"This war on cancer that we have had for the last 50 years has made it such that we can now focus on all the repercussions of treatment because so many people are surviving for so much longer."
All forms of cancer treatment have the potential to negatively affect physical sexual function in women, including sexual desire, arousal, and pain. Despite the prevalence of sexual dysfunction, survivors of cancer rarely receive the necessary information, support, or treatment for these conditions. This episode unpacks survivorship and sex, and why it is important to invest in this care.
Liya Shuster-Bier is the founder and CEO of Alula, the first digital platform dedicated to helping cancer patients manage the symptoms and at-home care needs that cancer treatment brings. Liya knows firsthand that it takes more than chemo to get through a cancer diagnosis. As a two-time cancer survivor, Liya founded Alula to empower patients with the services and products she needed when she was undergoing treatment for a rare form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Before founding Alula, Liya began her career in community development and impact investing, starting out on the corporate currency derivatives team at Goldman Sachs. She received her MBA in entrepreneurial management from The Wharton School and is a proud Dartmouth alum, native of Queens, NY, and immigrant from Baku.