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What are biomarkers, and why are they important?
Host: Hildy Grossman with Jordan Rich, co-host
Guests: Jill Feldman, Lung Cancer Patient and Activist and Jo Ellen Murphy, PhD, Medical Science Liaison, Foundation Medicine
This podcast suggests that listening to our guests could save your life. Our first guest, Jill Feldman, discusses how, when she was 13 years old, she lost her father and two grandparents to lung cancer within months of each other. Fourteen years later, her mom and beloved aunt also lost their lives to the disease. Then, when Jill was only 39 years old, with four small children, she faced her own diagnosis of lung cancer. Fortunately for Jill, biomarker testing has become more available since she was diagnosed twelve years ago. Scientist, Dr. Jo Ellen Murphy, explains the significance and purpose of biomarker testing, as a way to learn as much as possible about a patient’s cancer. Knowing the specific mutations that are present could help to guide treatment choices by opting for drugs that target a patient’s specific tumor, or drugs that may enhance a patient’s own immune system. Jill was able to benefit from biomarker testing that gave her the best shot at treating her advanced cancer with a drug targeting her EGFR biomarker. Jill’s story is inspiring and important for patients with all types of cancer. She has turned her difficult situation into a way to advocate for others and inspire hope.