Supporting the CCTG Hematology Committee Resides in St. John’s, NL | CCTG Patient Representative since 2024“Coming from Newfoundland and having lived in both Labrador and the Northern Peninsula for a time I realize the toll that having to travel to St. John’s for certain treatments have on patients physically, mentally and financially. My hope is that clinical trials can be given closer to a patient’s home to alleviate some of those burdens.” Melissa is an acute lymphoblastic leukemia t-cell survivor who was diagnosed in September 2016 at the age of 35. She has thankfully been in remission since November 2018 and was the first adult patient in Newfoundland and Labrador to finish the Dana Farber Pediatric Protocol for ALL t-cell. Since being diagnosed she felt that it was important to give back to the community that saved her life by being a patient advocate and a patient research partner. She is passionate about clinical trials because they help doctors determine what is the best course for their patients and provide novel therapies that may not only cure cancer but improve the patient's quality of life both during treatment and after treatment.“Cancer patients should be involved in a clinical trial because advances are being made that not only extend the life of the patient but also the quality of life of the patient. My hope is that one day all patients will have the same access to clinical trials no matter where they live in Canada.”
