Vol. 1 No. 8 - 🎉 Cancerversary, a personal milestone I celebrate!
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Dear Thriver,
October 4th is what I consider my cancerversary. It’s the date of my lower anterior resection — the surgery that removed my tumour, making me cancer-free. For me, this day marks more than just time passing, it’s a personal milestone of survivorship, one I acknowledge every year.
The National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship (NCCS) has embraced the idea of a cancerversary to describe personal cancer milestones. It’s not a fixed date or universal definition — it’s whatever feels most meaningful to each person, whether diagnosis date, end of treatment, or other important date.
Cancerversaries are deeply personal, each one shaped by our stories. As I acknowledge mine today, I wonder — do you have a cancerversary you mark?
With gratitude,
🍽️ The digest: The study that started it all, information needs among CRC patients
Year published: 2020
How we did the research: We ran an international, online survey to understand what information people with colorectal cancer want—and whether they actually get it—across the care continuum.
Who took part: 1,041 people with colorectal cancer participated. At the time of the survey, 258 were in treatment and 783 were post-treatment. Many were members of this very community — and I want to thank you for lending your voices to make this study possible.
What we found
Most participants felt their needs for information about colorectal cancer treatments - surgery, chemotherapy, radiation - and side effects were addressed.
Participants wanted more information about bowel function, long-term side effects, work and employment, mental health, sexual health, and nutrition and diet.
Information was not always easy to find. About 38% of those in treatment and 32% post-treatment said information was not easy to find or still missing.
Why this study is important: What I thought would be one study became the start of my Colorectal Cancer Outcomes Research Program, which has since grown into multiple studies addressing these unmet needs. On this cancerversary, I can see how that first step set me on this path — and how this Colorectal Cancer Research Digest newsletter has become part of it too. None of this would exist without you, this community, and for that I’m truly grateful.
As always, I’d love to hear what you think. And since this edition marks my cancerversary, I invite you to share yours too — whether it’s the day of diagnosis, end of treatment, or another milestone that holds meaning for you. Every story adds to the strength of this community.
🎉 We Have Our Giveaway Winners!
A big thank-you to everyone who took part in our Reader’s Voice Survey! Your feedback means everything — it helps us shape what we do next and how we can better serve you.
We’re excited to announce the two winners of our $50 Amazon gift card giveaway:
🎁 Joe Elkin
🎁 Ken McBeath
Congratulations to both of you!
Want to see the live moment their names were drawn? Check out the clip here:
To all of you who shared your thoughts, thank you. Your ideas and insights directly influence how we grow and what we build together. This isn’t just a newsletter — it’s a community, and you're helping lead it.
With gratitude,
Mary, Alexander, and Joy
The Colorectal Cancer Outcomes Research Team
That's it for today!
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Talk soon,
Mary, Alexander, and Joy — The Colorectal Cancer Research Digest editorial team
