Michelle Anderson-Benjamin is a Tigerlily ANGEL and fierce advocate in the breast cancer world.
Author: Katherine Cornish
Michelle Anderson-Benjamin is a Tigerlily Foundation ANGEL and fierce advocate in the breast cancer world. She’s currently involved in her first clinical trial. Having triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) and being PD-L1 negative, Michelle knows that she’s got limited options for treatment, especially when it comes to immunotherapies. By participating in a clinical trial examining different chemotherapies, she’s able to expand the options that are available for her specific diagnosis – and contribute to the development process for these treatments that allows them to be made available to other people just like her in the future. “I know I can’t cure cancer,” she says, “but I know I can be part of the group working towards it. And collectively, the more people that participate in these trials, the better outcomes we have for women that look like me.” Michelle acknowledges the marathon that is the process of bringing new treatments to market as well. “We want to solve the problem, but it’s a process. It takes work, and sometimes the work doesn’t end with you. But you’ve moved the marker closer to the next person, and you might be surprised who picks up the baton.”
Michelle first heard about clinical trials while working in healthcare prior to being a cancer survivor herself. She notes that she did discuss trials with her doctor when she was initially diagnosed with stage 1 breast cancer but didn’t have any good options that were currently available. Once her staging jumped to stage 4, they discussed some new trials as her change in diagnosis opened up other opportunities. “Fortunately, my team has been very proactive with making sure that I fully understood the (trial participation) process,” Michelle shares. “I came to the table eager and determined even from the very beginning. We thoroughly discussed what the trial would be like, the steps needed, and what needed to be done prior to me even being randomized. They made an emphasis that it’s not that you’re getting a sugar pill,” she highlights, “it was clear that either you get the actual drug or you get standard of care treatment.” Having a proactive, supportive care team has been a driving factor in the overall positive experience she’s had. The care team was even helpful when she encountered some side effects like dry eye and dry mouth; they added a dermatologist to her care team to help prescribe mouthwash to lessen the oral side effects.
“Having ownership to speak out to them if something is too much and fully understanding that trial participation is MY decision. I appreciate that they listen”
With her care team backing her, Michelle feels like she’s still in charge of her life. “Having ownership to speak out to them if something is too much and fully understanding that trial participation is MY decision,” she shares. “I appreciate that they listen. Being metastatic, the main word is ‘Quality of Care’, right? And what does that mean? Quality of Care is not me coming to treatment every three weeks and sitting in a room. Quality of Care is me being able to be the person that I was prior to my diagnosis. A mother, a woman in society, a person with a purpose, with a life. A person that enjoyed living live and that still wants to be a part of the world.” Even while participating on a trial, Michelle feels that her schedule doesn’t need to revolve around her treatments – it’s the other way around. “My cancer needs to revolve around my life. I’m not missing special events, especially when it comes to my children,” she says.
Michelle appreciates that her care team speaks to her like an equal, but acknowledges that this isn’t always the case. “Working with other patients in this field, I feel often times that they are spoken to as if they’re being told what they’re supposed to do and they’re not being heard,” she notes. This is something she works to change as an advocate, empowering her fellow survivors and thrivers with the education and support they need. Michelle shares her experiences on social media, speaking her experience from a place of “real life.” “For example, this past Friday, I had treatment and I had a dose reduction because of my side effects. I published about this on social media to let people know that this stuff happens. It’s not a negative, it’s a positive – if I’m able to get a dose reduction and my body is still stable and I’m still not having progression or evidence of disease, maybe other people can get this regimen moving forward where the amount of drugs can be less harmful but still manage the cancer.” Michelle shares her experiences with the intent to make them all seem less scary – having cancer, getting treatment, participating in a clinical trial, and dealing with all of the things that life throws at you. “In this world,” she says, “you have to be constantly prepared to be told things that require you to step into fear and make a decision. Be fearless, jump out of the plane – wherever you land, you land. Take that chance.” She wants others to know that “they’re capable to be whoever they choose. Fear doesn’t have to be part of their vocabulary. People are stronger than they think they are.”
