Laura Esfeller: It’s World Kidney Cancer Day and the theme “We Need to Listen” really hits home

Laura Esfeller shared on X:                  .

“Today’s World Kidney Cancer Day and the theme ‘We Need to Listen‘ really hits home.

I was living in Las Vegas when I was diagnosed and I started my morning back in Vegas giving a talk at HLRCC (Hereditary Leiomyomatosis and Renal Cell Cancer) Symposium with my hotel room directly overlooking this building. It’s where my PCP (Primary Care Physician) was.

In all fairness, my PCP had never seen an HLRCC patient before and likely never will again. But I talked this AM about how I was in that very building on my diagnosis day after 2-3 years of symptoms being misdiagnosed and still had to go to the ER that night to finally be scanned where St. Rose Dominican Hospitals found my 13cm tumor and IVC invasion.

I couldn’t help to think this morning while presenting how I deserved to be listened to prior to my diagnosis, and how I’m only alive today, because I eventually made my way to incredible providers who do listen, like Brian Shuch.

I also appreciate all of the oncologists, urologists, radiologists, researchers and others who listen to patients and understand we deserve to be represented at every step of the clinical trial development process.

We Need To Listen is more than just a mantra – the irony of me sharing my experience as a cancer survivor and patient advocate just steps away from a place where I was definitely not listened to hit me hard today.

Special thanks to HLRCC Foundation, ERKNet, IKCC Kidney Cancer and ERA for the opportunity. I’m so hopeful we’ll find answers for HLRCC!”

Source: Laura Esfeller/X

Laura Esfeller is a Patient Advisory Board member for KCCure and a Kidney Cancer Patient Advocate at SWOG Cancer Research Group. Laura is a survivor of metastatic papillary kidney cancer.

Previously, she served four years as a Consumer Reviewer for the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program’s Kidney Cancer Research Program. Apart from advocacy, Laura works as a marketing professional in the hospitality industry.