On Saturday, just in time for the 2023 ILC Symposium, we were honored to attend the ILC Bootcamp at the CU Cancer Center. This event was made possible by a grant from the Breast Cancer Care and Research Fund, as well as the CU Cancer Center and the Sikora Lab. We are fortunate to have a local research lab dedicated to ILC - this is a really unique opportunity for local advocates to learn about ILC and to be involved on a personal level with the studies that might someday cure our disease.
We covered a lot today. We learned about the research life cycle, and how ideas become experiments that become published papers (it takes an average of four years!). We learned how to read research posters at conferences, and gave feedback to scientists on what advocates and patients want to see. We had a basic primer in cancer biology (all of a semester crammed into 1 session...), and connected researchers to advocates. Most importantly, we made some new friends, welcomed some new patients into our local network, and I got to hug a flattie in person (thank you Judy!).
Some days it's hard to think about breast cancer. Gearing up for October and the pinkness of Breast Cancer Awareness Month especially makes me want to run and hide for 4 weeks. But I realize how absolutely unique and amazing it is to have an ILC research lab in my backyard, and a dedicated researcher who wants to cure my disease (thank you Dr. Sikora). Today was a day I thought about nothing BUT breast cancer, and it was a great day.
Be an advocate. Meet a scientist. Work with researchers to help guide them on what matters most as a patient. It feels good.
