There is a lot of travel language surrounding cancer. We “navigate” our cancer “journeys.” We “see the light at the end of the tunnel” as treatment draws to a close.

But sometimes, travel is a barrier and distance is the blocade between diagnosis and healing. For patients whose life-saving treatments are available far from home, getting to and from the doctor’s office or cancer center can present a major roadblock. According to the American Hospital Association “[Every year,] 3.6 million people in the U.S. do not obtain medical care due to transportation barriers.”In fact, transportation is said to be the third leading cause of missing a medical appointment.

Fortunately, nonprofits across the country are dedicated to bringing patients and their care teams together, bridging the distance to hope with free transportation thanks to donated plane tickets and a vast network of volunteer pilots.

Lifeline Pilots, established the same year as Cancer Hope Network, “has provided no-cost air transportation for financially distressed passengers with medical and humanitarian needs.Over four decades, volunteer pilots have flown five million nautical miles and more than 8,000 missions with a 100% safety record.”

In this eHOPE post, CHN Marketing Manager Dominick Notare highlights several of the incredible groups ensuring there are no detours on the way to hope. Click 

 to read more about the free services available to patients who need to go the distance.

Planes, Trains & Medical Bills: Getting To & From Cancer Treatment

Dominick Notare

On behalf of our cellular therapy program at the University of Chicago Medicine, it is my absolute pleasure to nominate Keriann (Keri) Kordas, APN, for this prestigious award.

I've had the luck of knowing Keriann since her early days as a floor nurse on our leukemia/stem cell unit at University of Chicago, where she was an immediate "stand-out" for her outstanding care of our patients. Her intelligence, meticulous care, wonderful communication skills and compassion were present even in the early days of her career. We are so lucky that as she continued her education to become a certified advanced practice nurse, she chose to stay on with our program.

Keri is now the leader for our entire outpatient advance practice provider team at UChicago, where her administrative skills, thoughtful and fair management style, and warmth have helped to build a strong and invaluable workforce for our section of hematology-oncology.

Importantly, I also have the distinct pleasure (and luck) or working with Keri in the care of my patients with acute leukemias, myelodysplastic syndromes and myeloproliferative neoplasms who have received allogeneic transplants or cellular therapies (e.g., CAR-T cells) with the goal of eradicating these difficult diseases. As is obvious, incredible attention to detail must be given to facilitate return to health following stem cell transplant. Keri's extraordinary grasp of the discipline makes the challenging care seem almost effortless (although it takes HUGE effort and knowledge).

Importantly, however, Keri is also a true partner in the management and care of the whole patient. Her ability to troubleshoot, plan, explain, cajole and facilitate the care of our patients is extraordinary. Not only is the care expert, but it is also comprehensive and fosters the feeling of a real community for the patients, their families and our team. Given the intensity of the immediate post-transplant period where patients are seen three times weekly for the first months after transplant where "bumps in the road" are inevitable, it is crucial to have the continuity and clarity that Keri's care provides.

She knows the trajectory of each patient's course and is such a wonderful partner for the physicians like me who are lucky enough to work with her in collaboration. We know that she leaves no stone left unturned when it comes to each and every patient visit and that is most reassuring for patient, family and medical team alike.

In summary, Ms. Keriann Kordas is an extraordinary caregiver, and we are so very fortunate for her commitment and love of our patients and the nursing profession. I recommend her for this award with the very greatest enthusiasm!

For more news on cancer updates, research and education, don’t forget to 

Keri is also a true partner in the management and care of the whole patient. 

A True Partner in Cancer Healing

Wendy Stock, MD

Triage Health offers free, expert-led education on the legal and practical issues that impact individuals coping with chronic or serious medical conditions. Through our Triage Health Conference, we provide guidance on key topics including health and disability insurance, finances, employment rights, advocacy, and more. This event is part of the broader work of Triage Cancer.

Our next Triage Health Conference will take place online on May 17. 

Individuals diagnosed with chronic or serious medical conditions (e.g., cancer)

Advocates and anyone interested in health care rights and resourcesContinuing education (CE) credits or professional development credits are available for nurses, social workers, patient advocates, and human resource professionals.Why Attend?
Learn how to reduce the financial and emotional burden of a medical diagnosis. We’ll giveyou the tools to make confident decisions about insurance, work, and other real-life challenges. Topics include:

Understanding your health insurance options

Appealing denials and picking the right plan

Managing medical bills and finding financial assistance

Becoming an empowered patient and advocateRegister TodayDon’t miss this opportunity to gain valuable, actionable information—and have some fun, too! Join us for a day of education, connection, games, and prizes. triagecancer.org/conferences/may-2025

Triage Health offers a free, expert-led conference addressing legal and practical issues for those with chronic or serious medical conditions. The event, scheduled for May 17, provides guidance on health insurance, finances, employment rights, and advocacy. It targets individuals with medical conditions, caregivers, healthcare professionals, and advocates. Attendees can earn continuing education credits. The conference aims to reduce the financial and emotional burden of medical diagnoses by equipping participants with tools for confident decision-making in insurance, work, and legal matters, while also offering opportunities for connection and engagement.

Triage Health offers free, expert-led education on the legal and practical issues that impact individuals coping with chronic or serious medical conditions.

Triage Health Conference: Free Education to Navigate Health Care

Triage Cancer®

Proton therapy may reduce urinary, bowel and sexual side effects in prostate cancer by minimizing radiation exposure to healthy tissue, per Dr. Curtiland Deville Jr.

What are the Long-Term Side Effects of Proton Therapy in Prostate Cancer?

Newer radiation technologies, such as proton therapy, are helping to minimize long-term side effects for patients with prostate cancer and beyond, according to Dr. Curtiland Deville Jr.

Emerging evidence in other cancers show benefits from proton therapy, including reduced hospitalizations in esophageal cancer and fewer feeding tube requirements in head and neck cancer. While research is ongoing in prostate cancer, the most common side effects patients face include urinary, bowel and erectile function issues — areas where reduced radiation exposure could help, Deville said in an interview with CURE.

Deville is an associate professor of radiation oncology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, medical director of the Johns Hopkins Proton Therapy Center and clinical director of radiation oncology at Sibley Memorial Hospital in Washington, D.C. In addition, he is co-director of the Kimmel Cancer Center Prostate Multidisciplinary Clinic at Sibley Memorial Hospital.

Question: Many patients worry about the long-term side effects of radiation therapy. What are some of the advancements in technology and techniques, such as those you research, that are helping to reduce these risks and improve quality of life after treatment?

 That's the ultimate goal with prostate cancer management, really all of our radiation delivery. We call it the therapeutic ratio. But the goal is either to kill more cancer or to reduce the side effects, and ideally, you can do both. Many of our treatments from a radiation standpoint, and particularly where protons come in, we can do very well at getting dose in whether we use protons or photons. And so, the question with protons, because there's less collateral exposure to tissues, it's really a question of, can we improve the side effect profile? Can we reduce those side effects of treatment? And that's where we have been doing well.

There are many tumor types where we're seeing more evidence that patients who receive proton therapy have experienced less side effects. Esophageal cancer is a good example of that where some early studies show less rates of hospitalization or head and neck cancer needing less feeding tubes, and those sorts of things. So, as our technology is advancing as our targeting is improving as our sparing of normal healthy tissues is getting better, that is translating to seeing less side effects.

For prostate cancer we're still learning and studying — trying to determine what are those exact benefits. For prostate cancer, the main side effects are urinary issues or bowel issues or erectile function issues, and so really trying to preserve and reduce the dose to those areas may translate to benefits in those areas. And then one of the main benefits, potentially with proton therapy — although it's a rare side effect — is the creation of a new cancer from radiation treatment is a risk. Because protons are exposing those surrounding tissues to less radiation, we can potentially lower the risk of generating a new cancer in the future.

Transcript has been edited for clarity and conciseness.

Dr. Curtiland Deville Jr.

I was not familiar with how many types of cancer there were until becoming diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia in January 2019. 

I felt like something was off with my body that I did not understand so I booked an appointment with my nurse practitioner. They called after the labs came back to let me know what the diagnosis was and I made an appointment to see an oncologist. 

I went to two doctors before finding a specialist who understood my case. Of course, not everything has to do with the cancer, but I feel like sometimes I am not heard when sent to other doctors and must explain my story.

I was on a-wait-and-watch approach for about a year and half and nowam on treatment. I have good and bad days but knowthat I am fortunate that there is treatment available, and I can function.

The treatment also causes other side effects I must manage, such as fatigue, the rollercoaster of emotions, feeling like you will never be the same as you were before diagnosis, wondering if family and friends will understand and be able to help and so many more.

I now understand that all cancers are alike in the fact that you must be your own voice as you go through the many appointments and treatments. Please never stop being your own advocate. Do your research, talk with others who have the same diagnosis and read articles about different cases. Get a second opinion.

Each person who goes through a cancer diagnosis has a different path to take but we can learn from each other. No story or treatment is the same for any of us, but we all have a story.

I want other patients to know that they are not alone,they have joined a club no one wants to join but are now a part of. I have found that if you ask a cancer survivor or caregiver a question, they are more than willing to share their experience with you. I feel comfort in asking questions to help validate how I am thinking or feeling and know that I am not alone.

I use my cancer journey to help others. I speak at events, volunteer, drive for the American Cancer Road to Recovery and help host a Nutrition for Wellness for Cancer Support Community in my area. Sharing my experience and thoughts is hard but I know that I have helped someone in their journey tomake it better or easier.That is a “club” I want to be a part of.


This post was written and submitted by Hope Kasr. The article reflects the views of Hope Kasr and not of CURE®. This is also not supposed to be intended as medical advice.

When I share my story and use my cancer diagnosis to help others, cancer becomes a “club” that’s a little more inviting.  

I Use My Cancer Diagnosis to Help Others

Hope Kasr 

A shared decision-making tool is an approach that allows the clinician to collaborate with the patient in reaching evidence-informed decision making. This tool permits the patient and the physician to work together in order to make health care decisions based on the patient’s 

 and can ultimately strengthen the patient-clinician relationship. It plays a vital role in patient-centered health care, granting the physician and the patient an opportunity to come up with treatment plans together.

, shared decision-making tools have the ability to increase adherence to medical treatment, enhance decision making, which in turn will improve patient satisfaction. The significance of shared decision-making tools is reinforced by the chair of Population Health Sciences at University of Utah Health, 

., who says, “If people don’t feel engaged in the decision-making process they are less likely to see the benefits of treatments. Instead, they may see them as a hassle and not fill their prescriptions or take the medications.”

The importance of a patient’s voice with respect to shared decision-making will help the physician gain a better understanding of their patient’s needs and preferences. The patient’s voice can be either 

The active voice is associated with the patient’s worries and what he/she requires in order to combat their disease

The passive voice is that of health-related information which is collected from the patient

The patient’s voice is essential in terms of what he/she expects from their treatment plan.

A couple of shared decision-making tools developed for metastatic breast cancer have enabled active patient participation in health care decisions. An example of such a tool is 

, which is primarily used during a consultation between a physician and a patient. CONNECT is a computer-based communication tool 

covered during a consultation and treatment outcome expectations. A clinical trial evaluating the tool found that CONNECT made it easier for patients to participate in their respective treatment plans and therefore left them feeling more satisfied with the care they received.

Patient Preferences for Prostate Care (PreProCare)

 is another tool that helps patient-centered treatment among prostate cancer patients. It allows patients to choose the treatment that they deem fit and that aligns with their values. This tool narrows down treatments for prostate cancer while giving patients the autonomy to choose based on their preferences. The tool works to identify the preferred features of prostate cancer treatments that will help in designing ways to help patients. The PreProCare tool improved patients’ 24-month satisfaction rate with care and decision and reduced regrets.

Madiha Zaidi is an intern with the Colon Cancer Foundation.

A shared decision-making tool is an approach that allows the clinician to collaborate with the patient in reaching evidence-informed decision making. 

Benefits of a Shared Decision-Making Tool for Colorectal Cancer Patients

Madiha Zaidi

I was at the gym doing my usual “I’m just going to get undressed and into the shower as unobtrusively as possible” thing when a woman I have never seen before said in a loud and cheery voice, “I like your hair!”

For a moment, I was startled and tried to make sense of what she meant. Did she think I was intentionally choosing to wear my hair in this version of an extreme buzz cut? But then our interaction became clear. She showed me her port, which she said was going to be removed next week. She went on to explain that she had been fighting stage 4 uterine cancer for over two years.

This woman’s tone and invitation were incredibly kind and gentle. And so, I found myself talking to a stranger in a place where conversations usually do not get more intimate beyond, “Oh, there’s no hot water today. Go figure!” She explained that she had lost her husband a year before her own diagnosis and endured all sorts of treatment, but that she had a 15-year-old son and there was no question that she would do what it took to be there for him.

She noticed that I was looking a bit haggard, and I admitted as much, voicing my unhappiness that this chemo meant I couldn’t work out at nearly the intensity I had been accustomed to. Her suggestion was to back off, let my body heal itself and reminded me that I could always work my way back to the fitness level I desired. Then she gave me a salmon-colored plastic bracelet that her son was selling to raise funds for Relay for Life. Then, she looked me straight in the eye and said, “Girl, you’ve got to learn to love on yourself!”

These were words — and wishes — I find myself hoping to be worthy of, advice I might just try to build the rest of my life around.

My friend Patty had been talking for some time about this woman she wanted me to meet. Polly works for a resource that supports women with breast cancer. She described Polly as a nurse who was extremely knowledgeable and caring and assured me that I would get a lot out of talking to her.

I now have a policy of saying yes to invitations like this. I especially appreciated Patty’s kindness and her desire to offer a helping hand attached to a warm hug. We discussed “going to see Polly” not long after my surgery. I thought it might be useful to talk to an expert in the field because I had made decisions that, in retrospect, seemed hasty.

But what I did not know, until we actually walked into Polly’s “office,” is that she works as a prosthesis-fitting specialist. Polly and I chatted for a few minutes about my mastectomy and decision not to pursue reconstruction

“Yes,” she reassured me, “many women just know they are 

She then invited me into her private dressing room. Before I had any opportunity to think about what was happening or even to assess how I felt, she had produced several different kinds of bras (sports bra, lacy black bra) and then, 

, a slightly squishy, fairly realistic looking boob created from the wonders of silicone. She took the squishy thing and expertly stuffed it into the side pocket stitched into the bra cup and 

! I had a new look! Two boobs! One hour ago, I wasn’t even entertaining the idea that I would pursue a prosthesis, and now here I am, walking out with three new bras, a swimsuit and a fake boob in a box.

Polly told me that when I went out to model my new figure, she noticed that Patty had tears in her eyes. I am truly touched by my friend’s support at this new stage of my cancer journey. I do feel more whole. Today, I can say that it feels as if cancer has subtracted less from me, and that love and caring, along with the marvels of modern technology, have been added to my chest and to my heart.

This post was written and submitted by Claire Chow. The article reflects the views of Chow 

and not of CURE®. This is also not supposed to be intended as medical advice.

From an unexpected encounter in the gym to finding her first prosthesis, a breast cancer survivor recounts two impactful stories in her cancer experience. 

Unexpected Angel and Boob in a Box: Two Stories from a Cancer Survivor

Claire Chow

Speaking of advocacy, Mr. Lewis, you run KidneyCAN. You have been instrumental in getting all of this funding for kidney cancer research. Talk a little about resources and the challenges that are coming up for the field.

 First of all, thank you, Dr. Lee. Meryl, your story is so inspirational and moving. We need to cut that section out and make it a motivational speech to send around. It was awesome to hear that. I have a couple of other thoughts on that before we talk about advocacy a little.

Ms. Virdee, what you pointed out about communication is so important. It’s hard to communicate in the medical environment. Sometimes people are intimidated. But if you create an environment where there’s collaboration, discussion, or shared decision-making, and there’s a sense that people can be comfortable talking with you, with their medical providers, that’s huge. That’s a huge barrier that a lot of people don’t realize. They come into a hospital setting and it’s off-putting at times, or it can be scary. Breaking down that barrier of communication and allowing for communication is so important. Especially because many of us have been on Google looking for information and have misinformation.

Another point I want to touch on is that we talk about side effect management a lot these days because it’s so important. I’m not sure where this goes exactly, but the medical profession talks about grades 1 through 5. We don’t even want to talk about grade 5 most of the time. I’m wondering if we can’t dive down a little further, because it’s hard to distinguish as a patient the differences between grades 1 and 2 and between 2 and 3. We don’t have time to go into that right now, but that’s something we need to work on as a community.

Quality-of-life measurements are gaining importance in clinical trial design and development. We all applaud that. Now it’s up to us to try to figure out how we approach quality-of-life measures as a standard across society. One of the things someone told me recently is, “When you think about measuring quality of life, what you’re not taking into account is that you had a different quality of life prior to having cancer. You now have a new standard of what your quality of life is because you have cancer.” You have to keep that in mind.

Thank you for this opportunity to hear Meryl’s story—that was awesome—and the latest on personalizing medicine. That’s very inspiring for the patient community to hear. Quickly on the front with advocacy, as Meryl pointed out, kidney cancer has been underfunded for many years. As you said, Dr. Lee, we’re sixth or eighth or ninth, depending on the year and gender, but we’re in the top 10 of cancer diagnoses. We need to have more funding to find out what’s going on in this space.

KidneyCAN and eight or nine other organizations partner to do advocacy on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. Yesterday, we finished about 180 meetings with 39 states represented. I have to give a shout-out to our wonderful leader, Debra Beyhan, from Atlanta, who’s organizing most of this. We have doctors, researchers, and patients talking to our elected representatives and saying, “Thank you for this investment in kidney cancer research, but we need more.” We need more at the NIH [National Institutes of Health]. We need more through the KCRP [Kidney Cancer Research Program] and others. And I think our voice is being heard.

We’re louder these days than we have been in the past, and we continue to march forward, but we’ve got a lot of ways to go. The reason that came front and center yesterday was because I was on a call with one of the Senate offices, and one of our patient advocates told her story about being diagnosed with kidney cancer, but then during treatment being subsequently diagnosed with breast cancer early on. She compared her treatment for breast cancer early on with her treatment for kidney cancer, and it’s unfortunately night and day. The amount of research and knowledge that they have around breast cancer these days is off the charts compared with the knowledge and information on kidney cancer. We have to change that. That’s what we’re doing. With people like you and others who are doing the research to help advance cures, that’s what we’re all in this together to do.

We’ve been very fortunate to have some champions in Congress. We’re continuing to march forward. We asked yesterday for $60 million for the KCRP. I got cautiously optimistic, but we heard this morning that the omnibus bill that came out for this fiscal year includes our $50 million for kidney cancer research. We locked it in for another year. Now we have to get some more, and efforts like from everybody on this call is making a difference. Thank you for this opportunity.

Yes, the work that you do is fantastic. The ability to have a unified voice from the patient, advocate, researcher, and clinician front is necessary to think about how we can move the field forward. The ability to have all of these scientific advancements unfortunately isn’t free. These types of investments that we’re all making are critical for thinking about how we can advance the field and change outcomes for patients.

First of all, let me thank all of you for joining me today and sharing your valuable perspectives. And to our viewing audience, thank you for joining us. We hope that you found this episode of the 

Bryan Lewis, president of KidneyCAN, and Chung-Han Lee, MD, describe unmet needs and future perspectives in the treatment of renal cell carcinoma.

Unmet Needs and Future Perspectives in the Treatment of RCC

Chung-Han Lee, MD

Although my story is still unfolding there is much to share about what has brought me to where I am today. Take a trip down these past nine years with me—starting in 2011. That’s when my journey began, and my life changed forever. That’s when, at the age of 40, it was discovered that I had massive tumors on both my ovaries which was confirmed – through surgery – to be late-stage ovarian cancer.

I would love to tell you that I knew about ovarian cancer, but that’s simply not true. I had no clue about it. In my mind I didn’t know it even existed even though, later, I vaguely recalled that my uncle’s wife had gone through the exact same cancer years before. That said, I didn’t know anything about it. I didn’t know the signs or symptoms. I didn’t know that there was a month dedicated, September, for awareness and that the color for ovarian cancer is the color teal. I don’t remember seeing commercials about it or people talking about it at high school, college or at the workplace. And because of that, I didn’t know what to look for when my body started talking to me.

Which is what it surely did in 2011. First there were whispers, then it got louder and then there were screams. By the time I saw a doctor, six months after first getting the whispers, my body was screaming at me. Screaming at me to stop ignoring (and being in denial of) all the symptoms: diarrhea, need to urinate more, lack of appetite, feeling full after eating little, abdomen pain, back pain, night sweats and abdomen bloating that caused weight gain. I had done what no one should do, which is not listen to their body. It was fear and denial. I knew something was wrong, but I didn’t want to admit it. And that was foolish – in a way that could have cost me my life.

However, I suppose God still had plans for me as, obviously, my life didn’t end there. After surgery, I did five months of chemotherapy—the kind that after three cycles had me thinking I was going to die if I did anymore, which led to my decision not to complete the last three cycles. In 2012, I completed a total of five months of treatment and was given the seal of approval that I was in fact, in remission. It was because of that I headed back to Saudi Arabia to return to teaching.

Even though the next almost seven years I had my ups and downs with the aftermath of cancer and chemotherapy I was grateful to have remained in remission. I continued to teach in Saudi Arabia and was blessed to spread a lot of ovarian cancer awareness at the different places I taught at. I also continued my love of traveling and was able to visit ten or eleven countries in the time I was cancer-free. 

I suppose the word grateful doesn’t even come close to capturing how my heartfelt for having so many amazing opportunities post-cancer. Especially considering how many women, who were diagnosed with ovarian cancer, didn’t get all the years that I got and still have. I wanted to show people that there is life after cancer – and I believe I continue to succeed with that. First with my book 

, which was published in 2014. And then through my social media platforms.

And even now, in 2021 as I celebrate my 50th birthday, despite my current circumstances of cancer returning twice within a year and a half. I still very much believe that there is life after, and during, cancer. That, yes, cancer 

 break our bodies, but it cannot break our spirits – if we don’t allow it to. That, yes, cancer 

 make life hard, physically, psychologically, and financially, but it doesn’t have to mean that life is over. At least that is what I’m choosing to believe.

At the moment it may be hard to realize, but your life is not over because of cancer.

Your Life Is Not Over Because of Cancer

Hope Aguilar

Trish Traylor, RN, OCN, always exhibits compassion to me. She causes me to relax when I feel nervous before a treatment session. She explains everything that is happening during any treatment I get. She answers all my questions with clarity and never rushes an answer. She is extremely careful when inserting needles into my arm. Her smile always makes me feel at ease. Trish at Maryland Oncology and Hematology in Bethesda is truly a wonderful human being.

Editor’s Note: This is an essay submitted by Elisabeth Schlegel for the 2021 Extraordinary Healer Award. 

 to read more about CURE®’s Extraordinary Healer® Award for Oncology Nursing event on April 30, 2021.

During anxious times throughout treatment, one patient details how her oncology nurse helped her to relax at visits to her cancer center.

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