Gearing up for change, the (un)cancer way

Abida Taher, MD, PhDMarch 01, 2023

Transitioning from a place of fear to a position of strength.

"Strength doesn’t come from what you can do. It comes from overcoming the things you once thought you couldn’t.”

― Rikki Rogers

The number of people diagnosed and living with cancer survivors will reach more than 21 million this decade. Cutting-edge advances in early diagnosis and treatment have decreased death by over 27% in the past two decades.

Did you know that more than 65% of cancer diagnoses are made in adults between the ages of 20 and 74? These are the years that define your career, your crucial employment years that set you and your family up for financial security and retirement. These are also the years that are memorable - your first home, your first child, people you meet who become lifelong friends and life partners even. To be able to survive and thrive through the period of treatment and for decades after is no longer an unimaginable dream.

Not everyone can or does go to MD Anderson or Sloan Kettering or Mayo Clinic, the top 3 cancer hospitals in the US according to US News and World rankings. In fact, a majority of cancer patients are treated in community oncology practices, in your cities and near your homes with the quality care they need and deserve for the best possible outcome.

While nothing you do can prepare you for the shock that comes from a cancer diagnosis, there is plenty that needs to be done once that diagnosis comes through. Cancer treatment and its related issues are handled by your cancer care doctors (the medical oncologist, the surgeon, the radiation oncologist) but there are so many other things that need to be taken care of. The burden of this incredibly difficult job falls primarily on your loved one, your caregiver.

We, at (un)cancer, aim to ease not only your journey but the journey of your caregiver as well. We want to fill the gaps and democratize cancer support for everyone regardless of where you live.

What you eat, how you sleep, your moods, your energy levels, your worries all end up on your caregiver’s plate. As he or she navigates your appointments, your symptoms, making sure you have everything you need while at treatment or at work or even in bed, your caregiver could use just as much support as you do.

Access to the right equipment to help with symptoms at home, easy and immediate access to therapists that can help with the emotional stress, nutritionists that can help with loss of appetite and fatigue, legal aid, and exercise therapists, all at one location, a click away.

Your loved one deserves uncancer.com.