Patient Advocacy - Katie Brown's Story

Katie Brown is a patient advocate—for herself, for her father, and for thousands of patients and families. After surviving cervical cancer at the age of 22, she became a caregiver and advocated on behalf of her father during his cancer journey. Eventually, she helped create the Lung Cancer Support Community, which currently has over 10,000 members.

In 2016, Katie was diagnosed with NASH cirrhosis. Her message to the liver community focuses on compassion and the importance of promoting clinical trials. “You can do everything ‘right’ and still have NASH like me,” Katie shares. “There is very little information on NASH and no real treatment options. Health systems need to make patients aware of clinical trials.”

Katie feels a tremendous responsibility as a lung cancer advocate to raise awareness, share information and resources, and educate others to become advocates for their own medical care. She works as the vice president of support and survivorship programs for LUNGevity Foundation and is a certified oncology patient navigator and caregiving consultant. Read more about Katie and her work on her website.