BREAKTHROUGH RESEARCH vs PRACTICAL APPLICATION

A few weeks ago, HIS Breast Cancer was invited to exhibit in the Patient Advocacy

Pavillion at the annual AACR conference in San Diego. They extended this opportunity

to only 30 organizations and we were privileged to be chosen.

The American Association of Cancer Research is one of the world’s largest

organizations dedicated to advancing cancer research. They bring together scientists,

physicians and other medical professionals to promote prevention, advanced diagnosis and the newest treatment options as well as emerging therapies for all cancers.

Vicki and I have attended many conferences in the Breast Cancer and Genetic Cancer

world over the past 14 years. AACR was 100 times more encompassing and honestly

more sophisticated and confusing.

The amount of research happening in this cancer world is so inspiring! Every person

and every company is searching for new answers, faster and more accurate diagnoses

and new treatments. Much of this is driven by the advent and addition of A.I. into the

equation, using machine learned calculations.

There were rows and aisles full of 100’s if not thousands of “Posters” from researchers

both young and very experienced showing off their months or years of data and

research. The common thread was almost every specific poster utilized A.I. to formulate their hypothesis combining years of study data for each specific cancer type.

I learned a new title for these researchers: “COMPUTATIONAL BIOLOGISTS”.

I stopped and talked to many of those presenters when the subject matter/ cancer type was within my realm of understanding. Many are young graduate students working toward their doctorate degrees or hopeful that a major pharma company will notice.

What really caught my attention after reviewing these amazing computational biology advancements is that most could not speak to the “Patient Aspect” and “Practical Applications”! What is coming is so important for earlier prediction modeling for recurrence as well as for initial predictability of tumor formation. But what about today and those of us that live with cancer and how will this affect our plans and treatments?

Most of these brilliant young minds using A.I. to formulate do not comprehend the

practical or even the clinical side and that there are actual people at the end of their

hypothesis and how the patient can benefit. It’s an interesting and bewildering dynamic.

It’s great to gain this knowledge, but how do we apply it to the individual patient.

Additionally, what will be the timeline to implement this incredible predictability

modeling.

It was certainly an eye-opening experience, and I am thankful to AACR for inviting us.

We learned a lot, but we were also able to educate some of these great minds to our

real plight of Male Breast and BRCA Cancers. We met some amazing people, including

in big pharma who are all working hard to find cures and answers.

One other interesting point I want to address. I spent an entire working lunch sitting

next to an executive from Pfizer Pharmaceutical who leads their advocacy efforts. He is also a survivor himself and changed positions from the sales side after his diagnosis. I broached the subject that many people seem to have about “big pharma not wanting to find cures for cancer because they make SO MUCH MONEY, treating cancer”. I’m sure everyone has heard this theory before. He told me that it’s “one of the most ridiculous statements” ever made. They spend billions trying to find medicines that will end cancer. The race to find these cures will be far more profitable than any combination of treatment drugs can ever manifest.

We will keep attending these events wherever and whenever possible. Education is the key both FOR us and FROM us. There are still so many of these brilliant minds that

didn’t know that men can get breast cancer or that BRCA mutations can cause more

than breast cancer.

Our work continues…