Miranda Zinn, a patient navigator at Susan G. Komen’s Patient Care Center (PCC), shares how she and her team support the metastatic breast cancer community by guiding them to the right clinical trials. Read her story below.
Nearly 170,000 women in the U.S. today are living with metastatic breast cancer (MBC). While MBC isn’t curable, there are treatments that can help manage it, and new therapies are emerging from the research pipeline. Thanks to clinical trials, many people with MBC are living for years with the right care and support.
As a patient navigator, a key part of my role is helping people with MBC explore clinical trials that may provide access to these emerging treatments, and ultimately, provide these patients with hope. Here are some of the ways that PCC navigators help guide people with MBC to clinical trials.
Getting Started: Gathering Information and Providing Personalized Support
When someone with breast cancer contacts the Komen Breast Care Helpline to explore clinical trials, we start by gathering information about their diagnosis, treatment history and what they are hoping to gain from a trial. For individuals living with MBC, the process is often a little different because many trials are designed specifically for people with MBC, and eligibility criteria can be limited.
To get started, we use trusted partners like BreastCancerTrials.org, which has a dedicated clinical trial search function for MBC, and Metastatic Trial Talk (MTT), which provides easy-to-read summaries of trials that are currently recruiting. These resources help us identify the best trials based on the patient’s situation and goals.
I often use ClinicalTrials.gov to review more details about a particular trial. When working with Black women living with breast cancer, When We Tri(al) offers culturally relevant information and support tailored to the barriers that these women may face when considering clinical trials. Other helpful resources on Komen.org include pages in the About Breast Cancer section that provide a thorough overview of clinical trials and dedicated information for those living with MBC. There are also free downloadable educational resources in both English and Spanish, including Questions to Ask Your Doctor, which can help people start the conversation about clinical trials..
Empowering Patients to Ask the Right Questions
When searching for a clinical trial, many people with MBC feel overwhelmed or unsure of where to start. I tell them that it’s normal to feel that way, and we’ll navigate it together, step by step. I start by listening to their concerns and priorities. Then I address misconceptions, such as being treated like a “guinea pig” in a clinical trial or not receiving needed care.
I explain the potential benefits of clinical trials for those living with MBC, including access to new therapies in addition to standard of care, closer monitoring and the opportunity to contribute to research. I also explain possible risks like side effects, additional appointments or how a new treatment may not work or be effective. I don’t aim to persuade patients to join a trial, but rather to help them feel more informed, supported and empowered to make the decision that’s right for them.
The primary goal is to help patients feel more prepared and confident when discussing clinical trials with their care team. For this, I encourage open communication while validating their concerns and providing trial information that they can bring to their appointments.
I also remind patients that it’s okay to ask about clinical trials and help them prepare questions so they feel more confident. This approach makes the conversation less intimidating. If their cancer center has a clinical trials navigator, I point them to that resource. Ultimately, patients have a right to understand all their options. Sometimes it’s just about finding the right information and knowing who to ask.
Finding the Right Trial at the Right Time
I once worked with a patient living with stage 4 triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) and lung metastases who was experiencing side effects from immunotherapy. Although she had heard of clinical trials, she knew little about them and felt frustrated by the lack of options to manage her symptoms. After we discussed clinical trials, she seemed open to exploring them.
Together, we searched clinical trial resources and found a study on BreastCancerTrials.org investigating whether a specific injection could help manage immunotherapy side effects in advanced breast cancer, including MBC. We reviewed the trial’s goals, eligibility and participation details. She felt empowered to bring it up with her doctor, who later agreed it was a good fit.
The most powerful part of this experience for me was seeing her shift from feeling stuck and discouraged to being empowered and hopeful. For many living with MBC, clinical trials aren’t a last resort – they’re a lifeline. Every patient deserves to feel hopeful, not helpless, and to know they’re not alone in this journey.
If you or someone you know wants to know more about clinical trials, contact Komen’s Breast Care Helpline at 1-877 GO KOMEN (1-877-465-6636) or email helpline@komen.org to get started.
All calls are answered Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET and Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET.
Se habla español.
