[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 25 (Thursday, February 11, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E168-E169]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 HONORING THE LIFE OF ELLEN L. STOVALL

                                 ______
                                 

                     HON. CHARLES W. BOUSTANY, JR.

                              of louisiana

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, February 11, 2016

  Mr. BOUSTANY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to mourn the passing of Ellen 
Lewis Stovall, but more importantly, to celebrate the life of a cancer 
advocate and pioneer. During a 44 year period, Ellen defeated cancer on 
3 separate occasions and advocated for improved cancer treatment for 
more than 30 years.
   At 24 years old, just weeks after giving birth to her son, Ellen was 
diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma and told she had less than a

[[Page E169]]

20 percent chance of survival. Against the odds, Ellen beat cancer and 
went on to found a support group for young cancer survivors at 
Georgetown University Hospital. During this time is when she became a 
strong advocate for the term cancer ``survivor'' as opposed to 
``victim,'' as the key to a new way of thinking about the disease.
   In 1988, she was elected to the board of the National Coalition of 
Cancer Survivorship, where she later served as President and CEO. 
Ellen's contributions to the cancer treatment community are too 
numerous to count. Among various positions with the National Cancer 
Institute, American Association for Cancer Research, and the American 
Society of Clinical Oncology, she was appointed to the NCI's National 
Cancer Advisory Board by President Clinton in 1992. She later served as 
Vice President of the Institute of Medicine's National Cancer Policy 
Board and went on to become a founding member of the board's 
successor--the National Cancer Policy Forum.
   As a doctor, I recognize the countless contributions Ellen made to 
the cancer treatment community. Her relentless advocacy of a more 
patient-centered approach to cancer survivors made her a pioneering 
figure in cancer treatment. I had the privilege of working with Ellen 
and Representative Lois Capps (D-CA) to introduce the PATH Act 
providing a cancer treatment roadmap for patients. Ellen will be 
missed, not only by those of us who were fortunate enough to call her a 
friend, but also by the countless cancer survivors whose lives she has 
positively impacted. I ask the House of Representatives to join me in 
recognizing her many years of dedication to improving the lives of her 
fellow cancer survivors.

                          ____________________