CANCER101 (C101) was founded in 2002 by Monica Knoll, whose experience with being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2000 inspired her to help others. Unfortunately, Monica Knoll lost her battle to ovarian cancer in June 2011, but through her supportive staff, strategic partners, volunteers and board of directors, her legacy and vision lives on through CANCER101. A cancer diagnosis is often an overwh
elmingly frustrating experience. Patients and caregivers are immediately confronted with a deluge of new information, confusing terminology, paperwork, financial concerns and forced to make life-saving (and changing) decisions regarding treatment options. In addition, it’s a daunting process to coordinate travel logistics, navigate insurance policies or find help if faced with little or no insurance—all while managing daily work and family obligations. Having a plan of action, the means to stay organized and access to appropriate resources and information is half the battle. C101meets the cancer patient on the front line and turns a chaotic experience into a calm and organized plan of attack. Just as important, C101 is there after the treatments are over to help survivors manage important post-treatment appointments, medications and survivorship issues. C101 provides the tools and resources patients and caregivers need to partner with their healthcare team to make informed medical decisions. Participating in the medical plan, instead of being a victim, gives patients and their families a feeling of hope. C101 helps anyone affected by cancer including the newly diagnosed, those with a recurrence, metastatic disease, survivors, caregivers, and healthcare professionals. Our tools are designed to help all demographics including the under-served population. We also consider every recipient of the C101 tools to be a potential foot soldier in educating his/her friends, family & local communities about cancer prevention & early detection. C101 has distributed resources to over 600 participating National Cancer Institute and Association of Community Cancer Centers, as well as community oncologist practices, to provide free to patients in need. One of our main objectives includes tailoring our existing resources to meet the needs of various patient demographics. In an era of personalized care, accommodating the needs of patients is critical, thus we intend to evolve through partnerships and collaborations with other organizations to meet those needs.
