Inspiration from #ASCO20

On this National Cancer Survivor's Day I am sharing two very inspiring speeches from the #ASCO20 Virtual Annual Meeting. One by Dr Skip Burris who was completing his year term as ASCO president and the other by Dr David Fajbenbaum, survivor, advocate and author of Chasing My Cure.

First some tweets from Dr Burris' speech.

Technology is being used to develop new medicines faster - the energy at Breakthough will continue .@ASCOPres #ASCO20

— Dee Sparacio (@womenofteal) May 30, 2020

@ASCOPres speaks about the importance of diversity moving forward. #Truth@ASCOPres #ASCO20 @OncoAlert @SarahCannonDocs pic.twitter.com/rRaVISF6lm

— Erika Hamilton, MD (@ErikaHamilton9) May 30, 2020

and we the people with cancer are right there with you. #StrongerTogether #ASCO20 @oncoalert #bcsm #lcsm #bsm #gyncsm #crcsm #melsm https://t.co/xCV3tpQu7j

— Dr. Kelly Shanahan (@stage4kelly) May 30, 2020

Then Dr  Fajbenbaum spoke.

Listening to Dr Fajgenbaum speak about his journey as caregiver , patient and advocate. Looking forward to reading his memoir. “Life is Precious “#ASCO20 #gyncsm pic.twitter.com/LaWJ7ZfUCd

— Dee Sparacio (@womenofteal) May 30, 2020

Uniting the five stakeholders-- caregivers, patients, clinicians, advocates, and researchers: key strategy for making progress against disease from @DavidFajgenbaum #ASCO20 pic.twitter.com/b09hGBHCrE

— Jamie Holloway, PhD (@jamienholloway) May 30, 2020

#gyncsm https://t.co/72q2I5Ryv9

— Dee Sparacio (@womenofteal) May 30, 2020

#ASCO20 Dr. @DavidFajgenbaum describes having his disease relapse on the last known treatment & fail to respond to the only drug in dev. Says the world's best expert on a disease only knows as much as the world itself knows. He had reached the far limit of the world's knowledge. pic.twitter.com/JyD4j6HREK

— Tatiana Prowell, MD (@tmprowell) May 30, 2020

Connecting Patients and reserach#ASCO20 #ChasingMyCure @DavidFajgenbaum #gyncsm pic.twitter.com/SuMZNcYE6N

— Dee Sparacio (@womenofteal) May 30, 2020

Hope #ASCO20 @DavidFajgenbaum #gyncsm pic.twitter.com/wucpBNBRdS

— Dee Sparacio (@womenofteal) May 30, 2020

"You have to bring everyone together." Thank you @DavidFajgenbaum for sharing your story with all of us.

#ASCO20 #gyncsm pic.twitter.com/zK6v8cfcCx

— Dee Sparacio (@womenofteal) May 30, 2020

As Dr  Fajbenbaum completed his talk I imagined what it would have been like hearing him talk while sitting in the packed large hall in McCormick.  I am sure his speech would have been interupted countless times by clapping. And I am also sure my head would have been nodding in agreement along with so many other advocates and researchers in the audience.

As an almost 15 year survivor of Stage 3 Ovarian Cancer I do have Hope that working together we canfind improved treatments and insure all patients receive the health care they need.

Dee
Every Day is a Blessing!