Roger and Kathy Cawthon Roger and Kathy Cawthon ran the Marine Corps Marathon to mark their victory over cancer. Joni Rodgers, Summerlin Hospital’s guest speaker last year, shared her tale of triumph over non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma with her own brand of honesty and humor. Scott Burton shows off his many comedic talents as he performs at Summerlin Hospital’s Cancer Survivors Day Celebration in 2001.

Cancer is a devastating diagnosis, but cancer survivors emphasize that cancer is no longer a death sentence. On June 1, cancer survivors will gather together and share their messages of laughter, inspiration and hope at Summerlin Hospital Medical Center's fourth annual event honoring National Cancer Survivors Day.

"The celebration is not just for our patients," says Jack McHale, RN, Director of Summerlin Hospital's Oncology Program, The Cancer Institute of Nevada. "It's for all cancer survivors throughout Las Vegas as well as their families and friends. We consider people to be survivors from the moment of their diagnosis."

The celebration includes a performance, national speakers, refreshments and lots of humor.

One Couple Who
Triumphed Over Cancer
The highlight of this year's celebration will be a presentation by Roger and Kathy Cawthon, a Virginia couple who were diagnosed with cancer within six weeks of each other. Roger, a graduate of West Point and a former television sportscaster with CNN, was diagnosed with a serious form of kidney cancer in 1995. Weeks later, Kathy, a freelance writer and photographer whose credits include McCalls, Ladies' Home Journal and Family Circle, was diagnosed with breast cancer with positive lymph nodes.

"We were only 45 at the time of our diagnosis," says Kathy. "Our doctors said that because of our young age, we had a better chance of winning the lottery than of being diagnosed with cancer at the same time."

Roger had his right kidney removed and had only a 50/50 chance of surviving the year. Kathy had a lumpectomy, six months of chemotherapy, radiation therapy and had to take tamoxifen.

Beyond Treatment
After her treatment, Kathy says depression was her biggest enemy. To combat that, she set a goal -- to run in the Marine Corps Marathon -- and trained for six months. At the last minute, Roger decided to run the marathon as well, and they crossed the finish line together.

"Completing the marathon gave me my life back," says Kathy. "When I crossed the finish line, I knew I could do anything."

Despite the odds, Roger and Kathy have been cancer-free for seven years. Today, Kathy says cancer was both the worst thing and the best thing that ever happened to them.

"Cancer was really a wake-up call," says Kathy. "Before my diagnosis, I was very serious and busy. I didn't laugh a lot. We've laughed and lived more in the last seven years than we did in all our 45 years before cancer."

Helping Others
Following their experience with cancer, the Cawthons made a pact to spend their time only on "life-affirming projects." They formed an organization called The Cancer Crusade and now dedicate themselves to bringing healing messages of laughter and hope to those affected by cancer. "Hope and humor may be as powerful as any medication on the market," says Kathy.

Roger and Kathy will each share their stories at this year's Cancer Survivors Day event. Roger uses humor to tell his message while Kathy focuses on the emotional side of cancer.

Celebration Grows
Attendance at The Cancer Institute of Nevada's Cancer Survivors Day Celebration has grown each year. Last year, more than 275 survivors, family members and friends attended, and even more are expected this year.

"Some who attend the celebration are cancer-free," says McHale. "Others are still fighting cancer. They all have something in common -- they've had to stare the tiger in the eye."

McHale says the celebration gives survivors an opportunity to joke about some of the funny things they experience and to talk more seriously about the difficult aspects they had to overcome or are still facing.

Joanne Franklin, a cancer survivor and volunteer at the event, says the uplifting celebration is especially meaningful for those who still battle cancer.

"It's good for people to see others in the same position and know they're not alone," says Franklin. "People will realize that they can continue fighting and survive because others have done it."

Reserve Your Seat Today
This year's celebration begins at 2 p.m. on June 1 in the grand ballroom at the Suncoast Hotel Casino. The doors will open at 1:30 p.m. Local cancer groups will be on hand before and after the performance to provide information and resources.

The celebration is free, but seating is limited and registration is required. For more information or to make a reservation, call 233-7670.

If You Have Cancer, The Cancer Institute of Nevada Can Help
The Cancer Institute of Nevada at Summerlin Hospital Medical Center provides advanced inpatient and outpatient cancer treatment in a supportive, healing environment.

The Cancer Institute of Nevada features:

• An experienced, multidisciplinary and compassionate staff. Staff focus on providing individualized care, recognizing that each patient has different health and emotional needs.
• Private rooms for those obtaining inpatient care.
• Full-service infusion and radiation therapy services.
• A Women's Mammography Center that provides mammograms and breast cancer education in a comfortable setting.
• Support groups to help patients and their families cope with cancer.

For more information about The Cancer Institute of Nevada, call 233-7605.

The Valley Health System c/o Valley Hospital Medical Center 620 Shadow Lane Las Vegas, NV 89106