Survivor Views: ACS CAN Launches Cancer Survivor Survey to Inform Future Advocacy

Washington, D.C. – The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) is launching a new initiative this week that will promote the experiences of cancer survivors in cancer-related policymaking. The initiative will establish a national panel of cancer survivors who will share through a series of surveys their opinions and experiences related to their cancer diagnosis and care. Titled Survivor Views, the project aims to enhance ACS CAN’s ability to provide representative cancer survivor perspectives as it relates to existing and future policy priorities in cancer prevention, detection, treatment and quality of life.

Survivor Views will be comprised of seven individual surveys that participants will respond to over a twelve-month period. The individual surveys will focus on a range of topics important to the cancer survivor community, including access to care; patient data and privacy; cancer survivorship; and cancer pain and the availability of palliative care services. The project aims to include a total of 3,000 cancer survivors who were diagnosed and/or treated for cancer within the last five years while being reflective of the diversity of cancer patients and various types of cancer. The project combines ACS CAN’s advocacy expertise to influence public policies critical to its cancer mission with the American Cancer Society’s engagement with hundreds of thousands of patients annually to help meet their needs when confronted with a cancer diagnosis.

The following is a statement from Lisa Lacasse, president of ACS CAN:

“Survivor Views will provide ACS CAN with timely and comprehensive firsthand information to drive forward our advocacy efforts in an evidence-based way by giving cancer survivors an opportunity to weigh in on the issues that directly affect their lives. At a time when our health care system is facing incredible pressures to change, there has never been a greater need to understand the views and experiences of those most affected by such changes.

“ACS CAN looks forward to establishing a national panel of cancer survivors who are willing to share their opinions and cancer stories with us. Continuing to incorporate the survivor perspective in our advocacy efforts is critical and the information and data collected through this survey will guide future policy positions on a wide array of issues that directly impact cancer patients and survivors.”

###

Are you a cancer patient or survivor? Make your voice heard. ACS CAN is seeking survivors to participate in a new and exciting research project to understand their experiences and opinions on public policy issues that affect their lives. Participation involves taking a series of 10-minute surveys no more than once a month through June 2020.

Qualified participants are:

• Cancer survivors who have been diagnosed or received treatment for their cancer within the last five years.
• Residents of the United States or a U.S. territory.
• Over the age of 18

To learn more about participating, visit: www.fightcancer.org/survivorviews15