Hundreds of cancer survivors and their family members will hold a celebration of life at Scripps Green Hospital in La Jolla this Sunday. The free event is open to anyone who's been touched by cancer.
This will be the 19th year that oncology social worker Tom Friedman has organized the event.
He said it wasn't that long ago there was a lot of stigma associated with a cancer diagnosis. Friedman said now, people are much more open to talking about the disease and reaching out to others for help.
He said Sunday's event is a true celebration.
“People with cancer don't generally get together to have a party,” Friedman points out. “And that's essentially what this is. It's kind of like gathering of the tribe. It's a chance to mingle with other folks that have faced a similar struggle."
More than eleven million Americans are cancer survivors. The overall cancer survival rate stands about 75 percent compared to 50 percent 20 years ago.
