The Organization
In 1986, the founders of NCCS set out to establish an organization that would change the parlance from cancer “victim” to cancer “survivor,” envisioning an organization that would deal with the full spectrum of survivorship issues related to living with, through, and beyond a cancer diagnosis. NCCS’s definition of a survivor, from the time of diagnosis and for the balance of life is now the norm for the cancer community and beyond. NCCS has expanded its definition of survivor to include family, friends, and caregivers.
Founded in Albuquerque, New Mexico, NCCS’s diverse leadership included some of the most recognized experts on employment and disability law, health care consumerism, and psychosocial and behavioral research. Consequently, NCCS quickly developed a reputation as the "go to" organization for how to deal with the physiological, psychosocial, economic, and spiritual issues that accompany a cancer diagnosis. The informed patient was — and still is — at the heart of NCCS's agenda. NCCS began its work by contributing to the literature. NCCS's first publication dealt with doctor/patient communications, followed by publications on survivors' rights and how to be an informed and knowledgeable health care consumer.
In 1992, NCCS relocated its offices to Washington, D.C., to be closer to the organizations and institutions that play a role in educating government agencies and policymakers about the need for quality cancer care throughout the survivorship continuum — beginning at the moment of diagnosis and continuing for the remainder of life. NCCS understands that while better therapies for treating cancer now exist, a patient's ability to access those treatments is not guaranteed. That is why NCCS continues to advocate for survivors' rights and to represent the patient/survivor perspective at the highest levels of policy making — so those facing a diagnosis of cancer today have access to quality cancer care. Learn more about our history and important achievements.
