Dialogue: Cancer Equality

Highly curable cancers are viewed as being a ‘good’ cancer where patients receive treatment and return to their normal lives. We invited two cancer survivors who were diagnosed with what people routinely think of as ‘good’ cancers to talk about the misconceptions, cancer equality, and survivorship.

Aime Franco is a 20-year thyroid cancer survivor, diagnosed in college at the age of 22. She has dedicated herself to a career in cancer research and advocacy for improved quality of life for all cancer survivors. Aime leads the newly established Pediatric Thyroid Cancer Translational Research Laboratory at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and is a member of the Abramson Cancer Center at the University of Pennsylvania. Her laboratory research is focused on understanding the differences between adult and pediatric thyroid cancers to improve outcomes. She has served as a scientific mentor for advocates attending the American Association for Cancer Research Annual meeting. 

Aime lives in New Jersey with her husband and three children.

Jonny Imerman is a young adult cancer survivor who strives to make sure no one fights cancer without the support of someone who has already triumphed over the disease. After being diagnosed with testicular cancer at the age of 26, Jonny co-founded Imerman Angels in 2006, a nonprofit organization, which carefully matches a person touched by cancer (a cancer fighter or survivor) with someone who has fought and survived the same type of cancer (a Mentor Angel). Jonny is also the co-founder of CLOZTALK which helps 270+ nonprofits — a one-of-a-kind, free, zero investment service that raises awareness and impact for causes like Feeding America and Big Brothers Big Sisters. Soon, CLOZTALK will engage companies like Google, Walgreens, Deloitte, and Linkedin to support its nonprofits.

Jonny grew up in Bloomfield, Michigan, and lives in New York City.