Cancer Fighters Thrive is a quarterly print and online magazine bringing readers practical, innovative and inspirational information about cancer treatment and survivorship.
Issue link: http://cancerfightersthrive.epubxp.com/i/103434
ADVOCACY SPOTLIGHT Advocacy Spotlight: Cancer Schmancer Young adults diagnosed with cancer create community and advocate for their unique needs. By Diana Price A ctor, producer, and advocate In 2007 Drescher founded Cancer survivor stories and opportunities for diagnosis Schmancer, a nonprofit organization advocacy on its website, cancerschmancer. with stage I uterine cancer dedicated to prevention, early detection, org, in an effort to educate women about in 2000 came at the end of a long road of and advocacy. Susan Holland, vice pres- critical preventive health issues and to misdiagnoses. After two years of symptoms ident of Cancer Schmancer, says, "Cancer motivate and empower patients to seek that included cramping and bleeding Schmancer seeks to transform patients the best possible care. Drescher has also between menstrual cycles, and frustrating into medical consumers and to shift the been actively advocating on behalf of visits with eight different doctors, the nation's priority from exclusively search- cancer patients in Washington, DC, where, diagnosis finally delivered Fran an answer. ing for a cure toward prevention and Holland says, the organization is currently And yet, though her search for a diagnosis early detection." working to get a bipartisan carcinogen- Fran Drescher's was at an end, it was the beginning of an entirely new journey. In 2002 Drescher, an Emmy and Golden To that end the organization has free-label bill through Congress that developed an early-detection program would based education. around Fran Vans—mobile Globe nominee who starred in the long- uninsured as well as underinsured she also created and executive produced) as areas—and, more recently, a Trash Cancer well as in feature films, published a mem- initiative aimed at educating consumers oir, Cancer Schmancer, which described her in personal care products, cleaning story in the hope that she could help other products, and food. Holland says that women get the answers they needed, she more than 1,000 Trash Cancer parties also felt called to do something more to in- have been hosted around the country, form and empower women. She knew that, involving more than 10,000 people. as her own case had illustrated, early detec- "Trash Cancer teaches consumers how tion of cancer was the key; she also knew to detox their homes and become aware that lack of information and misdiagnosis of what we are putting in our mouths, on often prevented women from being diag- our skin, and using around us when we nosed at an early stage. Fueled by her own consumer about possible carcinogens and toxins journey to diagnosis. Compelled to tell her promote breast cancer detection units that serve running CBS sitcom The Nanny (which further clean and garden," she says. experience, Drescher committed to using In addition, Cancer Schmancer shares her celebrity status to help get the word out. For more information about Cancer Schmancer, visit cancerschmancer.org information about prevention, inspiring cfthrive.com spring 2013 | cancer fighters thrive 5