Samantha and Samuel Siegel started medical school together at Jefferson Medical College in 2008, the only married couple in their cohort. While Samuel had been managing chronic health conditions since his early 20s, including inflammatory bowel disease and autoimmune liver disease, their third year of medical school brought new challenges. Working opposite shifts, their busy schedules meant they rarely saw each other. One night, Samantha noticed Samuel’s swollen testicle. He had been brushing off the pain, attributing it to a sports injury. Samuel recalls, “So I was doing the typical thing, br ..read more

Advocate Spotlight: Sandra Calloway Fields Sandra Calloway Fields was first diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2012. Just a month after surgery to remove the cancer, Sandra found a lump in her breast during a self-breast exam in the shower. Her suspicions were soon confirmed: Stage 4 metastatic breast cancer. “Of course, I was shocked, but I was determined to not let this defeat me,” she said. “I have too much to live for, so I knew I wasn’t going to go out like that.” Still, the news was a heavy blow, and she vividly recalls driving to her parents’ house afterward, unable to hold back her tears ..read more

 Ethan (R) with his twin brother Derek (L). Advocate Spotlight: Ethan Schilling A childhood cancer survivor himself, Ethan Schilling’s work as a psychologist is motivated by his commitment to meeting the psychological needs of children, adolescents, and families whose lives have been impacted by cancer and other chronic health conditions. Ethan’s personal experience with cancer started when his twin brother Derek was diagnosed at age 7 with Pineal Germinoma brain cancer. Five years later, at age 12, Ethan faced a similar diagnosis. “I experienced headaches and balance issues, just like my ..read more

The National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship (NCCS) Presents the Survivorship Champions webinar “Making Integrative Oncology Regular & Routine: A Practical Guide to Meeting the Demands of Patients and the Needs of Health Systems.” Conventional cancer treatments usually focus on treating the cancer directly. Integrative oncology treats the whole person, incorporating conventional treatments in addition to therapies that support a person’s natural healing ability. Whole person cancer care involves learning what matters most to patients and engaging them in health and wellness behaviors th ..read more

April is National Minority Health Month, a time to raise awareness about the importance of improving the health of racial and ethnic minority communities and reducing health disparities. The National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship (NCCS) presents a fireside chat between NCCS Vice-Chair Lisa D. T. Rice and Lamont Mitchell, prostate cancer survivor and founder of Know Your Numbers DC, a Washington, DC-based organization dedicated to encouraging Black men to take charge of their health by getting tested for key health indicators, like PSA levels, blood sugar, and blood pressure. “Knowing your ..read more

NCCS submitted comments to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on the second part of its draft guidance for the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan (MPPP). The MPPP was created by the Inflation Reduction Act and allows Medicare beneficiaries to spread the cost of prescription drugs in Medicare Part D over the year, rather than paying all costs up front early in the year. The program goes into effect in 2025 and has the potential to help Medicare beneficiaries with high out-of-pocket costs for prescription drugs. NCCS commends CMS for its work in developing outreach, education ..read more

The National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship (NCCS) Presents “Compassion in Oncology: A Powerful Antidote to a Patient’s Negative Emotions,” a webinar featuring Dr. Michael Crain and Claudio Pannunzio from The Patient is U. Their presentation explores the concept of “Empathy + Action = Compassion” and shares the benefits of compassionate care. Compassionate care engenders three key meaningful results: Improving patient outcomes and satisfaction. Decreasing health care costs. Reducing workplace burnout. Cancer patients who educate themselves about their condition, medical intervention optio ..read more

Advocate Spotlight: Arti Varanasi, PhD Arti Varanasi, PhD, MPH, CPH is the Founder, President and CEO of Advancing Synergy, a social enterprise focused on advancing health equity and health justice through innovations that engage individuals and impact communities. Driven by curiosity and purpose, she is most passionate about building community and capacity and ensuring individuals, organizations, and communities have access to existing information, care, and resources to support their growth and well-being. Through Advancing Synergy, she has focused on supporting low-income women going throu ..read more

The National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship (NCCS) mourns the loss of Dr. C. Norman “Norm” Coleman, an esteemed researcher, clinician, advocate for global health equity, and friend to NCCS. Dr. Coleman was a 2018 recipient of the Ellen L. Stovall Award for Innovation in Patient-Centered Cancer Care. We are grateful for Dr. Coleman’s advocacy and legacy of scientific contributions. We share the following tribute from Nina Wendling, Executive Director of the International Cancer Expert Core (ICEC), which Dr. Coleman founded in 2013: It is with great sadness that we inform the global community ..read more

The National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship (NCCS) joined fellow member organizations of the Cancer Leadership Council in submitting comments on the “Draft Interagency Guidance Framework for Considering the Exercise of March-In Rights” issued by the US Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The draft framework provides that prices can be a relevant consideration for the exercise of march-in rights for products developed pursuant to the Bayh-Dole Act. In the letter, the groups advise NIST to abandon the effort to develop a guidance document related to ..read more