The recent news of Elizabeth Edwards' and Tony Snow’s cancer recurrences was heart-wrenching and touched many people. Jonathan Alter’s Newsweek Magazine cover story, "My Life With Cancer" (April 9, 2007), is also very poignant and inspiring. All three individuals eloquently illustrate and describe many of the issues and challenges encountered on the cancer journey—concerns which are familiar to anyone dealing with cancer. In many ways, their stories are a big "wake-up call" for our country.
 
These high-profile cases graphically illustrate the vulnerability we all face in an era in which one in three Americans will be diagnosed with cancer at some point in their lives. The recent barrage of media attention about cancer is fueling a much wider awareness about cancer and everything that goes along with it. As a medical oncologist who has guided thousands of people and their loved ones through the tumultuous journey through cancer, I think this "wake-up call" is very good news. It is good that we are talking about these profound issues of life, death, and cancer care. These discussions can point us to a deeper meaning and purpose in life and hopefully—greater research, education, communication, and support—will improve the quality of care for all patients and families.
 
This is a core part of Caring4Cancer’s mission and a central tenet of The Seven Levels of Healing. If you haven’t read Alter’s article, you can find it here.  Edwards, Snow, and Alter are courageously serving us all in their willingness to speak publicly about the challenges they are facing. They also reflect the same quiet courage of millions of equally heroic, but less well-known, patients and families throughout this country and elsewhere—and the physicians, nurses, and other health care professionals who care for them. We at Caring4Cancer salute everyone on the cancer journey, and hope to be of service and support at every step along the way.

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Posted Mar 14 2007, 10:20 AM by DrJeremyGeffen