In Memoriam: Asal Sayas

Asal Sayas, a force for good in public policy and a champion for patients, who worked for both a president and a senator, died Tuesday, April 21, after a defiant six-year path with young-onset colorectal cancer. She was 42 years old.

Sayas joined the Colorectal Cancer Alliance as a consultant in January 2025, dedicating the final months of her life to challenging the disease that took it. She spoke about her cancer and demanded progress with unflinching directness, knowing that only the truth, plainly stated, could spark the urgency needed to end this disease. At the Alliance, she led efforts to secure increased federal funding for colorectal cancer research that could, one day, save someone in her position.

"Asal was the type of advocate every organization dreams of — equal parts ferocious and brilliant, deeply compassionate and driven by a global sense of justice," said Michael Sapienza, CEO of the Alliance. "Asal's strength was not unusual among colorectal cancer patients, but the unique political expertise she chose to deploy on behalf of the millions who have suffered this disease, in a way only she could, speaks volumes about her character."

Prior to joining the Alliance, Sayas served as a Senior Advisor for Infectious Disease and Cancer at the White House under President Joe Biden. In this role, she contributed to the Cancer Moonshot initiative, helping advance its national goals to reduce cancer mortality and improve patient experience. Before that, she directed government affairs at amfAR, the Foundation for AIDS Research. She also advised Senator Amy Klobuchar's presidential campaign, years after working for both Klobuchar and Rep. Andre Carson on Capitol Hill.

“Asal embodied the spirit of the Cancer Moonshot — to move with the urgency of those living with cancer,” said Dr. Jill Biden, former First Lady of the United States. “Even as she faced her own journey with extraordinary resolve, she never stopped fighting for others, pushing for scientific breakthroughs and a future where fewer families have to endure this kind of loss. Her strength, her voice and her unwavering belief that we could do better changed lives and moved this work forward in lasting ways.”

“Despite the challenges she was facing with her own diagnosis, Asal was deeply committed to make life better for everyone living with cancer, “ said Danielle Carnival, former Deputy Assistant to President Biden for the Cancer Moonshot. “She was an integral part of the Biden Cancer Moonshot mission, always reminding us to think of the people cancer impacts and to make the progress they deserve. Our team was privileged to have her as part of it and I am a better person for having gotten to learn from Asal.”

“Asal had many friends and admirers, including me,” said Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN). “I had the privilege to work with Asal for many years, and she was one of the most committed, passionate, and joyful members of my team. While battling her own cancer, she became one of the most dedicated and vocal advocates for young patients fighting colorectal cancer, and fought tirelessly for more federal research dollars and earlier diagnoses to combat the rise of this disease. Asal touched the lives of those around her with her compassion and perseverance, and she will be greatly missed.” 

Sayas was a policy expert and a tireless advocate for people living with colorectal cancer. She was someone who understood, from personal experience, what it meant to face this disease. She extended that understanding to others, supporting fellow patients through their own cancer journeys with the same directness and compassion she brought to everything she did. We will remember her for the mark she left on the world. But the most fortunate of us will remember her for what's even greater — being a cherished friend, family member, and loved one.

“Asal was already a fierce and brilliant architect of health policy when she developed stage IV colon cancer, and she transformed her own battle with colorectal cancer into a powerful mandate for systemic change and research for the young-onset community. Her self-made spirit and unwavering determination leave behind a legacy that will continue to touch those who knew her,” said Dr. Timothy Cannon, Asal’s oncologist from Inova Schar Cancer Institute. “While I served as her physician, I am humbled to admit that I gained far more from her profound example of courage and intellect than I could ever hope to have given her through medicine.”

In the mission to end colorectal cancer, the most important measure of progress is the mortality rate. It has been slow to fall over decades and has practically stalled in the last five years — a stagnation driven by the rise of young-onset colorectal cancer. These are patients diagnosed before 50, often at advanced stages, sometimes before they were old enough to be screened. They are young adults like Sayas.

“The world needed Asal longer. Her advocacy for young adults facing colorectal cancer was as powerful as it was compassionate, driven by her own experience and unwavering determination to create change,” said Dr. Aparna Parikh, a leading gastrointestinal oncologist who leads the Colorectal Medical Oncology Research Program and the Young Adults Colorectal Cancer Program at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Cancer Center. “She carried herself with remarkable grace, becoming a trusted resource and source of strength for countless others. I will always be grateful that our lives intersected and that I had the privilege of calling her a friend and remain committed to honoring her legacy.”

Sayas embodied today’s story of colorectal cancer. It is the deadliest cancer in patients under age 50. And like so many who have been diagnosed, she thrived despite the statistics and gave everything she had to writing more chapters into her life. Tributes continue to pour in via email and social media. 

“Heartbroken by the loss of Asal Sayas, a champion in the fight against young adult cancer and HIV/AIDS. Asal was a treasured friend, organizer, and powerful advocate. Our hearts are with her family and community as they suffer this tremendous loss. Asal will be deeply missed. Her legacy of changing the world for good and finding cures for cancer and AIDS lives on.” – Senator Ed Markey (D-MA) and Rear Admiral Susan Blumenthal, MD, senior policy and medical advisor at amfAR and former U.S. Assistant Surgeon General

The Alliance is devastated by her death and grateful for her unwavering commitment to a better future. We at the Alliance dedicate our work to Asal Sayas — and to every patient who deserves more time.

To learn more about the Alliance, its Project Cure CRC initiative, and how to get involved to continue Asal’s work accelerating research toward cures, visit colorectalcancer.org/curecrc.

Media Contact:
Emily Blasi
eblasi@ccalliance.org 
(202) 971-9964

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