Cancer survivors make awesome advocates. When Charlie Huang hit his lowest point, he still focused on helping others. Hospitalized with recurring acute myeloid leukemia and in need of a lifesaving stem cell transplant—with no donor match to be found—he thought to himself, This is the worst feeling. I do not ever want anyone to feel the way I am feeling, with so much despair and hopelessness.

Such was the genesis of Charlie’s Law, legislation that expands the donor pool and helps find matches. Turn to our cover story to read about Huang’s inspiring journey and learn why minorities—he identifies as Asian American—have worse odds of finding a donor.

After Leah Adams had surgery for Stage I melanoma, the avid runner, now 29, sank into a depression. In “A Melanoma Diary,” Adams recounts how she morphed into a full-throttle advocate—and a caregiver for her father, who has metastatic melanoma. 

Indeed, sharing stories makes for powerful advocacy and education. In our Voices essay, breast cancer survivor Megan-Claire Chase explains why “You Can’t Escape Race in Cancer.” And our summer roundup of Good Stuff includes a memoir by David Chill titled Stage 5. A physically active nonsmoker, Chill was shocked to learn in 2012 at age 55 that he had Stage IV lung cancer. His tale highlights the importance of advocating for yourself. Good Stuff also features sunscreens, stylish clothes with ultraviolet protection and other products to safeguard your skin.  

Screening for hepatitis B and getting vaccinated against human papillomavirus (HPV) are two other proven ways to protect against cancer and ensure better health. Learn about that and more in Care & Treatment.

Preventing cancer is one of the eight goals laid out in the newly launched National Cancer Plan, a road map that complements the Cancer Moonshot initiative. Read more here. The plan envisions a society where most cancers are prevented and “every person with cancer lives a full and active life.” It’s also a call to action. We know several advocates leading the way.