How patient voices shape breast cancer care

Breast cancer advocacy often begins in the quietest moments. A survivor sitting beside another patient in a waiting room. A care bag handed over with a hug. A conversation that helps someone ask the right question at the right time.

But what happens when the advocate steps out of that doctor’s office, that support circle?

More hope. More changes. A better future.

In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we spoke with survivors who turned their pain into power, becoming advocates, educators, and changemakers. Their voices aren’t just building more connected communities; they’re helping shape the future of breast cancer care. By sharing their stories in rooms full of scientists, lawmakers, and healthcare leaders, these advocates are affecting change in breast cancer research funding, policy, and the way care is delivered across the world.

Their work often comes full circle, impacting the very doctors, health systems, and diagnostic companies that once helped guide their treatment. In doing so, they bridge the gap between the science that drives innovation and the lived experiences that give it meaning.

Punita: Turning a Test into a Platform

Having no family history, no warning signs, Punita’s breast cancer diagnosis came as a shock.

“Just utter surprise,” Punita said of getting that call from her doctor on a Saturday morning. “You can't believe it's happening to you. You can't believe you've heard those words. You don't know what it means.”

During the ensuing whirlwind of talks about potential next steps, what gave her clarity was a test: the Oncotype DX Breast Recurrence Score^® test. The test by Exact Sciences examines each patient’s unique cancer to estimate the risk of distant recurrence and predict the likelihood of chemotherapy benefit. Punita’s results helped her avoid what ultimately would have been unnecessary chemotherapy. That moment played a major part in sparking her advocacy journey.

With a background in healthcare, Punita understood the implications of this type of biomarker testing—not just for herself, but for others who might not have access. She began working with American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) and Exact Sciences to advocate for biomarker legislation, pushing for coverage through Medicaid and other public programs.

“For a breast cancer diagnosis, it used to be ‘this is what you have, this is our protocol for treatment,’” said Punita. “But now with biomarker testing, you get to tweak that protocol. It allows your doctor to look at what is better for you. What is your body telling us? And that was what the tumor testing did for me.”

Her voice has reached state and federal lawmakers, helping shape policy that could improve outcomes and reduce costs for thousands of patients. For example, in 2023, Punita spoke at an ASC CAN event about how the Oncotype DX Breast Recurrence Score test gave her the information she needed to choose to bypass chemotherapy. Later that year, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 496, ensuring that more health insurance plans would cover biomarker testing.

“When you advocate for access to testing, you’re advocating for better outcomes, better quality of life, less cost to the system, and a protocol that is personalized to each patient,” said Punita.

Punita also brings a critical lens to representation. As a South Asian woman, she’s spoken out about cultural barriers to care and the need for more inclusive support systems.

“Minority communities or different groups are sometimes not recognized,” said Punita. “I share my story to encourage physicians, researchers, and scientists to examine how cancer might affect one community versus another. Funding for that research is so important.”

Exact Sciences’ Oncotype DX Breast Recurrence Score test didn’t just guide Punita’s treatment, it gave her a platform. And by advocating for broader access, she’s helping ensure that more patients can benefit from the same clarity and confidence she had.

Kara: Building Community from the Ground Up

Kara was 35, newly married, and raising a young daughter when she was diagnosed with stage III breast cancer. Her treatment was intense—chemotherapy, radiation, surgery—and the side effects were overwhelming. But what stood out most was what was missing: clear information, emotional support, and resources tailored to younger patients with families. That gap became her mission.

“When I was little, my mom used to tell me, ‘you can do anything you set your heart to,’” said Kara. “And so I knew I had the strength to then be able to help others so that they didn’t have to deal with these things. I started to envision something and stepped into advocacy.”

Kara founded Going Beyond the Pink, a nonprofit that offers care bags, wellness workshops, financial assistance, and patient navigation to thousands of people across North Carolina—and recently, the globe.

“It’s so powerful,” said Kara. “To think that just because one person went through an experience and had an amazing community around her, she could get out there and give hope to that many people.”

Her work is deeply personal, but its impact is systemic. She’s helped shape survivorship programming, educate communities, and even influence how physicians communicate with overwhelmed patients. She’s also served on panels for the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and the Department of Defense (DOD), helping guide research funding and clinical guidelines. Her lived experience has informed decisions that affect companies like Exact Sciences, whose Oncotype DX Breast Recurrence Score test gave Kara the information she needed to confidently make the decision to do chemotherapy. And in turn, Kara’s work has and will continue to affect thousands of patients.

“It’s science that got us to a place where we’re not overtreating people,” said Kara. “It’s science that allows people to make hard decisions with clear data. That’s why I do this work.”

Sabrina: Bridging Science and Survivorship

Sabrina’s cancer diagnosis began with confusion: Multiple treatment plans. Conflicting opinions. Uncertainty.

“I wasn’t afraid of chemo,” Sabrina said. “I was afraid of making the wrong treatment decision.”

It was the Oncotype DX Breast Recurrence Score test that ultimately gave her clarity and helped her choose to avoid chemotherapy. That experience left her determined to make the system better.

She went back to school and earned her PhD, focusing on patient advocacy and health disparities. Today, she works as a clinical trial navigator and manager of access and diversity, helping patients (especially those from underrepresented communities) understand their options and find trials that fit their needs.

Sabrina’s work is a rare blend of lived experience and scientific expertise. She speaks at conferences, develops training programs, and conducts research on barriers to trial participation. She’s created curricula for nurse navigators, partnered with organizations like Susan G. Komen and Sisters Network, and presented findings that help shape how trials are designed and how patients are recruited.

“I do think sometimes, researchers can be so far removed from the patient experience,” said Sabrina. “So that’s one of the great places for patient advocates to be involved—bringing in a perspective of how the research can actually improve quality of life for patients. Putting a face and voice to what they’re working toward.” 

Sabrina’s advocacy also addresses a critical gap in cancer care: diverse representation. Her research and outreach focus on ensuring that clinical trials reflect the populations they aim to serve. She’s working to dismantle barriers such as medical mistrust, lack of awareness, and provider bias, ones that can often prevent patients of color from accessing cutting-edge treatments.

“We need diverse representation of people in clinical trials to make sure that medications are relevant for everyone,” said Sabrina. “We know that disparities exist, and we as advocates have an opportunity to give back and make it better for others with a cancer diagnosis who are coming up behind us.”

Her work complements the mission of companies like Exact Sciences, which are also focused on increasing access to testing, from simplifying clinical trial information to supporting legislation that expands coverage for biomarker testing. Sabrina’s insights help ensure that tools like the Oncotype DX Breast Recurrence Score test reach the patients who need them most, regardless of background or zip code.

“What’s bothering me now is that I see much younger people being diagnosed with breast cancer,” said Sabrina. “That’s one reason why I keep speaking out—we need to keep trying to raise the research dollars. We need to continue to set bold goals and keep pouring into research until we figure this out.”

A Future Shaped by Survivors

Each of these advocates began their journey in the most personal way. But what makes their stories extraordinary is how they transformed that personal experience into collective impact.

And companies like Exact Sciences are taking notice. By engaging with advocates, supporting widespread access to testing, and using patient insights to guide innovation, they’re helping ensure that the future of breast cancer care is more advanced and more human. The future of breast cancer care looks brighter, because it will very much have been shaped by those who have lived it.

Punita, Kara, and Sabrina are Oncotype DX Breast Recurrence Score® test ambassadors.