Marcia K. Horn
Marcia K. Horn, JD is the president and CEO of ICAN, International Cancer Advocacy Network, https://askican.org, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization focused on direct patient navigation and customized information services for Stage IV cancer patients. ICAN's ethos is unapologetic, creative, and tenacious patient navigation and advocacy. Our mission is to extend life with the highest attainable quality of life.
At ICAN, Marcia is a research advocate who has directly navigated many thousands of complex cancer patient cases since the founding of the organization in 1996. She is also a molecular profiling advocate, a clinical trials matching advocate, an expanded access program ("compassionate use") advocate, a public policy advocate, and a health equity advocate.
Since March 2017, Marcia has served as the Executive Director of the Exon 20 Group/Exon 20 Warriors (https://exon20group.org), an international multi-stakeholder coalition and advocacy organization created to transform cancers caused by EGFR exon 20 insertion and HER2 exon 20 insertion mutations into manageable and survivable diseases. The Exon 20 Group, founded by the late Kevin M. Hanlon and Robert T. Hanlon, PhD, provides direct patient navigation and oncology nursing services to exon 20 patients and care partners. In 2021, ICAN Board of Trustees chair Sherry Weinstein, Exon 20 Group chair Bob Hanlon, and Marcia launched ICAN's International Research Consortium which has become the epicenter of exon 20 research.
Honoring the legacies of Marcia's patient advocate colleagues, the late Gina Hollenbeck and John Hallick, both of blessed memory, ICAN assumed management of the Biomarker Collaborative (https://biomarkercollaborative.org) which Gina and John had pioneered as co-presidents. ICAN also now manages the MET Crusaders (https://metcrusaders.org) which John Hallick, as its inaugural president, had founded for MET-altered patients. Working to expand upon the mission and vision of Gina and John, the goal for the Biomarker Collaborative and the MET Crusaders is to position each of these organizations as multi-stakeholder, pan-tumor, and global, emphasizing molecular profiling (proteomics, genomics, transcriptomics, immune cell studies) as well as connecting cancer patients to their appropriate biomarker-specific/patient support group.
Marcia has served as one of two research advocates for both the Stand Up 2 Cancer Molecular Early Detection of Colon Cancer Dream Team and the Stand Up 2 Cancer InTIME Dream Team for Lung Cancer Interception. She served for three years as DIA's inaugural chair of its Patient Engagement Community and remains a PCORI (Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute) Ambassador. Marcia has served seven years as a member of the ASCO TAPUR Study Molecular Tumor Board, ten years as a member of the Banner Health Institutional Review Board, and seven years as the research advocate for the SWOG Early Therapeutics/Rare Cancers Committee. Since 2017, Marcia has enjoyed being one of the research advocates for The University of Texas Southwestern/MD Anderson Cancer Center Lung SPORE (Specialized Programs in Research Excellence).
In January 2024, Marcia was selected as the research advocate for the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) Rare Tumors Committee and is a co-lead for a major project of the Small Cell Lung Cancer Committee. Marcia has been proud to serve on the patient advisory board for 23andMe's transformative Lung Cancer Genetics Study which was launched in July 2024.
Since 2013, Marcia has reviewed clinical trial protocols, informed consent forms, and patient collateral materials for pharmaceutical and biotech companies as well as nonprofit foundations. Receiving shoutouts at cancer conferences for her expertise in and success at clinical trials accrual and retention, Marcia is continually asked to refer patients and care partners for speaking engagements and patient-centered advisory boards.
ICAN has consistently been rated as Top Rated Health Care Nonprofit/Top Rated Cancer Nonprofit since the inception of that award at GreatNonprofits.org. Marcia is currently serving her second term on Charity Navigator's Consultative Council for Nonprofit Leaders. She was a member of GuideStar's advisory board for the planning of GuideStar's rollout of its Platinum rating.
Marcia credits the impact of ICAN to its energized board of trustees; ICAN's professional councils; our wonderful staff and numerous volunteers; the Exon 20 Group's Syracuse-based advisory board under Bob Hanlon's and Michael Beacham's leadership; and the many active patients and care partners involved in our satellites and working groups outside the United States.
Marcia graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Stanford University in Political Science and received her JD from Stanford Law School. Before joining ICAN, she practiced commercial litigation and appellate law in Phoenix and held major leadership roles in the arts and civic organizations in Arizona.
Marcia resides in Phoenix and enjoys ballet and opera. Her son, Yoni Horn, is a graduate of ASU's Barrett Honors College and Pepperdine Law School. He practices corporate law in Santa Monica.
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