‘The Patients Who Have the Best Outcomes are Able to Advocate for Themselves’: Rare Cancer Survivor Sue Manber on Why It’s Critical to Speak Up

Skin cancer survivor Sue Manber wants to remind anyone facing a new diagnosis that there is still hope — but it's also critical to be actively involved in your care. She knows because she's been through it. "We're living at a remarkable time where we've unlocked the power of cancer care," she told SurvivorNet during a recent chat. "We're seeing huge increases in the survival rates. We're bringing drugs that were — just a few years ago — just for metastatic patients into the earlier setting." Manber, who was diagnosed with an extremely rare cancer called Merkel cell carcinoma more than a decade ago, has become an advocate for patients and now works for Publicis Health. During our chat, Manber stressed that even with all the advances in the world of cancer care and treatment, it is still critical that patients advocate for themselves. RELATED: 'Be Pushy' When it Comes to Getting Answers About Your Health "It's becoming clearer and clearer that the patients who have the best outcomes are able to advocate for themselves, or have the support system around them in order to advocate," Manber explains. "I tell patients all the time: the thing you don't say is directly related to the care you don't get." Her advice to patients is to let your care team know what's important to you. Don't leave a doctor's office with questions still lingering. This is the time to speak up and make sure you are heard.