SABCS 2024 Highlights, According to 7 Advocates

The San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS) attracts thousands of researchers and physicians from around the world every year, but it’s also a big event for breast cancer advocates. In December 2024, more than 500 breast cancer advocates attended SABCS, where they shared their stories, learned about the latest breast cancer research, and brainstormed ways to work together to support people living with the disease. Here are some of their highlights from the meeting.

After Na’Diah Smith, of Dallas, was diagnosed with DCIS (ductal carcinoma in situ) at age 33, she realized she had a lot to learn. After going through breast cancer treatment, Smith began working with Tigerlily’s angel advocacy program to share some of the knowledge she gained from her experience with others.

SABCS highlight: Smith was on a panel of the “Mind the Gap: Breast Cancer in the Young” session. Participating in the panel was important to Smith — a way to help ensure that young people living with breast cancer are being heard, she said. “Places like SABCS empower you. I want researchers and physicians to understand the impact that conversations about treatment options have on patients — and that some face barriers to these options.”

Ellen Landsberger, MD, a retired OB-GYN from New York, has lived with metastatic breast cancer for years. But it was the loss of a close friend to the disease that sparked her interest in using her voice to help educate others. Her work has led her to host interviews on Our MBC Life podcast, advise the Translational Breast Cancer Research Consortium, and more.

SABCS highlight: Landsberger said she was excited to see the results of the EMBER-3 study presented at this year’s SABCS. The findings pointed to a new treatment option – imlunestrant – for people diagnosed with some types of advanced-stage breast cancer. It’s exciting, said Landsberger, to know that people living with metastatic breast cancer have one more treatment option for the future.

When Sue Friedman, of Tampa, was diagnosed with breast cancer more than 28 years ago, no one on her healthcare team advised her to get genetic testing before starting treatment. Only after completing treatment did Friedman learn that she had a BRCA2 mutation. She founded FORCE to educate people about how mutations to BRCA1, BRCA2, and other genes can affect treatments and to help people advocate for themselves.

SABCS highlight: Friedman said that she was excited to see the latest results from the OlympiA trial, which she participated in as a patient advocate. The trial confirmed the benefits of Lynparza for people with BRCA mutations who had been diagnosed with breast cancer with a high risk of recurrence. 

The study also found that the risk for ovarian cancer was lower in the group that received Lynparza, suggesting that there may be a chance the medicine could be used for prevention. “That’s exciting,” Friedman said, “because [currently] the only prevention of ovarian cancer is an oophorectomy [ovary removal].”

Christine Hodgon was 34 when she was diagnosed with triple-positive metastatic breast cancer. She is the co-founder of GRASP, an organization that brings together researchers and people affected by cancer.

SABCS highlights: Hodgon said one highlight for her at this year’s SABCS was the late-breaking results of the PATINA trial. Researchers found that people who received Ibrance plus the standard treatments for triple-positive metastatic breast cancer lived longer without the cancer growing than people who received standard treatments only. 

Another highlight for Hodgon was the annual GRASP reception, which welcomes patient advocates and researchers. “[W]e often have these events that are very siloed” — for example, there’s a reception for advocates or a clinician gives a talk, she said. The GRASP reception brings everyone together in one room, she said.

Advocates’ Thoughts on SABCS 2024

Dec 13, 2024

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Joan Mancuso was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer in 2007 and serves on the board of Theresa’s Research Foundation.

SABCS highlight: One session that stood out to Mancuso from this year’s SABCS was the workshop titled “The Do’s & Don’ts of Communication on Advanced/Metastatic Breast Cancer.” Participants formed breakout groups for discussions on such topics as how and when to discuss end-of-life issues, how to talk about prognosis, and more. Each table had at least one clinician and one patient advocate, who helped moderate the conversation. At the end of the workshop, tables reported back to the full room about key takeaways from their conversations. “[T]here were a lot of clinicians in the audience,” Mancuso said, “and they were getting a lot of tips from the panelists about … the best way to approach people living with metastatic breast cancer.”

Barbara Bigelow, of Boston, is living with triple-negative metastatic breast cancer. She works with the Metastatic Breast Cancer Alliance and is on the board of directors for Metavivor. 

SABCS highlights: One SABCS highlight for Bigelow was a talk she attended about liquid biopsies and circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA). “We’re at the beginning of learning more about that, but that’s something I'm excited about,” she said. “It’s exciting to meet all these researchers and doctors that are working on our behalf, and they are obviously working very, very hard in moving the research along faster and faster.” 

Another highlight for Bigelow was the chance to catch up with friends in the patient advocacy lounge — a place where advocates gathered throughout the conference to reflect on the future together.

Ever since undergoing treatment for breast cancer, Yvonne McLean Florence, of Philadelphia, has wanted to learn more about how people with lived experience can shape the direction of research. After graduating from the National Breast Cancer Coalition’s Project LEAD in 2018, she said, SABCS was one of her first stops as an advocate.

SABCS highlight: Florence participated in a panel discussion at this year’s SABCS that explored advances in preventing and managing lymphedema — a side effect from treatment that continues to affect her life. “What excites me is that they’re looking at preventive measures for lymphedema. These opportunities and options will be available to patients,” Florence said.

Florence noted that breast cancer advocates don’t have to understand all of the science to advance research. “Every story matters,” she said. “As many patient voices as we can have, as many patient stories that the scientists and researchers are willing to hear, that’s going to make their research better. That’s going to make our lives better as we continue to forge ahead.”