DISRUPTING THE SYSTEM VIII SHARES POWERFUL NEW CONVERSATIONS ON PATIENT ADVOCACY

Launched in 2018, Disrupting the System is Lazarex Cancer Foundation’s annual summit designed to challenge the status quo in cancer care and expose the systemic inequities that persist in access, treatment, and outcomes.

Lazarex honors CNN’s Sara Sidner and VCU’s Dr. Robert A. Winn with 2025 Disruptor Awards as part of an event series on cancer equity and access.

These are not just conversations about equity; they are calls to action.”

— Marya L. Shegog, Lazarex’s Director of Health Equity and Programs

DANVILLE, CA, UNITED STATES, September 8, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Lazarex Cancer Foundation proudly announces the launch of Disrupting the System VIII, the Foundation’s annual summit focused on dismantling barriers in cancer care and elevating equity across the clinical trial landscape.

This year’s event includes the release of two powerful pre-recorded conversations on YouTube spotlighting leaders and disruptors whose personal and professional work is transforming how we talk about and deliver cancer care in America.

“These are not just conversations about equity,” says Marya L. Shegog, PhD, MPH, CHES, Lazarex’s Director of Health Equity and Programs. “They are calls to action.”

Honoring the 2025 Lazarex Disruptor Awardees
This year, Lazarex proudly recognizes two individuals who have sparked critical national conversations and inspired systemic change:

Sara Sidner, CNN anchor and journalist, for publicly sharing her own breast cancer journey and using her platform to advocate for greater awareness and equitable access to care. She admits in the conversation that she initially planned to keep her cancer journey private but when she found out she would need chemotherapy and radiation, she realized it wasn’t going to be possible to hide her diagnosis.

Dr. Robert A. Winn, Director of VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center, for his transformative leadership in community-engaged cancer research and expanding access to clinical trials for underserved populations.

About Disrupting the System
Launched in 2018, Disrupting the System is Lazarex Cancer Foundation’s annual summit designed to challenge the status quo in cancer care and expose the systemic inequities that persist in access, treatment, and outcomes. Originally hosted in-person, the summit moved online to ensure that every available dollar could be redirected to programs providing cancer resources to patients and community members in need.

“This series was born from the urgent need to name what’s broken and to elevate the voices of those working to fix it and we’re so grateful for the Disruptors - this year and the past 7 years - who are committed to doing that,” adds Erin Miller, Lazarex’s Director of Operations and Development.

Previous Lazarex Disruptor Award winners have included:
- Dr. Douglas R. Lowy, Principal Deputy Director, National Cancer Institute.
- Congressman Jamie Raskin
- Congressman Bobby Rush
- Dr. John Whyte, Chief Medical Officer, WebMD
- Craig Melvin, Anchor, The TODAY Show
- Nicholas St. Fleur, STAT journalist and host of the Color Code podcast.
- Andrew Kaczynski, Senior Editor & Founding Member, KFile, CNN.
- Dr. Loretta Jemmott, Drexel University - Dornsife School of Public Health
- Dr. Fabian Sandoval, Founder, Emerson Clinical Research Institute

Watch & Share
Disrupting the System VIII will be available starting September 8, 2025 on the Lazarex Cancer Foundation YouTube channel. Follow updates on Instagram @LazarexCF and join the conversation using #LazarexDTS.

About Lazarex Cancer Foundation: Lazarex is the only nonprofit in the U.S that has assisted advanced-stage cancer patients with clinical trial navigation and reimbursed travel expenses related to participation for over 13,000 patients nationwide over the last 19 years. Its mission is to create cancer health equity by increasing access to quality care and clinical trials to improve cancer health outcomes for all communities. Learn more at www.lazarex.org.

Laura Manatos
Laura Evans Media
laura@lauraevansmedia.com
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