In Memoriam

 Anne Loeser an extraordinary patient advocate, lived with metastatic breast cancer for 12 years, and made it her mission to educate others about the disease. In 2019, she published her book The Insider’s Guide to Metastatic Breast Cancer, which has helped thousands of patients and caregivers worldwide to navigate the disease. After witnessing patients suffer from treatment-related side effects resulting from excessive drug toxicities, Anne founded the Patient-Centered Dosing Initiative (PCDI) in 2019 and fielded a patient survey about the damage resulting from treatment-related side effects. The results precipitated the US Food and Drug Administration to move away from the concept of maximizing oncology drug toxicity in favor of identifying more tolerable and effective doses. Anne touched the lives of many through her determined advocacy for patient-centered care, increased focus on research, and better quality of life. She will be deeply missed.

Shirley Mertz was a dear friend to all and valued founding member of the US-based Metastatic breast Cancer Alliance. Shirley was a relentless force for change who brought her intellect, compassion, and leadership to every table. A teacher before her diagnosis, she put her speaking and writing skills to work to share her experiences and advocate on behalf of others in her shoes.  Shirley sat on advisory and leadership boards at the University of Chicago, the NBCC, and the ABC Global Alliance. As President of the Metastatic Breast Cancer Network, she championed education, research, and connection—including through an annual conference for patients whose needs were too often overlooked. Sirley was instrumental in having October 13 officially named as International Metastatic Breast Cancer Day. She was recognized nationally in the US and internationally for her impact. In 2011, she was named a “Champion of Change in Breast Cancer”, awarded by the Office of US President Barack Obama and she was the recipient of the ABC6 Award in 2021 in recognition of her outstanding advocacy work for all ABC patients worldwide, accomplished through the Metastatic Breast Cancer Network, the Metastatic Breast Cancer Alliance and more recently the Advanced Breast Cancer Global Alliance. The metastatic breast cancer community around the world is forever grateful for Shirley’s insight, compassion, and unwavering leadership in building momentum for a collaborative movement that lives on.

Joanne Taylor was a tireless advocate, a fearless campaigner and a beacon of hope for those living with metastatic breast cancer. Diagnosed with primary breast cancer in 2007 and with metastatic breast cancer in 2014, Jo dedicated her life to changing the narrative around MBC. She founded METUPUK and created the powerful BusyLivingWithMets movement to show the world that people with MBC are living, thriving and worth the investment. Jo’s legacy is one of courage and unwavering determination. Her work has touched countless lives both in the UK and around the world. From her advocacy and public speaking to the creation of the red flag signs and symptoms infographics, she undoubtedly paved the way to empower others to find their voice. Jo has been one of the faces of the first ABC Global Alliance awareness campaigns.