Blog
Our blog covers a wide range of topics to help support, inspire, and inform members of our community, including those who have been personally impacted by cancer. Use the search filters below to find blog posts on topics that are important to you, from wellness tips, advocacy & policy news, and cancer research findings to stories and insights shared by patients, survivors, and caregivers.

Staying Strong During Times of Stress and Uncertainty
After being a caregiver for her husband during his nearly 7-year battle with brain cancer, there’s one thing that Nancy’s learned, It’s to rely on cautious optimism and find ways to adapt and find joy in the face of uncertainty and social isolation.

Choose the Sun, Not the Surrounding Storm
This is the first in a series of new columns about resilience, an area Nancy Sharp is passionate about and grew to be an expert in precisely because of her experience as a longtime cancer caregiver. She'll share her philosophy on resilience with you.

Advocate Spotlight: Avery Smith
Each month, the Cancer Policy Institute profiles advocates who have been engaged in cancer advocacy. Read on to learn more about Avery and her advice for others who are interested in becoming an advocate. 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!

Advocate Spotlight: Lauren Barnes
Each month, the Cancer Policy Institute profiles advocates who have been engaged in cancer advocacy. Read on to learn more about Lauren and her passion for ensuring that patients are able to afford and easily get the best treatment for their disease. 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!

How to Start Your Own Cancer Support Group
Support groups can be hugely helpful for those impacted by cancer. It creates a space where the good and the bad can be shared within a supportive community. No matter the circumstance, a support group ensures that no one is trying to manage tough cancer experiences alone.

Advocate Spotlight: Siobhan McLaughlin Lesley
Each month, the Cancer Policy Institute profiles advocates who have been engaged in cancer advocacy. Read on to learn more about Siobhan, and her path to become the Executive Director of Gilda's Club Kansas City. 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!

Conversations About Cancer: Debunking the "Right" and "Wrong" Words
How do you begin — how does anyone begin — to communicate in the face of certain and impending death? Do we have to? Did my dad want to? At the time, we all struggled with what to say to him, and everyone else struggled with what to say to us. But now, eight years after his passing, I finally understand that those “right words” that we were all searching for — they simply don’t exist. In fact, there are exactly zero words in the English language (or any language) that cure cancer, solve complex mental health issues, or bring people back from the dead.

Redefining Home
Place matters, especially when home must be redefined because the person with whom you made a home is no longer alive.

Advocate Spotlight: Ben White
Each month, the Cancer Policy Institute profiles advocates who have been engaged in cancer advocacy. Read on to learn more about Ben, and how his cancer diagnosis led him to pursue a career in cancer advocacy. 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!
A Conversation with Patrick Dempsey on Cancer Care
CSC President Linda Bohannon sat down with actor and racecar driver Patrick Dempsey to discuss his work in cancer care, including The Dempsey Center, the importance of patient empowerment and more.