This website reflects my survivor perspective. I was diagnosed and treated for head and neck cancer (squamous cell carcinoma) in 1997. Research supports my experience that my strong recovery and continuing good health may be a consequence of my active lifestyle before, during, and after my acute treatment.
You can learn more about my survivorship perspective from my 3-minute video on the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship: https://canceradvocacy.org/resources/survivorship-checklist/cancer-rehabilitation/
Exercise: We know that exercise provides significant benefits to survivors, no matter when you begin. The Exercise tab supports your efforts to become more active.
You can learn more about the many benefits of exercise during acute treatment and beyond from this article at WebMD.com: https://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/news/20211210/exercise-treatment-for-cancer
Cancer Rehabilitation: Exercise benefits you if you can exercise safely and without pain, but most of us survivors are not ready for exercise during or post-treatment. The Cancer Rehabilitation tab describes how to prepare your mind and body for physical activity.
Survivorship Care Plans: A momentus Survivorship Movement victory was the 2012 requirement for by the American College of Surgeons, Commission on Cancer that in order to receive accreditation, a treatment center had to provide a Survivorship Care Plan to every survivor. But after years of foot-dragging and protest by providers, the requirement was lifted in 2019.
The Survivorship Care Plan tab includes a link to OncoLife, the survivor care-plan builder at OncoLink.org, a premier website for survivor education. The OncoLife questionnaire takes less than 10 minutes to complete. So far, more than 100,000 survivors and caregivers have used OncoLife to generate care plans that are comprehensive, easy to understand, and effective when followed.
Contact Nancy at Nancy.Howe@ASU.edu.
Strong Cancer Recovery is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, charitable organization founded by Nancy Litterman Howe. Nancy is working on her PhD dissertation at Arizona State University’s Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation. Howe’s current affiliations:
American Cancer Society Arizona Area, Board Member
Cancer Support Community, Arizona, Professional Advisory Board Member.
Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs, US Department of Defense, Consumer Peer Reviewer, 2021-2023.
Conquer Magazine, Editorial Board Member, Academy of Oncology Nurse & Patient Navigators’ patient magazine.
National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship, Elevate Ambassador, 2020.
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