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.

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.

Week-long programs are offered in Utah, Colorado, Montana and Washington, free of charge to all participants. It is not required of participants to have any previous rafting or climbing experience, and all equipment is provided by First Descents. Medical providers are always available on-site at each program to ensure a safe experience for each individual.

First Descents Participants Kayaking in Idaho

Those accepted to the program must cover the cost of travel, although limited scholarships covering transportation are available. First Descents is still accepting applications for climbing programs in September; click here to apply.  All that is required to apply is a general application form, and a physical exam form filed out by you physician.

“Young adults who have cancer are often underserved by support offerings that address concerns specific to their age,” notes CancerCare Men’s Cancer Project Coordinator Wade Iwata, LMSW.  “First Descents is really a unique and worthwhile experience that keeps young adults coming back to the program year after year.”

For more information about First Descents, and to learn how you can become a volunteer or host a fundraiser, please visit the organization’s website. 

Learn more about CancerCare’s free, professional support services for young adults affected by cancer.

On Monday, April 12, CancerCare Director of Education and Training Carolyn Messner will join host Victoria Bond and composers Harold Meltzer, Sebastian Currier, Laurie San Martin, Sean Shepherd, Kristin Kuster, Jeremy Thurlow and Anna Weesner in a discussion about the therapeutic value of music during treatment.

The event, held at Symphony Space’s Leonard Nimoy Thalia theater (Broadway at 95^th St.) begins at 6:30 p.m. with the panel discussion, followed by the concert at 7:30 p.m.

“As a recent breast cancer survivor, I learned from a fellow patient the benefit of having music played when undergoing radiation treatments,” says Messner.  “I requested my favorite classical music to be played. It was transformative for me, the time went quickly and the music enabled me to tolerate the treatments.”

“Many people find music to be a fabulous distraction from what is happening around them during treatment,” adds Messner, noting that most treatment centers offer patients the option of listening to music during treatment. “Patients can certainly find it soothing and relaxing, and some even prefer to dial the volume as loud as it can go in order to feel energized.  Having the ability to select what they listen to and how loud they listen to it  brings a sense of control, and really can completely change a person’s mood.”

Tickets are $20 ($18 for Symphony Space members); students and seniors,  $15.  Purchase tickets online at www.symphonyspace.org.

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.

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. 

The critically-acclaimed memoir traces Johnny’s journey from his unassuming adolescence through the struggle of his life, and ultimately examines the power of optimism, humor and hope. Hotpants: A Memoir is available for purchase through Amazon, and we encourage you to visit Johnny’s website and view his demo reel here.

To learn about the latest in brain tumor research, please register for our upcoming Connect Education Workshop Brain Tumors: Current Treatments and Hope for the Future.

Learn more about CancerCare’s free, professional support services for people with brain cancer and their loved ones.

Boston-based Millennium Pharmaceuticals, owned by the Japanese pharmaceutical, The Takeda Company, recently launched a website honoring the senbazuru tradition, where people facing cancer–patients, caregivers, loved ones–can express their hopes and wishes for the New Year. Each message of hope posted at the site is represented by a bird-shaped paper figurine.

 Millennium Pharmaceuticals is a funder of CancerCare’s Door to Door program, which provides financial assistance to cover transportation costs for people undergoing treatment for multiple myeloma.

Leave your wish at 1000 Cranes of Hope.com (the site is free but log-in registration is required). For every wish left at the site, Millennium will make a donation to a healthcare-related charity.

WHEN:
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
5:30 pm – 8:00 pm
(Yoga begins promptly at 6:00 pm)
Bring your own bath or beach towel

PROGRAM:
Vanessa Watson, RYT
Yoga Instructor, Laughing Lotus
Yoga ~ 6:00-6:45 pm

Julie Larson, LCSW
Program Director, CancerCare Young Adult Program
Reflective Discussion ~ 6:45-7:00 pm

Paisley Stowe
Creativity Counseling, Holistic Wellness & Skin Care Counseling, Licensed Esthetician & Reiki Practitioner
Creative Arts ~ 7:00-8:00 pm

LOCATION:
CancerCare Main Office
275 Seventh Avenue, 22nd Floor
(Between 25th & 26th Streets)

This program is free, but space is limited and reservations are required! 

To RSVP:
Melissa Snyder – msnyder@youngsurvival.org or (646) 257-3025
OR
Julie Larson – jlarson@cancercare.org or (212) 712-6173

CancerCare offers free individual counseling and support groups for people with cancer, and all services are provided by professional oncology social workers. These services are available in person, over the phone and online.