Debbie Pickworth

About Debbie Pickworth

Debbie Pickworth, Founder of BRAF Bombers, an emerging patient advocacy group serving cancer patients with the BRAF biomarker and their caregivers.  Debbie was diagnosed with Stage IV lung cancer at the age of 43. Both her mother and grandmother died of lung cancer. Since there were no targeted therapies for her BRAF biomarker, at the time of her initial diagnosis in 2013, Debbie underwent several rounds of chemotherapy. After she developed mild progression, she started on a clinical trial for BRAF precision medicine combination therapy. She has had radiation and other treatments. Debbie is an active advocate who serves on the board of the Biomarker Collaborative. She collaborates with other organizations with shared goals, such as the American Lung Association’s Lung Force Detroit Walk to raise money and awareness for lung cancer research. She also serves on the ALA’s Patient Advisory Group. She matches mentors with similar experiences to newly diagnosed patients for support through Imerman Angels. Debbie started the Michigan LiveLung patient support group which meets monthly.