From the Editors

We have been publishing Women&Cancer for three years now, and our choice to use a collage on our spring cover allows us to show you just some of the powerful stories that have brought us this far: Sheryl Crow, Katie Couric, Diahann Carroll, Fran Drescher, Olivia Newton-John, Hoda Kotb, Robin Roberts, Jaclyn Smith, and Paula Zahn—all have contributed their voices to our pages. And while theirs are the public faces of cancer and caregiving that have helped us fulfill our mission, they represent only a fraction of the hundreds of women who have informed and inspired our readers by sharing their extraordinary journeys. We look forward to bringing you more transformative features and news in the years ahead.

We start by including two special sections in this issue: the first, devoted to skin cancer, includes a general feature on skin cancer, another that describes the perils of indoor tanning, and a third that highlights the work of the Melanoma Research Alliance; the second, covering lung cancer, includes a lung cancer feature, a powerful survivor story, and an advocacy feature highlighting the Lung Cancer Alliance. In addition to these two special sections, our War Room department includes an in-depth look at the controversy and the facts related to breast implants, coverage of the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, and breaking news.

One topic often in recent cancer-related news is the link between vitamin D and cancer. We cover the topic fully in our Body Wise department. Also included in Body Wise in this issue is a comprehensive look at the connection between diet and cancer in addition to wellness news.

Because it’s spring and your thoughts may be turning to the outdoors and vacation time, we bring you more information about camps and retreats designed specifically for cancer survivors. The connections formed among survivors at these retreats are often among the most rewarding aspects of the experience, and we introduce you in this issue to another organization that makes such connections a reality: Cancer Hope Network. For some survivors it is the relationships they form with their oncology nurses that actually become some of the most critical as they go through treatment and recovery. We bring you stories of some of those profound connections as well.