Selma R. Schimmel is Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Vital Options® International, a southern-California headquartered and internationally focused not-for-profit cancer communications and advocacy organization she created in 1983 when she was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 28. Vital Options was originally founded as the first support organization specifically targeted to address the unique emotional and psychosocial needs of young adults with cancer, between the ages of 17-early 40's.

In 1995, Vital Options expanded to all ages with its TeleSupport® Cancer Network and the launch of the first cancer talk radio show of its kind, The Group Room®. Now in its 11th year on the air, the show is aired on select US stations, podcast, and heard globally via Internet simulcast. Listeners are invited to engage directly with oncology thought leaders on toll free phone lines worldwide. In addition to its weekly live show, the program also broadcasts from leading oncology meetings including ASCO and ESMO. The organization interfaces with clinical institutions, government agencies, advocacy organizations, and the pharmaceutical and biotech industry. Through its various programs, communications initiatives, and award winning website at www.vitaloptions.org, Vital Options is a trusted and respected distribution channel for all oncology stakeholders.

Committed to its mission, to facilitate a global cancer dialogue, Vital Options became a registered European charity in 2000, headquartered at the American Hospital of Paris. European broadcasts of The Group Room are produced in association with Radio Marsden at London's Royal Marsden Cancer Hospital.

20 years after breast cancer, Schimmel was diagnosed with early stage ovarian cancer and has literally become the voice of survivorship. Schimmel's book, "Cancer Talk: Voices of Hope and Endurance from 'The Group Room,' the World's Largest Cancer Support Group," was published in 1999 by Broadway Books, a division of Random House. It has also been translated into Chinese.

Schimmel's pioneering efforts with Vital Options International and The Group Room have been recognized by numerous organizations, media and publications. The radio industry has named her one of the 100 most important radio talk-show hosts in America.

A prominent figure in various cancer initiatives and public policy issues, Schimmel has served in leadership and advisory positions for cancer-related state, national and international organizations, committees and commissions. She is a founding member and former vice president of the National Coalition of Cancer Survivorship, has been involved in various projects associated with the Institute of Medicine, National Research Council, the National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, and is a member of C-Change.