Cancer Survivors Share Their Stories

While cancer continues to be among the leading causes of death worldwide, an increasing number of patients are surviving the disease as medical advancements in treatment, testing, and screening improve their prognoses. It is estimated that there were 16.9 million cancer survivors in the United States as of January 2019, and that number is projected to increase to 22.2 million by 2030. With June being National Cancer Survivor Month, we celebrate the lives and stories of all cancer survivors within our membership and across the globe. Here, we share a few of their stories. 

Art Heals and Reveals 

In May 2007, Christian Patchell was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma of the lateral tongue after noticing a bump that got in his way while eating. An illustrator and cartoonist, Patchell chronicled his cancer journey as a captain’s log, in which he recorded his experiences with cancer from April 2007 to January 2019. “My captain’s log paints the picture of an artist and educator coping, learning, and growing as a survivor,” Patchel explains. In his entries, Patchell shares how his experiences led him to publish Put the Can in Cancer: A Journey Through Pictures, a visual journey of Patchell’s life-changing battle with cancer.  

Patchell also developed a new continuing education program called “Graphic Medicine,” which he teaches to medical students at Jefferson University. “The idea is to teach observation through the arts,” says Patchell. “It is my hope to give medical students a place to feel creative and to make mistakes.” Through this class, Patchell says he finally discovered how to navigate his new normal. “As an artist, I don’t think I’ll ever really warm up to the word normal, but as a cancer survivor, I really like that word new,” says Patchell. “New is filled with possibility and potential. New is where I am today.” 

Similarly, when Jenna Benn Shersher was diagnosed with gray zone lymphoma, she took to the arts to find her voice and identity as a young adult with cancer. “Midway through treatment, I decided to post a video of myself on YouTube and on my Facebook page in which I danced to Chubby Checker's 'The Twist' and asked others to join me,” explains Shersher. “Within a few days, thousands of people were 'twisting out cancer.'”  

Shersher found her community through these videos and became determined to give back once she completed treatment. In October 2011, Shersher founded Twist Out Cancer, an international nonprofit organization that provides psychosocial support through creative arts programming to anyone touched by cancer. Through the organization’s signature program, Brushes With Cancer, Shersher matches artists with someone touched by cancer to create unique works of art that reflect the individual’s personal journey. “A ripple effect occurs after a Brushes With Cancer program ends,” she says. “The program often serves as a spark to encourage others to share, connect, heal, and create. You just never know who your story may impact.” 

Cycling for a Cure 

Just as many patients with cancer use art therapy to meet their psychosocial needs during and after treatment, those with active lifestyles look for ways to continue their favorite physical activities, which may have been affected by their treatment. For example, when Richard Hite, a cyclist with three young children, was diagnosed with multiple myeloma at age 38 and was told there was no known cure, he did not give up hope.  

“I was extremely sick, confined to my bed, and throwing up day and night,” he says. “When I began my treatment, I was struck by the somber attitude of many of the other patients I met. I saw their lack of hope, and I decided to do something about it.” Prior to his diagnosis, Hite was planning to participate in a 200-mile bike race from Logan, Utah, to Jackson Hole, Wyoming (the LOTOJA race). After Hite chose to not to participate in the 2015 race, his brother-in-law signed him up for it, hoping to give Hite something to look forward to for after treatment.  

Despite the challenges posed by his treatment, Hite cycled part of the 2015 race. He went on to ride more than 112 miles in 2016, and completed the the 200-mile LOTOJA race in 2017. To support other patients with multiple myeloma and encourage them to challenge themselves, Hite founded the Myeloma Crowd Cycling Club, which raises money for myeloma education and research. “My fellow cyclists and I pledged our donations to Myeloma Crowd, which provides patient education, advocacy, and research funding for multiple myeloma," he explains. “Most important, Myeloma Crowd has introduced me to a community of other engaged patients who have taught me the importance of a positive attitude.” 

Advocating for State Reform 

After she was diagnosed and treated for advanced Stage IIIC breast cancer, Nancy M. Capello, PhD, found herself advocating at the state level in Connecticut to improve the care of future patients. Dr. Capello’s breast cancer was diagnosed after previous routine mammograms failed to detect her cancer due to her dense breast tissue. To her surprise, Dr. Capello learned that the medical community knew about the limitations of mammography for women with dense breasts, but she had never heard about it herself until she was diagnosed.  

This experience led her to found Are You Dense, Inc. in 2008, and, in 2011, Are You Dense Advocacy, Inc. to educate the public about the difficulty of screening dense breast tissue and help people avoid missed or delayed diagnoses. “Working tirelessly with advocates in my home state of Connecticut, I began to pursue equal access to an early breast cancer diagnosis for women with dense breast tissue through the state’s legislative process,” Dr. Capello explains. “Faced with strong opposition from the Connecticut Society of Radiologists, it took five years for the first-in-the-nation density reporting law to pass in 2009.” Since then, more than 30 states have enacted density reporting legislation in the U.S. In 2019, federal legislation passed requiring the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to develop breast density reporting language and requiring all mammography reports and/or summaries to include appropriate information about patients’ breast density for them and their healthcare providers. 

The experiences of Christian Patchell, Jenna Benn Shersher, Richard Hite, and Dr. Nancy Capello illustrate the variety of ways in which a cancer diagnosis and treatment can impact one’s life. ACCC celebrates the lives and stories of cancer survivors across the globe, including those told here, as we continue to advocate for improved outcomes and health equity for all people diagnosed with cancer.