Olubukola Ayodele, Breast Cancer Lead at University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, shared a post on LinkedIn:
“Today, a patient advocate shared her compelling story at SABCS25, which included a detailed wish list. She has lived with metastatic breast cancer (MBC) for 8.5 years, is currently undergoing her tenth line of treatment, and has had to make over 436 treatment decisions.
Her speech offered invaluable insights into what true patient-centred care should embody.
The wish list was not merely theoretical; it was shaped by personal experience, with each item representing a call for change:
- All MBC patients should be counted.
- Development of an intervention that can emulate oestrogen without promoting cancer growth.
- An oral Selective Estrogen Receptor Degrader (SERD) is effective even without ESR 1 mutations.
- Innovative treatments, rather than additional options within an already saturated category.
- Increased research into exceptional responders to understand why some treatments are remarkably effective for certain patients. Notably, some individuals are living with no evidence of disease despite a diagnosis of MBC.
- Decentralised clinical trials are presented in clear, accessible language.
- Meaningful involvement of experienced patients in every stage of trial design.
- Recognition of patients as true partners in their care.
- An individualised approach to treatment, recognising each person as part of a spectrum requiring tailored care.
- Comprehensive survivorship plans for all individuals living with MBC.
- Care teams use careful language, recognising that words influence experience.
What resonated most was her reframing of a common phrase:
‘Treatments fail patients, not that the patient failed treatment.’
This perspective fundamentally alters the tone of care.
She concluded with an inspiring quote:
‘You treat a disease, you win, you lose. You treat a person, I guarantee you, you’ll win, regardless of the outcome.’ Patch Adams
Her voice served as a powerful reminder of the importance of prioritising equity, empathy, and partnership in cancer care, emphasising that care should focus genuinely on the individual, not merely the disease.”
More posts featuring Olubukola Ayodele.
