Posts by tag
Cancer Awareness
Gloria Okwu: Turning Pain into Purpose
When Gloria Chiniere Okwu discovered a lump in her left breast in 2016, she could not have imagined that the diagnosis would eventually make her one of the most influential patient advocates in Nigeria. Today, Gloria is a cancer survivor,…
Finding a Voice Beyond Cancer: How Karen Nakawala transformed a cervical cancer diagnosis into a movement for survivor leadership and better cancer care
Karen Nakawala spent decades telling other people's stories. As one of Zambia's well-known broadcasters, she knew how to command a microphone, connect with audiences and give voice to people whose experiences might otherwise go unheard. Whether presenting a live radio…
Doctor of Hope
How Professor Nagi El Saghir Changed the Language of Cancer in the Middle East and Helped Redefine Global Oncology The airport in Beirut looked very different in 1971. Families walked all the way to the aircraft. Parents accompanied their children…
The Scientists Who Turned Cancer Prevention into a Vaccine: Dr Douglas Lowy and Dr John Schiller
The 2026 Pezcoller Foundation–AACR International Award for Extraordinary Achievement in Cancer Research has recognised two scientists whose discoveries reshaped one of oncology’s greatest ambitions: preventing cancer before it begins. On 9 May, at the Teatro Sociale in Trento, Italy, Dr…
Cancer is Universal. Meaning is Not!
She nodded when I said cancer. Only later did I understand that she had heard something else. The consultation unfolded with clinical precision. The translation was accurate. From a professional perspective, nothing was missing. And yet everything was. When I…
No Woman Left Behind: Dr Miriam Mutebi and the Quest for Equitable Cancer Care in Africa
In a breast clinic in Africa, fear often arrives before diagnosis. Women arrive convinced they have cancer. Some have discovered a lump only days earlier; others have lived with symptoms for years. Many have never been taught breast awareness. Others…
After the Bell: Rethinking Cancer Care Beyond Treatment
As cancer survival improves, a critical gap persists: the period after treatment, where psychological distress, identity disruption, and unmet needs remain insufficiently addressed in routine oncology care. A System Designed for Treatment, Not Transition “We have to be next to…
Psycho-Oncology at a Crossroads: From Global Recognition to Real-World Impact
The launch of World Psycho-Oncology Day signals growing momentum behind psychosocial care in cancer, but without structural change, millions of patients will continue to go without the support they need. With the announcement of World Psycho-Oncology Day (WPOD), to be…
“Hope is Constant “: From Isolation and Fear to Connection, Purpose, and Global Impact
Hope as a Guiding Mantra One of my friends, a retired oncology nurse in Scotland, where I live, has become a source of hope for my family and me, and her words have become a mantra: hope is constant. Prior…
“United by Unique” – Does it Really Make a Difference, or is it Just a Cliché?
“Nobody realizes that some people expend tremendous energy merely to be normal.”— Albert Camus People at the Centre of Care “United by Unique” is the World Cancer Day theme for 2025–2027. This year, the focus is on placing people at the…