Highlighting the Voices in Our Community Who Truly Get It
I have spent years watching social media fill up with wellness content that sounds supportive but misses the mark — or worse, exploits a diagnosis for clicks. So, to help patients out there curate a more effective and truth-driven feed, I’ve put together a list of accounts I genuinely recommend.
Real voices. Real science. No “pinkwashing,” false hope or snake oil.
My Criteria? Its Simple.
The account or personality had to blend lived experience with credible information, offer honesty over optimism and never try to sell false hope to someone who deserves the real thing. Trust me. I’ve lived this. I can see through the BS quite easily. I wish this list existed when I was first diagnosed.
Here Are Our Top 11 Instagram Accounts for Breast Cancer Patients
- @drteplinsky – Survivorship & Demystifying Treatment
- @coord_health – Womens Nutritional Care
- @theboobiedocs – Treatment Science & Experience
- @drelisabethpotter – Self-Advocacy & Breast Procedure Information
- @oriordanliz – Misinformation Combattant
- @wildfire_bc_magazine – Transparent, Personal Stories
- @the_gerontologist – Maximizing “Joy Span”
- @drlisamooredpt –
- @the_pause_life – All Things Menopause
- @drbeckyatgoodinside – Parenting During Treatment
- @donaldsonplasticsurgery – Science-Backed Wellness & Confidence
1. @drteplinsky: Dr. Eleonora Teplinsky, Breast & GYN Medical Oncologist
Dr. Eleonora Teplinsky is a board-certified medical oncologist and Head of Breast and Gynecologic Medical Oncology at Valley-Mount Sinai Comprehensive Cancer Care in New Jersey. She’s a Clinical Assistant Professor at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and uses her platform to demystify treatment, survivorship and the science of living well with and after cancer.
She also hosts the Interlude podcast, where she shares real stories from those affected by cancer. Dr. Teplinsky covers both the clinical and the human side without flinching at either. She is very “real,” which often inspires some of the greatest resilience.
2. @drcleoryals: Dr. Cleo A. Ryals, Harvard Cancer Researcher
Dr. Cleo A. Ryals, founder of Evidence in Style™, is a Harvard-trained cancer outcomes researcher with nearly two decades of experience in health equity, policy, and real-world evidence.
Her platform was inspired by a personal experience in 2024, when her mother-in-law was diagnosed with kidney cancer. As her family navigated complex medical information, Dr. Ryals stepped in to interpret reports and guide decisions—revealing how difficult cancer can be to understand.
In response, she created Evidence in Style™ to make cancer education more accessible. By translating complex concepts into relatable stories inspired by fashion, music, and everyday life, she aims to empower patients and families with clarity, confidence, and hope.
3. @theboobiedocs: Dr. Robyn Roth, Breast Radiologist
Dr. Robyn Roth is a board-certified breast radiologist, Associate Professor of Radiology and the founder of The Boobie Docs. And let me talk to you about “The Boobie Docs.” It’s a platform she built to make breast health education accurate and (honestly?) a little less scary.
She, herself, has a strong family history of breast cancer and BRCA mutations; she brings both clinical expertise and personal stakes to every post. She also hosts The Girlfriend’s Guide to Breast Cancer podcast, tackles misinformation head-on and runs an annual fundraiser (the Boobie Bash) that benefits the breast cancer community.
4. @drelisabethpotter: Dr. Elisabeth Potter, Plastic Surgeon & DIEP Flap Specialist
Dr. Elisabeth Potter is a board-certified plastic surgeon based in Austin, Texas, who has performed more than 1,000 DIEP flap reconstruction surgeries. This procedure is the gold standard in natural breast reconstruction after mastectomy. She completed her microsurgery fellowship at MD Anderson Cancer Center and built her practice specifically around giving women options that go beyond implants.
She’s also become one of the most visible patient advocates in medicine. Dr. Potter is amazing at using her platform to pull back the curtain on insurance industry barriers that get in the way of the care her patients deserve.
5. @oriordanliz: Dr. Liz O’Riordan, Breast Surgeon with Breast Cancer
Dr. Liz O’Riordan is a retired British breast surgeon who has been diagnosed with breast cancer three times. You can really feel that she has spent years channeling that experience into some of the most credible, no-nonsense cancer content on the internet.
She started posting after her first diagnosis in 2015 because she was alarmed by how much misinformation was flooding social media for patients just like her.
She’s the author of multiple books on breast cancer and hosts the So Now I’ve Got Breast Cancer podcast, where she breaks down treatment, nutrition myths and the realities of survivorship with the authority of someone who has lived it from both sides of the operating table.
6. @wildfire_bc_magazine: Wildfire: Young Breast Cancer Stories
Wildfire is this sort of multi-media source of endless motivation. It is part literary journal, part writing community and part podcast created by and for people diagnosed with breast cancer under 50.
Founded by April Stearns after her own Stage 3 diagnosis at 35, the platform centers real, first-person stories that cover everything from early diagnosis and treatment to identity, fertility, parenthood and what it means to figure out who you are on the other side of cancer.
This account has been huge because it helped me find a space where younger patients can see themselves and feel genuinely less alone. Which, crazy enough, is quite hard to find.
7. @the_gerontologist: Dr. Kerry Burnight, Gerontologist & “Joyspan” Advocate
Dr. Kerry Burnight is a gerontologist, NYT bestselling author and founder of The Gerontologist, a platform dedicated to making aging better — not just longer. Because why just live longer if you can also live better? (As the name “Thriving Beyond Breast Cancer” suggests, I fully advocate this approach.)
Her signature concept, “joyspan,” focuses on the quality of years lived: the connection, purpose, growth and adaptability that actually make a long life worth having. For breast cancer patients navigating early menopause, long-term survivorship or simply a changed relationship with their future, her work offers a reframe that’s grounded in science and deeply human.
She spent 18 years teaching geriatric medicine at UC Irvine and co-founded the nation’s first Elder Abuse Forensic Center, just in case you were wondering if she really knew her stuff!
8. @forthebreastofus: Nonprofit, Health Equality
For the Breast of Us is a community-driven organization dedicated to supporting women of color affected by breast cancer. Its mission is to empower this community to “make the rest of their lives the best of their lives” through a combination of education, advocacy, and connection.
Founded to address the lack of representation and culturally relevant resources in the breast cancer space, the organization provides accessible education, amplifies patient voices, and builds a supportive network where women can share experiences and find belonging.
At its core, For the Breast of Us aims to ensure that no woman of color navigates breast cancer alone—offering not just information, but community, visibility, and empowerment throughout every stage of the journey.
9. @the_pause_life: Dr. Mary Claire Haver, OB-GYN & Menopause Specialist
Dr. Mary Claire Haver is a board-certified OB-GYN, Certified Menopause Practitioner and the NYT bestselling author of The New Menopause and The Galveston Diet.
She created The ‘Pause Life to make menopause care accessible, evidence-based and specific to what women are actually experiencing. She didn’t want the watered-down version most patients get at the doctor’s office.
If you’re navigating treatment-induced menopause or long-term hormonal changes, her platform is one of the most thorough and trustworthy resources available.
10. @drbeckyatgoodinside: Dr. Becky Kennedy, Clinical Psychologist & Parenting Expert
Dr. Becky Kennedy is a clinical psychologist, NYT bestselling author and founder of Good Inside — a platform TIME dubbed the “millennial parenting whisperer.” Her work centers on helping parents raise resilient, emotionally secure kids through connection-based, boundary-respecting approaches that actually hold up under pressure.
This one is for the moms out there who happen to also be managing a breast cancer diagnosis.
Dr. Kennedy’s content offers something the clinical world rarely touches: practical, grounded support for navigating the parenting role when you’re also managing a diagnosis, treatment and everything that comes after.
11. @tigerlily_foundation: Nonprofit, Educating, Advocating for & Empowering Young Women Before, During & After Cancer
Tigerlily Foundation is a national nonprofit focused on supporting young women affected by breast cancer through education, advocacy, empowerment, and hands-on support. Its work spans the full cancer journey—before, during, and after diagnosis—helping women better understand their health, access resources, and navigate treatment with confidence.
The organization is especially committed to addressing health disparities and reaching women who are often underrepresented or underserved, while fostering a sense of community and reducing isolation among survivors.
At its core, Tigerlily Foundation aims to transform the cancer experience into one rooted in knowledge, advocacy, and hope—empowering young women to live fully and become agents of change in their own care and communities.
Who Should Be on This List Next?
This community is bigger than a list or social media feed. I know I’ve barely scratched the surface, but I want to get out of my little bubble! If there’s an account that has shown up for you during treatment, made you feel less alone or helped you cut through the noise, we want to hear about it.
Tag us in the comments on Instagram and share the voices that matter most to you. Your feed is yours to curate. It should nourish you, inform you and give you more of what you need to see.
We’re here to help you fill it with the good stuff.
About the Author
Bess Hagans is the CEO of Thriving Beyond Breast Cancer and a breast cancer survivor. She’s spent years building TBBC into a community-first organization because she knows firsthand what it feels like to navigate a diagnosis while being bombarded with misinformation. Bess has little patience for anyone trying to profit off vulnerable patients. She also has a lot of experience spotting the difference between content that genuinely supports and content that just sounds like it does.
