Aafke Steenhuis was the featured quilter in this year’s Tompkins County (NY) Quilters Guild show. That ordinarily wouldn’t be mentioned on the website targeted to advocates in the cancer world. What’s noteworthy is that many of Aafke’s quilts relate to cancer, often depicting cancer cells with remarkable accuracy. It’s noteworthy that advocacy takes so many different forms. Aafke uses her talents and interests to both express herself and to build community awareness.
Here's More Advocacy in Action
Writing and Sharing Your Story: A Conversation with Wenora Johnson
Many advocates want to publish their personal stories, but often aren’t always sure where to begin. My advice is to start with your “why.” Ask yourself: Why do I want to tell this story? Is it to educate others, encourage early screening, influence research, or help another patient feel less alone? Your purpose will help…
A perspective on cancer advocacy from another discipline
“Ending Dementia Stigma could Change its Trajectory: Cancer’s History Shows Why” highlights the impact of cancer advocates from the perspective of the slow progress in the world of dementia research. This article by Saskia Sivananthan recently appeared in The Conversation. “Cancer did not change its stigma entirely because it became curable. It became curable faster…
The patient and public involvement toolkit (Cancer Research UK)
Cancer Research UK (CRUK) has prepared a toolkit to assist researchers in patient and public involvement (PPI), noting that PPI can improve the quality and relevance of the research, and help articulate its benefits for cancer patients and members of the public.
2025: The Year in Cancer Review (from Cancer Today)
This is an excellent summary of many of the top cancer stories of 2025 from the staff at Cancer Today.
Crowdfunding Campaigns for Cancer Survivors mostly Fall Short
A recent article in MedPage Today discussed the effectiveness of crowdfunding campaigns in meeting the out-of-pocket costs of cancer patients. While well-intentioned, the campaigns raised less than 5% of the out of pocket costs. “Our findings have clinical implications,” the authors wrote. “Discussions of expected cancer treatment costs with the oncology care team have long…
