Survivors Share Their “Cancerversary” To Commemorate National Cancer Survivor’s Day

On National Cancer Survivor’s Day (June 7th), cancer survivors and their caregivers and loved ones have a new way to share the significant moments from their cancer experience, thanks to a new online community created by the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship (NCCS), a leading non-profit cancer advocacy organization. Many cancer survivors already acknowledge a significant date or event such as a surgery date or the last day of treatment, but they don’t necessarily have a name for it. NCCS’s online community provides a forum for cancer survivors, their friends, family, caregivers and healthcare professionals to share this experience by commemorating a “cancerversary” and opening a dialogue about cancer survivorship. 

The new online community, available at www.cancerversary.org, allows visitors to create a free personalized Web page to share stories and photos, and they can comment on other pages through a guest book feature. A page can be set up to commemorate a personal cancerversary, which acknowledges any significant date or event they choose. Visitors also have the option to create a page to honor someone else’s cancer experience or to pay tribute to someone they’ve lost to cancer.

“The great thing about cancerversary is that it allows people affected by cancer to share what’s meaningful to them in a personal way, no matter what their experience has been,” said Ellen Stovall, NCCS Acting President & CEO. “The hope is that people will participate in sharing their stories through this online community and become inspired by take action in their own communities that will serve to strengthen the survivorship movement.”.  

National Cancer Survivors Day is an annual, worldwide celebration of life in more than 700 communities throughout the United States, Canada, and around the world. On National Cancer Survivors Day, which takes place this year on Sunday, June 7, communities honor cancer survivors and recognize the contributions of families, friends, and healthcare providers. Sharing stories through the cancerversary community provides a way to celebrate survivorship and commemorate this special day online on June 7 and for months and years into the future.

Today there are nearly 12 million cancer survivors living in the United States, and more than 1.5 million people are diagnosed with cancer each year – changing a person’s healthcare needs for the rest of their lives. In addition to the harsh effects of cancer treatment, cancer survivors often face a range of physical and psychological health issues that can occur years after treatment is completed. The cancerversary community opens the door for survivors and their loved ones to talk about the setbacks and triumphs encountered throughout a cancer experience. Observing and sharing these moments allows people to reflect, find hope, and inspire others living with, through and beyond cancer.