Episode 396: The Importance of Cancer Screenings for People Living with MS With Dr. Ruth Ann Marrie

Managing MS means staying focused not only on your MS but also on your overall health. That includes getting routine health screenings to stay ahead of potential complications. Recent research has shown that, compared to healthy people, people with MS are more likely to develop some cancers.

Clinician-scientist Dr. Ruth Ann Marrie joins me to discuss which cancers pose a greater risk to someone with MS, why you need to make those appointments for cancer screenings, where you can find low-cost or no-cost cancer screenings, and things you can do to further minimize your risk of developing cancer.

Dr. Marrie is a professor of medicine and the Multiple Sclerosis Clinical Research Chair at Dalhousie University in Canada. She's a past recipient of the Barancik Prize for Innovation in MS Research and is recognized as one of the world's leading MS experts.

We'll also explain how and why we're going to be discussing the impact of those devastating federal budget cuts and mass layoffs in the federal agencies responsible for healthcare and MS research on this podcast.

We'll tell you about the FDA's decision to grant priority review to Tolebrutinib. (We'll also explain why Tolebrutinib isn't just another DMT. We're even sharing the projected date when the FDA will make its approval decision!)

And you'll learn what happened when a research team set out to identify the diversity-related characteristics of the MS population in Canada.

We have a lot to talk about! Are you ready for RealTalk MS??!

How we'll be talking about the impact of public policy on people affected by MS (and why we must) :22

Hear what's on the minds of some of the attendees at last week's National MS Society Public Policy Conference 3:55

This Week: The importance of cancer screenings for people with MS 12:52

Tolebrutinib, an investigative DMT from Sanofi, is granted priority review by the FDA 13:44

What happened when researchers set out to identify the diversity-related characteristics of the MS population in Canada 17:56

Dr. Ruth Ann Marrie discusses the importance of cancer screenings for people living with MS 20:02

Share this episode 30:03

Have you downloaded the free RealTalk MS app? 30:23

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LINKS

If your podcast app doesn't allow you to click on these links, you'll find them in the show notes in the RealTalk MS app or at www.RealTalkMS.com

Become an MS Activist
Web: https://nationalmssociety.org/advocacy
Email: msactivist@nmss.org

VIDEO: Tolebrutinib and Non-Relapsing Secondary Progressive MS with Dr. Robert Fox
https://realtalkms.com/tolebrutinib1

VIDEO: Tolebrutinib and Relapsing-Remitting MS with Dr. Jiwon Oh
https://realtalkms.com/tolebrutinib2

VIDEO: RealTalk MS 2025 ACTRIMS Forum YouTube Playlist
https://realtalkms.com/actrims

STUDY: Characterizing the Diversity of the Multiple Sclerosis Population in Canada: A Scoping Review
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/20552173251321814

STUDY (PLAIN ENGLISH VERSION): Characterizing the Diversity of the Multiple Sclerosis Population in Canada: A Scoping Review
https://tremlettsmsresearchexplained.wordpress.com/2025/03/20/characterizing-the-diversity-of-the-multiple-sclerosis-population-in-canada-a-scoping-review-explained

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RealTalk MS Episode 396
Guests: Dr. Ruth Ann Marrie

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