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Each month, the Cancer Policy Institute profiles advocates who have been engaged in health advocacy. Read on to learn more about Mackenzie and her passion for closing the gap in health disparities. If you are interested in learning more about policy, advocacy, and ways to get involved, sign up to be a part of the Grassroots Network!

Welcome then to the gray zone, a space that can feel equal parts unsettling and empowering. Both are true, and here’s why. The gray zone is where we rid ourselves of rigid black and white thinking and certainty by appreciating small, less defined moments that give shape to our experiences.

I think it’s the cruelty of it all that has me so upset. Cancer is fierce. Cancer doesn’t discriminate. Cancer kills. This is true: there’s nothing quite like a cancer diagnosis to bring us face to face with mortality.

On September 18, 2020, it was announced that Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died after five bouts with cancer (including colon, lung, and most recently metastatic pancreatic cancer).

Each month, the Cancer Policy Institute profiles advocates who have been engaged in health advocacy. Read on to learn more about Rujul and his tip for people interested in becoming an advocate.

One of the major themes dominating health care discussions today is that health care costs in the United States are proving unsustainable. Practices known as utilization management (UM) are one of the ways by which health care costs have been addressed. As part of the Forum on Utilization Management, the Cancer Policy Institute (CPI) is releasing a series of blogs aimed at educating patients about different UM practices and techniques, how they impact access to care, as well as advocacy opportunities to address those barriers to care. Read this third blog in the series to learn more about Step Therapy.

It would be great if we had some kind of roadmap for these unprecedented times, but this is a once-in-a-century event according to some estimates. No, the pandemic playbook is being written in real time, and, much as the world would like to move on, we are nowhere near done grappling with COVID and its life and death consequences.

Merriam-Webster defines hope as follows: 1) to cherish a desire with anticipation: to want something to happen or be true. This feels right to me. For those whose lives have been touched by cancer, hope is longing and acceptance and cautious optimism. Hope is central to resilience because it’s impossible to move past adversity without feeling positive about the future. A resilient mindset requires a hopeful mindset.

Each month, the Cancer Policy Institute profiles advocates who have been engaged in health advocacy. Read on to learn more about Kara Downey, CSC’s new Program Manager, and her passion for addressing health disparities. If you are interested in learning more about policy, advocacy, and ways to get involved, sign up to be a part of the Grassroots Network.

In some ways, anxiety is a crucial part of life. In my mom’s case, listening to the warning signals in her head pushed her to ask for multiple opinions, which eventually led to her cancer diagnosis. Anxiety can inspire us to seek out help and information. However, it is important to recognize when anxiety becomes unproductive or even harmful.