8 out of 10 Black people

living with metastatic breast cancer would consider participating in clinical trials.

About the Black Wo(Men) Speak Symposium

The Black Wo(Men) Speak Symposium, presented in conjunction with the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, shined a light on the urgent need for greater diversity in clinical trials by presenting data gathered in four recent surveys.

Attendees came together to learn steps to dismantle barriers to clinical trial participation, ways to inspire greater trust in the healthcare system, and strategies to ensure access to clinical trials.

Explore the agenda below to:

  • Spend some time with the videos captured at the event
  • Download the speakers’ slide presentations
  • Read more about the research

Hear from the experts, feel the energy, JOIN THE MOVEMENT!

Agenda

Welcome and Introductions

Dr. Monique Gary, FACS, FSSO
Breast Surgical Oncologist & Medical Director, Cancer Program
​​Grand View Health/Penn Cancer Network

Christine Benjamin, LMSW
Vice President of Patient Support and Education
SHARE Cancer Support
Chair, Metastatic Breast Cancer Alliance

view the video
Featured Keynote

Moving the Needle on Disparities in Breast Cancer

Lola Fayanju, MD, MA, MPHS, FACS
The Helen O. Dickens Presidential Associate Professor
Chief, Division of Breast Surgery
The University of Pennsylvania

view the video
download the slides
Research Methodology and Findings

The Research is Clear: Building Diversity and Access in Clinical Trials for Black Wo(Men) is Crucial

Putting It All Together | What the Research Found

Tisha Felder, PhD, MSW
Associate Professor
The University of South Carolina

view the video
download the slides

The BECOME Project | Metastatic Breast Cancer Alliance

Stephanie Walker, RN
Project Lead
MBC Alliance

view the video
download the slides

Project SOAR | Carrie’s TOUCH

Rev. Tammie Denyse, MCL, MDiv, PhD (Hon)
Co-founder & President
Carrie’s TOUCH

view the video
download the slides

Black Data Matters | TOUCH, The Black Breast Cancer Alliance

Ricki Fairley
CEO & Co-founder
TOUCH, The Black Breast Cancer Alliance

view the video
download the slides

Increasing WOC Representation in Breast Cancer Clinical Trials | For the Breast of Us

Jasmine Dionne Souers
Co-founder, For the Breast of Us
CEO, The Missing Pink Breast Cancer Alliance

view the video
download the slides
How Healthcare Provider Communication Can Impact Clinical Trial Enrollment

Community Health Care Prespective Made Simple: What You Need to Know

Dr. Monique Gary, FACS, FSSO
Breast Surgical Oncologist & Medical Director, Cancer Program
​​Grand View Health/Penn Cancer Network

view the video

The Numbers Don’t Lie: Patient Needs and Expectations

Valarie Worthy, MSN, RN
Patient Navigator Manager
Duke Cancer Institute

view the video
download the slides

Breaking Barriers, Building Trust, and Finding Solutions

Adaeze Nwosu Iheme, MD
Assistant Professor, Department of General Oncology, Division of Cancer Medicine
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

view the video
download the slides

Panel Discussion

Dr. Monique Gary
Valarie Worthy
Dr. Ada Iheme

view the video
Pharma and Patient Advocacy Collaboration: Strengthening Best Practices

The Advocate Perspective: The Truth About Diversity and Clinical Trials

Maimah Karmo
President and CEO
Tigerlily Foundation
 

view the video
download the slides
The Role of Patients and Caregivers in Clinical Trial Decisions

Exploring the Role of Nurse Navigators in Clinical Trial Education and Accrual

Emily Gentry, BSN, RN, HON-ONN-CG, OCN
Senior Director of Education and Program Development
The Academy of Oncology Nurse & Patient Navigators (AONN+)

view the video
download the slides

More Reasons Than Tuskegee

Rev. Dr. Tawana Angela Davis, Soul 2 Soul Sisters
Rev. Dr. Tammie Denyse, Carrie’s TOUCH
Marissa Thomas, For the Breast of Us
Emily Gentry, AONN+

view the video

Black Men and the Metastatic Breast Cancer Experience

Garry Davis, Retired Business Owner
in conversation with
Dr. Monique Gary

view the video

20 Years Later and Black Woman are Still Fighting to Survive

Roberta Albany, CEO and Advocate, Cancer in the Know
Sheila Pettiford Bell, MBC Patient and Advocate

view the video

Who

The symposium was geared toward all stakeholders involved in MBC treatment and research — including patients, caregivers, and advocates, healthcare providers, pharmaceutical and biotech representatives and researchers.

What

The day began with a keynote address followed by a presentation of findings from the four research projects. The afternoon sessions featured speakers and panel discussions aimed at the various stakeholder groups concerned with trials: Pharmaceutical/Biotech Companies, Researchers, Nonprofit Advocate Organizations, Patient/Advocates, and Caregivers.

Only 36% of Black people

receive as much information as they want about clinical trials.

Partners

Black Wo(Men) Speak shared the work of multiple organizations that conducted research on the need for greater diversity in clinical trials, and current barriers to participation.

Research Summaries

As part of the Black Wo(Men) Speak event, participating organizations provided summaries of their research on diversity in clinical trials. Download these as well as other helpful materials from the organizations whose work was presented at the Symposium.

For the Breast of Us

Download Now

Carrie’s TOUCH: Project SOAR

Download Now

MBC Alliance: The BECOME Project

Download Now

TOUCH, The Black Breast Cancer Alliance: Black Data Matters

Download Now

Additional Resources

Breaking the Barriers to Clinical Trials: A Patient’s Toolkit

Increasing Black and Brown Representation in Clinical Trials: A Practitioner’s Toolkit

When We Trial: “Know the Facts” Rack Card

When We Trial: “Know the Facts” Flyer

Explore MBC Alliance Resources [Postcard]

For more information about Black Wo(Men) Speak, please contact Project Lead Stephanie Walker at stephanie@mbcalliance.org or Dana Mooney, MBC Alliance Program Associate at dana@mbcalliance.org

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