Karen van Gorp
Karen has lived experience of stage IV melanoma (2013) and Ocular Melanoma (2021) and treatment related lymphoedema. She considers herself fortunate to have been enrolled in an immunotherapy clinical trial which saved her life, unlike the others in her support group. Karen now advocates for all melanoma and cancer patients. Mother of 3 she works in a Policy and Advocacy role in South Australia. She serves on the Melanoma Patients Australia Board as Deputy Chair, Co-Chairs the MPA CAG and is a member of the Cancer Voices Australia Executive. Working with both the SACCaN Advisory Board and Cancer Australia ICAG, Karen also serves on the Navigation and Consumer Governance Groups of the ACNNP, and the McGrath Find a Nurse Advisory Group. Roles as Associate Investigator on several research studies helps fulfil her dream of doing biochemistry as a hobby, as well as her vision of successful treatments for cancer. In doing so Karen enjoys working (and walking) with researchers of all levels of experience, learning from them and supporting them, from horizon scanning with knowledge of her community to drafting grant applications and lay summaries whilst advocating for CCI involvement in research. Having supported the submission to have her lifesaving treatment subsidised under the PBS, Karen's interest in HTA has grown. This led to her work with Patient Voice Initiative and the consumer role on the group that codesigned the Enhancing Consumer Involvement in Australian HTA recommendations provided to the Health Minister with the HTA Review Recommendations. On the tip of the wave of those who lived after a stage IV melanoma diagnosis, Karen became acutely aware of the lack of support for survivors living with cancer. She continues to work toward equitable access for those people to support that will help them thrive with, and after, cancer.
Abstracts this author is presenting: