Advocacy in Action

I spent my career as a teacher, educating others. Now that I am retired, I have a new purpose—educating women about breast cancer. I was diagnosed with bilateral breast cancer in 2009. My treatment included a double mastectomy, reconstruction, and adjuvant therapy. Since then, I have been an active advocate for breast cancer prevention and founded Sisters4Prevention in 2010. I also serve as a consumer advocate reviewer for the Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research Grant Program and Susan G. Komen Research Grants. My passion is sharing nutrition and lifestyle strategies that could improve survival and quality of life for patients. My mission is to support research toward a cure and ultimately prevent the disease through primary prevention. Currently, I serve as an advocate for Cleveland Clinic’s Phase I clinical trial of the triple-negative breast cancer vaccine developed by Dr. Vincent Tuohy. I am a graduate of the National Breast Cancer Coalition’s project LEAD and the AACR Survivor/Scientist Program. I also advocate for Friends of Cancer Research, Komen Advocates in Science, the FDA, and NIH/NCI. I am the author of the book "A Teacher’s Journey…What Breast Cancer Taught Me" and the website www.Sisters4Prevention.com. Links to my YouTube channel and podcast are available on my website, and my book can be purchased on Amazon.

 

Advocacy Training

 

2019 NBCC Project LEAD

2021 Susan G., Komen Advocates in Science Training

2021 Friends of Cancer Research Progress for Patients

2022 NBCC Summit and Hill Day

2022 NIH/NCI Advocate Training

2023 Cochrane UK Seminar – Evidence-based Studies

2025 AACR Survivor/Scientist Program

2025 Lynn Sage Advocate Training

2025 PACB Board Certification for Professional Patient and Health Care Advocates – Exam results   pending

2025 Society of Integrative Oncology Conference, Boston

 

Affiliations:

 

2010 – Present San Antonio Breast Cancer Conference

2010 – Present Cleveland Clinic Breast Cancer Vaccine Advocate

2015 – Present Warriors in Pink

2019 – Present SITC Member

2020 – 2023 NIH/NCI Patient Advocate

2022 -  Present Susan G. Komen Advocate in Science

2023 – Present AACR/ASCO

 

Peer Reviewer/Advocate Experience

 

2018 – CDMRP Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research Program

2023 – FDA Patient Advocate: Project Optimus

2023 – Friends of Cancer Research Panels

2023 – Exact Sciences Advisory Advocate

 

D. Contributions to Science

 

An Introduction to the FDA and the Regulatory Environment for Drug

Development - A Patient Advocate's Primer

March 2022

 

Getting the Dose Right: Optimizing Dose Selection Strategies in Oncology, An FDA-ASCO Virtual Workshop

May 3,4,5 2022

 

NCI/NIH Cancer Survival Strategies: An Integrative Approach:  A Patient Perspective

January 23, 2023

 

Friends of Cancer Research White Paper: Early Phase Trials: Dose Implementation and Interpretation for Dose Finding

November 14, 2023

 

Currently serving as a patient advocate for the ongoing Phase I clinical trial for the preventive breast cancer vaccine under the direction of Drs. Justin Johnson and Thomas Budd. Attended weekly meetings at the Cleveland Clinic for the past five years. My duties include recruiting patients for the trial, supporting posters, and writing on social media

2010 – Present

 

Poster Presentation at SABCS:  Final Results of Alpha-Lactalbumin Vaccine Phase I Trial for Triple Negative Breast Cancer, Poster Author

2025

 

Blog Author at OncoDaily

2024 - Present

 

Regular patient reviewer for Scholar One Manuscript/Future Oncology Publication

2023 - Present