In the wild, two majestic elk face each other, antlers interlocked in a test of strength. Each pushes with all its might, determined not to yield. But as they struggle, both risk exhaustion, injury, and a fate neither desire, trapped by the very force meant to prove their power.

This image reflects a painful reality in our communities’ battle against cancer. Too often, patients, families, health workers, and entire systems find themselves “locked horns.” We push against limited resources, against miscommunication, and against the exhausting complexities of the disease itself. In our determination to win, we sometimes forget that the true enemy is cancer, not each other.

The truth is simple and profound: no one wins when we push against each other. We win only when we pull together.

The time has come to consciously, deliberately, untangle our horns.

This is our collective call to action. Let’s transform cancer care from a battlefield into a united front.

• To community leaders and advocates: Share your voice, your trust, and your lived experience. Help us build a system that truly understands those it serves.
• To healthcare professionals: Let us recommit to partnership with our patients and their families, listening as intently as we prescribe.
• To policymakers and administrators: We urge you to design systems that foster coordination, break down silos, and fund integrated care that puts people before paperwork.
• To every individual touched by this disease: Your courage is our compass. Your stories fuel our resolve.

Progress is not born from struggle against one another, but from a shared journey forward. Let’s stop pushing, and start pulling together. Let’s channel our collective strength into compassion, our coordination into hope, and our unity into lives saved.

The challenge is great, but our combined strength is greater. Join us in this shared journey