Michelle Flowers: Raising awareness of blood cancer in Florida — we all play a role

Molecule of DNA forming inside the test tube in the blood test equipment.3d rendering,conceptual image.

Despite more than a million people across the globe experiencing the pain of a blood cancer diagnosis every year, awareness of the disease is still incredibly low.

According to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS), one person in the U.S. is diagnosed with some form of blood cancer every three minutes and right here in Florida, nearly 20,000 new cases of blood cancer are expected by the end of this year.

Inclusive of leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma, blood cancer affects children and adults alike and like other cancers, the earlier a blood cancer is detected, the better and the higher the chances of survival.

A combination of education, awareness, and access to new and improved treatment options is the best way we can give patients and their families their best fighting chance.

The work of patient advocates across Florida is key to keeping this issue top of mind and when it’s paired with the work of organizations like LLS, the American Cancer Society’s Cancer Action Network and so many others, we can better raise the visibility of the issue.

But it’s with the support of our elected officials that we stand the best chance of making a difference. Helping to increase funding for research and clinical trials taking place in the state and ensuring open access to innovative treatments and new medicines will help arm patients for the fight of their lives.

The upcoming 2024 Florida Legislative Session holds great promise and I encourage our state’s leaders to do what they can for Floridians living with cancer and for those who will have to face a future battle but don’t know it yet.

We are pleased to see leaders like Senate President Kathleen Passidomo commit to focusing on health care this coming Session — this is the passion that’s needed in Tallahassee that also holds the greatest promise.

In the coming months, I encourage her and others to meet with cancer experts from across the state, to seek the perspectives of patients to better understand what they’re going through, and to learn about what’s possible when more resources are allocated to the right programs and promising research.

I also encourage Florida’s cancer-focused organizations to stand ready to provide data, smart counsel, and stories of how increased support could benefit current and future patients. This collaboration is what’s needed and what will make tomorrow brighter for so many across Florida.

As we close out this year, I can’t help but think of the thousands of Floridians who sadly lost their battles with cancer and will not see the promise that 2024 holds.

In the face of rising blood cancer incidence, we must unite to create an environment that fosters innovation and supports patients. Let us stand together to make that difference for the patients in the battle for their lives.

We owe it to them and to each other.

___

Michelle Flowers is the founder of the Oncology Managers of Florida.