Coping with Cancer

On Sunday, June 7, 2026, cancer survivors and their supporters gathered in communities around the world to commemorate the 39th annual National Cancer Survivors Day and raise awareness of the ongoing challenges of cancer survivorship. Coping® is proud to be an ongoing national supporter of NCSD. In cooperation with the National Cancer Survivors Day Foundation, Coping is pleased to provide you with exclusive coverage of NCSD 2026 (PDF).

On Sunday, June 7, 2026, cancer survivors and their supporters gathered in communities around the world to commemorate the 39th annual National Cancer Survivors Day and raise awareness of the ongoing challenges of cancer survivorship Coping® is proud to be an ongoing national supporter of NCSD. In cooperation with the National Cancer Survivors Day Foundation, Coping is pleased to provide you with exclusive coverage of NCSD 2026 (PDF).

CANCER, SURVIVOR OVARIAN CANCER, POEM, POEMS Lan Williams by Lan Williams You were still a little child when I fell ill. I feared the dark—not for myself, but for you. I held your hand and softly said, “I’ll fight to stay… a little while longer.” The poison burned. My hair fell out. I smiled through pain you never knew. You grew taller; I walked more slowly. My back bent low, but still I carried on. Then came the day—your cap, your gown.

CANCER, SURVIVOR COLORECTAL CANCER, GASTROINTESTINAL Matt Mosley and Kade hang loose at Fort Morgan, AL. by Matt Mosley Four years ago, I didn’t know what my future would look like—or how much life was still waiting for me. I was diagnosed with stage III colorectal cancer. What followed included emergency surgery and approximately two weeks in a coma. There were moments when simply surviving was the only goal. Against the odds, I did.

CANCER, HEALTHY LIVING, HOW TO COPE - SURVIVOR CANCER TREATMENT, EXERCISE & FITNESS by Berfin Mahmut, PT, DPT, CLT-LANA, OnCS After cancer treatment, your body may feel different in ways you didn’t expect. It can take time to adjust to these changes and feel confident in what your body can do again.

CANCER, SURVIVOR GALLBLADDER CANCER, GASTROINTESTINAL, POEM, POEMS Beth Copeland by Beth Copeland When we arrive an aide offers heated blankets, one for me and one for my sister Becky. This week we have a room with a window. Sunlight slants through venetian blinds as if saying, I want to live. I sit in the chemo chair and spread the warm blanket over my lap. A smiling woman stops in the doorway with a cart of snacks. I ask for ginger ale and a Rice Krispies Treat wrapped in blue foil.

CANCER, SURVIVOR BREAST CANCER, POEM, POEMS Rabiha Hatridge by Rabiha Hatridge Uninvited Deceitful Disguised Hidden. Blending Consuming Sprawling Invasive. Detected Imaged Revealed Caught. Gouged Sealed Poisoned Controlled. Secret Waiting Patient Watched. Rabiha is a breast cancer survivor living in Rose Hill, KS.

CANCER, SURVIVOR ESOPHAGEAL CANCER, GASTROINTESTINAL Steve O'Grady; Photo by Thang Ho Photography by Steve O’Grady I’ve never been the kind of person to take life for granted. I grew up on a farm and spent six years in the U.S. Navy, living a life where you showed up every day and did your part. Somewhere along the way, I started saying every day felt like Christmas.

CANCER, HEALTHY LIVING, HOW TO COPE - SURVIVOR CHEMOTHERAPY, EXERCISE & FITNESS by Berfin Mahmut, PT, DPT, CLT-LANA, OnCS Chemotherapy is a systemic treatment, meaning it affects the entire body. While it is highly effective in treating cancer, it can also lead to a wide range of physical and emotional side effects. Some side effects, such as nausea or fatigue, improve after treatment is completed, while others may persist for months or even years.

CANCER, SURVIVOR BLOOD AND BONE MARROW CANCER, HODGKINS LYMPHOMA Steve Garraty by Steve Garraty At 18, I thought I was standing at the starting line of adulthood. I had graduated from high school and was preparing for college. Then I was diagnosed with Stage III Hodgkin’s lymphoma. After doctors removed a grapefruit-sized malignant tumor from my neck, the future I had imagined was replaced by nearly a year of chemotherapy, nausea, exhaustion and uncertainty.