My Life Matters - Fall 2021 - 22

The Power of One WHITE ALLYSHIP
Calling all White Allies to
Find Their " Something "
BY AMANDA MAGGIOTTO, METASTATIC BREAST CANCER SURVIVOR
T
22
MY LIFE MATTERS
FALL 2021
wo weeks after my college graduation, I was thrilled to land a job
working in cancer research at a prestigious cancer center in Cleveland.
I was especially excited to work on providing better access to
clinical trials for blood cancer patients since a dear friend of mine is
a childhood leukemia survivor. Little did I know as a young, healthy
22-year-old, that the same friend would be shuttling me to and from appointments
at the same cancer center after my own cancer diagnosis.
I was initially diagnosed with very early-stage breast cancer shortly after my
27th birthday in 2013. I had a recurrence in 2016 and was ultimately diagnosed
with metastatic breast cancer in 2017. With no significant family history of
breast cancer, I was stunned. I cannot put into words the misery and anguish
I felt after being diagnosed with metastatic disease. It is a feeling I would not
wish on my worst enemy and an experience that has forever changed me.
As a Program Manager at the Cancer
Center, I work with the multidisciplinary
team of doctors - surgeons, medical and
radiation oncologists, pathologists, radiologists
and more - who treat breast cancer. I
also work with the team that treats sarcoma,
a rare bone and soft tissue cancer; and the
team that treats gynecologic cancers like
ovarian, uterine and cervical cancer. My
main objective is to help build and support
cohesive teams of clinicians to better
streamline care for patients and improve
their patient experience.
My Life Matters - Fall 2021

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