In terms of patient care management, I’m really looking forward to [more organizations] like ours, the Missing Pink Breast Cancer Alliance, bringing together different groups that support patients and collaborating with them to make meaningful, lasting change. We should never undervalue the importance of diversity of perspectives when trying to solve the problems our communities face, especially minority communities. These problems are too big for one person or one organization to solve. They require collaboration. If anyone wants to collaborate with others to make meaningful change and solve problems, especially regarding minority communities, I would invite them to become a member of the Missing Pink Breast Cancer Alliance and join us in the important work ahead. One of the most exciting breakthroughs was the DESTINY-Breast04 clinical trial [NCT03734029] showing 6 months longer overall survival with trastuzumab deruxtecan [Enhertu] in patients with metastatic or advanced breast cancers. 1 That was a big deal for this community of patients.

CancerNetwork ®: As you see it, what’s your role as a patient advocate in the management of breast cancer? Lastly, I’m looking forward to more [prolonged] diversity initiatives that aren’t just one-off commitments from patient support services and nonprofits. I’m looking forward to more holistic program designs. The same goes for health care organizations: doctor’s offices [should commit to prolonged diversity initiatives rather than] one-off programs catering to a single community. In terms of treatments, when [clinicians] know what does and doesn’t work the next step is very clear. I’m always interested in studies examining patient experiences and testing how procedures and policies could change to help patients better navigate [their treatments]. Bernadette Lim, MD, MS, said it very well: ‘If your research/work on ‘health equity’ only exists in an academic language, for academic audiences, with no real impact on the material conditions and realities of the people, then who is your work really for? Real-life change is not just a theory. Justice requires embodiment.’ 2 Modi S, Jacot W, Yamashita T, et al; DESTINY-Breast04 Trial Investigators. Trastuzumab Deruxtecan in Previously Treated HER2-Low Advanced Breast Cancer. N Engl J Med. 2022;387(1):9-20. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa2203690

Notes

What has been the biggest breakthrough in the treatment of breast cancer within the last year or so?

Souers, founder and CEO of the Missing Pink Breast Cancer Alliance and co-founder of For the Breast of Us, spoke on these and other issues in an interview with CancerNetwork ® as part of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. We need to examine everything we do through a health equity lens to ensure patients with the greatest needs have access to the greatest resources,” Souers said.