Cancer Survivor Care’s
Beginning & Inspiring Journey
The Inspiration Behind Cancer Survivor Care
Cancer Survivor Care’s beginning and journey are rooted in the remarkable story of Dr. Reese Patterson, a physician who survived stomach cancer against all odds. Dr. Reese Patterson was diagnosed with metastatic stomach cancer in 1987. After a total gastrectomy (removal of the stomach) and part of his esophagus, he was told he had only 12–18 months to live. Against all odds, he lived another 34+ years, passing in 2022 at the age of 95. His inspiring cancer survival story and the nutrition, exercise, and coping strategies he developed and shared with other patients have become a lasting resource and source of inspiration for Cancer Survivor Care.
The Cancer Survivor Care Journey
Dr. Reese Patterson, a respected Knoxville physician, not only survived stomach cancer but returned to competitive tennis. Alongside his long-time tennis partner Stan Ford,himself a survivor of Wegener’s Syndrome, he won the 1991 USTA National Men’s Senior Grass Court Championship. He was inducted in to the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame in 1992.
It was at the peak of these tournament wins that Dr. Cynthia Collins, a Dietitian and Health Psychologist, met Dr. Patterson. Together they expanded on his innovative nutrition, exercise, and coping strategies.
One of the most remarkable examples was Dr. Patterson’s custom-formulated nutrient shake, created because he could not digest food in the traditional way. Using hydrolyzed protein, he developed what he called his “magic formula.” The shake became his lifeline on and off the court. It drew so much attention that tennis officials once asked to analyze it, unable to believe that a player without a stomach could maintain the strength and endurance to compete at such a high level.These nutritional innovations, paired with Dr. Collins’s expertise in dietetics and psychology, became an essential part of the survivorship methods that Cancer Survivor Care now promotes.
The Catalyst for Cancer Survivor Care Foundation
For more than 28 years, Dr. Reese Patterson and Dr. Cynthia Collins (Founder & President) partnered in counseling cancer patients and their families. Together, they contributed to the National Cancer Institute’s understanding of the cancer patient’s journey, created educational materials and presentations on multiple cancer types, and shared their insights through radio, podcasts, and video formats.
During this time, they developed coping and educational resources, documenting Dr. Patterson’s journey and offering general manuals tailored for patients with stomach, prostate, and breast cancers, as well as guides applicable to all cancer survivors. A practicing physician himself, Dr. Patterson described himself as “down in the trenches” with his “fellow cancer patients,” dedicated to helping them “actively participate in their survival and enhanced quality of life.” These resources have remained in active use for nearly three decades, supporting patients nationally and internationally.
Their collaborative work emphasized three essential themes for survivorship and healing: nutrition, exercise, and mind-body integrative science.
Drs. Patterson and Collins also engaged in both domestic and global outreach, developing long-term plans for expanding access to survivorship education and support. Dr. Patterson described this shared effort as “our mission.” Before his passing, he requested that a foundation be established to carry forward this mission.
This vision has led to the creation of Cancer Survivor Care, Inc., a non-profit organization dedicated to continuing the work begun by Drs. Patterson and Collins. The foundation’s mission is to extend survivorship education, integrative care resources, and outreach efforts to patients and communities worldwide.
By providing education, shared experiences, and support through innovative groups, workshops, and interactive webinars, Cancer Survivor Care is actively helping patients achieve the hopeful state of mind that leads to life-enhancing behaviors. Please visit our all events page to learn about the many support groups, webinars, and workshops we offer for free.
