Patient advocate, Susan Knox, talks to ecancertv at the 9th European Breast Cancer Conference (EBCC) about the influence the conference has upon patient advocacy and the importance of making global links.

The attendance of advocacy networks at conferences is crucial for getting the most up-to-date information to take back to the public in clear and accessible form. Clearer dissemination of information on a global scale helps to empower women, with regards to such things as beneficial lifestyle changes, but perhaps most importantly where mammography screening is concerned, as it remains the most important factor in patient survival, says Knox.

Noting that there was the biggest turnout of global patient advocacy networks to date at the conference, Knox explains the benefits of their presence to academia. She stresses the importance of a patient's perspectives and experiences surrounding the disease as well as scientific data, and explains how a manifesto of pathology has been developed during the conference.