SPECIAL ISSUE: THE 50th ANNIVERSARY OF THE NATIONAL CANCER ACT OF 1971 - COMMENTARY - NATIONAL CANCER ACT OF 1971: PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL PERSPECTIVES OF ITS EFFECTS ON CANCER CARE AND CANCER NURSING

This paper reviews perspectives of the significance of the National Cancer Act of 1971, made personal through two lengthy oncology nursing careers, one alongside the experience of a now long-term cancer survivor. Our careers have come to be de ned by a variety of oncology nursing roles, leadership in the Oncology Nursing Society, and interests in nursing history, particularly as it relates to nurses whose career paths largely focus on individuals affected by cancer, encompassing acute and chronic cancer care, cancer research, oncology nursing research, and the evolution of understanding the needs of cancer survivors.