Blog & News
I Lost My Son and Found My Purpose
We spoke with the founder of the first sarcoma organization in Bulgaria, Lidiya Vitanova, who lost her young son, Niki, to sarcoma. Lidiya talked to us about the sarcoma situation in her country as well as her motivation and goals for improving the outcomes of people diagnosed with sarcoma and other rare diseases.
Read MoreCheck It Out!
Sarcoma patient and patient advocate Roger Wilson shares his experience of finding a lump – what happened and what he learned.
Read MorePatient Advocacy @CTOS 2023
It is our great pleasure to announce that patient advocacy will once again have a well-earned place at the Connective Tissue Oncology Society (CTOS) Annual Meeting. We will be hosting the Patient Advocacy Lounge at CTOS 2023 in Dublin: Patient Advocacy Lounge Liffey Hall 2, Convention Centre Dublin Open from Thursday, November 2 –…
Read MoreQuality of life in sarcomas?
Incorporating the patient voice in sarcoma research: How can we assess quality of life of sarcoma patients? Soft tissue and bone sarcoma patients form a diverse and rare patient group. Quality of life questionnaires used in research and clinical practice are not always complete and relevant for the unique experiences of this patient group. Take…
Read MoreRead the latest in our SPAGN Newsletter!
The last few months have been filled with activities, from the SPAGN Annual Conference and New Horizons GIST to our surveys and now Sarcoma Awareness Month in July. And there’s more to come. Read on here in our latest newsletter (July 2023) to learn what the SPAGN team has been up to . Want to…
Read MoreWhen the Patient Becomes the Researcher
Dr. Sydney Stern, biomedical scientist and patient advocate, describes her personal journey as a patient with a rare tumor disease and her quest for answers through science. She calls for patients to get involved in research and outlines options for doing so.
Read MoreFacilitating Collaboration in Sarcoma Care
In this interview, SPAGN Communications Director Cory Archibald speaks with Dr. Bernd Kasper, to learn about the role of patient advocacy groups like SPAGN in strengthening global cooperation to improve patient outcomes.
Read MoreAdvocacy in Action Award 2022: The Winners
Patient advocacy ensures that people are heard, take action and ultimately improve situations, achieve changes or help to fulfil unmet medical needs. We want to celebrate and honour outstanding practices, projects, initiatives or campaigns and the creators working behind these activities with the SPAGN Advcoacy in Action Award. We are thrilled with all the…
Read More5 Questions Every Patient Should Ask When Searching for Information about Sarcoma
Getting a sarcoma diagnosis is a life-altering event that brings a wave of emotions and questions. Once the initial shock subsides, many patients turn to the internet in search of information about their disease. Despite the common advice of “Whatever you do, don’t google it!”, seeking information about your disease and its treatment can be empowering. Instead of discouraging patients from seeking information, it’s important to guide them towards reliable sources of information and support them in becoming health literate.
Read MoreWhat Makes Sarcoma so Challenging?
July is Sarcoma Awareness Month. The aim is to promote an understanding of sarcoma, a rare form of cancer that originates in the connective tissues of the body, such as bones, muscles, and nerves. Unfortunately, sarcomas pose major challenges in diagnosis, management, treatment and research. Sarcoma Awareness Month highlights the goals of the sarcoma community in overcoming these challenges.
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