Rethinking cancer, one story at a time

Cancer isn’t just a diagnosis. It’s a life-altering experience, different for every single person who faces it. That’s why, this World Cancer Day (and far beyond it), we’re embracing its theme – United by Unique – because no two cancer journeys are the same. As the 2025 campaign reminds us, storytelling has the power to connect, inspire, and drive real change. It’s also a formidable tool to reshape perspectives, challenge stigma and rethink cancer in ways that empower and unite.

For too long, the way we talk about cancer has been rooted in battle metaphors – fighting, surviving, the ‘war on cancer’. But just as medicine and science are evolving, so is the conversation. Today, we’re shifting towards a new way of thinking – one that sees cancer as something we can live with, not just something we fight. And at the heart of this shift are real patient stories.

Stories remind us that cancer isn’t just about statistics, treatments, or even survival rates. It’s about people – people who love, laugh, struggle, and hope. People like Maggie Keswick Jencks, who used her own experience with cancer to reimagine what cancer support could look like. She created Maggie’s, a network of health centres offering professional and emotional support in spaces that feel warm, welcoming, and full of life. Her vision was simple but radical: no one should lose the joy of living in the fear of dying. That’s the power of storytelling – turning a personal experience into something that changes the world for others.

Today, we’re shifting towards a new way of thinking – one that sees cancer as something we can live with, not just something we fight. And at the heart of this shift are real patient stories.

At VML Health, we’ve seen firsthand how real stories can spark action. Take ‘The Cancer Currency’, our campaign with Europa Donna that celebrated the stories of people with metastatic breast cancer (mBC). The campaign created individual banknotes that celebrated the stories of real women living with mBC. These women weren’t just part of the creative, they were the creative. Their lived experiences made the storytelling so compelling, it influenced European policy, getting mBC recognized in the European Cancer Directive.

Equally impactful was ‘I Am Breast Cancer’, our campaign with the ABC Global Alliance, where women with advanced breast cancer shared their own realities, highlighting gaps in care that needed to be addressed. Later this year, the ABC Global Alliance will publish its 10-year review of mBC care and unmet needs. Its conclusions will be anchored in those real patient stories.

Then there’s ‘Paintings of Hope’, our work with Gilead, where women with mBC spoke openly about its impact on their lives while AI robotics translated their words into art in real time. Those paintings became more than just visuals, they became symbols of their experiences – powerful enough to reach the Spanish Parliament, pushing for legislative change to speed up access to funding for metastatic cancer drugs.

Paintings of Hope Patients — A filming break for the stars of Gilead’s Paintings of Hope campaign. This campaign led to shorter approval times for drugs in Spain, including those used to treat mBC.

These campaigns work because they put patients at the centre. Not as props. Not as statistics. But as human beings with rich, full lives, whose voices deserve to be heard. That’s why we’re proud to announce that this year we will be working alongside Maggie’s, exploring new ways to use storytelling and communications to make cancer support more personal, more human, and more effective.

World Cancer Day is a moment to reflect on how far we’ve come – and how far we still need to go. The way we talk about cancer matters. The stories we tell matter. Because when we listen to real people, we create more than just awareness. We create change.

In a world of short-form content and instant gratification, deep and emotive storytelling goes against the grain, with platforms like TikTok and Insta often favouring quick-hit narratives. But health marketers have the ability – and the responsibility – to explore the rich layers of real experiences, uncover the nuances, and craft stories that resonate on a deeply human level. Stories that connect – that get to the heart of cancer. Brands that truly want to change health need to invest in this kind of storytelling, leaning into authenticity and depth rather than surface-level engagement.

So, as we mark this day, let’s keep sharing more stories, amplifying more voices, and making sure that every single person facing cancer knows - you are seen, you are valued, and you are never alone.