Our Mission
Cancer Schmancer fights cancer by endorsing healthy lifestyle change. When you focus on nutrition, exercise, removing toxic chemicals from your home, and mental and spiritual health, you support your body’s natural cancer-fighting immune function.
Even better — The same steps that fight cancer fight other diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and liver and kidney disease. Like our Founder & Visionary Fran Drescher says,
“Let’s not get sick in the first place. How’s that for a cure?”
We accomplish these objectives through three key areas: Early Detection, Prevention, and Policy Change.
OUR IMPACT
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Free Cancer
Screenings
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Free
Treatments
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Diabetes
Tests
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Prevention & Lifestyle Education
Fran's Story
I am a uterine cancer survivor, but was misdiagnosed and mistreated for a peri-menopausal condition I didn't have. My doctors told me I was experiencing symptoms because of a long list of reasons – I was too young, too thin, even eating too much spinach! I was prescribed hormones to treat the symptoms, but my doctors didn’t order the proper diagnostic tests. At the time, I didn’t know to ask why or why not, because I was just happy to be told I was too young for something! But finally after an endometrial biopsy, my greatest fear was confirmed; I had cancer. It took me two years and eight doctors before finally being told I had a gynecologic cancer.
I felt betrayed not only by my own body, but by the medical community. In 2002, I wrote Cancer Schmancer, to tell my story of survival so what happened to me wouldn’t happen to others. After I went on my book tour, I realized that what happened to me had happened to so many women like me. And so it was then I realized the book was not the end but rather the beginning of a life mission to improve women's healthcare in America. Toward this end, I have started the Cancer Schmancer Movement and Cancer Schmancer Foundation to transform women from patients into medical consumers, and to shift this nation's priority from searching for a cancer cure towards prevention and early detection of cancer.
We need to take control of our bodies, become greater partners with our physicians and galvanize as one to let our legislators know that the collective female vote is louder and more powerful than that of the richest corporate lobbyists. As Frederick Douglass said, "Power concedes nothing without demand. It never has and it never will."
I got famous, then I got cancer, and now I live to talk about it. Sometimes the best gifts come in the ugliest packages. Please lock elbows with me and join the Cancer Schmancer Movement so together we can do what needs to be done, so fewer of us will die prematurely.
It's time to put on your sun block and get ready for a new dawn!
- Fran Drescher
President & Visionary
Cancer Schmancer Movement
Cancer Shmancer Press
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Who We Are
Fran Drescher
A 20+ year cancer survivor, Fran Drescher has a reputation for passion and commitment.
She is Founder and Visionary of the Cancer Schmancer Movement; dedicated to educating, motivating, and activating patients into medical consumers by connecting lifestyle to disease with her Master Class Health Summit and teen-targeted education video, Be The Change, starring Jamie Foxx.
Fran received two Emmy and two Golden Globe nominations for her portrayal as the lovable “Miss Fine” on CBS’s hit series, The Nanny, which she both created and executive produced. She also created, executive produced and starred in the groundbreaking TV Land sitcom, Happily Divorced, which was inspired by her real-life relationship with her gay ex-husband, Peter Marc Jacobson. Fran recently starred in the new NBC sitcom, Indebted, about a Baby Boomer couple who go broke and have to move in with their adult son and his young family. She has worked with many great directors in films such as Rob Reiner’s This is Spinal Tap, to which Fran won Esquire Magazine’s One Minute Oscar, Milos Forman’s Rag Time, and Francis Ford Coppola’s Jack. She also starred in Beautician and the Beast opposite Timothy Dalton. Her famous voice is currently featured in the top-grossing SONY animated feature franchise film, Hotel Transylvania: In her role as Eunice, the wife of Frank Stein. In 2019, Fran starred in two indie films, The Creatress and After Class. She is currently serving her second term as president of SAG-AFTRA.
An accomplished author, Fran received the prestigious NCCS writer’s award for Cancer Schmancer, which, along with Enter Whining, were New York Times Best Sellers. She also penned the celebrated children's book, Being Wendy. Furthermore, Fran made her Broadway debut as “Madame” in Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Tony-Award winning, Cinderella.
Fran has won countless awards for her leadership in the health space, including the John Wayne Institute Woman of Achievement Award, the Gilda Award, City of Hope Woman of the Year Award, The Albert Einstein Medical School Lifetime Achievement Award, Queens College Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Citizen Artist Award.
Susan Holland
Susan joined the Cancer Schmancer team in July 2008 as a Special Events Coordinator. She volunteered with the organization at its inception due to losing her father and many friends to Cancer. She shifted from events and marketing into her present position as Executive Director. She is a health advocate in her own right and has a passion for developing relationships and connecting people through moments that entertain and make a difference in health across the board. Before joining Cancer Schmancer, Susan Executive Produced a travel series with her former husband. She holds a degree in Fashion Merchandising & Business and specializes in fashion buying, media sales, public relations and event production. She is a proud mother of two daughters and is a dedicated martial artist and spin cyclist.
Al Sophianpoulos
Program Director
Al has a strong dedication to overseeing projects and fundraising events for non-profit organizations. He is an accomplished producer whose background includes film, television, radio and live entertainment. He holds an MFA in screenwriting from the University of Southern California.
He lives in Barnesville, Georgia, with his husband Jeff and golden retrievers Chip, Daisy, and Bubba.
Jennifer Ann Walsh
Web/Marketing Consultant
Jennifer Ann Walsh hails from the Pacific Northwest. Currently she lives in Portland, Oregon and runs a one-woman design studio specializing in websites for forward thinking entrepreneurs and mission based organizations. She likes wild food and raw adventures. When she’s not helping people on a mission craft their online presence, you can find her noodling around with music, plants and words.
Board of Directors
Fran Drescher, President
Uh-Oh Productions
Reid Drescher, Treasurer
Spencer Clarke LLC
Elizabeth Munson, Secretary
Rockefeller Trust Company
Lori Levine
Flying Televison
Founding Members
Ami Aronson
Roberta Ashkin
John Paul and Eloise DeJoria
Itchko Ezratti
Erika Glazer
John and Susan Hess
Sherry Lansing
Twyla Littleton-Shabtai
Rosie O’Donnell
Rick and Vicki Wuest
Martin and Barbara Zweig
Sponsors & Supporters
Where would we be without our angels?
Golden Circle Donors
Gary and Pennie Abramson
Dan and Donna Aykroyd
Ann Hampton Callaway
JP's Peace, Love, and Happiness Foundation
Roy and Barbara March
Matisse Footwear
Elaine and Allan Rich, in memoriam
Jay Rosenberg
The Rudin Family Foundation
Tom and Susan Santefort
Prudence and Robert Sternin
Round Table Members
The Annenberg Foundation
Lauran Bromley
Brett & Rebecca Kelly
Jennifer and Brad Levin
Mary Ellen Moschetti
Evan Sacks
Advisory Boards
Our Partners
how you can help
Your generosity will go a long way in saving lives through our
prevention, early detection and policy change programs!
Join the Round Table
The Round Table is a group of like-minded philanthropists who advocate for our mission.
MAKE A DONATION
Help save lives by supporting our Early Detection and Prevention programs
SHOP OUR PARTNERS
A portion of every purchase supports our mission to save lives.