Patient Advocacy @CTOS 2024

  We are delighted to announce that patient advocacy will once again have a valued presence at the Connective Tissue Oncology Society (CTOS) Annual Meeting. This year, we are pleased to host the Patient Advocacy Lounge at CTOS 2024 in San Diego: Patient Advocacy LoungeRoom Balboa ABC, Second Level, Manchester Grand Hyatt San DiegoOpen from Thursday, November…

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Your Poster @CTOS 2024

Show Off Your Advocacy Work at CTOS 2024, to the broadest international community of sarcoma experts: Create and Submit a Poster! Sarcoma patient advocacy organizations are cordially invited to participate in SPAGN’s poster presentation session that will be held at this year’s CTOS conference. This session is an opportunity for you to showcase your organization…

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My lumpy life as a young adult

“After a shower, I noticed an odd lump on my left hip. Two weeks passed, but Lumpy—the name I declared this mysterious lump—remained. Luckily, I had a when in doubt, check it out mentality…” Read about Matt’s sarcoma journey and find out why sarcoma is like skydiving.

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Somos raros, mas juntos somos mas fortes!

Juntas, duas pacientes brasileiras com tumor desmoide, Carolina Menezes e Georgia Garofalo, fundaram a Desmoide Brasil em 2021. Desde então, a Desmoide Brasil tem – entre outras iniciativas — organizado simpósios, montado exposições, lançado um registro de pacientes, escrito um livreto de boas-vindas para novos pacientes, e estabelecido uma comunidade online ativa no Facebook e WhatsApp. Sua história é uma inspiração!

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We are rare, but together we are stronger!

Together, two Brazilian desmoid tumor patients, Carolina Menezes and Georgia Garofalo, founded Desmoide Brasil in 2021. In the years since then, Desmoide Brasil has – among other things — hosted symposia, organized an exhibition, launched a patient registry, penned a welcoming booklet for new patients, and established a thriving online community on Facebook and WhatsApp. Their story is an inspiration!

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Should I join a clinical trial?

When you have been diagnosed with sarcoma you are faced with making important, and at times daunting decisions about treatment. Amongst the treatment choices, a clinical trial may be an option. But how do you know if it is a good option for you? Is it something you should even consider? Denise Reinke asks 6 key questions about clinical trials and provides helpful answers for sarcoma patients to consider.

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No Losers Here!

War metaphors are used all the time in the context of cancer. “You’re a fighter! You got this!”, people say to a newly diagnosed patient.
And the war metaphors seem to imply that if someone succumbs to cancer, it’s because they didn’t fight hard enough, or worse, gave up – “He lost his battle against cancer.” Many point out that such expectations are an additional burden placed upon a person who is already undergoing so much. But I wonder: Can the use of war metaphors be of help to us sarcoma patients as we strive to take an active role in our treatment?

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Reflections for the New Year

2023 was a big year for SPAGN and the sarcoma patient community as a whole. We look back on the highlights of all that we achieved together and the many ways in which we grew, as we look to the year ahead.

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