Metastasis, the new "C word".

Patients dealing with stage IV disease have historically been isolated and marginalized much as the cancer community was many years ago before the "coming out" of Betty Ford and Happy Rockefeller. Only recently has there been an attempt to rectify this stigmatization and to give voice to these patients. With this recognition comes the obligation to find venues to serve this population. This piece reviews this history and sets the stage for advocacy and program development.