CASE STUDY

Introducing a New Way to Talk About Cancer

WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?

It’s important that patients understand the different approaches to treating cancers. We learned that using analogies could be a powerful tool in communicating the differences between approaches.

Our Challenge

We partnered with patients to understand the challenges of cancer treatment.

Patients told us they weren't sure how treatment was working in their body, how to tell the difference between therapies, and needed more information on the medicine to talk with their doctor.

We took that feedback and established our goal, to help patients understand the different approaches to treating cancer. We realized the science behind these therapies is complex, so we applied UPL to our materials to meet the needs of patients.

Collaborating to apply upl

Feedback is important! We held a Co-creation session with those involved in educating patients at clinics.

We learned using analogies and metaphors can explain complex concepts to patients in a way that resonates with them. We collaborated with nurses and pharmacists at the clinic to sketch out possible ways to explain the different approaches to treating cancer using analogies. After, we shared these Prototype explanations with patients, who gave us additional feedback to help us refine further.

Throughout this process, we leveraged the core best practices of UPL—ensuring we answered the questions asked, used plain language, and were mindful of our visuals.

Our Output

We created what is known as The Garden Analogy.

A garden analogy for explaining different approaches to treating cancer was incorporated into a patient guide and video. Patients told us the result was friendly and calming, and explained the concepts without talking down to them.

Enable Patient Learning

We used an analogy to compare your body to a garden, with both healthy cells as plants and cancer cells as weeds. This allows patients to think about real-world examples and how it compares to their body.

Communicate Visually

The analogy continues by showing different ways you might get rid of weeds in your garden, relating different ones to different types of cancer treatment.

Enable Patient Learning

It was important to communicate that all treatments have a similar goal, and all treatments can also affect healthy cells.

Communicate Visually

We also used a "bug bite" analogy to explain how a patient’s tumor might look on scans after treatment with immunotherapy. This helps explain that inflammation (swelling like a bug bite) doesn't always mean the tumor is growing or that the medicine isn't working.

OTHER RESOURCES

The Patient’s Guide to Immuno-Oncology is an educational resource for patients taking or considering immunotherapies. It was designed to help patients understand the basic concepts of immunotherapies but is not intended to describe how any particular drug works.

Download the full Patient’s Guide to Immuno-Oncology