From Shadows to Life

In 1986, twenty-three men and women-all with a personal connection to cancer-came together for a weekend summit. Their goal was not to cure the disease, but to destroy its myths. The creation of the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship (NCCS) that weekend launched the cancer survivorship movement, and forever changed the definition of what it means to be a 'survivor.' Twelve years later it led to a march on Washington, D.C., of more than 200,000 people. Part medical history, part inspirational biography, From Shadows to Life is the story of a social movement that continues to improve life for millions. * * * 'When it comes to cancer, medical education and training focus almost exclusively on diagnosis and treatment. Life beyond this immediacy of cancer itself is too often neglected. From Shadows to Life tells the stories of the heroic individuals who founded the survivorship movement and continue its vital legacy into the present. Medicine has much to learn from their advocacy.'