Mortimer's concern doesn't stop there, said Diana Knapp, the oncology program's nurse coordinator. Mortimer had the well-being of her patients in mind seven years ago when she selected Knapp as her head nurse. While highly qualified as a floor nurse, Knapp had no textbook oncology background when Mortimer hired her. Knapp is, however, a breast cancer survivor. There's no doubt about it.
Patients relate best to people who have had the disease.
Knapp's struggle with breast cancer 12 years ago means she can give patients advice from the trenches. She's also a symbol of hope. Studying alternative treatments The odds of surviving breast cancer are better today than ever. About 65 percent of all women who contract the disease are cured. Still, the disease claims 46,000 lives a year and remains the second most common cause of cancer death among women, following lung cancer.