Approximately 30 female cancer survivors are participating in Survivors’ Revival: Appalachian Women Testifying about Surviving Cancer Survivorship, a day-long event coordinated by Dr. Kelly Dorgan and Dr. Sadie Hutson, faculty members at East Tennessee State University. The program will be held on Friday, Sept. 26, at Tipton-Haynes State Historic Site and will include women from several counties in Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia.
“Our goal is to better understand the experiences of Appalachian women who have been diagnosed with cancer and explore what it means to be a cancer survivor,” said Dorgan, an associate professor in the ETSU Department of Communication. “More research is critical to better understand and respond to the unique challenges and needs of these women and their caregivers. Various organizations, agencies, and businesses are partnering together to raise attention to this worthwhile issue.”
The event will include a keynote address by a local oncology nurse and cancer survivor and will be followed by breakout sessions for women to testify about their cancer experiences.
“We are enthusiastic that this event will be the foundation for further research focusing on cancer survivorship as a means to improve the care we provide to these very special patients,” said Hutson, an assistant professor in the ETSU Division of Hematology and Oncology at the James H. Quillen College of Medicine.
Sponsors of the event include the Department of Communication, the Division of Hematology and Oncology, and the Women’s Studies program (all at ETSU), along with Food City, the Tennessee Comprehensive Cancer Control Coalition, and the Tipton-Haynes State Historic Site.

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