凯西·朱斯蒂 (@KathyGiusti) is the founder and chief mission officer of the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation. She co-chairs the Harvard Business School Kraft Precision Medicine Accelerator, which she helped found. Kathy has been named one of Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World. The opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author. Read more 意见 在CNN上.
在 2003, when Colin Powell 宣布 he was undergoing treatment for prostate cancer, I remember being struck by the news. As a cancer patient myself — I was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 1996 — I knew how difficult it was to speak out about a diagnosis. Making that information public made you vulnerable. And that only increased for someone who was also the secretary of state.
A decade and a half later, I had the honor of meeting General Powell at an event hosted by the research and advocacy group I co-founded with my sister, 的 Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF). He was to join me for a fireside chat at our annual dinner in the fall of 2019. In a tragic twist of fate, he called me shortly before the event to let me know that he had recently been diagnosed with multiple myeloma.
We talked about whether he would reveal his diagnosis, and he ultimately decided he would. The evening of the event, our fireside chat spanned everything from how he proposed to his wife to the leadership lessons that served him throughout his decades in Washington. As our discussion drew to a close, General Powell shared his diagnosis. The room went silent. The guests, over four hundred patients, 照顾者, clinicians and researchers, processed a four-star general revealing this deeply personal news. Out of respect, that news never left the ballroom.
Until his passing this week, General Powell’s diagnosis remained private. And as our nation reflects on his legacy as a civil servant and military leader, and the history he made as the first Black secretary of state and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, we also understand how cancer can put even the strongest among us at the highest of risk. And our vulnerability is only heightened as we continue navigating the Covid-19 pandemic.
Treatment for multiple myeloma — and other cancers — can impact the immune system. Research indicates that patients may have a weak response to the Covid-19 vaccine, or no response at all. This puts them at a greater risk not just for contracting the virus, but also facing the serious complications that can result from it. Additional risk factors, like a person’s age or other underlying health conditions, only heighten the danger of Covid-19 for someone who has been diagnosed with cancer.
So where does that leave us? 对于一个, cancer patients must stay vigilant. It’s imperative they receive the Covid-19 vaccine as an initial line of defense against the virus. 跟随那个, they should confer with their physician to test their antibody levels and ensure that their immune systems are responding to the vaccine. 同样地, patients should ask their doctors about getting booster shots — especially as they become available to those who received the Moderna and Johnson & 约翰逊疫苗.
Equally important is the need for individuals to be proactive about screening for cancer. The American Cancer Society estimates that 1.9 百万人 will be diagnosed with cancer in 2021. 然而, many cancer screenings throughout the pandemic were delayed. And many patients have not been as diligent about scheduling these appointments as they might have been in normal circumstances. But now is the time for men and women, especially those who may be at a higher risk for cancer, to talk to their doctors about whether they should schedule an appointment and get screened. The need for early diagnosis and prevention is critical to the fight against cancer.
It’s not easy to confront the possibility of cancer. But as we admire General Powell for his long list of accomplishments and contributions to our nation, I think about the man I sat beside on that October night in 2019. There was a different type of bravery about him, one separate from what he’d shown in his military career.
It took great strength for him to be so open and vulnerable with a crowd of strangers. “I’m one of you,” I recall him saying to us that night. “I’m now in this battle.” We concluded the evening with a powerful leader and advocate in our corner. And for this, and so many other reasons, General Powell will be greatly missed.
