In Case You Missed It: Our July Program Break is Here!

We’re just dropping in to let you know that Cactus Cancer Society is taking our annual program break over the month of July.

What exactly do we plan on doing this month? Trust us, it’s not a vacation…  Instead of sunning ourselves in front of a pool or catching flights to exciting locales, it’ll be business as usual over here. July is when we strategically plan, write grant proposals, map out programs, read program evaluations, and make sure we’re doing everything we can to encourage resilience and creativity in the young adult cancer community!

We’ve got some pretty amazing things in the works, and we’re SO excited about this Fall’s programs. Trust us: you won’t want to miss it! (Pro tip: be sure you’re signed up for our email list here so you don’t miss anything.)

In the meantime, do you have a program suggestion? Something you think would be an excellent addition to our Art Workshop and Drop-in Writing Program line-up? Send us a note at Programs@CactusCancer.Org.

See you soon, prickly pals!

Happy, Prickly Pride!

June is officially here, and that means that at Cactus Cancer Society, we are celebrating Pride Month in all of your (and our) favorite ways!

But first, we want to remind you that at Cactus Cancer Society, one of our core values is celebrating our inclusive community. Since we were established as a non-profit ten years ago, YOU have remained at the heart of what we do and why we do it. Our virtual community is comprised of young adults from all corners of the world, and we not only welcome you regardless of race, religion, gender, gender expression, ancestry, disability, marital status, and sexual orientation: we celebrate you. Our community is prickly, resilient, and fabulous!

What can you expect around here that’s different during Pride?

  • We have our annual Pride Art Workshop for members of the LGBTQIA+ community and their allies. This year, we’ll be making vibrant, colorful decoupage animals… and program participants might find a few fun additions to their supply package. (Space is limited – sign up today!)
  • This month, the prompts in our drop-in Coffee and Oodles program will also be Pride-themed. Each week’s prompt will celebrate the revolutionary contributions of LGBTQIA+ folx and reflect on the themes of inclusivity, breaking boundaries, and authenticity.
  • You’ll also see some of our Pride designs in our Threadless shop: be sure to grab your limited edition merch now!

While official Pride celebrations may only last the month of June, know that we are here for you all year-round. To find out the latest on our programs and events, visit our website or sign-up for our email list here!

Happy Pride, Prickly fam! We love you.

Fresh Ink: Fifteen Minutes

We are proud to share the work of our Cactus Cancer Society community writers here on our blog, including this piece, which is part of a series entitled Fresh Ink.

We value the voices of our community members and would love to share your words. If you would like to contribute to our blog here at Cactus Cancer Society, please email christina@cactuscancer.org. 


“Fifteen Minutes,” by Anjali Kapoor-Davis

Soak for fifteen minutes in Epsom salt
to heal the sore. How could anything heal
in fifteen minutes? Fifteen minutes is

an eternity to soak in a tub of warm water
with no suds to conceal the flesh. Eyes
struggle to find a place that the mind does not

criticize. Unshaven legs bob up and down
slowly remembering the motion of a swim
stroke. There is not enough room here for laps.

Adjusting each cheek to ensure a seal does
not occur in the fiberglass cubicle. Mango
shaped breasts lay lazily on the curves of

the waist. The firmness has given way
to squish. Will fifteen minutes be enough
time to forgive myself? Self-loathing comes

easier to me. Is it long enough to heal the soul?
Fifteen minutes is not enough time for a doctors
appointment when the diagnosis is cancer.

Calendars fill with doctors’ appointments
instead of lunches with friends, kids play dates,
and vacations. In fifteen minutes, life changes.

Fifteen minutes, he made me wait again in the
hot car. I should be happy that he is making friends
and not clinging to my side but I miss those days

when it was just us. His childhood seems to have
flown by in fifteen minutes. I would love fifteen more
minutes to play on swings, cuddle on the couch,

or make mud pies in the yard once again. I start
the music on my phone nestled in a basket of rolled
up washcloths ready for scrubbing. I need a

distraction for these fifteen minutes,
I can’t bring myself to just exist.
I am more than I can handle for fifteen minutes.

Anjali Kapoor-Davis is a playwright, poet, and flash fiction writer. She writes about the challenges she has faced as a thyroid cancer patient and the simple joys of life. Anjali loves spending time with her family, baking, and advocating for thyroid cancer patients. 

Make Our Tenth Anniversary Anthology One for the Books!

Have you heard? Our tenth anniversary is next year! To celebrate a decade of programming and support for young adult cancer patients, we are publishing an Anthology. Picture a printed book of beautiful written and visual work by your fellow program participants, plus all kinds of photos and statistics about the last ten years.

But just like our programs, this anthology won’t be the same without YOU. We need your creativity and your faces to make this anthology everything it can be!

Here’s how you can contribute:

  1. Submit a piece for our anthology! Because of our programs, have you developed a love of collage, watercolor, embroidery, or neurographic art? Do you have poems, essays, or written pieces from Unspoken Ink, 30 Minute Tune Up, or Coffee and Oodles? We want photos or a copy of what you’ve created as a result of one of our programs!
  2. Share photos of yourself with other prickly and resilient friends! If you’ve met other Cactus Cancer Society friends and have photos, send them along: we want them in our pages!

We’re so excited to get this book in your hands- and we are even more excited to have this book represent our amazing community!

Our Anthology: Perfect for Everyone On Your Shopping List!

We’ve got a holiday present coming that has been a decade in the making – and it will be one for everyone on your list!

In celebration of our tenth birthday next Spring, we are publishing a first-of-its-kind, long-awaited Cactus Cancer Society Anthology! The anthology will boast photos of beautiful visual art pieces, and powerfully written poems and short stories, all created by our young adult cancer community members. You will not want to miss the chance to own this limited-edition art collection and piece of Cactus Cancer Society history!

Here’s how you can reserve a copy for everyone on your list from this limited edition run:

  1. You can snag your anthology copy AND add a line of dedication to the anthology itself! For $45, you can contribute your own message. Take a line to wish your gift recipient a wonderful New Year! Thank your oncologist in writing! Thank your great uncle Pat for gifting you an art set when you were nine!
  2. You can also pre-order your copy of the anthology as-is. For $30, you can tell them their book is on the way once it’s hot off the presses.
  3. Pocket feeling a bit light from holiday shopping? You can grab your anthology for $40 after the pre-sale closes on February 15, 2025.

One of the greatest gifts you can give someone is a gift to look forward to, and that’s just what this anthology will be. Be the hero of this holiday season and the spring when the anthology is in their hands.

Ask a Cactus: Clinical Trials and Patient Experience

This is our final video in our Ask a Cactus Series on Clinical Trials! Hear from Laura, a Nurse Practioner at UCSF who answers all sorts of questions about clinical trials! In this video, she’ll talk about the healthcare team taking care of you during a clinical trial and where to ask questions, the ethics governing clinical trials, the rights you have as a participant, how much is might cost, and more.

Continue reading

How do stress, conflict, and isolation impact cancer outcomes?

Here at Cactus Cancer Society, we believe in the power of research for improving the lives of those who may be diagnosed with cancer in the future.  We’re always interested in amplifying the voices and experiences of young adults facing cancer, and making sure this population is represented in research. Check out the research opportunity below to see how you can use your story to help others!

The Young Adult Cancer Survivor Study

The purpose of this study is to understand more about how the world that teen and young adult lymphoma survivors live in affects the outcomes of their cancer treatment. We call this field of research social genomics, and it takes a close look at why and how different factors like social stress, conflict, and isolation can impact cancer diagnoses and outcomes.

This study for young adult cancer survivors is being run by a fellow young adult cancer survivor.  For more info, watch the research team’s informational YouTube video at https://youtu.be/xDlnWKvtkuU.

Am I Eligible to Participate?

You are eligible to participate if you:

  • Were diagnosed with Hodgkin or non-Hodgkin lymphoma between the ages of 15 and 39
  • Are currently between the ages of 18 and 39
  • Completed treatment within the past three years

What Will I Be Asked to Do?

You’ll be asked to complete an online survey every six months for two years and provide a blood sample every six months for two years.

Will I Be Compensated?

Participants will receive a $20 gift card each time they complete a survey and provide a blood sample (5 times for a total of $100).

How Do I Sign Up?

Learn more at https://youtu.be/xDlnWKvtkuU.  To sign up to participate, visit https://redcapproduction.umms.med.umich.edu/surveys/?s=ATKW4KFCEYHL9YR3