5 Important Ways to Celebrate Cancer Survivorship

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May is National Cancer Survivor Month, a time to celebrate and support those who have gone through a cancer journey!

Let’s look at five ways to celebrate, honor, and support cancer survivors.

1. Read about Real Latino Cancer Survivors

At Salud America!, we’re inspired by personal stories of cancer survivorship.

That is why we showcase amazing Salud Heroes like Marielle Santos McLeod, who survived colon cancer and now champions the patient voice through advocacy work.

“It allows me the opportunity not only to be a [patient leader], but to also share the importance of why our [involvement in research] matters,” Santos McLeod said.

Read more about these Salud Heroes:

Read more about these Salud Heroes:

• Brittney Millard: Helping Patients and Persevering Through Breast Cancer
• Linda Mota: Champion for Cancer Prevention and Research
• Yoli Day: From Stomach Cancer Survivor to Health Leader, Clinical Trial Supporter
• ‘It Helped Me Because I’m Here’: Why Diana Lopez Chose a Clinical Trial
• Tony Rentas: A ‘Soldado’ Helping Others Fight Battles Against Brain Tumors
• Leonel Rodriguez: Helpful Treatment Through a Cancer Clinical Trial

“The earlier you get diagnosed, the more meaningful interventions can be taken, and you can actually…have a better experience with it, as opposed to when it’s too late,” said Rick Alvarado, another Salud Hero and cancer survivor.

Read, share, and watch these stories along with other Salud Heroes here.

2. Explore Cancer Survivor Resources

Many organizations provide different educational tools and resources.

The American Cancer Society has a page for cancer support.

For survivors, ACS has information and resources on follow-up care, survivorship care plans, and support groups and other services.

“No two people are alike, and everyone has their own way of coping. Adjusting to life after cancer takes time and practice,” according to the ACS.

Similarly, Cancer Care also makes resources available related to post-treatment survivorship, from counseling to resource navigation to workshops.

Cancer Nation has a Cancer Survival Toolbox,  an audio program created by leading cancer organizations to help people develop skills to better meet and understand the challenges of their illness.

The free audio program includes topics like “Living Beyond Cancer,” finding information, and making decisions when it comes to treatment.

“The program contains a set of basic skills and special topics. Each scenario is inspired by true stories of real cancer patients. The Cancer Survival Toolbox® is for people at any point in their care,” Cancer Nation states.

3. Join Online and In-Person Events for Cancer Survivors

There are plenty of events to join both online and in person to celebrate cancer survivors.

The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) shares survivor journeys and has several online events available including:

• The AACR Annual Meeting 2025 SessionSY32 – Redefining Cancer Survivorship for People Living with Advanced and Metastatic Cancers available on demand.
• The National Cancer Institute’s Office of Cancer Survivorship (OCS) will present an OCS Director’s Series webinar on “A Novel Approach to Reducing Fear of Progression and Trauma Symptoms in People with Advanced Cancer” on Wednesday, June 10^,
• The Ellison Medical Institute will hold an Insights Forum on “Are there new ‘conceptual frameworks’ that will transform the diagnosis, treatment, early detection, and prevention of cancer in the next 1-5 years?” on Friday, June 12, 2026.

You can also share on social media using the hashtags #CelebrateSurvivorship and #NationalCancerSurvivorMonth.

4. Volunteer for a Clinical Trial

Diseases like cancer can hurt many of our abuelos, moms, dads, and others we love.

Clinical trials help us fight for our familia.

Clinical trials are studies that help researchers learn more to help slow, manage, and treat cancer, dementia, and other health conditions for current and future family members. But without volunteers for clinical trials, the benefits may miss this group.

Visit our clinical trials page to find a clinical trial, read about hero volunteers, and more!

“Volunteers in clinical trials are not only helping themselves, but they’re also building a future with better treatments that can help their families in the future,” said Dr. Amelie Ramirez, director of Salud America! and the Institute for Health Promotion Research at UT Health San Antonio.

Those looking for opportunities based in San Antonio can search the Mays Cancer Center at UT Health San Antonio’s Find a Clinical Trial database to learn more about available clinical trials and eligibility requirements.

On a national level, visit clinicaltrials.gov to find a clinical trial near you.

FIND A CLINICAL TRIAL!

5. Participate in the Avanzando Caminos Cancer Survivor Study

Clinical research is an important part of advancing health outcomes for all.

That’s why  Dr. Amelie Ramirez of UT Health San Antonio and Mays Cancer Center is leading the Avanzando Caminos Hispanic/Latino Cancer Survivorship study, a longitudinal observational study that explores the factors that mark the Hispanic/Latino cancer survivorship journey in South Texas.

Under the management of Dr. Derek Rodriguez, the study team is meeting with 1,500 participants in South Texas over the course of seven study visits spread out over five years in hopes that certain patterns may emerge.

By isolating this data, the study team hopes to address inconsistencies in cancer care related to the non-medical drivers of health and come up with interventions that ultimately go toward bettering the lives of future cancer survivors.

“We want to be able to empower others to share their story as well. And we want to be able to better understand, detect, treat, and prevent cancer in the long run for other future survivors,” Dr. Rodriguez said.

To volunteer for Avanzando Caminos or ask questions, contact Dr. Ramirez’s team at the Institute for Health Promotion Research at UT Health San Antonio at 210-562-6514 or caminos@uthscsa.edu.

Alternatively, visit the Avanzando Caminos website in English or Spanish to fill out a quick eligibility survey and a member of the study team will be in touch!