What would you tell your younger self about preventing cervical cancer? In this letter shaped by survivor experience and resources from Cervivor, Inc., patients share the hard-won lessons about HPV vaccination, screening, navigating the healthcare system, and why protecting your future self is self-care.

When a Smart Patients member announced "I am declared NED," the community responded with music—Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody," happy dances, and shared joy that only people living with cancer truly understand. This is Movement IV of "I Am...Rescued by Music," where a three-year conversation with over 1,000 posts reveals how music creates community, celebrates milestones, and reminds patients they're never listening alone.

Not all music is meant to make you feel better. In Movement III of I Am…Rescued by Music, Smart Patients explore the songs people turn to when they need permission to feel what hurts — and stay with it.

Desmoid tumors are rare, unpredictable, and often managed through active surveillance rather than immediate treatment. In this Ask the Expert discussion, Cleveland Clinic oncologist Dr. Dale Shepard addresses common desmoid tumor questions—from fertility and hormone exposure to clinical trials and evolving standards of care.

Discover how music becomes more than sound, how it transforms into memory, comfort, and connection for people navigating illness and loss. In this second movement of I Am...Rescued by Music, community members share how melodies outlast names, lyrics anchor what fades, and songs become bridges between who we were and who we are now.

Ask the Expert (ATE) sessions surface uncertainties that drive patient anxiety, inconsistent care decisions, and underutilization of evidence-based practices in rare diseases like FAP. When experts clarify these issues, patients shift from fear-driven behavior to informed, proactive decision-making. This ATE closes knowledge gaps and reveals unmet needs, barriers to guideline adoption, and opportunities to design interventions that align more closely with patient behavior and lived experience.

It started with a walk that almost didn’t happen. One perfectly timed song later, this Smart Patients’ community began sharing the music that helps them get through the day. We’re telling this story in four movements, like a concerto with different parts.

I Am…Grateful for You reflects on what truly matters in an online patient community—meaningful conversations, shared experience, and peer support that helps patients and caregivers navigate diagnosis, treatment, and uncertainty together. Through powerful member quotes, this end-of-year story shows how Smart Patients creates a trusted, supportive space where people feel heard, informed, and less alone.

In this end-of-year update, head and neck cancer survivor Don Jackson and his wife Ann reflect on eight more months of survivorship. Their story shows how community, proactive research, and hope can continue to influence outcomes long after a stage 4 cancer diagnosis.

Two fathers turned the experience of caring for a child into lifelong missions to support families facing pediatric alopecia and childhood cancer. This story explores how nonprofit leadership and peer-to-peer communities like Smart Patients help parents and children navigate fear, uncertainty, and treatment decisions together.

Ever wonder what it’s really like to record your first podcast? Hear from three Smart Patients community members who did just that—and shared every surprise, tech hiccup, and empowering moment behind the mic. Get inspired and explore our community-built podcasting toolkit.

Even during illness, uncertainty, and the heaviness of the holiday season, moments of joy still emerge. In this Smart Patients community story, members share how small, everyday delights—nature, connection, laughter, and gratitude—help them cope with chronic illness and serious health conditions. Together, these shared moments remind us that we are more than our diagnoses, and that joy can still find us, one small moment at a time.

Smart Patients and the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network hosted an Ask the Expert session with Dr. Efrat Dotan, GI Medical Oncologist at Penn Medicine during Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month. Participants opened up about the symptoms that get missed, the genetic risks families don’t hear about soon enough, and the treatment decisions that keep them up at night.

For Crohn’s & Colitis Awareness Week, we’re sharing a firsthand story from someone who has lived with Crohn’s disease for more than 30 years—highlighting the physical, emotional, and dietary challenges that December can bring.

GERD and acid reflux often peak during the holidays, when heavier meals and disrupted routines can trigger painful flare-ups. In this Smart Patients story, community members share what GERD really feels like and what helps.

Unpaid caregivers shoulder staggering physical, emotional, and financial burdens that often go unseen — yet they are essential to patient health and outcomes. Smart Patients surveyed nearly 300 caregivers to hear from them what they want the world to understand. This summary presents their data, their words, and how they link to evidence-based research.

Stomach cancer affects patients from ages 22 to 89, and this story explores how people across generations navigate symptoms, treatment decisions, and daily life after diagnosis. Drawing on real Smart Patients conversations and data from ASCO 2025, it highlights emerging therapies and hope for gastric cancer care.

In honor of Antibiotic Awareness Week, this story examines how repeated UTIs, long-term bladder issues, and multiple antibiotic courses pushed one patient into antibiotic resistance. This is why understanding antimicrobial resistance and everyday stewardship practices is essential for anyone navigating chronic infections.

A Smart Patients’ question—“Should I have surgery now or wait?”—sparked an insightful discussions in the pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor (pNET) community. This story, shared for World Neuroendocrine Cancer Day, explores how patients navigate uncertainty, timing, and treatment choices for this rare form of pancreatic cancer.

After successful cancer treatment, an unexpected diabetes diagnosis left one patient searching for answers and support. In the Smart Patients Diabetes Community, they found understanding, practical advice, and hope.