focus on empathy as A transformative compass.
Cancer Culture: Fixing the Landscape by Infusing Empathy is many things at once. It is a guide for steering clear of cancer and navigating the challenges of treatment and also delves into complementary approaches that augment traditional Western methods. It also offers thoughtful ideas and techniques to help patients thrive and maintain resilience during treatment and to approach life's end with an open, positive frame of mind that can help bring peace. The insufficiency of current cancer prevention and treatment strategies prompts a call to action presented in the form of a manifesto within this book, advocating for a reimagining of cancer care with a focus on empathy as the transformative compass.
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I have had the honor of witnessing the transformative potential of a cancer diagnosis in thousands of people … many view death as the end, a failure, and yet my experience reveals another reality — that cancer is an opportunity, a messenger, and can heal people even into their dying. Fewer, however, take that opportunity and turn it into something that will leave a legacy for generations to come. Jackie was one of those people. Though our paths intersected briefly, her words kept me clinging to her essence. Her writing and rawness and ability to tell a story, not an easy one, has been a healing balm, a life raft in the storm, and a call to action for so many … one thing is for sure, Jackie sucked the marrow out of every morsel of life, and death, and left us all hungry for more.
— Dr. Nasha Winters, ND, FABNO
Cancer Culture: Fixing the Landscape by Infusing Empathy should be required reading for anyone beginning cancer treatment. Jackie’s collection of essays demonstrates the current state of cancer care in the United States, illustrating the problems and solutions. As a father who lost a child who battled cancer, I highly recommend Chapter 34, “Dear Aspiring Oncologist,” for any person entering the medical profession. Jackie's conclusions bring us back to one word: Empathy. Every action must start with this ideal to change the cancer care paradigm.
— Brandt Butze, Founder, Jacob Butze Memorial Foundation Executive Director and Co-Founder, Metabolic Terrain Institute of Health
The world is a better place due to Dr. Jackie Acho’s contributions. She was a loving daughter, impeccable wife, nurturing mother, brilliant entrepreneur, a valued friend, and an expert on the power of empathy … She accurately and concisely details her heroic will to survive the empathy gap in current cancer care propagated by corporatism and big pharma. The future of cancer care undoubtedly will be closer to Dr. Acho’s vision than the current failing models. This, her second book, is an enlightening read for patients, nurses, doctors, cancer clinic navigators, hospital administrators, and anyone associated with big pharma.
— Mark Dabagia, MD, FACS
author biography
Dr. Jacqueline Acho earned a PhD in Inorganic Chemistry from MIT, and worked in strategy, leadership, and cultural transformation for more than 25 years as a partner of McKinsey & Company and as an entrepreneur. She wrote, consulted, and spoke about the power of empathy and her first book, "Currency of Empathy: The Secret to Thriving in Business & Life," paints a vision of a better way to live and work. Upon her diagnosis of ovarian cancer in February 2020, she wrote about her experience with extraordinary insight, grace and beauty. "Cancer Culture: Fixing the Landscape by Infusing Empathy," is the result of those writings. Jackie passed away at home in hospice care on December 22, 2022.
Learn more about Jackie and her writing and speaking
Check out her other book and Ted talk here
