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 SHARE THIS EPISODE OF REALTALK MS Just copy this link & paste it into your text or email: https://realtalkms.com/396 ADD YOUR VOICE TO THE CONVERSATION I've always thought about the RealTalk MS podcast as a conversation. And this is your opportunity to join the conversation by sharing your feedback, questions, and suggestions for topics that we can discuss in future podcast episodes. Please shoot me an email or call the RealTalk MS Listener Hotline and share your thoughts! Email: [email protected] Phone: (310) 526-2283 And don't forget to join us in the RealTalk MS Facebook group! 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: [email protected] 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 Join the RealTalk MS Facebook Group https://facebook.com/groups/realtalkms Download the RealTalk MS App for iOS Devices https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/realtalk-ms/id1436917200 Download the RealTalk MS App for Android Deviceshttps://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=tv.wizzard.android.realtalk Give RealTalk MS a rating and review http://www.realtalkms.com/review Follow RealTalk MS on Twitter, @RealTalkMS_jon, and subscribe to our newsletter at our website, RealTalkMS.com. RealTalk MS Episode 396 Guests: Dr. Ruth Ann Marrie Privacy Policy