KCA

Claudia Tatum joined the KCA's Patient & Caregiver Advisory Council in 2023. She is based in Oklahoma. What motivated you to get involved with the KCA’s PCAC? From the time I was diagnosed in Jan 2023, I began thinking about what the lesson learned would be from my Cancer Adventure. Then, how can I can best use the lesson to…

Annamaria Scaccia joined the KCA’s Patient & Caregiver Advisory Council (PCAC) in 2023. She is a frequent blog contributor for the KCA and collaborator on a number of special edition KCA newsletters. What motivated you to get involved with the KCA’s PCAC? https://www.www.kidneycancer.org/stories/bodybuilder/ I was motivated to get involved with the KCA’s PCAC because joining the council felt like a…

Matt McClain joined the KCA's Patient & Caregiver Advisory Council (PCAC) in 2023. What motivated you to get involved with the KCA’s PCAC? https://www.www.kidneycancer.org/stories/learned-how-to-be-his-own-advocate/ When I was newly diagnosed, I reached out to a few people who I knew had kidney cancer. Unlike me, none of them were stage IV, so while they were sympathetic, they were not able to…

Dr. Julia Stevens, PharmD, BCOP, is a Clinical Pharmacy Specialist in Ambulatory Oncology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts. She specializes in kidney cancer, prostate cancer, and melanoma. Her primary clinical responsibilities include educating patients and caregivers, monitoring and supporting those on oral therapies, minimizing the financial toxicity of treatment, and providing drug information and treatment recommendations…

Dr. Emily Wang, PharmD, BCOP, is a Clinical Pharmacy Specialist - Genitourinary Medical Oncology at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. What motivated you to get involved with the KCA? I had heard about this incredible organization from colleagues at work and having developed a particular interest in RCC over the past few years, I was thrilled at having…

Peggy Zuckerman, a long-time kidney cancer patient, advocate, and member of the KCA's Patient & Caregiver Advisory Council, was the featured cover story for Cancer Today magazine's Summer 2023 issue. She was diagnosed with kidney cancer in 2003. Photo by Morgan Shidler. “It was the start of a race, and I did not know it,” remembers Zuckerman, then 54, who…

The 2023 International Kidney Cancer Symposium: Europe, taking place in Edinburgh, Scotland on April 21-22, will feature three special lectures by prominent experts in kidney cancer. Register now. Dr. Robert Jones Dr. Robert Jones is a Professor of Clinical Cancer Research at the University of Glasgow in Scotland. His 2023 IKCS: Europe keynote lecture will cover "Scotland and Kidney Cancer".…

There is so much growth, transition, and advancement that can take place over a decade. In 10 years, major life events take place, political leaders change, new loved ones enter our lives while others’ time comes to a close. It’s a beautiful snapshot of the ever-evolving world we live in. And as the saying goes, the only constant is change.…

Caregiving is a complex, challenging, sometimes heartbreaking, often rewarding responsibility. In honor of National Family Caregivers Month, we asked several people for their insights and best tips on caregiving. Read what they shared below. Sign up for monthly newsletters and read the special edition on caregiving now. Melissa Helmick, patient What is the most meaningful thing a caregiver can do…

Jennifer Christensen, LCSW, OSW-C is a clinical social worker in the Patient and Family Support Program at Cedars-Sinai Samuel Oschin Cancer Center in Los Angeles, California. KCA Ambassador Annamarya Scaccia, who was diagnosed with chromophobe renal cell carcinoma in 2020, spoke with Christensen about navigating caregiving—from what it means to support someone with cancer to the importance of practicing self-care.…