Patient Advocacy in Oncology Research

<h2><strong>How did you end up in patient advocacy?</strong></h2><p>At the time of her first diagnosis, Deb was a computer company executive. Along with her husband (also a cancer survivor), she got involved with an oncology patient advocacy group. This was in the early 1990s when very little was known about effective cancer treatments, and she felt that this was important to change</p><h2><strong>Can you explain the role of a patient advocate?</strong></h2><p>A patient advocate contributes in a dramatic way to improve the experience of patients they don’t know through direct patient support, political advocacy, fundraising, and watchdog advocacy. A research advocate takes a long-term partnership approach. They focus on improving and speeding research results and ensure patient results and things that are important to the patient community, not just the scientific community, are a major focus.</p><h2><strong>Why do you believe it’s so important to speak up for the patient in clinical r...