ACE Meeting. August 25, 2026. 3:00pm PT, 6:00pm ET. A cancer diagnosis often leads patients to explore every available option to improve their health, manage symptoms, and enhance their quality of life. As patients navigate complex decisions alongside conventional treatments such as surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, and immunotherapy, advocacy plays an essential role in helping individuals access reliable information, communicate effectively with their healthcare teams, and make informed decisions about their care.
Our presentation will focus on how patient advocacy can empower individuals to better understand the differences between complementary therapies, which are used alongside standard medical treatment, and alternative therapies, which are used in place of conventional care. Advocates can help promote awareness of evidence-based approaches, encourage open conversations between patients and healthcare providers, and support patients in asking important questions about safety, effectiveness, and potential interactions with cancer treatment.
Judy Fitzgerald is a lifelong educator whose mission evolved after her 2009 bilateral breast cancer diagnosis, inspiring her to empower women with knowledge about breast cancer prevention. Following her treatment in 2010, she became a passionate advocate for primary prevention, supporting the pioneering breast cancer vaccine research of Dr. Vincent K. Tuohy at the Cleveland Clinic for more than sixteen years and serving as a patient advocate on the Phase I clinical trial. A Komen Advocate in Science, Judith reviews research for the Department of Defense CDMRP Breast Cancer Research Program and Susan G. Komen. She has contributed her expertise to the National Cancer Institute and the FDA’s Project Optimus initiative. She is a graduate of the National Breast Cancer Coalition’s Project LEAD® and the AACR Scientist–Survivor Program. Currently, she serves as Education Lead for Advocates for Collaborative Education as well as an Advisory Advocate for Friends of Cancer Research and Exact Sciences’ Oncotype DX® biomarker test. Judith holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from Providence College and shares her work at www.Sisters4Prevention.com.
