September 2, 2010
September is both Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month and National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month.
CancerCare partnered with L’Oreal Paris and Ovarian Cancer Research Fund (OCRF) to create a free telephone counseling and referral service for women diagnosed with ovarian cancer.
Launched one year ago, The L’Oreal Paris OCRF Hopeline has proven to be a great source of support for many women facing an ovarian cancer diagnosis. The Hopeline is staffed by professional oncology social workers and operates Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern Time.
Call the L’Oréal Paris OCRF Hope Line at 877-OV-HOPE-1 (877-684-6731).
CancerCare responded to the needs of men facing prostate cancer by publishing two new fact sheets: Caring for Your Bones When You Have Prostate Cancer and Prostate Cancer: What You Should Know About Screening and Diagnosis.
For more resources on these cancers, including additional publications, support groups and archived connect education workshops, visit the diagnoses pages on our website.
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Caregiving, Coping with Cancer, Learn More About Your Diagnosis, Men's Cancers, Women's Cancers | Tagged: cancer information, cancer research, coping, Men's Cancers, ovarian cancer, prostate cancer, Women's Cancers | 
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Posted by Kyle Hornyak
August 31, 2010
More than 500 people in the New York tri-state area were screened for melanoma by professional dermatologists this summer as part of CancerCare of Connecticut’s melanoma awareness campaign. The free screenings were conducted at popular local beaches, and over 100 people were referred for follow-up care.
Screenings were sponsored by OSI Foundation and implemented in partnership with the Colette Coyne Melanoma Awareness Campaign (CCMAC).
CCMAC was established in 1998 in memory of Colette Marie Brigid Coyne, who died at the age of 30 after being diagnosed with melanoma. Visit CCMAC’s Facebook page to stay posted about the group’s upcoming events.
CancerCare’s fact sheet, Risk Factors and Screening for Melanoma, explains the importance of melanoma screening and details how to perform a skin self-exam.
CancerCare is also a partner with the Melanoma Research Foundation on the Melanoma Helpline, staffed by professional oncology social workers who can answer your questions and concerns about melanoma. If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with melanoma, call the toll-free helpline at 1-877-MRF-6460 (673-6460).
Leave a Comment » | Coping with Cancer, Learn More About Your Diagnosis | Tagged: melanoma, New York City, screening | Permalink
Posted by Kyle Hornyak
August 11, 2010
Richard C. Frank, MD’s new book, Fighting Cancer with Knowledge and Hope: A Guide for Patients, Families, and Health Care Providers, is a must-read for anyone affected by cancer. A portion of proceeds from sales of the book will be donated to CancerCare, ensuring that we are able to continue providing free, professional support services to people all across the country.
Fighting Cancer inspires patients to feel in control at a time when they may feel powerless. The many topics the book discusses include:
• What cancer is and how it spreads
• How to reconcile emotional needs alongside medical treatment
• Why particular treatment strategies are chosen and how they work
• How patients can visualize treatments at work in the body and why this is helpful
You can order a copy of the book here, or through Amazon.com.
We also encourage you to visit Dr. Frank’s Fighting Cancer blog.
Leave a Comment » | Caregiving, Coping with Cancer, Mind-Body-Spirit, Support CancerCare | Tagged: cancer patients, caregivers, coping, psychological impact of cancer | Permalink
Posted by Kyle Hornyak
July 27, 2010
A new online quarterly magazine from the Lance Armstrong Foundation examines how complete patient care–physical as well as emotional–is being increasingly emphasized as a critical component in the treatment of cancer patients.
Traditional care has focused mainly on treating cancer as a medical condition in which emotional concerns and issues resulting from the diagnosis are often downplayed or not addressed at all. This is changing, as more and more oncologists and other health care providers acknowledge the integral role of counseling and emotional support for patients, their families, and caregivers.
Oncology social workers provide critical support to patients, notes CancerCare’s Win Boerckel, who is quoted in the article; they can “help people normalize the experience of having cancer, so they can answer questions from their children or get to their next chemo appointment.”
Read the article, “Surviving the First 100 Days,” in the debut issue of LIVESTRONG Quarterly , beginning on page 22.
Leave a Comment » | Caregiving, Coping with Cancer, Survivorship | Tagged: cancer and the family, cancer information, cancer patients, cancer research, caregivers, coping, counseling, psychological impact of cancer | Permalink
Posted by Kyle Hornyak
July 23, 2010
A recent article in Cure Magazine highlights how some people with metastatic cancer have benefited by “hitchhiking,” meaning when one treatment stops working, they can move on to the next.
When Suzanne Lindley was diagnosed with colorectal cancer and informed she had six months to live, she and her family moved to the country, where she’d always dreamed of living. Twelve years later, Suzanne leads an amazingly active life, traveling all around the country as a colorectal cancer advocate.
She credits her current quality of life to hitchhiking treatments, as well as to her CancerCare social worker Keith Lyons, who provided her with essential support and motivation through individual counseling and a support group. “[Keith] said I could see cancer as a death sentence or I could celebrate the fact that I was very much alive and experience now,” Suzanne recalls.
The complete article is available here.
CancerCare offers online, telephone and face-to-face support groups that connect you with people who are in a similar situation. All support groups are free and led by professional oncology social workers who are experienced with cancer-related issues and concerns.
Leave a Comment » | Clinical Trials, Coping with Cancer, Learn More About Your Diagnosis, Mind-Body-Spirit | Tagged: cancer information, cancer research, chemotherapy, Clinical Trials, colorectal cancer, coping | Permalink
Posted by Kyle Hornyak
July 20, 2010
Living Beyond Breast Cancer (LBBC) and the Metastatic Breast Cancer Network (MBCN) have partnered with Genentech to conduct a 10-question survey to better understand how people diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer identify with and feel about living with the illness.
Genentech will donate $5 for each survey completed to programs and services designed specifically for metastatic breast cancer patients. Survey results will be used to produce video and media materials that will be distributed on Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day (October 13).
The survey is open and available online until August 31. Please visit facesofmbc.org or text MBC to 74471 to share your story.
Leave a Comment » | Coping with Cancer, Learn More About Your Diagnosis, Survivorship, Women's Cancers | Tagged: breast cancer, cancer information, cancer patients, cancer research, cancer survivors, research, Women's Cancers | Permalink
Posted by Kyle Hornyak
June 14, 2010
One on one counseling is an important support service that professional oncology social workers at CancerCare provide everyday to people affected by cancer. Counseling from an oncology social worker–whether conducted face to face, over the telephone or online–can help a person cope with the myriad emotional and practical challenges of a cancer diagnosis and sort out complex and often confusing feelings you might be experiencing. A social worker can also help you with practical issues such as financial challenges, improving communication with your healthcare team, and finding helpful, reliable resources online and in your own community.
CancerCare is grateful for the support it receives from Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS), whose generous grant allows us to continue operating our toll-free help line for anyone facing cancer.
To speak with an oncology social worker, call us at 1-800-813-HOPE (4673).
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Posted by jzahora
June 7, 2010
Researchers at the University of Colorado, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, and UCLA have joined with the National Cancer Institute’s Cancer Information Service to investigate how to better provide information about the best treatments possible for patients affected by breast cancer and prostate cancer.
Each of the three studies are seeking participants, who will receive a variety of types of educational information about their diagnosis, and will then be asked to participate in two brief telephone interviews with researchers over a period of nine months. All information is completely confidential.
Healing Choice for Prostate Cancer is for men who have been recently diagnosed with prostate cancer, but have not yet begun any treatment. The goal is to help men decide on the treatment that’s right for them.
Healing Choices for Women with Breast Cancer is for women who have been recently diagnosed with breast cancer, but who have not yet begun any treatment. The study’s purpose is to determine the best way to provide treatment information to women, and whether the information helped them in making decisions about their treatment.
Pathways to Recovery after Breast Cancer Treatment is for women who are just completing treatment for breast cancer or have completed treatment within the past six months. The goal is to find out the best way to help women get information about life after breast cancer treatment.
To find out if you are eligible to participate in any of these studies, please call 1-866-258-7981.
CancerCare offers free, professional support services to anyone affected by breast cancer or prostate cancer. People affected by either diagnosis may qualify to receive up to $10,000 per year in co-payment assistance through the CancerCare Co-Payment Assistance Foundation.
Leave a Comment » | Coping with Cancer, Learn More About Your Diagnosis, Men's Cancers, Survivorship, Women's Cancers | Tagged: cancer information, cancer patients, cancer research, coping, research, Women's Cancers | Permalink
Posted by Kyle Hornyak
May 17, 2010
The inspirational online community for women Girlfriendology recently showcased helpful ways to support a girlfriend affected by cancer.
The article, written by CancerCare Director of Women’s Cancers Laura Mosiello, provides great tips such as:
• Ask your friend how she’s coping. Let her know you’re available to listen, but don’t push her to talk if she doesn’t feel like it.
• Offer to help with practical things like household chores or running errands.
• In the event she’s hospitalized, bring her a blanket, comfy slippers, a magazine—anything to make her feel more comfortable.
• Check in regularly throughout treatment and even once it’s over. Emotional side effects can linger long after treatment ends.
Keep in mind, however, that you are not expected to be your friend’s sole source of support. CancerCare provides free support services to anyone affected by cancer.
Check out the full blog post and the complete list of tips here.
Leave a Comment » | Caregiving, Coping with Cancer | Tagged: cancer patients, cancer support, caregivers, coping | Permalink
Posted by Kyle Hornyak
April 27, 2010
It’s a bright, sunny day. Do you run for the beach, or run for cover?
Today’s issue of The Wall Street Journal explores the risks and benefits of both sun-lovers and shade-seekers. On the plus side, the sun’s UV rays stimulate endorphins that can boost your mood and reduce pain. Unfortunately, exposure to UV rays also causes up to 95% of melanoma diagnoses.
With summer approaching, it’s important to know how to prevent and detect melanoma, the most serious of skin cancers. Risk factors include:
- A history of blistering sunburns
- Light hair and eyes
- A large number of freckles and/or moles
- Family history of melanoma
You can decrease your risk by:
- Avoiding tanning beds
- Wearing sunscreen with an SPF 30 or higher
- Seeking shade during the sun’s peak hours of 10am-4pm
- Covering your body when exposed to the sun’s rays
You can still enjoy outdoor activities in the sunshine, just remember to take precautions and enjoy the sun in moderation.
Two new CancerCare fact sheets about melanoma, made possible through an educational grant from Teb’s Troops, will be available soon. Find Teb’s Troops on Facebook to learn more about its Fourth Annual March on Melanoma 5K race, to be held July 25 in Chicago.
CancerCare’s melanoma resources include The Melanoma Helpline. Launched in partnership with The Melanoma Research Foundation, the helpline is staffed by professional oncology social workers who provide free telephone counseling and information about coping with melanoma. Call 877-MRF-6460 (877-673-6460).
Read The Wall Street Journal article here.
CancerCare offers counseling, support groups, community programs, publications and financial assistance all free of charge to anyone affected by melanoma.
Leave a Comment » | Coping with Cancer, Learn More About Your Diagnosis, Young Adults | Tagged: coping, melanoma, Teb's Troops, Young Adults | Permalink
Posted by Kyle Hornyak
