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Experts Explain

Making decisions about your treatment, including whether or not to participate in a clinical trial, can be challenging. Many women find it helpful to speak with someone who has participated in a clinical trial as well as with a trusted physician, family members and friends.

There may also be support services offered at your local clinic or in your community. These services may include help with financial issues related to treatment, transportation issues, childcare, and emotional stress, to name just a few. Local and online peer support groups are often also available.

Hear From The I-SPY 2 Trial Experts

The following videos feature I-SPY 2 physicians and researchers discussing various topics related to the trial. The topics discussed in each video are listed below.

We encourage you to take the time to watch these introductory videos to get a good understanding of how the I-SPY 2 Trial works and what you can expect if you participate.

Introduction to the I-SPY 2 Trial

Angela DeMichele, MD, MSCE

Alan and Jill Miller Professor in Breast Cancer Excellence
Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine
University of Pennsylvania
I-SPY 2 Principal Investigator

  • :00 Introduction to the video
  • :52 What is the I-SPY 2 Trial
  • 2:14 Informed Consent process
  • 3:16 Screening for eligibility to participate
  • 4:40 What is a Functional Tumor Volume MRI?
  • 6:36 Response Predictive Subtypes and the I-SPY Biopsy
  • 7:37 Your treatment on I-SPY 2 Trial
  • 10:40 Shared Test Results and Shared Decision Making
  • 11:20 Treatment Strategy of I-SPY 2
  • 13:55 How the MRI is used in I-SPY 2
  • 17:03 Deciding whether to go to surgery early
  • 18:35 Summary of the video

 

Length: 18:35 min

Introduction to the I-SPY 2 Trial

Laura Esserman, MD, MBA

Surgeon Director, Carole Franc Buck Breast Care Center, University of California, San Francisco I-SPY 2 Clinical Trial, Prinicipal Investigator

  • :00 Introduction to I-SPY 2 Trial
  • 2:49 Screening for I-SPY 2
  • 4:26 Breast cancer is not an emergency
  • 5:44 Purpose of I-SPY
  • 6:32 Understanding your tumor
  • 7:16 Your treatment on I-SPY 2 Trial
  • 10:10 Adjusting therapy based on response
  • 12:54 Your symptoms and your voice matter
  • 14:08 Thank you and conclusion
Length: 14:57

Introduction to the I-SPY 2 Trial

Dawn Hershman, MD, MS, FASCO

Medical Oncologist, Columbia University, Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center

American Cancer Society Professor of Medicine and Epidemiology

Director of Breast Oncology & Co-leader, Cancer Population Science program

I-SPY 2 Trial Investigator & Co-Chair, Patient Reported Outcomes Committee

Length: 2:14

Dawn Hershman, MD, MS, FASCO

Introduction to the I-SPY 2 Trial

Douglas Yee, MD

Professor of Medicine and Pharmacology, University of Minnesota
Director, Masonic Cancer Center
I-SPY 2 Investigational Drug Selection Committee Chair

Length: 2:15 min

Angela DeMichele, MD, MSCE

Alan and Jill Miller Professor in Breast Cancer Excellence
Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine
University of Pennsylvania
I-SPY 2 Principal Investigator

  • Important learning from I-SPY 2
  • Patient safety on I-SPY 2

Length: 2:00 min

Judy Boughey, MD

Surgeon
Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
I-SPY 2 Surgery Committee Chair

  • What makes I-SPY 2 different from other trials?
  • Which patients are candidates for I-SPY 2?
  • Which costs are covered by the trial?

Length: 2:17 min

Laura van ‘t Veer, PhD

Professor of Laboratory Medicine
University of California, San Francisco
I-SPY 2 Biomarker Committee Chair

  • Breast cancer is more than one disease
  • Why are biopsies used in I-SPY 2?
  • What is a biomarker and how is it used?

Length: 1:57 min

Douglas Yee, MD

Professor of Medicine and Pharmacology, University of Minnesota
Director, Masonic Cancer Center
I-SPY 2 Investigational Drug Selection Committee Chair

  • What is adaptive randomization and why is it used in the I-SPY 2 Trial?
  • How does the I-SPY 2 Trial speed up access to effective new treatments?
  • What is pathological complete response (PCR)?

Length: 2:18 min

Information About I-SPY 2 Trial Study Procedures

Understanding A Breast Pathology Report

Presented by
Ron Balassanian, MD
Professor of Pathology | University of California, San Francisco

This series of 5 short videos will guide you through understanding your breast pathology report.

Breast Pathology Report Video 01:

Reading and Understanding Your Pathology Report

Length: 4:06 min

Breast Pathology Report Video 02:

Tissue Sample Collection and Gross Description

Length: 7:46 min

Breast Pathology Report Video 03:

Looking Through the Microscope

Length: 13:27 min

Breast Pathology Report Video 04:

Exploring Special Tests and Markers

Length: 6:32 min

Breast Pathology Report Video 05

Unpacking the Diagnosis and Summary

Length: 4:17 min

Nola Hylton, PhD

Professor of Radiology, University of California, San Francisco
I-SPY 2 Imaging Committee Chair

  • What is an MRI and how is it used in I-SPY 2?
  • What to expect when getting an MRI (step by step explanation)
  • Who can’t get an MRI?

Length: 2:18 min

MammaPrint Test

Other Resources

Transportation, lodging and other treatment-related financial resources

Air transportation

Air Care Alliance aircarealliance.org, 888-260-9707
Air Charity Network www.aircharitynetwork.org, 877-621-7177
Angel Flight Central angelflightcentral.org, 866-569-9464 (Small planes)
Corporate Angel Network (CAN) corpangelnetwork.org, 914-328-1313
Lifeline Pilots lifelinepilots.org, 800-822-7972 (States in US mid to east)
Mercy Medical Angels www.mercymedical.org, 757-318-9174 (Flights or ground transportation)
Patient AirLift Services www.palservices.org, 888-818-1231 (Small planes)

Ground transportation

American Cancer Society Road to Recovery Programs CLICK HERE
Lyft free rides to treatment via American Cancer Society CLICK HERE, 800-227-234

Lodging

AirBnB Free housing for patients traveling for cancer treatment https://cancersupportohio.org/resources/airbnb-and-cancer-support-community, 877-793-0498 
Hotel Keys of Hope (Free or deeply discounted hotel rooms) https://www.extendedstayamerica.com/acs-partnership, 800-804-3724 
Healthcare Hospitality Network https://members.hhnetwork.org/locate-a-house
HOPE Lodges https://www.cancer.org/support-programs-and-services/patient-lodging/hope-lodge.html, 800-227-2345
Joe’s House  (Discounts only) https://www.joeshouse.org/, 800-822-7972
Hospitality Homes  (Boston Area) https://hosp.org/, 888-595-4678 

Help with other expenses

CancerCare (Transportation, lodging, and more) https://www.cancercare.org/, 800-813-4673 
Family Reach Foundation https://familyreach.org/gethelp/, 973-394-1411

Trial Locations

After reviewing the resources and hearing from experts, you can find answers to any more questions or express your interest in participating in the study by checking the I-SPY 2 Trial Locations page for the nearest site to you.

Hear from I-SPY 2 Trial Participants

You can also hear from some I-SPY 2 trial participants as they discuss how they decided to participate and how they feel about their experiences on the trial.

Dictionary of Cancer Terms

Find easy-to-understand definitions of terms related to cancer and medicine.

Go to Dictionary
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Tracey Heather

Advocate Liaison

As Patient Engagement Lead at Quantum Leap, I manage follow-up data projects for the I-SPY 2 Trial, develop strategies to strengthen patient engagement, and oversee the I-SPY Advocate group. After six successful years raising funds to support Quantum’s mission, I embraced this new role last summer, drawn by the opportunity to make a direct impact on the patients we serve. Each day brings new challenges and insights, and I especially enjoy supporting and collaborating with our inspiring I-SPY Advocates.

Outside of work, I am pursuing a Master of Public Administration with a focus on nonprofit management at SF State. I’m passionate about trail running, skiing, live music, camping, traveling, and collegiate gymnastics—my daughter competes at Oregon State. For the past 5 years, I have volunteered with SF CASA as a mentor to an incredible 18-year-old foster youth whose resilience continually reminds me of life’s true priorities.

Carolyn Clark Beedle

Carolyn Clark Beedle, a 2023 breast cancer survivor, joined the advocate program after successful completion of treatment with the UCSF Breast Oncology Program. Her experience working with a patient advocate during her TNBC treatment led to an understanding that empowering women to advocate for their own health and healthcare will contribute to improved health outcomes and broader access to care. Carolyn began advocating for cancer patients and their families during her treatment, now is a member of the Breast Science Advocacy Core (BSAC) with the UCSF Breast Oncology Program, and currently shares information and research with CFNP associates at La Clinica in the Bay Area to inform and empower their patient population.

Carolyn is continuing her on the ground training as an advocate reviewer with both Quantum Health and BSAC and is enrolled in the Patient Advocacy Training in Health Science course with Stanford Medicine. Her 30+ career in corporate marketing/communications, program development and non-profit leadership augmented by her breast cancer treatment experience serves Carolyn well in representing and communicating the patient voice and perspective.

She received her BA (History/English Lit) and MA (Public History/Research and Record Management) from the University of San Diego, is a proud fifth generation San Franciscan, and active board member with numerous non-profits that support social work and the arts.

Silver Alkhafaji

Silver Alkhafaji is a PhD candidate in the Pharmaceutical Sciences and Pharmacogenomics (PSPG) program at UCSF. She received her Bachelor of Science in Chemical Biology from UC Berkeley. Prior to UCSF, she worked in the Clinical Pharmacology Department at Genentech. Silver’s current research focuses on non-invasive liquid biopsies to predict response and side effects of immunotherapies and endocrine therapies in early-stage breast cancer participants in I-SPY 2.

Silver is interested in clinical outcomes research to advance precision medicine and improve cancer patients’ quality of life. She is passionate about health equity, inclusive research, patient advocacy, and women’s health.
Silver volunteers at the Patient and Family Cancer Support Center at UCSF where she assists in patient navigation and connecting patients and their families with resources that improve their healthcare experience while receiving cancer treatments and/or during survivorship. 

Through her DEI work in her PhD program, Silver raises awareness around issues related to social justice and community building through organizing community-centered events. Additionally, she is a member of the Life Sciences Career Advisory Council at Thrive Scholars, where she enjoys supporting college students of color from economically disadvantaged communities in providing the opportunities they need to thrive at top colleges and in high-trajectory careers. 

Silver is a member of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) Alameda Branch where she focuses her efforts on increasing membership of community college women coming from exceptional backgrounds: student parents, low-income, and first-generation college students.

In her free time, she writes poetry and prose on emotional healing, radical acceptance, and patience. Writing has helped her process difficult situations and connect with people on a deeper level.

Jane Mortimer

Jane is a breast cancer survivor and advocate dedicated to positively impacting the lives of women affected by the disease. Diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer in 2012, she participated in the I-SPY 2 trial at UCSF and has been cancer free for more than ten years.

Her advocacy journey began in 2003 at UCSF as a volunteer with the Patient and Family Cancer Support Center and Decision Support Services and she previously managed the Peer Support program at UCSF. Drawing on her experience in marketing and media strategy, she uses her skills to make a meaningful impact by supporting advocacy and research that improves outcomes for women living with breast cancer.

Jan Tomlinson

In March of 2023 , Jan was diagnosed with a large aggressive triple negative breast cancer and informed that her cancer was the” bad girl” of cancer and offered standard chemotherapy for 24 weeks. Devasted by the diagnosis Jan felt like she had a dire prognosis. After seeking several opinions, she opted to join a Clinical Trial program for her treatment. The trial consisted of significantly less chemotherapy, and monitored closely over a 12-week period, The data predicted a complete pathological response , and she then went immediately to surgery. Pathology reports supported that she had a successful outcome reaching PCR meaning the tumor was gone, and no residual cancer was found in the surrounding tissue or lymph nodes. Jan was thrilled when her surgeon advised her of the results. The experience made Jan want to give back and share information that she received when she was at a critical juncture in her diagnosis. She is so passionate about making sure that everyone knows that the standard of care is one treatment option.

As she says, “ clinical trials have to be on the table” Because she achieved PCR, she expects a great outcome. She wants to share her story and encourage other women to strongly consider and participate in clinical trials. Jan is a UCSF Patient Advocate, involved in several programs they lead. Jan also is a BLACC Cab Member. Jan recently was in Washington DC to participate on a panel on Clinical Trials for ISPY at the National Press Club. UCSF will be hosting the RISE Up For Breast Cancer event where Jan will share her experience with clinical trials.

Deborah Collyar

Deb is a connector who founded Patient Advocates in Research (PAIR) “where research meets reality,” bringing ideas and people together for medical advances that offer real results for diverse patients and families.

Her vast experience between the worlds of tech, communication, strategy, management, policy, and equity bridges gaps between patients, scientists, medical providers, payers, governments, and non-profits.

Deb infuses patient engagement into projects, gathers relevant patient input, and encompasses many diseases, programs and policies at grassroots, national and international levels through companies, academia, and governments.

Key patient insights are delivered throughout discovery, development, clinical trials, results reporting, data-sharing, standards, genomics, and into practice.

Her experience spans translational and clinical research, epidemiology, health outcomes, and health delivery research with academia, federal agencies, companies, and patient communities.