Survivorship

TODAY show contributor Jill Martin was diagnosed and treated for breast cancer in 2023. Now, the University of Michigan alum has become an influential cancer advocate. In this Q&A, Jill shares what she wants people to know about her journey and the importance of early cancer screening.

For William Moldwin, 87, getting back to the life he was living before being diagnosed with cancer meant publishing a book, collecting a lifetime impact award, receiving the Spirit of Detroit Award from Detroit’s City Council for his work securing health and mental health services for underserved Detroit communities, and planning his second book.

No one is ever prepared to learn they have cancer, but for Leah Koskinen the news couldn't have come at a worse time. She was living with her husband and young son in Canada -- and there was a good chance she might be pregnant.

When Bradley J. Zebrack, Ph.D., M.S.W., M.P.H., was 25, he thought he might become a schoolteacher. Then he was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma, a cancer that originates in the immune system. In an effort to cope, Zebrack went to a meeting of what would eventually become the well-known support network Cancer Support Community. This experience with social work as well as his experience with lymphoma, led him to a career of helping people dealing with cancer.

Briana Ratliff was in her mid-thirties when she began to notice blood in her stool and began to worry she might have colon cancer. Due to her age, her doctor dismissed her concern but she followed her instincts at got a second opinion.

Between September 2020 and February 2021, 20 people who’d had rectal cancer picked up the phone or joined a Zoom call and talked about their feelings. Some spoke of their immense sadness during diagnosis and treatment, others of their lingering anxiety and fear of their cancer coming back. A few felt lucky to be alive. A few wondered if death would have been better.

Andrew Ackerman was the first COVID-19 patient to be treated with an experimental filter that reduced his inflammation, helping to save his life. Later, during his COVID recovery, doctors learned Ackerman had a lung tumor.

After learning he had bladder cancer, Jeff Owens became the patient of Todd Morgan, M.D. Dr. Morgan, and the rest of the care team, helped Jeff make treatment decisions that were right for him and his family. As part of his recovery, Jeff took up baking. During the pandemic, Jeff's hobby helped him cope with quarantine by baking bread for his friends and neighbor -- earning him the name "Breadmeister."

Swimming was how Kara Wolter found solace, especially after her bone cancer diagnosis and leg amputation. But COVID often took away her safe place and delayed her Swim Across America race. Here’s how she ultimately crossed the finish line.

Robin Schroeder was determined to continue her active lifestyle, even after she underwent a Whipple, a taxing operation with a difficult recovery period.