ASCO

Author: Virginia Leach, Research Manager

Hello everyone!

My name is Virginia Leach and I’m TLF’s Research Manager. I’ve had the pleasure of working with several patient-advocates and members of the organization to discuss the exciting opportunities we have in sharing our research with the community.

The Role of Patient-Advocates

One of the many roles of patient-advocates is to collaborate with others to ensure the patient voice is heard throughout the entire research process. With input from our patient-advocates and community-at-large, our focus for 2023 is Triple-Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC). With the help of members, TLF shares important research with key stakeholders in the cancer care community including medical providers, industry partners and patient-advocate organizations.

American Society of Clinical Oncology Conference

The fourth conference attended by Tigerlily in 2023 was the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in Chicago, IL from June 2nd-6th. ASCO’s mission is “conquering cancer through research, education, and promotion of the highest quality, equitable patient care,” and has been established since 1964 and represents more than 45,000 oncology professionals who care for people living with cancer.

TLF’s Research Study

On behalf of the research team and members of TLF, I presented the research conducted by members of the TNBC Alliance of DC and Dallas/Fort Worth, TX. After reviewing the literature on Triple-Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC), the team found very few community-based interventions addressing the risk of and diagnosis with TNBC in Black or African American women. This breast cancer sub-type negatively impacts Black women in comparison to other racial groups in the United States.

Presenting our research in the form of an academic poster allowed TLF to shine in the midst of other important research highlighting the impact TNBC. TLF was one of few community-based organizations selected to share research by and for the TNBC community. It was an honor to share our findings, provide solutions to reduce the disparities within TNBC, and discuss the resources and services TLF provides.

Acknowledgements

TLF thanks our sponsor Gilead Sciences for their support in this research. We also thank our collaborators ASCO Patient Advocacy and GRASP for championing the way patient-advocates can mobilize their collective voice. Congratulations to the co-authors of this research study for being selected to present at ASCO 2023. See their names and affiliations below.

If you’re interested in attending conferences or community events in the future, please reach out to me via email (virginia@tigerlilyfoundation.org) for upcoming opportunities.