Why Patient Voices Matter: A Liver Cancer Advocate at ASCO

At the 2026 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting, patient advocates walked the same halls as oncologists, researchers and industry leaders — and for Jeff Cape, that presence matters deeply.

Cape, a volunteer with the liver cancer nonprofit Blue Faery, came to ASCO with a personal mission: to share what he called "experience, strength and hope." His fiancée was diagnosed with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), a form of liver cancer, and has been in remission for three years. She has also been treated for a separate primary colon cancer and is doing well following surgery.

"Survivorship rates are better than any other time ever with HCC and other forms of cancer," Cape said in a video interview with CURE. But beyond the science, it's the energy he feels walking through the convention center that moves him most.

He reflected on how much has changed since the 1990s, when a cancer diagnosis often felt like a death sentence. His brother, diagnosed with colon cancer in his 30s, ran marathons throughout treatment — something Cape said simply wouldn't have been imaginable a generation ago.

For Cape, patient voices at meetings like ASCO aren't optional — they're essential. "Everything has to be centered around that patient," he said. "They are the sole reason why we are all here."

His message to the care community was simple but powerful: "You're going to be okay." And for patients just entering the journey, he offered one critical piece of advice — that they know it is always acceptable to seek a second opinion after a diagnosis.

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