About Cancer Champions

When you or your loved one receives a cancer diagnosis, it can feel overwhelming. While you are trying to process the news, you’re also faced with many important decisions. Do I need a second opinion? Is my doctor qualified for my type of cancer or do I need a specialist? What treatment options are available? What do all these medical terms mean?    

You do not have to face a cancer diagnosis alone. Cancer Champions can be your expert guide to answer your questions, explain the medical terms, and research your options, so you can make the best decisions about your cancer care.

Meet Dana Hutson: An expert guide to navigating a cancer diagnosis.

By combining my healthcare knowledge with my personal experience of cancer within my family, I’m uniquely positioned to provide holistic, compassionate guidance to people facing a cancer diagnosis. I help families navigate through their cancer journey and give them the information they need—as well as peace of mind.

Here’s my story:

I have always loved medicine and science. Growing up in a family of physicians and nurses, I was never “afraid” of the doctor’s office.

I left for college to pursue a medical degree. While studying, I discovered that I had a much higher aptitude for business and graduated with a marketing degree. But my love for medicine never faded.

Upon graduation, I began working in the healthcare industry. Throughout my 24-year career, my business skills kept me on the front lines of healthcare delivery where I worked mostly in oncology. This has given me an in-depth knowledge of cancer care—through oncology training and professional experience relating to clinical treatment, research, and patient advocacy and assistance.

I have also served as a board or committee member with several patient advocacy non-profit organizations, such as The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, The Lymphoma Research Foundation and the Make a Wish Foundation.

Navigating Cancer through Personal Experience

In 2015, cancer came to my family. My father was diagnosed in the beginning of October and died just three weeks later. Throughout that intense period of our personal cancer journey I frequently thought, how do people without some knowledge of the medical maze manage all of this?

I spent the next 14 months guiding friends and family through cancer experiences that touched on every facet of the disease. I continued to wonder how people without medical experience decipher all of the information, terminology, research and care options, while managing their appointments, health insurance and emotions.

I quickly realized there is a great need and a tremendous opportunity to help people facing a cancer diagnosis.  I knew that I wanted to act as their champion when they most need one, especially as healthcare becomes more confusing and costly.

A More Compassionate Alternative

Most healthcare systems have created nurse navigator positions and  insurance companies offer advocates for their clients. Almost every cancer has a disease-specific advocacy group to provide information and support. All of these resources are valuable and provide excellent services; however, the service providers are ultimately aligned with the organizations they work for, not the individual with cancer.

For this reason, I founded Cancer Champions as a way to share my professional as well as personal knowledge, wisdom and experience exclusively with the family or individual facing a cancer diagnosis. My background in the medical field gives me deep insight into understanding a cancer diagnosis, translating medical terminology, researching and vetting clinical trial options and treatment protocols for various forms of cancer, coordinating multidisciplinary care, preparing for doctor’s appointments, and much more.

This knowledge, combined with my personal understanding of the importance of compassion during the process, yields many benefits for families in need. In a caring and gentle way, I help them find peace during a life-changing event, give them quality time with loved ones by alleviating the research burden, present options, and empower them to make decisions with confidence.

If you or a family member find yourselves facing the doubt, uncertainty and fear associated with a cancer diagnosis, I am here to help.

I founded Cancer Champions to provide guidance to individuals and families facing a cancer diagnosis who are overwhelmed by the treatment options and the healthcare system. Unlike hospital navigators or insurance advocates, my loyalty is to you and your loved ones. By offering education about care decisions, I empower individuals and families facing cancer to make informed decisions while helping them find peace throughout their cancer journey.