Dixie Swartwood

I’ve been a part of My Density Matters for more than four years, but this year marked a powerful first for me: attending the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS). It involved a week away from home in what initially felt like a foreign landscape. Walking into SABCS, I wasn’t sure what to expect, who I would meet, what the energy would feel like, or where I would fit in. What I found was something far greater than I could have imagined.

SABCS is a convergence of science, innovation, and humanity. Scientists, oncologists, radiologists, physicians, pharmaceutical and technology leaders, researchers, survivors, and thrivers all come together with one shared goal: to cure breast cancer and improve the lives of those impacted by it. Woven throughout every session and conversation was something just as essential, advocacy.

What struck me most was the openness. Survivor advocates who cannot change their own stories, yet dedicate themselves to ensuring others benefit from their hard-earned knowledge. Researchers who dream not only of discovery, but of care and cure. Physicians searching for better ways to educate their patients and answer their questions. Kindness and compassion were present in every conversation, along with a shared understanding that breast cancer affects the whole person in ways deeper than most can comprehend.

I hadn’t always thought of myself as an advocate. I work for a nonprofit, and I deeply believe in our mission. But here, I truly understood what advocacy means. Advocates are the bridge between science and lived experience. They show up on behalf of those who can’t. They remind us that behind every statistic is a person, and they ensure that data never overshadows humanity.

At the center of the conference, both physically and symbolically, was the Patient Advocate Pavilion, featuring more than 28 unique organizations dedicated to supporting patients across every stage of the breast cancer journey. Every advocate has a “why.” A story. A loss. A diagnosis. A determination to change outcomes for the next person.

Advocates are the heartbeat of the breast cancer community, and I am grateful to be included. As a mother of two daughters, it is unacceptable that despite advances in science, diagnoses continue to rise and mortality rates from breast cancer persist. This disease affects all of us, and it must stop.

As a community, we will continue to fight for better outcomes, more empathetic care for those diagnosed, and education that supports early detection. Breast cancer is curable when caught early. This is the power of advocacy.