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Cancer survivor Sue Hume celebrates Cancer Survivors’ Day 2009 with her oncologist, Dr. Wahid Hanna of UT Medical Center’s Cancer Institute
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More than 600 people, including cancer patients, their family members and friends celebrated National Cancer Survivors Day with physicians and staff at The University of Tennessee Medical Center. Hosted by UT Medical Center’s Cancer Institute, Celebrating Life 2009, a local observance of National Cancer Survivors Day, honored cancer survivors who are living with and beyond cancer.
"Our staff members and physicians at the Cancer Institute look forward to Cancer Survivors’ Day every year because it’s such an uplifting experience to see so many cancer survivors and their families coming together on a special day held in their honor," said Renee Hawk, vice president of the Cancer Institute at UT Medical Center. "We focus on the theme of Celebrating Life for our event because it allows cancer survivors to share with others the hope and reality that for so many people there is life after a cancer diagnosis. Advances in medicine, diligence in educating the community about cancer and encouraging people to get their recommended cancer screenings are all helpful in our efforts to have as many people as possible survive cancer."
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Dr. John Bell, medical director of the UT Medical Center Cancer Institute, addresses the crowd of several hundred cancer survivors and visitors at UT Medical Center’s National Cancer Survivors’ Day celebration.
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According to Hawk, there are more than 10 million Americans alive today who have been diagnosed with cancer. This year marked the seventh annual celebration of Cancer Survivors Day at the medical center. A jazz ensemble provided entertainment for the crowd and many healthcare professionals and other agencies provided a wealth of cancer and general health information at educational booths set up at the event.
This year marks the 22nd observance since the inception of National Cancer Survivors Day. The event has evolved into a worldwide celebration of life that’s held in hundreds of communities throughout the United States, Canada and other participating countries. Participants unite in a symbolic event to show the world that life after a cancer diagnosis can be a reality.
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