MY LIFE Matters - Winter 2023/2024 - 9

THE POWER OF SCIENCE Stories of Hope
" I have cared for women with breast cancer for many years
and have a special love for this group of patients. It's these
patients that inspire my work at Agendia. Here, I care
for women in a different way: by educating clinicians on
the MammaPrint and BluePrint genomic tests that help
individualize cancer treatment decisions and can truly
make a difference for women with breast cancer. "
- Christina Page AGPCNP-BC, AOCNP
we can do better; we must do better. As
she notes, closing the gap in outcomes
between Black and white women can start
as early as the first oncology consultation,
further emphasizing the importance
of understanding how race influences
a tumor's gene expression to inform
personalized, biology-based breast cancer
care for patients of all racial and ethnic
backgrounds.
Patients and providers alike need to
know that there's advanced testing available
that provides an unbiased and comprehensive
risk assessment, regardless of
race. As early as a patient's biopsy, Agendia's
signature assays allow physicians
to examine the activity of specific genes
inside a tumor-how they interact to drive
the behavior of a tumor. By pairing these
insights with clinical factors, we can more
comprehensively understand a woman's
unique cancer and more confidently plan
her next steps.
A COMMITMENT TO
INCLUSIVITY
There is an urgent need for research and
technology that cater to a diverse patient
population, as the current lack of these
resources has become a matter of life and
death. At Agendia, this urgency continues to
fuel our commitment to fostering inclusivity
in all aspects of our work. This commitment
allows us to advance research and
the industry's understanding of the racial
disparities in breast cancer, as evidenced by
our FLEX Study.
As a real-world breast cancer study
bringing precision oncology into the clinic
to improve and redefine breast cancer
management, FLEX has enrolled more
than 14,000 patients of various ages, races,
ethnicities, and health statuses. With
the inclusion of over 1,000 Black women,
it's the largest prospective cohort of Black
women with whole genome and clinical
data and is accelerating research for racial
and ethnic groups that are typically underrepresented
in clinical trials. Expanding
the power of genomic insights ultimately
helps inform personalized, biology-based
care for these women, overcoming enduring
racial disparities in
breast cancer care.
Beyond our inclusive
research, Agendia's efforts
are also driven by
our unwavering focus
on continuous learning
and educat ion.
From collaborations
with leading academic
institutions and cancer
centers to partnerships
with organizations like
Tigerlily Foundation,
we take an active approach
to broadening
our understanding
and knowledge of patient
needs, genomics,
and cancer biology so
that we can better advocate
for patients by
sharing information
that may lead to more
informed decisions
about their treatment.
A COMPELLING NARRATIVE:
THE PATIENT AND PROVIDER
STORY
To understand the gravity of advocating
for proper testing and inclusivity in ESBC
genomic testing, we invite you to journey
with us through the story of Aleseia
Saunders.
Just a few days shy of her thirty-third
birthday, Aleseia received the best news
of her life-she was pregnant. But her
joy and excitement were immediately
dimmed when she then received the
Aleseia Saunders (right), Tigerlily ANGEL Advocate with Erica Pentak (left), Agendia
Director of Consumer Marketing
MY LIFE MATTERS
FAITH OVER FEAR | WINTER 2023-2024
9
MY LIFE Matters - Winter 2023/2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of MY LIFE Matters - Winter 2023/2024
