In close collaboration with the CIUSSS de l’Estrie-CHUS, our Group created in 2021 a Patient-Partner Committee in Breast Cancer Clinical Research to raise awareness of clinical research as a treatment option and optimize the participation rate in studies.
Called les COPINES (COmité de Patientes partenaires en recherche clInique sur le caNcEr du Sein), this committee is a real partnership between patients who have benefited from clinical research and researchers.
The mission of les COPINES : Use their experience of living with breast cancer and their participation in clinical research to facilitate understanding, accessibility and participation in breast cancer clinical research.
To understand why the role of patients with breast cancer is crucial in clinical research, we invite you to watch the video below (available in French only).
It is a warm exchange between Catherine Wilhelmy, a former patient and COPINES collaborator, and her physician-researcher, Dr. Michel Pavic, oncologist and head of department at the CIUSSS de l’Estrie-CHUS, who is also a member of the Group’s scientific committee. You will discover the importance of the involvement of patient-partners who act as a driving force to bring better understanding and adherence to research.
Following the overwhelming whirlwind of my triple-negative breast cancer diagnosis in January 2023, I quickly felt a deep need to get involved. By May 2024, when the fog had finally lifted, I realized the time had come to make myself useful and to find meaning in this experience.
I’ve already had the privilege of speaking on several occasions about the importance of research. That is why I am proud to collaborate, as a patient partner, with the mission of the McPeak-Sirois Group by promoting patient access to and participation in breast cancer clinical research trials.
Every day, I am grateful for the chance to continue living my life, and I fully intend to savor every moment of it!
In 2013, at the age of 42, Léna Desjardins was diagnosed with breast cancer, for which she underwent chemotherapy and radiation therapy. She also took part in the KATHERINE clinical trial, which offered a targeted treatment for women with HER2-positive breast cancer. It proved so effective that it has since become the standard treatment for patients with this type of cancer.
After ten years of follow-up, she was finally discharged from oncology care in March 2024. A lover of words and reading, Léna has been running her own translation microbusiness since 2016. She enjoys skiing, hiking, and all kinds of outdoor activities, which she shares with her husband and their two teenagers.
Originally from Gatineau, Lucie Lacombe was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer known as HER2+ in April 2020. Following her cancer journey, Lucie has chosen to give back by drawing on her professional and personal skills, as well as her lived experience with the disease.
She is actively involved in various initiatives, contributing as a patient navigator and peer supporter, with the goal of supporting and guiding others while offering a safe space to release the fear and anxiety that often surround cancer. Lucie is committed to making a difference and to helping create a more effective and compassionate healthcare system.
My name is Manon Leclerc.
I am a native of Chicoutimi in the Saguenay region. At the age of 61, on August 2, 2021, I was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer. I had just retired as an insurance broker after 42 years in the field.
My world was turned upside down, and my vision of retirement suddenly took on a completely different meaning. Along the way, I chose to participate in a clinical trial and deeply appreciated the support I received from the various oncology professionals.
Today, I am doing very well, and I know that with research and proper support, it is possible to get through this storm with a sense of calm.
Thank you, life!
Hello,
My name is Sylvie Ménard. In August 2023, I was diagnosed with breast cancer—it was a shock. During my chemotherapy treatments, my oncologist spoke to me about clinical research and the possibility of participating. After meeting with a nurse who explained what clinical research involves, including its benefits and limitations, I decided to take part.
You see, I have a daughter… If my participation can help advance research and benefit other women, I am more than willing to be involved without hesitation.
For more information :
Would you like to know more about the initiatives of the COPINES committee?
Visit and join the Les COPINES Facebook Group.
Improving the fight against breast cancer by increasing access to and participation in clinical research studies.
In order to make the text more readable, patients is used in the feminine form since breast cancer mainly affects women.
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