember, at the end of the day, breast health is health!    Note: The Keeping Abreast with Dr. Jenn podcast is intended for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always consult with your healthcare provider for personalized guidance and treatment recommendations. 

  1. 7h ago

    156 : The Truth About Hormones, Progestins, and the Breast Cancer Myth

    Dr. Jenn Simmons and Dr. Erica Schwartz on hormones, individualized care, and questioning mainstream medicineDr. Jenn Simmons sits down with Dr. Erica Schwartz for a candid conversation about women’s health, hormone replacement, and the importance of individualized care. They discuss why hormone therapy is gaining renewed attention, why many providers are not adequately trained to prescribe it, and how patients can make more informed decisions about their health. They also explore breast screening, overdiagnosis, metabolic health, medical fear, and the value of having a trusted provider who looks at the whole person. Together, Dr. Jenn and Dr. Schwartz challenge one-size-fits-all medicine and make the case for thoughtful, relationship-based care.What You'll Learn   Why hormone therapy requires better provider education, not just wider accessHow outdated medical training continues to affect women’s healthWhy individualized care is often more important than rigid protocols The difference between breast cancer prevention, diagnosis, and overdiagnosisWhy metabolic health is central to breast health and long-term wellnessHow watchful waiting can sometimes be safer than immediate testing or biopsyWhy progesterone and synthetic progestins should not be treated as the same thingWhat women should consider before using supplements, peptides, or extreme dietsWhy having a trusted healthcare provider can prevent conflicting and unnecessary treatmentsHow patients can question medical assumptions while taking greater responsibility for their health  Timestamps 00:00 - Why hormone conversations are surging and why training matters 02:10 - Dr. Schwartz’s path from conventional medicine to individualized care 04:00 - Medical paternalism, discrimination, and resistance to change 15:46 - Why mammography is diagnosis, not prevention 17:32 - Hormone replacement, oral estrogen, and breast cancer concerns 24:07 - Perimenopause labels, social media, and inadequate training 30:30 - Why relationships matter more than protocols and lab results 43:13 - Watchful waiting, breast biopsies, and the value of doing less 45:55 - Metabolic health as a foundation for breast cancer prevention 56:34 - Questioning mammography and taking responsibility for your care 60:08 - Why modern medicine needs more time for patient relationships To talk to a member of Dr. Jenn's team and learn more about working with Dr. Jenn visit: https://calendly.com/stephanie-1031/clarity-call To get your copy of Dr. Jenn's book, The Smart Woman's Guide to Breast Cancer, visit: https://tinyurl.com/SmartWomansBreastCancerGuide Connect with Dr. Jenn: Website:  https://www.perfeqtionimaging.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrJennSimmons Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjennsimmons/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dr.jennsimmons

  2. Aug 28

    155 : Autoimmune Disease, Root Causes, and Why the Conventional Model Misses So Much

    Dr. Jenn Simmons and Dr. Bradley Campbell unpack why autoimmune disease is rising, why so many patients are dismissed for years, and why symptom suppression alone often makes things worse. This conversation focuses on root causes, especially gut dysfunction, stress, and immune triggers, and explains why individualized care matters more than one-size-fits-all treatment.Dr. Campbell shares how his work evolved from injury care into complex autoimmune cases, while Dr. Simmons brings the perspective of conventional medicine, cancer care, and the limits of training that does not teach health optimization. Key topics In this episode, Dr. Simmons opens with a blunt critique of how poorly autoimmune disease is understood in conventional medicine, especially when labs are “normal” but patients are clearly unwell.Dr. Campbell explains how autoimmune cases found him through patients with chronic, rare, and complex conditions that mainstream care could not resolve.We discuss the gap between medical training and real-world health care, including the difference between knowing how to prescribe and knowing how to create health.Dr. Simmons and Dr. Campbell agree that the system rewards sickness management, not healing, and that insurance incentives often push short visits, prescriptions, and procedures over root-cause work.In this episode: low iron is treated as a major red flag for digestive dysfunction, malabsorption, celiac disease, low enzymes, or bile flow problems, not just a number to supplement away.We discuss why proton pump inhibitors can create long-term digestive problems by reducing stomach acid, impairing digestion, and contributing to dysbiosis and infection risk.Dr. Campbell outlines his autoimmune screening approach, including ANA, ENA panels, thyroid antibodies, hormone testing, food sensitivity workups, and broader root-cause diagnostics.The autoimmune triad comes up in detail: genetics, gut dysfunction, and a trigger such as physical trauma, infection, medication, food reaction, or emotional stress.We discuss parasites as a controversial but real variable in some autoimmune cases, especially in the context of protozoa, gut imbalance, and chronic thyroid issues.Dr. Simmons and Dr. Campbell both push back on rigid diets and medical absolutism, arguing for individualized decisions around grains, dairy, nightshades, and autoimmune protocols.The conversation closes with a strong emphasis on stress, nervous system overload, childhood trauma, and the need for quiet, reflection, and community without constant screen input.Timestamps 00:00 - Why autoimmune disease is exploding and often missed for years  03:15 - How Dr. Campbell’s path shifted from music and injuries to autoimmune care  06:23 - Why medical training is a foundation, not a complete education in health  08:49 - Doctors as well-intentioned players inside a broken system  11:10 - Why screening versus symptom-based testing must be treated differently  13:20 - Autoimmune disease is highly individualized, even when diagnoses look similar  14:23 - Why celiac disease is often found only after a breast cancer diagnosis  16:36 - Why 30 patients a day leaves no room for root-cause medicine  19:34 - Insurance incentives reward sickness instead of health  23:55 - Years of delayed diagnosis and the cost of being told labs are “normal”  26:52 - Low iron as a clue to digestion, not just iron deficiency  28:19 - Why stomach acid matters for digestion, immune protection, and bile signaling  31:03 - How Heidelberg testing evaluates stomach acidity in real time  33:39 - What Dr. Campbell looks for that many providers miss in autoimmune cases  36:09 - The autoimmune triad: genetics, gut dysfunction, and a trigger  37:34 - Structural, biochemical, and emotional triggers that can set off autoimmunity  40:28 - Parasites, terrain, and why over-treatment is not always the answer  43:44 - Vaccine-era inflammation, informed consent, and autoimmune flare concerns  48:59 - A better model for autoimmune disease: the immune system is trying to do something  51:02 - The autoimmune protocol diet and when a less restrictive approach is better  53:31 - Nightshades, liver function, and why food rules should not be universal  56:13 - Why grains and dairy are not automatically bad for everyone, but can be poor fits in active disease  61:34 - Blood sugar, energy, mood, and why kids often need more real food  63:41 - Why processed protein bars and powders are often worse than whole foods  65:49 - Food transitions at home: why change is hard even when the benefits are obvious  67:46 - Root-cause thinking applies to MS, breast cancer, dementia, osteoporosis, and diabetes  70:03 - Dr. Campbell’s membership community, weekly teaching, and lab support  71:30 - GLP-1 drugs: useful tools for some, but not a shortcut for lifestyle change  74:42 - Stress, trauma, quiet time, and why emotional load drives chronic disease  76:55 - Why unresolved trauma and a lack of safety can affect healing for years To talk to a member of Dr. Jenn's team and learn more about working with Dr. Jenn visit: https://calendly.com/stephanie-1031/clarity-call To get your copy of Dr. Jenn's book, The Smart Woman's Guide to Breast Cancer, visit: https://tinyurl.com/SmartWomansBreastCancerGuide Connect with Dr. Jenn: Website:  https://www.perfeqtionimaging.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrJennSimmons Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjennsimmons/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dr.jennsimmons

  3. Aug 21

    154 : Between a Shot and a Hard Place: Vaccine Facts, Medical Freedom, and Trust in Medicine

    Between a Shot and a Hard Place: Vaccine Facts, Medical Freedom, and Trust in Medicine Dr. Jenn Simmons speaks with pediatrician and integrative medicine practitioner Dr. Joel Warsh, known online as Dr. Gator, about vaccines, informed consent, and why trust in medicine has broken down. The conversation focuses on what parents are actually being told, what the research does and does not show, and how medical decisions get shaped by mandates, industry incentives, and fear.We discuss vaccine schedules, the difference between evidence and dogma, how chronic disease trends relate to broader lifestyle and systems issues, and why Dr. Warsh believes parents need more transparency and more room to choose. Key topics Dr. Warsh explains how he moved from conventional pediatrics into integrative medicine after seeing the value of sleep, diet, exercise, and root-cause thinking in primary care.He describes why vaccines became a major focus in his practice: parents kept asking questions, and he realized medical training had not prepared him to answer them deeply.The hosts discuss how COVID-era mandates intensified distrust, especially in states like California, where school and work requirements effectively removed choice for many families.Dr. Warsh argues that medicine has become too force-driven and too dogmatic, and that doctors should educate rather than pressure patients.The conversation turns to the idea that modern medicine is heavily shaped by pharma funding, which affects training, journals, media, and what gets studied or published.They compare longevity to healthspan, with both speakers noting that people may be living longer but not necessarily healthier, especially in the last 10 to 15 years of life.Chronic disease in children is a major theme, with discussion of rising rates of diabetes, obesity, autoimmune conditions, neurodevelopmental concerns, and autism.Dr. Warsh says the most surprising part of his research for Between a Shot and a Hard Place was realizing how little true vaccinated versus unvaccinated data has been published.He explains the vaccine schedule has expanded over time and discusses why he thinks the lack of manufacturer accountability reduces incentives to improve safety.The episode also covers newer vaccine platforms, including mRNA, and why Dr. Warsh is especially cautious about their use in children.Hepatitis B for newborns comes up as a particularly important example of a vaccine whose timing and risk-benefit calculus he thinks should be revisited.The discussion ends with a broader call for medical freedom, informed consent, and the ability for parents to make decisions without being forced.Timestamps 00:00 - Why vaccine conversations are impossible to avoid 02:10 - How integrative pediatrics changed Dr. Warsh's practice 03:31 - Why parents' vaccine questions became unavoidable 05:13 - Writing Between a Shot and a Hard Place 06:50 - Why COVID deepened mistrust in medicine 09:36 - Why school requirements don't feel like a real choice 13:22 - Medicine should educate, not coerce 17:06 - How pharma shapes training and medical thinking 20:34 - Why accountability matters for vaccine safety 23:28 - The rise of chronic disease in children 30:22 - Big Food, convenience, and multi-generational health impact 36:15 - The Henry Ford vaccinated vs. unvaccinated controversy 40:48 - Why “the science is settled” is the wrong phrase 43:43 - How the vaccine schedule expanded after 1986 48:26 - Rethinking timing, prioritization, and cumulative risk 54:14 - RFK, reform, and transparency 55:14 - What surprised Dr. Warsh most in the research 62:03 - Reassessing newborn and early childhood vaccine timing 67:30 - Why Hep B for newborns is controversial 69:58 - Traditional vaccines vs. mRNA 73:17 - Why Dr. Warsh is cautious about mRNA for kids 75:28 - Why pulled vaccines used to be removed faster 77:41 - The accountability gap 79:39 - Why medical freedom matters for the future To talk to a member of Dr. Jenn's team and learn more about working with Dr. Jenn visit: https://calendly.com/stephanie-1031/clarity-call To get your copy of Dr. Jenn's book, The Smart Woman's Guide to Breast Cancer, visit: https://tinyurl.com/SmartWomansBreastCancerGuide Connect with Dr. Jenn: Website:  https://www.perfeqtionimaging.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrJennSimmons Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjennsimmons/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dr.jennsimmons

  4. Aug 14

    153: Hormone Therapy, Safety, and the Future of Women’s Health with Dr. Daved Rosensweet

    In this episode of Keeping Abreast, Dr. Jenn Simmons sits down with Dr. Daved Rosensweet for a wide-ranging, deeply informed conversation about menopause, hormone replacement therapy, breast cancer risk, and why so many women have been left without clear, trustworthy options.Dr. Rosensweet shares how the Women’s Health Initiative created lasting fear around hormones, why that fear was built on misreported data, and how the conversation around estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone has slowly begun to change.  Together, they make the case that hormones are not the enemy of women’s health and in many cases, they are central to preserving it. The conversation also turns to safety, testing, individualized dosing, and the role of breast imaging. Dr. Jenn explains why QT imaging is changing the way she thinks about screening, and Dr. Rosensweet reflects on why he has long required imaging before prescribing hormones. The result is an unusually honest, technically rich, and hopeful conversation about how to care for women better at every stage of life. What You’ll Learn Why the Women’s Health Initiative misled both the public and providersWhat the data actually showed about estrogen and breast cancer riskWhy many women were taken off hormones unnecessarily for decadesHow Dr. Rosensweet thinks about the safety of hormone replacement after breast cancerWhy estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone all matter for women’s healthHow hormone loss contributes to sleep problems, brain fog, libido loss, bone loss, and muscle lossWhy the timing of hormone therapy matters, but it may not be “too late”How Dr. Rosensweet approaches individual dosing and hormone testingWhy topical delivery matters when it comes to clotting risk and liver metabolismHow QT imaging fits into a safer, more modern breast-screening strategyChapters 00:00 Introduction and episode overview 09:50 Hormone therapy after breast cancer: what the science says 12:31 The role of estrogen and breast cancer risk 14:23 Hormones and breast cancer risk: what the latest studies show 16:22 The lag in medical progress and the 30-year delay in hormone research 17:44 Why the narrative that estrogen causes cancer persists 20:02 Recent advances and the future of hormone therapy 22:51 The importance of provider education and safe hormone protocols 25:49 Signs you should consider hormone therapy 30:44 What women can do if they missed their window for hormone therapy 33:49 Is it ever too late for hormone therapy? 36:02 Determining the right hormone levels and testing methods 37:24 How Dr. Rosensweet ensures safe hormone replacement practices 44:33 Understanding breast cancer cells and hormone receptor sites 46:03 Hormones as protectors, not causes, of breast cancer 47:08 The impact of environmental toxins on health 48:17 The need for testosterone in women and men 52:02 Addressing the lack of provider training on hormones 54:27 Empowering women to have informed conversations about hormones 55:46 Closing remarks and call to action To talk to a member of Dr. Jenn's team and learn more about working with Dr. Jenn visit: https://calendly.com/stephanie-1031/clarity-call To get your copy of Dr. Jenn's book, The Smart Woman's Guide to Breast Cancer, visit: https://tinyurl.com/SmartWomansBreastCancerGuide Connect with Dr. Jenn: Website:  https://www.perfeqtionimaging.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrJennSimmons Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjennsimmons/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dr.jennsimmons

  5. Jul 20

    152: Part 2 | The Mammogram Is Off the Table, Here Is What a Former Breast Surgeon Recommends Instead with Ivy Harris

    In this episode of Keeping Abreast, Dr. Jenn Simmons returns for part two of her conversation with Ivy Harris, the homeschool mom and researcher behind Done with Diligence, to answer the question Part 1 left open: if not a mammogram, then what? Dr. Jenn makes her most direct case yet that screening healthy, asymptomatic women with mammography is unethical and unsupported by science, and she lays out the alternative she built her practice around. This is the episode where she stops critiquing the old model and hands women a new one. Ivy asks the question every listener is thinking after Part 1: is there ever a situation where Dr. Jenn recommends a mammogram? Her answer draws the one line that matters most in this whole conversation, the line between screening a woman who feels fine and diagnosing a woman who has a symptom. One of those saves lives. The other, she argues, has been quietly manufacturing cancer for sixty years. This is the episode you'll want to send to every woman who's ever been told she has no choice but to start at 40 and repeat every year. What You'll Learn Why Dr. Jenn recommends no screening mammogram for any asymptomatic woman.What the difference between FDA cleared and FDA approved really means, and why mammography would never pass the FDA todayHow QT compares to mammography and why it was built for dense breasts and implants firstWhy screening a 30 year old with a mammogram isn't avoided because it can't be done, but because it would reliably cause cancerWhy the WISDOM trial showed more screening produces more biopsies and more diagnoses without saving a single additional lifeWhat women should actually screen for instead, the metabolic dysfunction and inflammatory markers that point to preventionThe daily, no-cost practices Dr. Jenn says do more for breast health than any scan, from fasting to bone-loading movement to detoxificationWhy a biopsy does not spread cancer, and why stage one breast cancer is 99% survivableWhy the difference between surviving breast cancer and thriving after it usually comes down to who gets a health plan, not just a treatment plan Episode Timeline: 01:29 Do mammograms save lives or save breasts 01:50 Why finding cancer early doesn't change the outcome 02:20 How QT imaging and doubling time work 05:01 The difference between screening and diagnosis 07:14 Thermography, ultrasound, and the tears test 12:32 FDA cleared versus FDA approved, explained 18:06 QT versus mammogram sensitivity, 91% versus 71% 20:47 QT for dense breasts and implants 23:51 QT insurance coverage, cost, and access 26:11 What age to start screening, and why not mammograms 28:20 Responding to Peter Attia and the WISDOM trial 34:21 Diet, fasting, movement, and prevention basics 38:53 What to do after a breast cancer diagnosis 39:44 Whether biopsies spread cancer, and the estrogen myth 43:30 Dr. Jenn's credentials and qualifications Guest: Ivy Harris Where to find her: donewithdiligence.com & @donewithdiligence To talk to a member of Dr. Jenn's team and learn more about working with Dr. Jenn visit: https://calendly.com/stephanie-1031/clarity-call To get your copy of Dr. Jenn's book, The Smart Woman's Guide to Breast Cancer, visit: https://tinyurl.com/SmartWomansBreastCancerGuide Connect with Dr. Jenn: Website:  https://www.perfeqtionimaging.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrJennSimmons Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjennsimmons/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dr.jennsimmons

  6. Jul 10

    151: Part 1 | Early Detection Was the Promise, but Overdiagnosis and Harmful Radiation is the Reality with Ivy Harris

    In this episode of Keeping Abreast, Dr. Jenn Simmons sits down with Ivy Harris, a homeschool mom of four, researcher, and soon-to-be certified homeopath behind the blog Done with Diligence, for part one of a two-part conversation on the hidden risks of mammograms and breast cancer screening. Ivy is not a doctor. She's a mom who decided she wasn't going to walk into her first mammogram without doing her own homework first, and what she found is the reason this episode exists. It started with one post, Ivy broke down what she'd learned about mammograms into five parts, shared it, and watched it split her audience in half, with some women thanking her and others telling her she was going to get people killed. Dr. Jenn picks up exactly where Ivy left off and does the math no one does at check-in: 40 million screening mammograms a year, and by the numbers in the study Ivy found, the radiation alone works out to tens of thousands of cancers and over a thousand deaths a year. This is the episode you'll want to send to every woman who's ever been told a mammogram is simply safe, simply necessary, and not worth questioning. What You'll Learn The naming decision behind "mammogram" that Dr. Jenn says was never an accidentIonizing radiation is a classified carcinogen, and why radiologists won't apply that logic to their own testThe cross-country flight radiation comparison doctors use to reassure you, and why it doesn't hold upHow breast density and size can mean 10x more radiation for one woman than another in the same mammogramWhy younger breast tissue takes more damage from radiation as screening age keeps getting pushed lowerOverdiagnosis: the NIH's own number is as high as 1 in 2 women screenedWhy DCIS, diagnosed in 90,000 women a year, has no physical route to become life-threatening breast cancerHow standard DCIS treatment can raise heart failure and fracture risk higher than the diagnosis itselfFalse positives and the 80% benign biopsy rate hiding behind every mammogram callbackWhat a 2026 American College of Physicians paper found on mammograms and breast cancer mortality, at every ageWhy decades of mammography have increased mastectomies by 20%, the opposite of what screening promisedLead time bias: how a screening test can look life-saving on paper without changing when anyone actually diesThe UK surgeon forced to resign for telling women the truth about mammogram screening Episode Timeline: 00:00 Introducing Ivy Harris and Done with Diligence 02:27 Why Ivy researched mammogram safety before her first screening 03:00 Going past the rumors to the actual breast cancer research 04:13 Her viral mammogram post and the backlash that followed 05:32 Standing firm on breast cancer screening controversy 07:39 Radiation risks: why a mammogram is a breast x-ray 09:12 The studies linking mammogram radiation to breast cancer 11:14 How radiation damages younger breast tissue 13:36 The math: 40 million mammograms and radiation-induced cancer deaths 17:59 Overdiagnosis and unnecessary breast cancer treatment 26:14 The train analogy for mammogram overdiagnosis 28:12 How breast cancer actually progresses versus the screening myth 32:29 The real harm of overdiagnosis and overtreatment 34:54 Why mammograms don't reduce all-cause breast cancer mortality 50:15 Lead time bias and misleading screening survival statistics 52:04 Michael Baum, saving breasts, and a Part 2 preview Resources Mentioned: American College of Physicians, Annals of Internal Medicine, April 2026: https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/M22-3424 Guest: Ivy Harris Where to find her: Done with Diligence  & @donewithdiligence To talk to a member of Dr. Jenn's team and learn more about working with Dr. Jenn visit: https://calendly.com/stephanie-1031/clarity-call To get your copy of Dr. Jenn's book, The Smart Woman's Guide to Breast Cancer, visit: https://tinyurl.com/SmartWomansBreastCancerGuide Connect with Dr. Jenn: Website:  https://www.perfeqtionimaging.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrJennSimmons Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjennsimmons/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dr.jennsimmons

  7. Jun 27

    150: The Trauma You Carried for Decades Could Be the Root of Your Disease with Dr. Aimie Apigian

    In this episode of Keeping Abreast, Dr. Jenn Simmons sits down with Dr. Aimie Apigian, a physician with a master's in biochemistry who left surgical training to study the biology of trauma after her own health collapsed. Together they make the case that unresolved trauma, including the kind you'd never check a box for, is not a side note to breast cancer but part of the terrain it grows in. This is the conversation conventional oncology skips entirely. Dr. Aimie didn't recognize her own trauma until it nearly destroyed her health. Raised to be her adopted father's emotional stability, she carried a burden she never named as trauma, until a failed adoption after six years left her with chronic fatigue she couldn't get out of bed from one month later. She knew the research linking adversity to disease. She still didn't see it in herself. If you've ever told yourself your childhood "wasn't that bad," this episode will give language to what your body already knows. What You'll Learn Why the women most likely to carry hidden trauma are the ones who'd swear they had a happy childhoodWhat the famous ACE study found when it looked at wealthy women, and why it shocked the medical worldWhy trauma isn't a feeling you can think your way out of, but a physical loop your body keeps runningWhat a review revealed about childhood adversity and breast cancer riskWhy the state you were in before your diagnosis matters more than the diagnosis itselfHow to tell if your body is still holding trauma, without digging into your pastWhy feeling safe feels terrifying to a nervous system that survived on controlHow healing can start with just two seconds at a timeWhy no retreat or single psychedelic trip will do what small daily habits canWhy most people start their trauma work in the wrong place, and pay for it Guest Dr. Aimie Apigian Where to find her: biologyoftrauma.com Instagram: www.instagram.com/draimie/ To talk to a member of Dr. Jenn's team and learn more about working with Dr. Jenn visit: https://calendly.com/stephanie-1031/clarity-call To get your copy of Dr. Jenn's book, The Smart Woman's Guide to Breast Cancer, visit: https://tinyurl.com/SmartWomansBreastCancerGuide Connect with Dr. Jenn: Website:  https://www.perfeqtionimaging.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrJennSimmons Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjennsimmons/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dr.jennsimmons

  8. Jun 19

    149: Peter Attia Got Breast Cancer Screening Wrong, and Here's the Evidence

    In this episode of Keeping Abreast, Dr. Jenn Simmons responds to Peter Attia's breast cancer screening episode (#396). Attia asks the right question: why are 42,000 women still dying of breast cancer every year? But his answer, more mammograms and MRI on top, is exactly wrong. Dr. Jenn breaks down, study by study, why that 40-year approach has never moved the death toll. Forty-two thousand women a year. That number has not moved since mammography went mainstream in the 1980s. Detection rates are up, diagnoses are up, and the death toll has not changed. We have been finding more cancer, calling more women patients, and watching the same number of them die. If you have ever scheduled your annual mammogram believing it was the most protective thing you could do, this episode will reframe everything you thought you knew. What You'll Learn Why the breast cancer death toll has not moved in 40 years, and why more screening is the reasonWhy DCIS is not cancer, why mammography invented it, and what happens to a woman the moment it gets labeled "stage zero"Why an aggressive tumor is aggressive from the day it forms, and why finding it earlier on a mammogram does not change what it does nextWhy mammography catches the cancers least likely to kill you, and routinely misses the ones that willWhat happened when researchers followed 89,835 women for 25 years and compared annual mammography to doing nothing, and why you have never heard about itWhat the Cochrane review found after analyzing every randomized mammography trial ever run, and why Peter Attia addressed it in one sentenceWhy the WISDOM trial, the most significant recent evidence in this space and the one study Attia never mentions, is an indictment of everything he arguedWhy there is no standard radiation dose for a mammogram, and why the woman next to you in the waiting room may have received ten times less than you didWhat the FDA has formally documented about gadolinium staying in the brain and bones for years, and why the women being told to get it every six months are the last women who shouldWhy insulin resistance, chronic inflammation, and toxic burden are among the most powerful drivers of breast cancer risk, and why Attia's episode contained zero mention of any of them Resources Mentioned Peter Attia, Episode 396 on breast cancer screening: peterattiamd.com/breastcancerscreeningDr. Robin Berzin, founder of Parsley HealthMiller AB, et al. Twenty five year follow-up of the Canadian National Breast Screening Study. BMJ. 2014;348:g366.Gøtzsche PC, Jørgensen KJ. Screening for breast cancer with mammography. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2013;(6):CD001877.Zahl PH, et al. Results of the Two-County trial are not compatible with official Swedish breast cancer statistics. Danish Medical Bulletin. 2006;53(4):438–440.Nyström L, et al. Long-term effects of mammography screening: updated overview of the Swedish randomised trials. Lancet. 2002;359:909–19.Esserman LJ, et al. Risk-Based vs Annual Breast Cancer Screening: The WISDOM Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA. 2026;335(9):763–774.FDA gadolinium-based contrast agent safety communications (2015, 2017, 2018), summarized in Fotenos A, FDA Pediatric Advisory Committee, Sept 2018.Kanda T, et al. High signal intensity in the dentate nucleus and globus pallidus and cumulative gadolinium dose. Radiology. 2014;270(3):834–841.Veenhuizen SGA, et al. Supplemental breast MRI for women with extremely dense breasts: DENSE trial. Radiology. 2021;299(2):278–286.Tabar L, et al. Reduction in mortality from breast cancer after mass screening with mammography. Lancet. 1985;325:829–32.To talk to a member of Dr. Jenn's team and learn more about working with Dr. Jenn visit: https://calendly.com/stephanie-1031/clarity-call To get your copy of Dr. Jenn's book, The Smart Woman's Guide to Breast Cancer, visit: https://tinyurl.com/SmartWomansBreastCancerGuide Connect with Dr. Jenn: Website:  https://www.perfeqtionimaging.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrJennSimmons Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjennsimmons/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dr.jennsimmons

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4.7
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About

Keeping Abreast with Dr. Jenn is a podcast dedicated to empowering women and promoting breast health through a functional medicine lens. Dr. Jenn is a leading functional medicine practitioner specializing in restoring health to the breast cancer population. She explores a range of topics related to breast health, including prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and holistic approaches to support overall well-being.  Whether you're a breast cancer survivor, a woman seeking to improve your breast health, a caregiver supporting a loved one, or you are just looking to thrive in this complicated world, this podcast is designed to meet your needs. Discover how functional medicine approaches can complement conventional treatments, support hormone balance, enhance nutrition, manage stress, optimize lifestyle choices, and promote overall well-being.  Tune into Keeping Abreast with Dr. Jenn to gain the knowledge, tools, and resources to take control of your breast health journey.  Remember, at the end of the day, breast health is health!    Note: The Keeping Abreast with Dr. Jenn podcast is intended for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always consult with your healthcare provider for personalized guidance and treatment recommendations. 

Information

  • Creator
    Dr. Jenn Simmons
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    156
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Keeping Abreast with Dr. Jenn
  • Show Website
    Keeping Abreast with Dr. Jenn

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