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What Does It Mean To Be A "Cancer Survivor"?

NPR | By NPR/TED Staff

Published July 31, 2015 at 9:36 AM EDT

Part 5 of theTED Radio Hour episodeFighting Cancer

About Debra Jarvis' TED Talk

Debra Jarvis had breast cancer, but it doesn't define her, she says. Jarvis explains how clinging to the identity of "survivor" sometimes stifles personal growth.

About Debra Jarvis

is an ordained minister and a writer. She was formerly a chaplain at the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, and has also served as a pastoral consultant for volunteer groups caring for people with AIDS and MS. Jarvis the author of It's Not About the Hair: And Other Certainties of Life & Cancer. Jarvis is also a writer-in-residence for the University Congregational United Church of Christ in Seattle.