Share Your Story

After I was diagnosed with anal cancer, doctors wanted me to get an colostomy bag, but I refused. Later on, I had to voice my concern about a drug that could improve my chances for survival.

When doctors told me that there was no more they could do for my stage 4 lung cancer, I refused to believe them, and wish other patients did the same.

Prior to my breast cancer diagnosis, my only goal in life was for my son to turn 16 so he could drive me to and from the local bars. Now I can’t help but think that my cancer was meant for me to change my life.

After my dad died of colorectal cancer, I knew I had to continue advocacy work in his honor.

The way I saw it was that I could either die from cancer, or from the side effects from the clinical trial. It was a difficult decision to make, but I am glad I chose it.

A stage 3 colorectal cancer survivor shares her story of being diagnosed right before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Beyond its lessons, cancer has also brought, along with the fear and anxiety, a conviction to empower myself and to create a life that I deserve: One in which joy can triumph over that fear and that anxiety.

After I was diagnosed with cancer, I started to feel like a burden to my loved ones. So, I wrote a letter urging them to continue on with other aspects of their lives.

After my mom died of colon cancer, I became an advocate with the hopes that fewer people would be lost to the disease.

After being diagnosed with colorectal cancer, my ostomy — which I named Toodles — opened up a world of body positivity for me.

After being diagnosed with stage 4 colorectal cancer, I made it a mission to share my story and help others.

My dad was always strong willed, and I think that helped him face aggressive, late-stage cancer.

I let go of knowing I won’t ever be without anxiety of my cancer growing again and let go of the idea of any “old me” returning. I was now focusing on the “new me.”

When I was first diagnosed with a stage 4 neuroendocrine tumor in my small intestine, I went through three stages of coping with my cancer: anger, planning and living life.

Last year, my wife died of triple-negative breast cancer that was caused by a genetic mutation. If her family risk was discussed more openly, she — and many others with an inherited predisposition to cancer — may still be here today.

After being diagnosed with stage 2 colorectal cancer, I discovered that I had two sisters — and a family predisposition to cancer.

A brain cancer survivor explains how she found a way to navigate her cancer journey as a traveler, grateful to be alive.

A teenager from Pennsylvania whose father died from colorectal cancer explains the impact it had on her life and how she has stepped into the field of advocacy to help others.

One woman explains how after experiencing irregular bleeding, she found out she had cervical cancer and her life changed immediately.

A woman living with stage 4 cancer explains her painful experience with dental issues that came as a result of cancer treatment.

An oncology social worker, who is also a cancer survivor, describes life lessons learned through work and personal experiences.

A cancer survivor explains the miracle of finding out the brother she hadn't seen in 30 years was a genetic match to donate stem cells for her treatment.

A woman describes the day she was diagnosed with breast cancer, which flipped her life upside down.

“The Next Food Network Star” runner-up shares his struggles with nutrition after a stomach cancer diagnosis and gastrectomy.

A stage 4 metastatic breast cancer survivor describes her experience with a clinical trials and how they changed the trajectory of her life.

A retired registered nurse with tremendous compassion for patients writes a poem about how keeping hope alive throughout cancer treatment can help people recover.

“Spending over a third of my life as a cancer survivor, I’ve learned a few lessons along the way,” said Lacey, who was diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia 13 years ago.

A breast cancer survivor explains that many people deal with long-term emotional trauma as a result of their cancer experience and argues that more should be done to address it.

A bladder cancer survivor discusses the importance of World Ostomy Day and shares her own ostomy story.

A retired oncology social worker shares some helpful tips for being a supportive caregiver while also maintaining your own well-being. “Caregiving is compassion in action,” he writes.