MY LIFE Matters: TNBC Patient Voices Issue 2022 - 46

Conversation CLINICAL TRIALS
complex. Studies like these are paramount in ensuring health
equity. " Since this impacts a large population of breast cancer
patients, these recent trial findings could increase survival for
approximately 50% of all people diagnosed with metastatic breast
cancer today (DePolo 2022).
WHAT WE HOPE TO SEE FOR THE FUTURE
Accurately categorizing HER2-positive, HER2-negative, and
HER2-low breast cancer has become increasingly important
given the results of the trastuzumab deruxtecan study. Thus,
innovative and more exact testing methods can help to identify
the right targeted treatments based on the level of expression
of HER2 in a person's breast cancer cells. Rimm et al. have
proposed measuring HER2 protein with a more sensitive test,
rather than the IHC test.
Findings from their study showed that 67% of tumors formerly
characterized as IHC 0 actually could be recategorized as
HER2-low (Liu 2022). This shows that an even larger percentage
of patients formerly considered HER2-negative could benefit
from trastuzumab deruxtecan if only we can categorize them
as HER2-low with accurate, innovative tools.
We must ensure affordable access to testing for HER2-low
status to make sure that all patients are receiving the best
and most targeted treatments possible. This access should
be available for everyone regardless of socioeconomic status,
insurance status, and cost. In the U.S. where we do not have
universal healthcare, people who are HER2-low may not even
know it. If accurate testing methods are not accessible, then
patients may hear from their healthcare practitioner that they
Ancora.ai is an AI-powered platform that effortlessly matches cancer patients
to clinical trials thereby systematizing, democratizing, and accelerating recruitment.
Ancora.ai has developed a proprietary trial matching technology that
restructures clinical trial data to enable personalized trial matching at scale. The
platform launched in 2020, and the company has won multiple grants (including
from EIT Health) and validated the tool in a peer-reviewed publication.
do not have many treatment options, when in fact the results
of this study show potential for an efficacious intervention for
HER2-low breast cancer.
WHAT YOU CAN DO NOW WITH THIS INFO?
* Remain informed about the updates
concerning the findings of this study.
* Advocate on a political level for universal
healthcare and full coverage of all aspects of
cancer care for cancer patients, regardless
of insurance coverage or lack thereof.
Black women have a higher death rate from breast cancer
compared to white women. Furthermore, it has been empirically
found that lack of insurance does contribute to this higher death
rate for Black cancer patients. In one study, lack of insurance
prevented Black breast cancer patients from receiving high
quality and timely screening and medical coverage (McDowell
2017). Financial equity means ensuring that there is a way for
people without insurance coverage or with lower socioeconomic
status to have access to trastuzumab deruxtecan. l
SOURCES
* (DePolo 2022) https://www.breastcancer.org/research-news/enhertu-improves-survival-in-people-with-metastatic-her2low-breast-cancer#section-about-her2-low-breast-cancer
*
(FDA 2022) U.S. Food and Drug Administration https://www.fda.gov/drugs/resources-information-approved-drugs/
fda-disco-burst-edition-fda-approval-enhertu-fam-trastuzumab-deruxtecan-nxki-adult-patients#:~:text=On%20May%20
4%2C%202022%2C%20the,setting%20and%20have%20developed%20disease
* (Liu 2022) https://www.fiercebiotech.com/medtech/asco-her2-diagnostics-need-revolution-astrazeneca-daiichis-enhertu-looks-redefine-breast
*
(Lund et al. 2009) https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10549-008-9926-3
* (McDowell 2017) https://www.cancer.org/latest-news/study-lack-of-insurance-linked-to-higher-breast-cancer-deathrates-in-black-women.html#:~:text=Differences%20in%20health%20insurance%20are%20a%20main%20reason,in
*
(Modi et al. 2022) https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2203690
* (Purrington et al. 2022) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8327620/
* (Velsaquez et al. 2022) https://ascopubs.org/doi/10.1200/EDBK_350691?url_ver=Z39.88-2003&rfr_id=ori:rid:crossref.
org&rfr_dat=cr_pub%20%200pubmed
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
KHAMAI SIMPSON, MSC., IS A PATIENT ENGAGEMENT MANAGER AT ANCORA.AI. HER WORK INVOLVES EDUCATIONAL
CONTENT CREATION, OUTREACH TO PATIENTS, COLLABORATION WITH PATIENT GROUPS, AND ENSURING THAT
DIVERSE, UNDERSERVED POPULATION GROUPS HAVE ACCESS TO CANCER RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES. MS. SIMPSON
HOLDS A BA IN PUBLIC HEALTH FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER AND A MSC IN PUBLIC HEALTH FROM CHARITE
MEDICAL UNIVERSITY IN BERLIN. HER MASTERS THESIS WAS A QUALITATIVE RESEARCH STUDY ANALYZING THE
PSYCHOSOCIAL EFFECTS OF PERCEIVED RACIAL/ETHNIC DISCRIMINATION IN THE HEALTHCARE SYSTEM IN BERLIN,
GERMANY.
ABOUT LISA NELSON
LISA PETGRAVE-NELSON, LMSW, OSW-C, EARNED HER BACHELOR OF SOCIAL WORK AND MASTERS OF SOCIAL WORK
FROM ADELPHI UNIVERSITY IN GARDEN CITY, NEW YORK. SHE IS A LICENSED MASTER SOCIAL WORKER (LMSW),
A CERTIFIED ONCOLOGY SOCIAL WORKER, NYU ZELDA FOSTER LEADERSHIP FELLOW, AND A TRAINED END-OFLIFE
DOULA. SHE HAS WORKED IN DIRECT PRACTICE WITH CHRONICALLY ILL ADULTS FOR OVER 20 YEARS. HER
EDUCATION, RESEARCH STUDY, AND PRESENTATIONS HAVE FOCUSED ON TOPICS RELATED TO CANCER PATIENTS AND
THEIR FAMILIES. THESE TOPICS HAVE BEEN THE FOCUS OF MANY OF HER PUBLISHED ARTICLES AND PRESENTATIONS,
INCLUDING THE JOURNAL OF END OF LIFE & PALLIATIVE CARE. LISA REMAINS AN ARDENT ADVOCATE FOR
HEALTHCARE EQUITY, ESPECIALLY FOR THOSE IN UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES.
46
MY LIFE MATTERS
TNBC PATIENT VOICES ISSUE 2022

https://www.breastcancer.org/research-news/enhertu-improves-survival-in-people-with-metastatic-her2-low-breast-cancer#section-about-her2-low-breast-cancer https://www.breastcancer.org/research-news/enhertu-improves-survival-in-people-with-metastatic-her2-low-breast-cancer#section-about-her2-low-breast-cancer https://www.fda.gov/drugs/resources-information-approved-drugs/fda-disco-burst-edition-fda-approval-enhertu-fam-trastuzumab-deruxtecan-nxki-adult-patients#:~:text=OnMay4%2C2022%2Cthe,settingandhavedevelopeddisease https://www.fda.gov/drugs/resources-information-approved-drugs/fda-disco-burst-edition-fda-approval-enhertu-fam-trastuzumab-deruxtecan-nxki-adult-patients#:~:text=OnMay4%2C2022%2Cthe,settingandhavedevelopeddisease https://www.fda.gov/drugs/resources-information-approved-drugs/fda-disco-burst-edition-fda-approval-enhertu-fam-trastuzumab-deruxtecan-nxki-adult-patients#:~:text=OnMay4%2C2022%2Cthe,settingandhavedevelopeddisease https://www.fiercebiotech.com/medtech/asco-her2-diagnostics-need-revolution-astrazeneca-daiichis-enhertu-looks-redefine-breast http://www.Ancora.ai https://www.fiercebiotech.com/medtech/asco-her2-diagnostics-need-revolution-astrazeneca-daiichis-enhertu-looks-redefine-breast https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10549-008-9926-3 http://www.Ancora.ai https://www.cancer.org/latest-news/study-lack-of-insurance-linked-to-higher-breast-cancer-death-rates-in-black-women.html#:~:text=Differencesinhealthinsuranceareamainreason,in https://www.cancer.org/latest-news/study-lack-of-insurance-linked-to-higher-breast-cancer-death-rates-in-black-women.html#:~:text=Differencesinhealthinsuranceareamainreason,in https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2203690 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8327620/ https://ascopubs.org/doi/10.1200/EDBK_350691?url_ver=Z39.88-2003&rfr_id=ori:rid:crossref.org&rfr_dat=cr_pub0pubmed https://ascopubs.org/doi/10.1200/EDBK_350691?url_ver=Z39.88-2003&rfr_id=ori:rid:crossref.org&rfr_dat=cr_pub0pubmed http://www.ANCORA.AI

MY LIFE Matters: TNBC Patient Voices Issue 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of MY LIFE Matters: TNBC Patient Voices Issue 2022