Health care, specifically oncology, doesn’t adhere to country borders or cultural differences. Cancer, in its many forms, affects millions the world over, and groups like the Middle East Cancer Consortium (MECC) and ONS are working diligently to spread quality cancer care interventions to the region.

My community hospital serves patients from several, small rural counties and many of the patients that I meet do not have a clear understanding of what palliative care is. Many are afraid of this term and by mentioning it, I have turned the conversation into a negative.

As a certified hospice and palliative care nurse, I was grateful to see the joint response from three nursing organizations that embraced the challenges presented in the IOM report, "Dying in America: Improving Quality and Honoring Individual Preferences Near the End of Life," and discussed how palliative nursing can address the key recommendations.

The war on cancer began in 1971 when Nixon signed the National Cancer Act. Since then, the war rages on. MD Anderson vows to make cancer history. Walking fundraisers urge people to join the fight, one step at a time. People who win the battle against cancer are survivors and those who don't—did they not fight hard enough?