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Leading Innovation For Cancer Treatment Burden (LIFT) Network

By uniting researchers, clinicians, patients and advocates, the LIFT Network aims to transform the cancer care experience so that no patient is forced to choose between healing and hardship. 

About Research Community Engagement Give to the LIFT Network

Around our house, we refer to my cancer misadventure as 'The Great Disruption'. There is simply no part of our lives that has not been impacted in some way big or small. Just in the first few months of diagnosis and treatment, we spent several 40 hour work weeks worth of time on the phone - more time and energy than we had - with the insurance company, scheduling appointments, organizing help and identifying support systems, and finding auxiliary medical care. And then there was the driving: 4 hours round trip for oncology appointments and treatments and 6 hours round trip for scans and to meet with my surgeon. 

Perhaps even more profound, though, is my experience that much of our health-care system is not currently set up for even the most proactive patients to do anything more than survive. We claw with brittle nails for the care and support to sustain a fulfilling and empowered existence during cancer care and into survivorship.
 
 

-Charla Weiss, Community Advocate and Cancer Thriver

Upcoming LIFT Network Events

  • Numerous LIFT Network members are presenting related research at the ASCO Quality Care Symposium Annual Meeting October 10-11, 2025 in Chicago, IL:
    • Idossa D, Flesch S, Hwee S, Gupta A, Vogel RI, Blaes A. “Characterizing the Logistic Toxicity of Cancer Treatment in non-English Speaking Populations.”
    • Parsons H, Jewett P, Brown K, Pecoraro A, Starks I, Ingram S, Huang Z, Gupta A, Teoh D, Fan Y, Blaes A, Arend R, Rocque G, Wolfson J, Vogel RI. “The Hidden Burden: Quantifying Administrative Time Costs and Distress for Patients with Metastatic Breast or Advanced Stage Ovarian Cancer.”
    • Phung Q, Lin K, Jansen RJ, Yokanovich L, Kourelis R, Hartung E, Premnath N, Blaes AH, Vogel RI, Parsons HM, Gupta A. “COLorectal cancer Legal and Administrative Burden Support (COLLABS): A Pilot Clinical Trial.”
    • Valisekka SS, Johnson WV, Obafemi O, Stevens S, George M, Breininger A, Kyel MA, Booth CM, Hanna TP, Vogel RI, Parsons HM, Blaes AH, Gupta A. “Patient, Care Partner, and Clinician Proposed Solutions to Address the Time Toxicity of Oncology Care.” 
Clock, money, and lightbulb

Network Spotlight


A recent commentary published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute by LIFT Network Members Rachel Vogel, Helen Parsons, Patricia Jewett and Arjun Gupta, highlights the intersecting time, administrative, and financial burdens of a cancer diagnosis. The commentary presents a research agenda to map, measure, evaluate, and mitigate these burdens during cancer treatment and survivorship. Read the publication here. 

 

Interested in becoming a LIFT Network member? Email us at [email protected]