COA Patient Advocacy Network
News Bulletin: September 2021
Advocacy Chats
Insightful Conversations on Policy Issues & Cancer Research
October: Breast Cancer Awareness Month

The most common cancer in women, breast cancer has come to the forefront of public awareness over the past few decades. This increase in awareness has been accompanied by a wealth of tools and resources to help women navigate a breast cancer diagnosis. On October 13 at 12 p.m. ET, join Rose Gerber, COA’s director of patient advocacy and education, and Stacy Lewis, the chief program officer and deputy chief executive of the Young Survival Coalition, as they discuss current challenges to preventing and treating breast cancer, resources that you may not know about, connecting with hard-to-reach audiences, and what the Young Survival Coalition is doing to support young adults affected by breast cancer. 
ICYMI: Getting Involved with the Time to Screen Campaign

Community oncologists across the nation and Patti LaBelle have one thing in common: they want YOU to get screened for cancer. The Time to Screen campaign is in full swing, and the Godmother of Soul is asking adults in the U.S. to reschedule missed or canceled screenings due to COVID-19. How can you take part? COA's Director of Communications Nicolas Ferreyros joined COA's Director of Patient Advocacy and Education Rose Gerber to discuss tools advocates can use to spread the word. 
Chapter Spotlight
Hematology-Oncology Associates of Central New York
East Syracuse, NY
Hematology-Oncology Associates of Central New York (HOA) serves 1,700 new patients each year at four locations across the state of New York. With over 100 team members, HOA works tirelessly to serve and support patients with cancer. 

HOA approaches cancer care in a unique and special way, going beyond traditional care and providing whole-person healing for every patient. Their holistic approach ensures that the patients they serve are “treated as people, not medical cases.” Working as a team, HOA does everything possible to create the best environment for their patients. 

As part of their commitment to advocacy on behalf of community oncology, HOA participates in the “Sit in My Chair” program created by COA. Using materials prepared by COA, HOA gives federal policymakers the opportunity to go through a typical cancer-treatment appointment and mock-chemotherapy session. This program has allowed patients to give policymakers a powerful and humbling experience and led patients to continue advocacy efforts in Washington D.C. 
Cancer News You Can Use

STAT News 08/27
Breast density is a known risk factor for developing breast cancer, but that well-accepted research finding is derived from studies conducted in women under age 75. In an analysis of more than 220,000 mammograms published in JAMA Oncology, cancer epidemiologist Dejana Braithwaite of the University of Florida’s Cancer Control and Population Sciences Program and her team reported that density — and the risk of breast cancer — doesn’t disappear for older women.

NPR 08/26
Early in the pandemic, one bit of encouraging news was that children weren't as vulnerable to COVID-19 as adults. But doctors who treat children with cancer had special concerns.

HealthDay 08/31
Many parts of the United States saw a significant drop in breast cancer screening of older low-income women during the COVID-19 pandemic, new research shows.
The analysis of data from 32 community health centers that serve low-income people found that breast cancer screening for 50- to 74-year-old women dropped 8% between July 2019 and July 2020. That wiped out an 18% increase between July 2018 and July 2019.

MedCityNews 08/18
GlaxoSmithKline drug Jemperli is now FDA approved for treating solid tumors throughout the body as long as they have a particular genetic signature. Expanding the drug’s approval means the drug can treat more patients who have more types of cancer, and it also gives GSK a way to grow revenue in its thin oncology portfolio.

MedPage Today 08/11
After about four months from the second dose of Pfizer's mRNA vaccine, 87% of solid tumor patients who had been on active treatment remained seropositive for SARS-CoV-2 antispike IgG antibodies, reported Salomon M. Stemmer, MD, of Rabin Medical Center of Beilinson Hospital in Israel, and colleagues, in a research letter in JAMA Oncology.
Community Oncology 101
Spotlight on Cancer Care: Reaching Underserved Patients
In rural communities with underserved populations, community oncology practices like Carolina Blood and Cancer Care Associates are there to offer the personalized cancer care that patients need.

Resources for Chapters
COA provides a wide variety of resources for community oncology practices, professionals, and advocates. With the Delta variant surging, up-to-date information is more important than ever. Here are a number of resources that patients and caregivers can use to navigate the coronavirus.