Contributors


Jessica López

Latest:

From Patient to Researcher: It’s Not All About the Cure

I’m working to make cancer treatments less painful by developing donor-derived CAR therapies, so others don’t have to suffer the way I did.



Marion Taicsich

Latest:

Ranch Princess: How My Horse Helped Me Through Cancer

Even when I didn’t feel like riding, brushing and grooming her kept my spirits up and provided a social outlet that wasn’t medically oriented.


Naoko Sakamoto

Latest:

Facing Lung Cancer: My Journey from Diagnosis to Surgery

Diagnosed with early-stage lung cancer, I chose robot-assisted surgery, navigating pain, fear and the bond with fellow cancer patients through it all.


Narayan Ray Akkar

Latest:

A Cancer Nurse Heals the Body, Mind and Soul

For a young girl dying of cancer, whose mother had other children at home to take care of, Sobha Akkar, B.S.N., RN, OCN, became a motherly figure.


Jennifer Carlson

Latest:

Experiencing My 'Firsts' at the Cancer Center

My firsts walking into the cancer center was a defining moment for me.


Patti McGee

Latest:

How the Seasons Inspire Hope and Healing Through Cancer

Cancer taught me to embrace life’s seasons, finding hope, joy, and gratitude in each chapter, no matter the struggles I face.


Dr. E. Anders Kolb

Latest:

Bold Goal, Bold Action

As we observe World Cancer Day, I’m reflecting on my own family’s experience with blood cancer.


Dr. Harold Burstein

Latest:

Warmth, Friendship and Compassion in Cancer Care

Carla Chapman, a nurse at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, is recognized for her unwavering support of patients, while Deb Christensen, an oncologist and patient advocate, dedicates her life to helping patients through volunteer work and education.


Cindy D. Jennings

Latest:

How One Cancer ‘Thriver’ Finds Peace and Strength From the Ocean

A “thriver” of triple-negative breast cancer shares a poem to mark the 10th anniversary of her survivorship.


Viney Kirpal

Latest:

Image Visualization Helped Complement My Cancer Treatment

A cancer survivor, who is in her 14th year of remission, recalls how image visualization complemented her cancer treatment and suggests the practice may help others.


Claressa Rosacina, M.S.N., AGNP-BCP

Latest:

A Journey Toward Hope for an Oncology Nurse

Afton Dickerson, M.S.N., ACAGNP-BCP, CBCN, came across many nurses and nurse practitioners who changed her life for the better. Once in remission of her own cancer, she immediately enrolled in school to become an oncology nurse.


Eileen Weinmann

Latest:

When A Child is in Treatment for Cancer, Their Caregivers Become A Vital Resource

A pediatric oncology nurse offers advice for parents or primary caregivers on how to support their child during cancer treatment.


Thomas Allan Klint, Jr.

Latest:

Taking a Drink From the Fire Hose

Several colleagues, patients and caregivers nominated Jill May, B.S.N., RN, OCN, for the 2024 Extraordinary Healer Award for her dedicating to caring for those with gastrointestinal cancers.


Dr. Vincent Ma
Dr. Vincent Ma

Latest:

Is There a New Standard Way to Treat Advanced-Stage Melanoma?

Ongoing research within the advanced-stage melanoma therapeutic space is beginning to suggest that shorter treatment periods may be sufficient for some.


Carol Small

Latest:

Why I Regret Choosing Implants After Breast Cancer

If I’d gone flat after my mastectomy, I might be healthy now, but my breast implants led to more cancer, heart failure and years of pain.


Dr. Martin J. Edelman

Latest:

American Success Story and Lung Cancer Hero

"Dr. Hossein came to the United States by himself in his teens as a political refugee from the turmoil in Iran," writes a colleague who nominated him for the Lung Cancer Heroes® Award. "Completely on his own and through his hard work, scholarship, initiative and refusal to let things get him down, he went to college and then to medical school."


Dr. Claire Verschraegen

Latest:

Soul Survivor: How One Breast Medical Oncologist’s Personal Experience With Surviving Cancer Influenced Her Patient Care

A colleague writes about a medical oncologist who has a rare metastatic breast cancer diagnosis but still manages to go above and beyond for her patients while dealing with her own cancer treatments, and how her empathy guides her.


Saad Usmani, MD

Latest:

Navigating RRMM: Helpful Resources and Advice for Patients Facing Disease Progression

Panelists discuss how multiple myeloma support resources range from formal organizations like the International Myeloma Foundation and Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation to online patient communities, hospital-based support groups, and specialized social media networks, with advice for newly relapsed patients emphasizing the importance of allowing emotional processing before taking action, seeking second opinions from myeloma specialists, asking detailed questions about all available options including clinical trials, connecting with patients who’ve undergone similar treatments, maintaining hope amid setbacks, and recognizing that relapses, while challenging, often open doors to novel therapeutic approaches that can effectively control the disease for extended periods.


Jeremie Calais, MD, PhD

Latest:

Support and Advice for Patients with mCRPC and Their Caregivers

Joseph Wood and his caregiver, Deborah Wood, provide advice for patients and caregivers with prostate cancer who may be in similar situations, and comment on the support they have received from their family and community.


Ira D. Wasserman

Latest:

My 6 Rules for Navigating Cancer and Medical Misdiagnoses

I was misdiagnosed twice before receiving my kidney cancer diagnosis, and along the way, I learned the importance of expert doctors and clinical trials.


Michelle Hills, retired LCSW

Latest:

Launching a Project to Change the Public Perception of Lung Cancer

By creating a community of survivors, researchers, physicians and clinicians, The White Ribbon Project — under Heidi Nafman-Onda’s direction — has influenced real change.



Dr. Wenxin (Vincent) Xu

Latest:

Understanding NK Cells in Kidney Cancer Treatment

Natural killer cells, also referred to as NK cells, play several major roles in the body's defense against cancers like renal cell carcinoma.


Samantha Bianzon

Latest:

Explaining What is Biology-Guided Radiation Therapy in Cancer Care

Samantha Bianzon explained what biology-guided radiation therapy for cancer is, as well as highlighted how it may differ from the more traditional types of radiation.


Dr. Eric K. Singhi

Latest:

Bringing Light to More Personalized Medicine in Lung Cancer After ASCO 2025

Expert oncologists Dr. Joshua K. Sabari and Dr. Eric K. Singhi break down key updates and takeaways in lung cancer treatment following ASCO 2025.


Marshall Carter-Tripp

Latest:

Lessons From Cancer: Help Yourself by Helping Others

Helping others through their cancer experience helped with my own feelings of survivor's guilt.


Cancer Research & Treatment Fund

Latest:

Expanding CR&T's Impact

Since 1968, CR&T is proud to have maintained our mission to fund research emphasizing the cause, prevention, treatment and cure of MPN.


Julie Fisher, MD

Latest:

HER2-positive Breast Cancer and COVID-19

Patient Jocelyn Mueller and oncologist Julia Fisher, M.D., describe some of the adjustments that had to be made to Jocelyn’s treatment for HER2-positive breast cancer due to the COVID-19 pandemic.