Goldfarb was diagnosed with melanoma for a third time in January 2011 — 11 weeks after giving birth to her son, Kai. The cancer had reached stage 4 by metastasizing to her liver and pancreas, and Goldfarb enrolled in a clinical trial for tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) therapy as part of her treatment.
Because of the clinical trial, she reached no evidence of disease two years post treatment (during which time the 40-plus tumors all over her body shrank until they disappeared) and has remained disease free for the past 11 years.
Throughout her experience, Goldfarb realized not all patients are aware of clinical research opportunities that may be available to them, especially in oncology. As a result, she embraced the opportunity to be a vocal patient advocate even outside of her professional responsibilities in clinical trial patient recruitment by speaking at industry and patient conferences, writing articles and white papers, speaking with the media about the importance of clinical trials, and working one-on-one with people with cancer to help them navigate their treatment options.
“This is a humbling recognition for something I’m very passionate about,” Goldfarb said. “I don’t share my story because I want to be in the spotlight. I do it because a clinical trial saved my life, yet less than 5% of patients with cancer ever participate in clinical research. I want everyone to understand the power and potential of clinical trials as a treatment option — and more importantly, I want to provide hope and clarity to anyone who feels like they’re up against the odds during a discouraging and confusing time.”
Goldfarb gave the keynote address at the Melanoma Research Alliance’s (MRA) annual scientific retreat in Washington, D.C., in March and has spoken about how medical professionals must improve awareness of clinical trials among patients at various industry events.
Goldfarb has been a research advocate for the National Cancer Institute (NCI), which uses her perspective to ensure the patient’s experience is considered throughout the research process. She is one of the patient moderators of the MRA’s patient forum, and created patient-centric online clinical trial resources for the organization as well as several top-20 global pharmaceutical companies. She is also heavily involved with the Melanoma International Foundation (MIF), the Melanoma Research Foundation (MRF), the Alliance for Regenerative Medicine (ARM), the Association of Clinical Research Professionals (ACRP), and Imerman Angels. She and her husband, Jeff, have met with members of Congress to push for increased funding for the NCI and National Institutes of Health (NIH).
As valuable as her public advocacy work is, Goldfarb believes one-on-one outreach with patients makes the greatest difference. She helps them navigate their treatment options, including how medical research works, what a clinical trial is, and whether it’s right for them. She then connects them with others battling cancer so they can build a stronger support system.
“In a sea of worthy and passionate candidates, there’s no one more deserving than Jamie,” said Matt Walz, CEO of Trialbee. “It’s not just about how she has carried herself in the face of tremendous adversity. It’s about how she has channeled her struggles into empowering and uplifting others facing similar battles. Jamie embodies hope and resiliency in the most inspiring way. She’s been an incredible asset to the Trialbee family, and we are lucky to have her.”
Goldfarb accepted the Linnea Olson Award at the Medidata NEXT New York conference at the Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel on November 7.
“I just want patients to always remember they are not alone,” Goldfarb said. “Talk to friends. Family. Healthcare providers. Don’t stop talking until you understand all your options.”
About Trialbee
Trialbee is revolutionizing the patient recruitment ecosystem with technology, people, and passion. The company’s vendor-agnostic Honey Platform™ is a SaaS Patient Recruitment Platform that centralizes and standardizes all recruitment activities from every source, channel, and partner from interest through enrollment – providing unprecedented transparency and actionable insights for real-time patient tracking, higher-quality referrals that reduce site burden, and robust ROI reporting. Honey is surrounded by a team of Precision Recruitment experts who meet patients where they are in their journey with data-driven modeling based on consumer behavior and other real-world data, hyper-targeted digital outreach, two-step pre-qualification, and meaningful Omnichannel partners focused on patient advocacy, community engagement, and diversity. To take control of patient recruitment for your next study, visit http://www.trialbee.com/.
Media Contact
Kristopher Sarajian, Trialbee, 1 6102282096, [email protected], www.trialbee.com
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