CANCER SURVIVOR ADVOCATES FOR CLINICAL TRIALS
Dawn Kobayashi began having severe stomach pains in 2002 . Two years later the pains became unbearable , leading her to visit the emergency room where she received devastating news .
“ You have stage 3 colon cancer .”
Kobayashi said , “ I was shocked , I was only 44 years old . I didn ’ t have a family history of cancer . My kids were seven and 10 years old at the time . We just moved back to Hawai ‘ i from Japan , and my sons were about to enter a new school .”
Kobayashi was given a 50 percent chance to survive . She feels lucky her Hawai ‘ i oncologist suggested a UH Cancer Center clinical trial for which she qualifed to participate .
Kobayashi is now an advocate for clinical trials . She shared her story at the 2017 Helping Enhance Research in Oncology ( HERO ) Appreciation Event honoring UH Cancer Center clinical trial participants . She also recently joined the Cancer Center ’ s Patient Advocacy Committee .
UH CANCER CENTER ’ S PATIENT ADVOCACY COMMITTEE ( PAC ) PAC is dedicated to empowering cancer patients in Hawai ‘ i with knowledge and understanding of clinical trials .
The vision of the PAC is to :
• educate and increase public awareness of clinical trials as a treatment option ,
• encourage the people of Hawai ‘ i to par ticipate in clinical trials and to have that discussion with their medical support team , and
• assist the UH Cancer Center in promoting the clinical trials that address the broad diversities of Hawai ‘ i ’ s people .
PAC members with UH Cancer Center suppor t members .
21