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Through a Patient’s Experience | The Eye Believe Podcast · The Eye Believe Podcast

0:03
hey you guys
0:03
thank you for joining us today on the Eye Believe Podcast
0:06
I'm your host Danet Peterson
0:08
and I'm joined today with Wendy
0:10
who's been a guest on our podcast before
0:11
so if you haven't heard from her
0:13
or listened to the episodes
0:14
um some of the webinars that she's participated in
0:17
the Eye On Mental Health um
0:19
Eye On Mental Health like
0:20
panels that she's participated in
0:22
then I'm gonna link some of those in our show notes
0:24
in our description you guys can go check those out
0:26
to hear a little bit more of like
0:27
some of her insights but today
0:29
we're gonna be picking her brain
0:30
a little bit about CT DNA
0:32
so if you guys don't know what that is
0:34
don't worry we'll get there
0:35
but I will also make sure to link some of the like
0:38
what is what is CT DNA
0:40
kind of episodes from Doctor Ma
0:42
some other doctors um
0:44
but we've got a webinar coming up
0:45
and I'm really excited to just
0:48
kind of get a patient's perspective
0:49
especially another uveal melanoma patient like myself
0:52
who's been having CT DNA drawn
0:54
it's a blood test and so um
0:57
Wendy thanks so much for joining me
0:59
yeah thank you for having me Danet
1:01
so Wendy
1:01
let's chat like
1:02
just elevator pitch style
1:04
like give us an update
1:05
like when were you initially diagnosed
1:07
when did you discover that you had gone metastatic
1:10
and where are you at today
1:12
yep um
1:13
I was originally diagnosed in December of 2,018 and
1:19
you know went several years without metastasis
1:23
and was diagnosed with metastasis in 2023
1:27
um and it metastasized in a rare way um
1:32
it metastasized to my breast um
1:34
and so we I was one of the first patients
1:38
that my medical oncologist started using the CT DNA on
1:43
and today oh
1:44
sorry I should say sorry
1:46
I should add today um
1:47
today I'm no evidence of disease
1:49
which is really exciting um
1:51
it it
1:52
it comes at a cost
1:53
I have quite a few side effects from immunotherapy but
1:58
um those are all pretty well managed now
2:00
and I'm actually feeling the best I've felt in
2:03
several years so
2:04
it's really exciting to enjoy my
2:07
no evidence of disease now
2:09
that's so exciting and it's also um
2:12
just so incredibly hopeful
2:14
I think for the rest of us in the community
2:16
especially those of us dealing with metastatic disease
2:19
um just to like
2:19
see and hear from someone even
2:21
even someone who's kind of in a more rare
2:23
you know subgroup of the metastatic community
2:25
because I know that sometimes that can feel like oh
2:28
like you know my
2:29
my no
2:29
my no evidence of the disease like
2:31
doesn't really count because like
2:32
I have like
2:33
this other this other piece of this
2:35
the puzzle
2:35
that was a little easier for them to figure out
2:38
like it hasn't been easy for you um
2:40
and your journey is no less valid
2:43
you know in just in
2:44
just kind of reaching this point and um
2:47
but I know that you know
2:48
we've talked about this before in our
2:49
our living in the Long Middle series
2:51
like i can feel really challenging sometimes
2:54
to kind of grapple with the
2:55
I'm okay but I'm not okay
2:57
but I'm also more okay than most people
2:59
like it's
3:00
it's a big big mind puzzle to figure out
3:06
yes it is
3:08
okay so let's chat CT DNA
3:09
you said you were one of the first uveal patients
3:11
that your doctor started drawing CT DNA for
3:14
so CT DNA
3:15
blood test like let's
3:17
let's chat about this like
3:18
what is CT DNA to you um
3:20
and how do you like
3:21
explain this test to other patients or to like
3:23
people in your family yep
3:25
um I explain it um
3:28
it's a way to catch little
3:31
floating cancer cells that are in my blood
3:34
um it
3:35
they took a piece of my tumor from the breast tissue
3:40
they took that tumor they sent it off to um
3:44
my doctor uses Natera
3:47
and sent it off and had it checked
3:50
and they it came back positive
3:53
and so I explain it to my fam
3:57
friends and family as
3:58
it's just a way to know
4:00
if there's something floating around in my blood
4:04
if cancer's active um
4:07
maybe before you see it
4:10
the results of it in a test and
4:12
and where it was really impactful is
4:15
and this is why my doctor uses it
4:17
it's a way to get a picture of
4:20
maybe how your treatment is working
4:23
before the scans show it's working
4:25
and so about two months after I did
4:29
I started my immunotherapy
4:31
they did another draw and my number came back at zero
4:37
however on the scans
4:38
it still looked like the cancer was active
4:40
and so it took another um
4:43
actually like another six months almost before the
4:47
the cancer showed not active on scans
4:51
so I mean
4:51
that's a really exciting thing for it
4:54
so yeah well
4:55
and I mean
4:56
it's such an it's such a unique piece of the puzzle
4:59
that we have the ability to use
5:01
and like
5:02
just in case you didn't catch it
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Wendy said that she had a
5:05
a biopsy of the breast tissue
5:07
so a biopsy of an actual
5:08
live
5:09
to live tumor that was confirmed to be uveal melanoma
5:12
that they then were able to put into this test
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basically so this is a unique
5:17
individualized test that is
5:19
they call it tumor informed
5:20
if you listen to the episode that I did with Doctor Ma
5:23
where he kind of breaks down the different types of CT
5:25
DNA um
5:26
and it basically makes the
5:28
kind of searching for a needle in the haystack
5:30
that they use when they're like oh
5:31
it's so hard to find uveal melanoma in the blood
5:33
it's like searching for a needle in a haystack
5:35
well this makes our haystack like
5:36
a little more narrow
5:38
and it makes those needles in the haystack
5:40
maybe a little sharper for them to like
5:42
pick up on or the magnet is a little more sensitive
5:45
like
5:45
that's kind of some of the analogies that I've heard
5:47
kind of noised about in the community
5:50
especially from the doctors who use this test
5:52
like Doctor Hall Doctor Ma
5:53
I know Doctor Moser out here uses it
5:55
and I'm hopeful that we'll see more people using this
5:58
just because like
5:59
I can't tell you how many times
6:01
I've heard from patients and
6:02
maybe you're one of those patients
6:03
who your doctor has said oh
6:05
you know
6:06
it's been three months you've been on this treatment
6:08
it's not working we don't see it working in scans
6:10
like it's it
6:10
you know cancer looks
6:12
it looks like it's growing a little bit
6:13
or it's it's barely stable or
6:15
you know just
6:16
it still looks too active for comfort
6:18
we're gonna take you off this treatment
6:19
and try something different
6:21
wouldn't it be amazing if we had
6:23
you know
6:24
something like this consistently across the board
6:27
that we had patients who could use this
6:29
right because like
6:30
can you imagine Wendy
6:31
if you were taken off your immunotherapy at that
6:34
at that point three months after starting it
6:36
when they were like oh
6:37
it doesn't really look like it's working
6:39
yeah like
6:40
you wouldn't you wouldn't be here in the same way today
6:43
yeah exactly yeah
6:45
oh OK
6:46
alright so when CT DNA entered the picture for you um
6:50
it was it was right after you were metastatic and
6:53
you know obviously right after that biopsy
6:55
um why do you feel like you find it helpful personally
6:59
like what are kind of
7:00
some of the things that you feel reassured by
7:02
especially now that you're
7:03
like a few years into using this
7:05
as part of your ongoing cancer screening
7:07
yeah you know
7:08
it's really it's
7:10
it obviously isn't a cure
7:12
but it provides more information
7:14
and
7:14
I'm somebody who requires a lot of information for my
7:18
for my brain to stay in a
7:20
in a peaceful place
7:22
and so the way that we have been using it is
7:26
I like to get my CT
7:29
DNA done about three weeks before scans
7:33
and it just helps me kind of
7:36
go into the scans with a little more information
7:39
um so when it's zero
7:42
I go into scans a little more
7:45
just a little more at peace
7:46
like it's just a little
7:48
kind of going in for a checkup
7:50
um I mean it
7:52
it could still come back that there's something active
7:55
I mean it's not perfect
7:56
but it provides me a little more peace um for
8:01
for Scan Day and most recently um
8:05
I am now going every six months between scans
8:09
and we do the CT DNA as a middle checkpoint
8:14
and as long as it's zero we stay on the six months
8:18
six month track um
8:20
you know I think
8:21
I'm thinking more about the future
8:23
of how I will use it to maybe get scanned less
8:27
because so much anxiety comes with scans
8:30
and because we're scanned so frequently
8:33
oftentimes things will pop up really early
8:37
that we have to wait additional time
8:39
before something can be done about it
8:42
or before you can move it's
8:44
we've moved far beyond the
8:47
the days when I was first diagnosed
8:49
when you were told you were metastatic and like
8:53
your time was rapidly ending
8:55
because it was discovered so late
8:58
and so I think
9:00
CTDNA is just another tool that can help understand
9:07
you know like
9:08
the aggressiveness
9:09
with which you need to treat something
9:11
yeah absolutely
9:13
so just out of curiosity
9:15
in all of the time that you've had CT DNA drawn since
9:18
I think you said it was 2023
9:19
when you had metastatic disease initially discovered
9:22
um has there ever been a time even
9:24
you know during active treatment
9:25
that it has gone up
9:27
and that you've gone into scans with it elevated
9:30
um and how have you kind of grappled with that feeling
9:32
yeah mine has actually
9:34
mine has not gone up mine has
9:37
it was it
9:39
it tested positive at first
9:41
and then it has main it has maintained at zero um
9:45
the entire time so I'm fortunate
9:47
um however
9:48
you know when I think about
9:50
you know if I get it again in a few months and it
9:53
and it does show up as positive
9:56
that's just an indication to me that we
10:00
we need to do scans we need to see where
10:03
where it is
10:04
and I go on a little bit closer surveillance
10:08
um yeah
10:09
and to see well
10:11
and I I love what you said about how
10:13
like right now
10:13
at least for where you're at in your metastatic journey
10:15
and just the stability that you have been experiencing
10:18
this is giving you an opportunity to not have scans
10:22
quite as often right
10:23
most metastatic people
10:25
even when they are no evidence of disease
10:27
like
10:27
I was no evidence of disease in my metastatic journey
10:30
like I had one liver ablation
10:31
and then I was no evidence of disease for
10:33
basically almost 18 months
10:35
and like
10:36
that's a long time to still be having scans
10:38
every three months yep
10:41
like and
10:41
and we know like
10:43
any of you guys listening
10:44
if you've had scans you know
10:46
how anxious you feel like
10:48
we talk about scanxiety a lot in the community
10:50
because it's a thing it's a thing that we experience
10:53
and it's a full body experience
10:54
um and
10:56
and like you said like there's and
10:58
and we talked about this in the Seattle meeting a lot
11:00
with Doctor Hall with um
11:02
with the doctors I think Doctor Bhatia at
11:04
Fred Hutch like
11:05
we talked a lot about this in the Seattle meeting at
11:07
at Eye Believe
11:07
because they were just huge believers of the idea that
11:11
like it's not worth the extra anxiety for our patients
11:14
for them to necessarily like
11:16
I mean yes
11:17
like we have to balance the okay
11:18
it's helpful to find out sooner
11:20
right right
11:20
to find out if something is growing when it's small
11:23
so that we can keep an eye on things literally
11:26
um Wendy and I both have one eye
11:28
if you guys didn't know that
11:29
so we find those kinds of phrases really funny
11:32
um but like
11:33
it's one thing to find out about it
11:35
and for you
11:36
to be able to do something with that information
11:38
it's another for your doctor to be like
11:40
well we have to just sit on this
11:41
it's not big enough to do anything
11:43
we can't biopsy this yet um
11:45
so I love that this is a this is a unique tool
11:48
that could be used to kind of
11:49
space out that cancer screening
11:51
especially if you reach a point of stability
11:53
but then like
11:54
on the flip side when you're in active treatment
11:56
and you need it to kind of gauge the response
11:59
this could be something that helps
12:00
keep you on treatment
12:02
when maybe imaging would otherwise kick you off
12:05
I would love I mean just
12:06
you know hypothetically
12:07
like I think this would be a really unique tool
12:09
to be used across the board for like
12:11
clinical trials I think that it would be really
12:13
really helpful to have this as a data point
12:16
and obviously like
12:16
I can't make the rules but like
12:18
I think it would be a really helpful data point
12:20
for doctors to have
12:22
because we know so many times cancer responds
12:25
and it kind of gets inflamed in the imaging
12:28
and then it starts to shrink
12:30
or even when it's dying like
12:31
I mean it's
12:32
it's kind of like when when a cancer cells die
12:35
like they
12:36
they get bloated and die like poof
12:39
yeah um
12:39
I'm I'm making all kinds of scientific sense here
12:42
I know um
12:43
but I just
12:44
I think that your thoughts about this are really
12:46
just really helpful I think
12:48
and I I can see especially like
12:50
you're three years into using this test almost
12:52
and I can see it in the way that you manage
12:54
your anxiety around your disease
12:56
that
12:56
this has been something that has been helpful for you
12:59
um and
13:01
and I appreciate that like
13:02
you can kind of hypothetically think about OK
13:04
if it did elevate that like
13:06
you have enough experience with the test now
13:09
to recognize that like OK
13:11
like the goal is not to stay at zero forever
13:13
the goal is for this test to be able to detect where
13:16
whatever it's gonna detect right
13:18
and for us to be able to use that information
13:20
I think so many times like
13:21
I don't know like
13:22
do you feel like we sometimes
13:23
as patients frame it as like oh
13:25
the only good thing is for it to be zero
13:26
or the only good thing is for my scans to be empty like
13:30
but they're kind I don't know
13:31
like we have to kind of
13:33
grapple with some of the nuances
13:34
that come with metastatic disease
13:36
for sure yeah
13:37
and I think definitely like
13:38
when you have metastatic disease
13:40
like obviously
13:41
we all want to be zero or have nothing show up forever
13:45
um
13:47
but that historically
13:49
doesn't typically happen for everyone
13:52
and so it's nice to just know that you're looking
13:56
you have some you have a tool out there
13:58
that can be used to help find something
14:01
you know earlier
14:03
and you know I
14:04
I think about it too
14:05
in the setting of um
14:08
you know high risk patients
14:11
you know can you
14:12
can we and this is me just going off
14:15
hopefully it's okay for me to say this
14:17
no go for it
14:18
these are my thoughts um
14:20
you know you have somebody that's class two
14:22
prame positive
14:24
can we get to a point where they take the tumor from if
14:29
especially if you had enucleation like
14:31
and I'm gonna say a enucleate
14:32
enucleated patients in particular yeah
14:34
you have your eye removed
14:36
they take that tissue they create
14:39
you know they create your profile based off of that
14:41
and they search early on
14:43
to see if you have anything circulating in your blood
14:47
and then that gets you you know
14:49
like opens up more doors for more clinical trials
14:52
or something something like that
14:54
like that's what excites me about this
14:57
even more than how I use it
15:00
that's because
15:01
I do think that that's a real possibility
15:03
in the future um yeah
15:05
you know
15:06
and that's literally what I was talking to some of the
15:09
I was talking to some of the people that I know
15:10
who use CT DNA and like
15:12
kind of
15:13
some of the research people behind tests like this
15:15
and I was telling them I'm like
15:17
this would be so cool to use like
15:21
alongside the Castle biopsy test right
15:23
yes like
15:24
I mean of course
15:25
we have the enucleated eye tissues
15:26
probably gonna be a little bit easier to use
15:28
to test with
15:29
because you've got slides and slides and slides of
15:31
you know eye to work with
15:34
yeah um
15:35
but like there's
15:37
there's just
15:37
there's so many things in the ocular oncology community
15:40
like Doctor Jesse Berry is talking a lot about
15:43
aqueous biopsies
15:44
and how we can use the fluid in the eye to like
15:46
kind of detect what's going on um
15:49
and if there's cancer cells floating around
15:51
in the fluid of the eye and like
15:53
then we have the Castle test
15:54
which takes you know
15:55
the needle point biopsy okay
15:57
well can we take core samples
15:59
like at the time that they treat even a plaque
16:01
like a plaque treated eye
16:02
or a proton beam therapy treated eye
16:04
like can we take those samples
16:07
and save some in storage or like
16:09
make sure that it just gets sent off to a tumor
16:11
informed testing center
16:12
something like Natera
16:14
that they can use that tissue
16:16
to do exactly what you said
16:17
to track you know
16:18
metastatic possibility
16:19
especially for those higher risk patients
16:21
um yeah
16:22
I would love to see this used more actively earlier on
16:26
and I kind of wonder if that's maybe the direction that
16:28
you know that it will start to pick up momentum more
16:31
because yeah
16:32
like I don't know Wendy
16:33
like
16:33
have you talked to other patients who are metastatic
16:35
and they're like what is CT DNA like
16:36
I've never heard of that yes
16:39
and whenever I hear that I'm I'm
16:41
one of the first things I tell newly diagnosed
16:44
metastatic patients is
16:45
ask your doctor about CT DNA
16:49
you know I
16:50
my doctor uses Natera there are other ones out there
16:53
but you know
16:55
ask about it I think it's a really
16:57
a really important tool um
16:59
and I think it's still new enough
17:01
that not all providers like
17:04
really truly understand what it is
17:06
especially in the ocular melanoma space
17:09
it it has been widely used in other cancers
17:12
for quite a while um
17:14
but it's newer to the ocular melanoma space
17:18
yeah absolutely
17:19
okay so
17:20
rapid fire couple questions
17:21
things that maybe
17:22
somebody who's new to having this test
17:23
or wanting this test done
17:25
should know about you know
17:26
as a patient so
17:27
in your experience
17:28
and I'm gonna also share my experience
17:29
because I've also had CT DNA draws from Natera
17:33
using you know
17:34
obviously my oncology orders
17:35
my oncologist orders the tests
17:37
um but number one um
17:41
do you have any level of financial responsibility
17:44
for the test like
17:44
is it covered by insurance
17:46
do you have to pay out of pocket
17:47
like how does it work for you
17:48
what's been your experience
17:49
so I have not paid anything out of pocket
17:52
my insurance does not cover it
17:54
um they have denied it every time
17:57
um
17:57
I have been told by my doctor to not worry about that
18:03
I think there's some sort of agreement
18:04
I'm not I'm actually not positive on that
18:07
I just know that just like the Castle test
18:10
I have not paid anything um yeah
18:12
you know
18:12
and my insurance denied the Castle test as well
18:15
um OK
18:16
and so that's important for sure
18:18
yeah and that's been my experience as well
18:19
is that my insurance claim shows this is a denied test
18:23
um that
18:23
you know it's too experimental
18:25
however my doctor has told me okay like
18:27
but you're not getting bills
18:28
like Natera is not sending you bills because like
18:30
essentially he's like
18:31
they're treating this you know
18:33
this specific company maybe not all of them do this
18:35
but this specific company treats uveal melanoma patients
18:38
um testing as um
18:40
some something of
18:41
like maybe a write off
18:42
like I think that's what Castle does too
18:44
where they
18:44
they are able to financially kind of sponsor just to
18:47
like bulk up the ability to gain the research
18:50
so that they can then submit that to insurance and say
18:53
this test does work
18:54
we need to be able to use this with patients
18:56
um that's how we get to that point right
18:58
like Castle now
18:59
you know in some insurances
19:01
Castle gets a payment from insurance
19:02
because they have the data to prove over time
19:06
you know and all of the patients
19:07
and the data that they've collected
19:08
like they have the
19:09
the ability to prove
19:10
that there's merit in doing the test
19:13
and that it helps influence
19:14
you know treatment decisions
19:16
monitoring decisions all of that
19:17
and so like
19:18
that kind of information doesn't come without patients
19:21
to you know
19:22
gather the data with and I
19:24
like companies like this understand that
19:26
so yeah
19:26
I mean
19:26
that's been something that I have also experienced
19:29
is that I I haven't been held responsible
19:31
even if my insurance has come back
19:32
and denied the claim um yeah
19:34
so that's something maybe to tell your doctor
19:35
if they're like well
19:36
I don't want you to have to foot the bill
19:37
for something like this yeah
19:40
have them get in touch with Natera
19:42
just to see yeah
19:43
like and
19:43
and like
19:44
what's it gonna hurt to ask right
19:45
like you know
19:46
they can ask about Natera
19:47
like
19:47
Natera has incredible patient advocacy groups and just
19:50
um patient uh
19:51
patient coordinators who like
19:53
will talk to you as a patient
19:54
and they'll help you figure out like
19:56
how do I bring this to my doctor
19:57
so I mean there's
19:58
there's companies that have the tools
20:00
and the resources in place
20:02
for the patients to be able to
20:03
kind of piece together
20:04
how could this become a part of my care
20:08
yep okay
20:09
so other question um
20:11
how do you get information
20:12
like I know we're kind of living in the age of my chart
20:16
Yay for us um
20:17
but do you do you personally utilize like
20:21
Natera's patient portal
20:23
do you just wait for information from your doctor
20:25
like what do you find to be kind of
20:26
helpful to you at this time
20:28
so Natera I
20:31
I haven't actually been in Natera's patient portal
20:34
because I do get the results through my chart
20:37
from my provider's office
20:39
before Natera reports it in their portal
20:42
so I usually have the results um
20:46
it gets uploaded in my chart
20:47
I usually have the results
20:48
probably a good five days before Natera says
20:51
your test results are ready
20:53
oh my gosh
20:53
that's crazy and as I'm
20:54
and as I'm thinking about it right now
20:56
actually I have used the patient portal
20:59
I've gone in and looked at like
21:00
older tests um
21:01
cause I wanted to go in and I
21:04
I can't remember what I want to look at something
21:06
and so I've gone into their patient portal
21:07
and I have looked at it but for me
21:09
it gets reported later than when my doctor like
21:13
provides it to me so
21:15
that's so interesting like
21:16
I feel like my experience has been kind of the opposite
21:19
sometimes I find out from the Natera portal
21:21
like faster than my doctor finds out
21:23
and um
21:25
and sometimes I'm the one messaging them and I'm like
21:27
hey so my
21:28
my Natera like
21:29
Signatera is in what are we gonna do about that
21:31
or like you know
21:32
what do we need to know about this
21:35
so it's so funny like
21:36
but
21:37
man the other thing I love about my doctor's office is
21:40
you know I've been a patient with them for what six
21:44
seven years at this point
21:45
and they know me and they know like
21:48
how quickly I will message if something is concerning
21:52
and so they all
21:54
I usually get an email from them within minutes of it
21:58
posting to my chart saying
21:59
great news um
22:01
you know you're still at zero everything
22:03
you know we'll keep going with the status quo
22:06
of what we've been doing so it
22:08
it's just a funny thing that
22:09
how they've gotten to know me
22:11
and know that I will probably reach out
22:14
although I wouldn't reach out when it's zero
22:16
yeah for sure
22:18
for sure oh
22:19
my goodness alright
22:20
so um
22:22
what would be like
22:23
your advice to somebody who's a newer patient
22:26
or even somebody who's a pretty well established
22:28
like metastatic patient
22:29
um if they're considering having this test done
22:32
like
22:33
I think what the advice that I do give people is
22:37
you have to look at it as
22:39
as information you can't look at it
22:42
you can't go into it thinking
22:45
this is gonna answer all of your
22:47
like all of the challenges
22:48
that come along with metastatic disease
22:50
it's just another information point
22:54
to help us decide what's best for us
22:57
you know as we get treatment
23:00
I think about for me I
23:04
unless there is some really dire situation
23:08
I will not have more immunotherapy
23:10
my body just it liked it um
23:14
and it it over
23:17
it liked it it
23:18
it very much activated it um
23:22
and the risk of the risk of doing more immunotherapy
23:28
is greater than the you know
23:31
greater than not doing it anymore at this point
23:34
so you know
23:35
when we and for me
23:37
I don't have disease in my liver
23:38
so really systemic is the only option for me
23:42
if it comes back and still isn't in the liver
23:46
and so this is just provides a data point of
23:50
if that number comes back elevated
23:52
just starts me thinking about
23:54
you know how do we want to approach
23:56
how do we want to approach this to tackle it
23:59
knowing that I probably can't have more immunotherapy
24:02
at least not the immunotherapy I had
24:06
it just helps me start the wheels turning of okay
24:10
I've got to get back on
24:11
potentially thinking about what's next
24:15
where right now
24:16
I'm really not thinking about
24:17
I'm just thinking about I'm so excited that I'm living
24:21
my issues from immunotherapy are under control
24:25
and I'm just enjoying for the first time that I'm
24:29
no evidence of disease like
24:30
just enjoying this life that I've been given and um
24:35
and that
24:37
and this test continues to provide that peace for me
24:40
so
24:42
absolutely well Wendy
24:44
thank you so much for being a guest today
24:45
and for chatting with us about this
24:47
and just making sure that those of you guys listening
24:49
have an opportunity to hear from just a patient
24:51
not just a doctor
24:52
because I do think it's important that
24:54
you know yes
24:54
doctors use this test and they
24:56
you know some of them really love it
24:57
they have good reasons for using it
24:59
but I feel like there's just a layer of reassurance
25:02
and validation that comes from like
25:04
hearing from somebody who is a patient like you
25:06
um so thank you for being that for us today Wendy
25:10
thank you for having me and I'm so glad that you get um
25:14
just somewhat of a break between your scans
25:16
um I yep
25:17
I think we all can relate to
25:19
just wishing we could just have a break
25:21
and I think it's it's nice to know that like
25:24
you know this is a way that has
25:26
kind of
25:26
afforded you the opportunity to have that break
25:28
and just to have something in between too
25:31
so that it you're not just waiting six months
25:34
um so I love that for you
25:36
and I'm so grateful to I'm so grateful to have met you
25:39
and I look forward to seeing you again later this fall
25:41
it'll be so fun see you in Dallas
25:43
yep see you in Dallas
25:45
yeah and if you guys aren't aware
25:46
um you can come see us in Dallas too
25:48
because we have the Eye Believe
25:49
conference with Doctor Harbour and his team there
25:52
um and we're super excited to be in the Dallas world
25:56
so come see us um
25:57
watch our website you can just get your free tickets
26:00
and just keep an eye out for the hotel block
26:02
because we are gonna be dropping that
26:04
I would assume very soon
26:06
but we know that everybody's gotta be able to like
26:08
book a hotel room and
26:09
and come and stay and check for flights
26:11
like all those pieces
26:12
so just keep an eye out for those things
26:14
and
26:14
we are super excited to see you guys in Dallas again
26:17
um
26:18
in terms of how we can do this podcast
26:21
I just want to say a huge thanks to our sponsors
26:23
we've got Delcath Systems
26:25
Ideaya Biosciences Castle Biosciences
26:28
and Aura Biosciences each of which who
26:31
they contribute a sponsorship number that goes towards
26:36
you know covering the cost of
26:37
of producing the podcast
26:38
so we couldn't do this without our sponsors
26:40
thank you guys
26:41
for just participating
26:42
and making sure that we can continue to empower
26:44
and inform patients and just make sure that they have
26:47
you know the education that they need and that they
26:49
you know that we're keeping you guys up to date
26:51
on some of the kind of cool
26:52
new things that we have out there in the uveal
26:54
melanoma space
26:56
with that I will let you go
26:57
Wendy and we will talk to you guys next time okay
27:00
thank you Danet