The Lance Armstrong Foundation works with a primary focus on addressing the special issues long-term cancer survivors face. For years, the medical community did not look very closely into the needs and issues of long-term cancer survivors, because the focus was mainly on treating cancer and initially saving lives. Past that, as a cancer survivor, after treatment ended, you were on your own.

LAF has made great advances for raising public awareness about cancer survivorship, and in developing programs specific to the needs of cancer survivors. Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center has been invited to join the Lance Armstrong Foundation, LAF, in helping to address the needs of the growing number of cancer survivors in the United States through the LIVESTRONG Survivorship Center of Excellence Network. With a LAF $1.7 million dollar grant, the center will be able to develop four survivorship initiatives; long-term follow up program for marrow and stem cell transplant patients; the After Cancer Care Ends Survivorship Starts program for childhood cancer survivors; a prostate cancer clinical research program and the Women's Wellness Center for breast and ovarian cancer survivors.

The LIVESTRONG Survivorship Center of Excellence Network is an invitation-only collaborative partnership among the LAF, NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers and their community affiliates. This news heralds only good things for the future of cancer survivors. Both oragnizations are respected for the excellence of services they provide on behalf of cancer survivors.

During National LGBT Health Awareness Week, March 12-18, the Howard Brown Health Center, the Lesbian Community Cancer Project and the University of Illinois at Chicago, are working together to gather information on the experiences and needs of cancer survivors across the country and around the globe. This is the first study to look at the combined experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender cancer survivors. The information gathered from this survey will be used as a guide in the design of a lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender cancer survivor research center, and to improve understanding of the special needs of cancer survivors. The investigators of this study will publish the results of this survey to make them available to community-based organizations across the country interested in better serving the needs of LGBT cancer survivors. The LGBT Cancer Survivor Survey takes about 30 minutes to complete online.

Will Swetnam is a force of one. He actively supports the cancer community in his contribution of talent and participation in Cyclists Combating Cancer, CCC, as a volunteer for the Lance Armstrong Foundation, LAF, and on a personal level, answering the cancer survivor call to reach out whenever someone new is diagnosed with cancer. Swetnam has a new project this year, called The Cancer Mosaic. The mosaic of squares is a webpage comprised of photos of people who have been affected by cancer. For a $20 donation, a photo will be placed in the square of the donor's choosing, as long as that tile is not already taken. When a visitor clicks on the tile, a larger image of the photo will appear, with the honoree's name, a comment line, and a short bio about the person in the photo. All funds raised by The Cancer Mosaic go directly to the Lance Armstrong Foundation.

"The goal is to help people understand the impact of this disease is terrible and widespread, as they will see all ages, colors, creeds, of both men and women in the mosaic. The current space has locations for 2500 tiles, but I'll add additional "panels" as the tiles sell. The site will remain active, new "panels" added each year, until a cure has been found, " explains Swetnam, of his new project, The Cancer Mosaic.

If you visit, or live, in Virginia Beach, Virginia, you will be seeing an art exhibit of life size fiberglass sculptures of dolphins in neighborhoods and along the seashore of the city. A Dolphin's Promise is an ambitious project to raise a million dollars for cancer research, with ninety percent of all money raised going towards cancer research. Each dolphin is uniquely decorated by artists, crafters, designers, architects and art students, as an individual or group project. The goal is to have hundreds of dolphins in pods on display throughout the city. A Dolphin's Promise symbolizes a commitment to helping those battling cancer.

Profit, philanthropy and politics are the foundation for the joining of forces between Lance Armstrong, seven-time Tour de France champion, and Jim Stowers, Jr, mutual fund magnate. Armstrong will join American Century Investments in a multimillion-dollar advertising and marketing campaign featuring Armstrong as the spokesperson for the company's  newest  series of mutual funds, appropriately named Livestrong Portfolios, using Armstrong Foundation’s “Livestrong” slogan for cancer survivors. The American Century Investments campaign slogan featuring Armstrong is “Put Your Lance Face On.” Both Armstrong and Stowers are cancer survivors.

Armstrong is a testicular cancer survivor, who founded the Lance Armstrong and Livestrong Foundation, to address the special issues of cancer survivorship through education, advocacy, public health and research programs. Stowers and his wife, Virginia, are cancer survivors who founded the Stowers Institute for Medical Research for biomedical research. Both Armstrong and Stowers support stem-cell research, a hotly-debated political issue, and indicated that together, they may be involved in the protection and advancement of this research.

When you are diagnosed with cancer, the world becomes a smaller, gentler place. I have a theory this occurs because any interest in the trivial and all that separates us from one another falls away. The focal point of reality is reset to include only that which is meaningful -- kindness, forgiveness, compassion and love. The awareness of the interconnectedness of life becomes a continuous one. We are all on this planet together. Together we heal. 

Chemo Angels is a dedicated organization of cancer survivors and caring individuals whose lives have been touched by cancer. Each volunteer is paired up with a cancer patient undergoing chemotherapy for the purpose of making the physical, emotional and mentally rigorous days of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation treatments a little brighter. Chemo Angels send cards, cheerful notes, and small gifts of encouragement and support.  If you are a cancer patient, you are invited to sign up for a Chemo Angel. The service is provided through the postal mail, so your location is unimportant. Chemo Angels have many international patients.

The Traveling Hope Project began as a conversation between bloggers who maintain cancer blogs, as an idea for creating community journals that will be shared as part of a traveling exhibit to bring awareness to the personal life experiences of those touched by cancer. Some of the contributors to the journals are survivors, some are caregivers. Eventually, copies of the journals will be mass produced and distributed to cancer patients and their families, at no cost. Jeannette, of Two Hands, a breast cancer survivor, has started the initial launch of the Traveling Hope Project by sending out three journal notebooks. Each recipient will contribute to the pages of the journal in words and pictures, and as each person finishes with their contribution to the journal, it will be sent to the next person. As each journal is completed, a new journal will be started, with the goal of creating a collection of journals. The Traveling Hope Project is open to those who have been touched by cancer: survivors, caregivers, family members, and medical professionals. All who have been touched by cancer are invited to contribute to the journals.

Create, Connect, Unite. This is the official challenge of The Steps for Living site. Created by and for cancer survivors, the site offers an optimistic challenge to those who seek inspiration. Create: to express yourself through art, music, dance or writing gives meaning and hope to any inner artist. Connect: sharing you story with others helps to create a network of support and trust. Connecting to other people in similar situations lends hope and energy to life. Unite: celebrating survival lends happiness to the challenge of living. Steps for Living offers a wonderful opportunity for cancer patients and survivors to get involved in a loving and supportive network. Fundraisers and entertainment dates are available, as well as personal stories and inspirational testimonials. Check out this site for yourself or a loved one to experience the energy of creativity.

As a long-term cancer survivor, Matthew Zachary understands the special life issues cancer survivors face after treatment ends. Steps For Living reflects the vision and passion of his understanding. When Zachary, a musician, was diagnosed with brain cancer 10 years ago, there were few resources available for anyone surviving cancer. Today, the world of survivorship is a world away from what it was when Zachary was first diagnosed. The real issues of survivorship are beginning to be realized and discussed at local and national levels. As a result, the resources for survivors continues to grow.

Steps For Living and Art of Survivorship are contributing to this growth of survivor resources with music and art. By bringing together a community of survivor-musicians, writers and visual artists, all with the intention of creating a series of programs and tools designed to bring both knowledge and hope to those in need, Zachary offers a unique and vital resource for survivors. As a cancer survivor, I know that Zachary expresses a clear vision and intuitive truth when I read the introduction to the Art of Survivorship community, which states: each of these individuals, when faced with a diagnosis of cancer, got busy living by choosing to create (express themselves), connect (share their stories) and unite (celebrate their survivorship through the arts.) Zachary understands, as only a survivor can.