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

The National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship (NCCS) hosted a Cancer Policy and Advocacy Team (CPAT) webinar discussing quality of life for head and neck cancer survivors. The treatment of head and neck cancer (HNC) often involves surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. This treatment is critical for controlling or curing head and neck cancer. Though necessary, these treatments, particularly radiation therapy, can cause fibrosis (hardening) of the tissues, neck and face. This is known as radiation fibrosis. Radiation fibrosis can be painful and result in loss of neck movement, inability to open ..read more

Yvonne and her husband Calvin Advocate Spotlight: Yvonne McLean Florence Before her cancer diagnosis, Yvonne McLean Florence had a full life. She worked as an Administrative Assistant at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, spent lots of time nurturing her family, enjoying her roles as wife, mother, grandmother, and ordained minister, while finding time to enjoy gardening and crafting. Her life, full of simple joys, took an unexpected turn when suddenly she was facing a breast cancer diagnosis. Yvonne’s cancer journey started when a self-breast check led to the discovery of a lum ..read more

The National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship (NCCS) presents a webinar about oral care — an aspect of cancer treatment that is often overlooked. Oral side effects and untreated dental diseases can cause added pain, financial hardships, psychological distress, and a diminished quality of life for those being treated for cancer. Oral effects can also lead to complications or delays of therapies, which can compromise treatment outcomes. Oral changes may have a continued negative impact post-treatment. In this webinar, Jill Meyer-Lippert, RDH discusses the current evidence of oral-systemic link ..read more

Advocate Spotlight: Katherine Li, Ryan Hannon, and Noah Davis Katherine Li, Ryan Hannon, and Noah Davis aren’t your average medical students. While they come to the profession like so many others, with a genuine desire to provide quality medical care to their future patients; these young professionals already know they will pursue oncology as their specialty. United by their participation in the prestigious CUPID program (Cancer in the Under-Privileged, Indigent or Disadvantaged), an annual summer program hosted at Johns Hopkins University in partnership with Indiana and Ohio State Universiti ..read more

As cancer survivors strive to maintain healthy lifestyles, many are faced with financial hardships and sacrifices due to the high cost of cancer care. According to the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship’s State of Survivorship Survey: 2022, nearly half of respondents in the survey reported experiencing financial hardships and having to make employment and/or educational sacrifices because of their cancer care. Yet, cancer survivors continue to recognize their physical needs. According to the survey, the top physical concerns of survivors post-treatment are maintaining a healthy weight ..read more

The National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship (NCCS) presents “Reconnecting to Life After Cancer: Permission to Feel,” a webinar featuring Kathy Washburn, a certified holistic cancer coach and cancer survivor. In this webinar you will learn about the evolutionary function of both positive and negative emotions, understand that emotions offer data, and begin to practice awareness to empower you to respond — instead of react — to life. As humans, we experience a constant inner stream of thoughts and feelings that serve a purpose — gauge safety and danger and set off reactions to both. Positive ..read more