Fighting breast cancer through advocacy

Young women facing breast cancer often have questions about their diagnosis, treatment options, and how to navigate the health care system. The Tigerlily Foundation’s ANGEL (Advocate Now to Grow, Empower, and Lead) Advocacy Program helps them find answers – and use their voices to help others.

Supported in part by a grant from Exact Sciences, the ANGEL Advocacy Program helps young women of color affected by breast cancer to become more knowledgeable about the disease and equips them with advocacy skills. The advocates make a difference in their communities by raising awareness, sharing educational information, and supporting peers through their cancer journeys. They also bring patient perspectives to healthcare providers, researchers, and policymakers.

Listening to those perspectives matters.

As Exact Sciences prepared for a new breast cancer clinical trial, our team met with a group of ANGEL Advocates. We asked for feedback on the trial design and on materials created for patients. Their input helped us understand what patients need to feel informed, respected, and confident when considering participation in clinical research.

“Everything begins with the patient voice,” said Leah Eshraghi, Principal Advocacy and Alliances Director for Precision Oncology at Exact Sciences. “When we include a range of perspectives early, we can design trials that everyone can access, trust, and want to participate in.”

By supporting advocacy programs like ANGEL, Exact Sciences aims to strengthen connections between patients and research – and help ensure that advances in cancer care reflect the needs of the people they are meant to serve.