World Cancer Research Day: Trends for the Future With Allison Rosen, MS; Stephen Freedland, MD; and Waqas Haque, MD, MPH

September 24 is World Cancer Research Day, an annual commemoration of the tireless research being done to reduce the impact of cancer around the globe. In this panel discussion, Oncology Data Advisor board members Allison Rosen, Stephen Freedland, and Waqas Haque share their perspectives on cancer research and advocacy, including:

• Current gaps and advances in cancer detection
• The rise of multicancer early detection (MCED) testing and its cutting-edge potential for cancer screening
• The value of having a patient advocate involved in clinical trial development and implementation
• The importance of training clinicians to participate in clinical trials and educate patients
• Efforts to bring clinical trials to patients in community settings
• And more!

“I really believe in research and clinical trials. Every drug I took, every drug any cancer patient takes, was at one point in a clinical trial. Research saves lives, so I advocate all the time for more funding for research. For me, giving back and being an advocate really gives me a purpose in life. I went through what I did for a reason, and I just want to help others now, so that’s why I do a lot of my advocacy.” – Allison Rosen, MS

About the Speakers

Allison Rosen, MS, is a colorectal cancer survivor and a patient advocate who uses her platform to educate, support, and represent the cancer community. She works as a patient advocate with numerous organizations, including Fight Colorectal Cancer, the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship, the Colorectal Cancer Alliance, SWOG Cancer Research Network, and MD Anderson Cancer Center. Ms. Rosen is passionate about bridging the gap between the health care system and the communities that it serves.

Stephen Freedland, MD, is Director of the Center for Integrated Research in Cancer and Lifestyle and Associate Director for Education and Training at the Cedars-Sinai Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute in Los Angeles. He also is the Warschaw Robertson Law Families Chair in Prostate Cancer and a Professor in the Department of Urology at Cedars-Sinai. He also holds a Staff Physician appointment at the Durham VA Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina. Dr. Freedland has published over 700 articles and served on numerous AUA and ASCO guideline panels for prostate cancer. His research interests include the role of diet, lifestyle, and obesity in cancer, cancer health disparities, and cancer risk stratification.

Waqas Haque, MD, MPH, is a Hematology/Oncology Fellow at the University of Chicago. He recently completed his Internal Medicine Residency at New York University (NYU) in a Clinical Investigator Track. Dr. Haque has balanced his patient care work with a variety of research projects. During his fellowship training at the University of Chicago, he plans to further his work in innovative clinical trial design, value-based care delivery to cancer patients, and clinical investigation.