PORTRAIT
Yann
Embodies the Rosalind Study among outliers
diagnosis
country
France
age at diagnosis
35
diagnosed in
August 2017
center
Foch Hospital
THEMES
A young father of a sweet 4-year old girl, Yann never imagined being diagnosed with stage IV Pancreatic Cancer at just 35. Five years of treatments and countless hospital visits created a lot of uncertainty.
During that time, Yann experienced the side effects of Cancer: he was unable to work for 7 years and had to reconsider all of his long-term plans. Yann felt more and more detached from the normal life of people around him. He decided to move to the countryside, where he could focus on healing in a peaceful surrounding while avoiding daily stress.
Against all odds: Joining the Rosalind Study
Against the odds, Yann reached a stage of “no evidence of disease” in 2022.
In 2024, Yann’s oncologist introduced him to Cure51’s Rosalind Study, a research initiative aimed at understanding why some patients, like him, achieve exceptional survival. Hoping that his own biology could help other patients experience similar progress, Yann immediately accepted to participate. Yann felt inspired by Cure51’s ambitious mission, and decided to turn his journey into a source of hope for others as a Cancer survivor advocate.
I’m honored to represent patients’ voices and help connect patients with researchers.
Yann
The Rosalind Study was the first positive project I’d heard about pancreatic cancer in years. I was genuinely excited to contribute.
Yann
Advocating through Cure51
Excited about the opportunity to bring his voice to a wider audience, Yann joined the Cure51 team in Paris, where he is now the manager of the patients’ committee and actively involved in discussions on patient-centered topics. He actively works on developing a patient community, meeting survivors, partnering with charities all over the world and seeking for cooperation with oncologists.
For Yann, sharing hope has become a life mission. Whether speaking in the media, taking part in webinars or participating in survivor discussions, he seeks to connect, inform and inspire.
Sharing hope and inspiring others
Being a survivor gave him the feeling his story could helpful for other people facing grim prognosis. Rather than turning the page on this chapter of his life, he chose advocating. With this positive mindset, Yann also chose to have another baby girl, confident in his future.
