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).
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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.
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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.
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Posted by Kyle Hornyak
June 21, 2010
Today, June 21, marks the official the start of summer!
Spending time in the sun can be relaxing and enjoyable, but it’s important to always practice sun safety. A few tips for staying safe in the sun include:
- Wearing waterproof sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher
- Donning lightweight, loose-fitting clothing that covers your whole body
- Seeking shade or avoiding the sun during its peak hours of 10am-4pm
- Reapplying sunscreen often
- Wearing a hat and sunglasses
Our free publications on sun safety and melanoma prevention and screening offer more great tips on how to protect yourself from skin cancer. All of our publications can be ordered free of charge through our online order form.
We at CancerCare hope you’ll keep these tips in mind this summer, whether you’re sunbathing at the beach, lounging in the backyard, or taking a relaxing walk outside. We encourage all of you to spend some time ourdoors, and to safely enjoy the summer sunshine!
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Posted by Kyle Hornyak
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.
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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.
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Posted by Kyle Hornyak
April 5, 2010
Be a Survivor—Lung Cancer Treatment Guide is an optimistic, encouraging treatment guide that details the lung cancer experience from diagnosis to recovery.
The guidebook was written by Vladimir Lange, M.D. to empower patients to seek a cure, rather than to accept defeat. “New treatments, new drugs, and earlier diagnosis make survival much more likely than it was just a few years ago,” he notes.
CancerCare Lung Cancer Program Coordinator Win Boerkel calls Be a Survivor “one of the best lung cancer patient guides I’ve seen in my 13 years of working with lung cancer patients.”
In 2009, CancerCare collaborated with leading patient advocacy groups to launch The Lung Cancer Clinical Trial Call to Action campaign, designed to help patients and their families navigate the complicated landscape of researching and identifying clinical trials. Patients can call 1-800-698-0931 to be matched with a Clinical Trial Specialist who will guide them through the entire process.
The CancerCare Co-Payment Assistance Foundation offers up to $10,000 per year in co-payment assistance for lung cancer patients in their families.
To order the guide, call 1-888-LANGE-88 (888-526-4388), or print out and fax back the order form.
Learn more about our free services for lung cancer patients and visit our sister website, www.lungcancer.org.
Leave a Comment » | Clinical Trials, Coping with Cancer, Learn More About Your Diagnosis, Mind-Body-Spirit | Tagged: cancer information, cancer patients, cancer survivors, Clinical Trials, coping, financial resources, lung cancer | Permalink
Posted by Kyle Hornyak
March 15, 2010
If you or someone you know has been diagnosed with melanoma, call 877-MRF-6460 (877-673-6460) to receive free telephone counseling and reliable information about resources and ways to cope.
The Melanoma Helpline is the result of a partnership between CancerCare and The Melanoma Research Foundation. It is staffed by CancerCare’s professional oncology social workers and operates Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Eastern Time, and on Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Eastern Time.
Melanoma, a serious form of skin cancer, is one of the fastest growing cancers worldwide, and the incidence of people under 30 developing melanoma is increasing faster than any other demographic group. Melanoma can be an aggressive and deadly cancer but people who are diagnosed in its earliest stage have a survival rate of over 90%.
Call The Melanoma Helpline at 877-MRF-6460 (877-673-6460).
To learn more about melanoma, visit The Melanoma Research Foundation’s website.
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Posted by Kyle Hornyak
March 4, 2010
March is both Kidney Cancer Awareness Month and National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month.
The CancerCare Co-Payment Assistance Foundation provides up to $10,000 per year in co-payment assistance to eligible individuals facing renal cell carcinoma or colorectal cancer.
CancerCare has also responded to the needs of people facing kidney cancer by hosting Connect Education Workshops that offer information about research and treatment in kidney cancer and offering informative kidney cancer publications in our ever-expanding online reading room.
To learn about treatment updates for colorectal cancer, listen to our most recent Connect Education Workshop, Emerging Treatments for Colorectal Cancer: What’s New? Other Connect Education Workshops have explored colorectal cancer topics such as improved treatment options through clinical trials and updates on genetic testing for recurrence.
Additionally, this month’s Ask CancerCare column gives you an opportunity to ask any questions you may have about coping with colorectal cancer.
For more resources on these cancers, visit the diagnoses pages on our website.
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Posted by Kyle Hornyak
