Cancer survivor advocate dies
Woman who fought off disease three times spent decades striving to improve care for others who also were afflicted
Ellen Stovall, a longtime advocate for the USA’s 15.5 million cancer survivors, died Tuesday of heart complications related to her cancer treatment. She was 69.
Stovall, who survived three bouts of cancer, spent 30 years advocating to improve the care of others with the disease. She served as the president and CEO of the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship from 1992 to 2008. At the time of her death, Stovall was a senior health policy adviser at the coalition.
Stovall passionately argued for greater research funding into the needs of people who survive cancer, who are sometimes at high risk for second cancers and often suffer from long- term complications related to treatment, as well as from psychological and financial stress.
“Ellen Stovall was a passionate advocate for the unique needs of cancer survivors,” said Richard Schilsky, chief medical officer at the American Society of Clinical Oncology. “As a long- term cancer survivor herself, she understood the concerns and fears of cancer survivors, the chronic disabilities they experience and the impact of surviving cancer on a person’s ability to return to a normal, productive and satisfying life after cancer. Through her work with NCCS, Ellen worked tirelessly to draw attention to and address the medical, psychological and societal challenges faced by cancer survivors and to ensure they have access to the support and services they need.”
Stovall was a founding member of the Institute of Medicine’s National Cancer Policy Board and its successor, the National Cancer Policy Forum. She co- edited the Institute ofMedicine’s influential report, “From Cancer Patient to Cancer Survivor: Lost in Transition,” which articulated many of the challenges people face after cancer.
Many in the cancer community remember Stovall fondly.
“Tomany of us — likely thousands— she was a trustworthy friend, a mentor, a collaborator, a visionary,” said Sandy Welton, chairman of the NCCS board.