Steff Rödl is a marketing expert, breast cancer patient and committed advocate for a new, open approach to cancer. Her personal history with the disease began in 2019 with a diagnosis of breast cancer – followed two years later by a recurrence and a third bout of the disease in 2024. But instead of retreating, Steff became an informed, self-determined and connected patient.

Her commitment to other patients grows with each stage of her therapy. Today, she is the chairwoman of dasBUUSENKOLLEKTIV e.V., a non-profit association that promotes visibility, self-determination and education around the topic of breast cancer. With her expertise from many years of brand and communications work, Steff develops bold formats, brings new perspectives to the public and strengthens the voice of patients.

She is also an active member of the yeswecan!cer community, a platform for people with cancer. There, she is responsible for patient relations – with the aim of promoting exchange, empowering those affected and helping to shape new forms of digital self-help.

Steff represents a new generation of patients: loud, visible, supportive. She speaks openly about illness, body image, mental health and gaps in the system – on panels, in podcasts, on social media and in direct contact with fellow sufferers. Her communication is honest, empathetic and trend-setting.

She is currently undergoing treatment for her third bout of cancer – yet remains active, present and committed. Her story is not a heroic tale, but a plea for more openness, participation and humanity in the healthcare system. Steff Rödl shows that illness is not the end of self-efficacy – but often the beginning of something new.