Cancer gets personal with analytics and advocacy

Last year during breast cancer awareness month, I campaigned for Real Men Wear Pink and shared a little about my wife Lisa’s personal story as a breast cancer survivor. She was diagnosed in 2018 and is now – thankfully – free of cancer.

As I continue to advocate for breast cancer research and funding, I have been touched by the number of friends and co-workers who have reached out to tell me about their own experiences with breast cancer, and the physical and emotional effects the disease has had on their lives.

One of those co-workers, who has given me permission to share her story, is Elizabeth Creech. She is a manager on our digital marketing team, and her friends call her Bess for short.

Bess was diagnosed with breast cancer last year during breast cancer awareness month. Before her diagnosis, Bess knew “something wasn’t right” and she knew she should see her doctor, but she was putting it off until her upcoming scheduled appointment.

According to Bess, her husband Zeke encouraged her to make an earlier appointment. After the two of them participated in breast cancer awareness activities and watched the Real Men Wear Pink videos, including the one of me shown below, Zeke said, “If he can do that, you can make an appointment.”

And she did.

From patient to survivor

Today, Bess is back at work and in remission after a long year of treatment. Over that year, Bess became interested in the role that analytics played in determining her treatment path.

“Every decision that has been made has been very data driven,” says Bess. “At every step, there are tests and methods. As more data comes back and there are more answers, you pivot and change direction. It’s like the scientific method at work. You’re just the subject.”

In particular, Bess’ genetic makeup was analyzed using an Oncotype test, which determined her risk of cancer recurrence and predicted the potential benefit of chemotherapy as part of her treatment plan, based on 23 unique genetic markers.

In her case, the test determined Bess would benefit from chemotherapy. She is grateful that the treatment has helped her on her journey, but she does not wish the grueling months of pain and exhaustion on anyone.

“Having gone through chemo, if somebody doesn’t have to do that, don’t put them through it! If there’s no long-term benefit, don’t do it,” she says.

Dr. Mark Graham, Bess’ oncologist in Cary, NC, is a proponent of the Oncotype test and other data-driven approaches that can treat cancer with fewer side effects and save patients from unnecessary treatments.

“The OncotypeDX multigene assay has spared tens of thousands of women unnecessary chemotherapy with no loss of effectiveness in their breast cancer treatment,” explains Graham, citing articles from The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. “It is performed on tumor tissue and uses data from the NCI-sponsored TailorX clinical trial of women with lymph node-negative and ER+ breast cancer.”

From survivor to advocate

In her note to me last year, Bess said, “Your involvement prompted me to take action for my own health.” Just as my advocacy helped Bess, now she is helping others. Bess has become a vocal proponent for regular exams and checkups – and for proactive health care.

“Be in tune with your body,” she says. “If you can catch it early enough, you might avoid the worst of the treatment options.”

And, to breast cancer patients early in the process, she says, “Ask questions and try to have a treatment plan that’s custom for you. Understand there’s data behind who you are and what the doctors are trying to do. If you can understand that, you can make better decisions.”

Why analytics matters in cancer research

Bess’ story illustrates not only the importance of early detection but also the importance of analytics in cancer treatment and research.

As treatments continue to advance in the era of genetic testing and personalized medicine, analytics plays a crucial role, from therapeutic innovation to clinical research and medical testing.

If you too want to be a champion for breast cancer research, you can support my Real Men Wear Pink campaign with the American Cancer Society.

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Above photo: Bess with her two daughters shortly after she was diagnosed with breast cancer in October 2018.