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Desiree Hairwassers
Drs Health Sciences, patient advocate for (hereditary) breast cancer
Patient advocate (volunteer)
Association Hereditary Cancer Netherlands
Désirée Hairwassers, MSc

Désirée Hairwassers is educated as a health scientist and worked for pharmaceutical companies in oncology. In 2007 ath the age of 36 she was diagnosed with breastcancer after a missed diagnosis. Désirée is a patient advocate since then. Her private life is filled with patient experiences. Her sister got breast cancer. Her father died of a glioblastoma multiforma. Her husband was victim of a severe accident. Her daughter got a septic shock. Désirée wrote blogs on a website for medical professionals. She gives lectures on shared decision making, patient safety and complaints, inclusion of patients advocates in research. She hosts Facebook Peer groups on hereditary breast and ovarian cancer and a website on questions about breast cancer (www.borstkankervragen.nl). She educates patients on risk of over- and underdiagnosis, under- and overtreatment and how to deal with fear.