An advocate is someone who supports or defends a cause. In the cancer community, being an advocate means that you support a cause, idea, or policy regarding cancer. Cancer advocates can work on an individual, local, or national level. This may include working on behalf of patients and caregivers regarding their care and working to change laws and policies about cancer. On a more personal level, for someone with cancer, being a self-advocate involves taking an active role in your cancer care.

For an introduction on these two concepts of advocacy in the cancer community, please review the following Cancer.Net Feature articles.

Cancer.Net Feature: Being a Cancer Advocate. People who have been personally affected by cancer often want to make a difference in the lives of other people with the disease. This can be an empowering experience for those who choose to help others by working to improve the quality of cancer care.

Cancer.Net Feature: Cancer Self-Advocacy. Self-advocacy often gives a person a greater sense of control in a time of uncertainty. Advocacy doesn't have to be time-consuming or difficult—it can be as simple as asking more questions at a doctor's appointment.

Cancer.Net Feature: Sharing Your Story. Some people decide to share their stories to help raise awareness about cancer and to help make a difference in cancer policy, legislation, research, and funding. This guidance can help you feel more comfortable about deciding whom to tell and under what circumstances.

Cancer.Net Feature: How to Read a Medical Abstract. An abstract is a summary of a research study that allows readers to quickly learn about the important aspects of a study. Although the intended audiences for most abstracts are medical and scientific professionals, it is becoming more common for patients and their friends and family members to read abstracts while learning about cancer and researching treatment options.

Last Updated: March 31, 2008