CancerCare Launches New and Improved cancercare.org

June 28, 2011

Today marks the launch of CancerCare’s new, completely redesigned and easily navigable website, www.cancercare.org.

The new website features enhancements such as:

  • Tags that allow for easier browsing of CancerCare resources and services.
  •  Easier navigation. A sitemap at the bottom of every page provides a one-click destination to wherever the user wants to go.
  •  A new Patients and Survivors page, where you can search for CancerCare resources by diagnosis, age, location, and whether you are currently in treatment or are a post-treatment survivor. Search results are tailored to your particular situation.
  •  Our free publications are now available online as fast, easy-to-search web pages, accessible to everyone, no special software required.
  •  A new support groups section that allows you to browse all of the support groups we currently offer–face-to-face, over the telephone, and online. See how and where they’re offered, and what is available for your specific situation.

Please visit www.cancercare.org to explore the site’s new design and features. And let us know what you think. Drop us a line with your comments and suggestions at website@cancercare.org.

Share

Leave a Comment » | Support CancerCare | Tagged: , | Permalink
Posted by Kyle Hornyak

CancerCare Spring Gala Raises More Than $550,000 In Support of Free Services

June 14, 2011

More than 300 guests attended CancerCare’s Annual Spring Gala at New York City’s iconic The Pierre this past Thursday, June 9. CBS-TV Channel 2 medical correspondent Dr. Max Gomez hosted the event, which raised over $550,000 to benefit CancerCare’s free, professional support services.

CancerCare CEO Helen H. Miller, LCSW welcomes the evening's guests

CancerCare presented its Help and Hope Award to television writer, producer, and breast cancer survivor Jenny Bicks, whose work on the hit series “Sex and the City” and Showtime’s “The Big C” brings awareness of cancer’s impact on people’s lives to mainstream audiences. Celebrated actress Laura Linney, who stars in “The Big C” as a suburban mom facing a terminal cancer diagnosis, was on hand to personally present the award to Bicks.

Master of Ceremonies Dr. Max Gomez with Help & Hope awardee Jenny Bicks

CancerCare also honored two of our clients, husband and wife Peter Tilken and Christine Potters. Christine and Peter shared the story of Christine’s ovarian cancer diagnosis, and how the free counseling they received from CancerCare taught them coping skills for managing the emotional aspects of cancer.

L to R: Jenny Bicks, actress Cynthia Nixon, CancerCare clients Peter Tilkin and Christine Potters, actress Laura Linney

The evening’s festivities also included both a silent and live auction featuring exclusive, one-of-a-kind items including “Best of New York City” experiences, exotic luxury getaways, exclusive concerts and tours, designer merchandise, and gourmet food and wine packages.

Watch the videos of “The Big C” star Laura Linney presenting Jenny Bicks with the Help & Hope Award.

Share

Leave a Comment » | Advocacy, Support CancerCare | Tagged: , , , | Permalink
Posted by Kyle Hornyak

Longtime CancerCare Presenter Honored With Humanitarian Award

June 13, 2011

Longtime CancerCare Connect® Education Workshop presenter Dr. Mark Kris was honored with the 2011 Humanitarian Award at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting in Chicago last week.

Dr. Kris received the award for his dedication to providing the best treatment possible for people affected by lung cancer, as well as for his volunteer work with ASCO and organizations such as CancerCare.  

Watch a video featuring CancerCare CEO Helen H. Miller that showcases Dr. Kris’ achievements:

Dr. Kris has served as a medical expert during numerous Connect Education Workshops, including “What’s New in Lung Cancer.” Dr. Kris has also served as a reviewer on CancerCare Connect booklets such as “Caring for Your Bones When You Have Lung Cancer.”

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

Share

Leave a Comment » | Doctor-Patient Communication, Learn More About Your Diagnosis, Support CancerCare | Permalink
Posted by Kyle Hornyak

CancerCare Social Workers Share Expertise on Coping with Cancer at AOSW’s Annual Conference

May 13, 2011

Several of CancerCare’s professional oncology social workers shared their clinical expertise with social workers from around the country during last weekend’s Association of Oncology Social Work (AOSW) Annual Conference in St. Louis, MO, May 4-6. 

Erin Columbus, LMSW spoke about effectively moderating support groups in an online environment.

Nicole DiMartino, MSW offered solutions for managing and coping with the emotional impact of a cancer diagnosis in adolescents.

Richard R. Dickens, LCSW-R spoke about the cancer experience in older adults, and how relaxation and mind/body techniques can help people cope with the emotional and physical challenges of cancer and treatment side effects.

Carolyn Messner, DSW presented on global health issues and how to improve the sharing of knowledge and expertise with colleagues at home and abroad.

Kristy Case, LMSW presented on the importance of post-treatment care for breast cancer survivors.

“For many people, the emotional impact and stress of a cancer diagnosis doesn’t end once they’ve finished with their treatment,” noted Case.  “It’s important for patients and their families to work with their health care team before their treatment ends to ensure that their emotional and practical needs are addressed and to create a smoother transition into post-treatment.”

CancerCare CEO Helen H. Miller, LCSW wrote about the importance of post-treatment care in a recent issue of Oncology Nurse Advisor magazine.  Read the article.

Upcoming CancerCare Connect® Education Workshops will address issues for patients and caregivers following the end of treatment, as part of its 9th Annual Series on Cancer Survivorship, featuring cancer experts from around the country in a live one-hour conference that can be listened to over the telephone or via live stream from CancerCare‘s website.

The next workshop, Stress Management for Caregivers: Taking Care of Yourself Physically and Emotionally, will take place Tuesday, June 14. Pre-registration for these free workshops is required.  To register, and to learn more, visit www.cancercare.org/connect.

CancerCare offers specialized services for post-treatment survivors and their loved ones, including support groups, counseling, and free publications. Learn more.

Share

Leave a Comment » | Doctor-Patient Communication, Mind-Body-Spirit, Support CancerCare, Survivorship | Tagged: , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Kyle Hornyak

Support CancerCare’s Team at the EIF Revlon Run/Walk for Women in NYC, Apr. 30

April 19, 2011

CancerCare’s team needs your help to reach its fundraising goal at the 14th Annual EIF Revlon Run/Walk for Women, to be held Saturday, April 30 in New York City.

Since 2006, CancerCare has been a beneficiary of the EIF Revlon Run/Walk for Women. This year, CancerCare’s Team hopes to raise $10,000 in support of our free, professional services for women diagnosed with breast and gynecological cancers.

Many of this year’s team members are CancerCare professional oncology social workers who provide free support services such as counseling and support groups for people affected by cancer. Participating in the run/walk or making a donation is a way to, in turn, support them.

Register to run/walk online today on the CancerCare Team page.  Registration is $35.  If you don’t live in New York City area, you can still support the CancerCare EIF Revlon Run/Walk team by making a donation on the page.

For more information about the walk, and how to join our team, contact team co-captain Deborah Sussman at dsussman@cancercare.org.

Share

Leave a Comment » | Advocacy, Support CancerCare, Women's Cancers | Tagged: , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Kyle Hornyak

On the Other Side of Sick: The Journey of a Cancer Survivor/Thriver

April 6, 2011

This week (April 3-9) is Young Adult Cancer Awareness Week and we’ve invited guest blogger Michelle Malavet to share her thoughts  on Copelink. Michelle, who is a writer and visual artist in New York City, came to CancerCare for support after being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2009.

Michelle has just published her first book, Cancerland and The Other Side of Sick, a quick and inspiring read about the journey from “diagnosis to empowerment.” Michelle has donated copies of the book for free distribution to CancerCare clients as a way of giving back for the help she received from our specialized services for young adults.

Read Michelle’s post below, and check out her book at www.othersideofsick.org. 

Want to be a guest blogger on Copelink? Please email jbarnett@cancercare.org.

**

My Little Red Dictionary

by Michelle Malavet

Living on The Other Side of Sick, my life is full of wonderment. I carry a little red dictionary most everywhere I go. I love words, especially words that rhyme, like “ignite” and “light,”  or “cancer” and “answer.”

Whenever I have a question in my life, my pocket-sized companion offers clarity and distinction. It has provided answers to many questions along my cancer survivor/thriver journey, including, “Why me? Why did I get cancer?”

My little red dictionary defines these words as:

why, adv. for what cause.

me, pron. objective case of I.

get, v., acquire; capture; achieve power over.

cancer, n. potentially unlimited growth that expands.

So whenever you ask, “Why me? Why did I get cancer?” consider that you are actually asking:

“For what cause am I? For what cause did I acquire potentially unlimited growth that expands?” 

These are very powerful questions.

Continually answering them has helped me express who I am as a cancer survivor/thriver. One can say that these questions are my journey.

Everyday, I am on a mission to inspire anyone living with cancer to fully express themselves. That is my “why.” That is my cause.

Today I woke up wondering, “What is a miracle?” What to know the definition in my little red dictionary? Please write to me, and share what you discover: mm@othersideofsick.org.

Share

Leave a Comment » | Clinical Trials, Mind-Body-Spirit, Support CancerCare, Survivorship, Women's Cancers | Tagged: , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Kyle Hornyak

Survivorship Education Series Begins April 12

March 24, 2011

Chemobrain: The Impact of Cancer Treatments on Memory, Thinking and Attention is the topic of the first of a free, four-part Connect Education Workshop series on post-treatment survivorship beginning Tuesday, April 12, from  1:30 – 2:30 pm Eastern time.

The series, now in its ninth year, features cancer experts from around the country in a live one-hour conference that can be listened to over the telephone or via live stream from CancerCare‘s website.

The workshops are collaboration of CancerCare and the National Cancer Institute: Office of Cancer Survivorship and Office of Communications and Education, LIVESTRONG, American Cancer Society, Intercultural Cancer Council, Living Beyond Breast Cancer and National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship.

The Apr. 12 workshop features:

  • Lillian M. Nail, PhD, RN, FAAN, Survivor Perspective, Rawlinson Distinguished Professor of Nursing, Senior Scientist, School of Nursing, Oregon Health & Science University
  • Tim A. Ahles, PhD, Member, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Director, Neurocognitive Research Laboratory, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
  • Patricia A. Ganz, MD, Professor, UCLA Schools of Medicine and Public Health, Division of Cancer Prevention and Control Research, Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center 

The following three workshops will address topics such as weight changes after treatment, stress management for caregivers, and living with uncertainty about recurrence.

Pre-registration for these free workshops is required.  To register, and to learn more, visit www.cancercare.org/connect.

CancerCare offers specialized services for post-treatment survivors and their loved ones, including support groups, counseling, and free publications. Learn more.

Share

Leave a Comment » | Support CancerCare, Uncategorized | Tagged: | Permalink
Posted by Kyle Hornyak

Did CancerCare Help you? Post Your Thoughts on CharityNavigator.org

March 8, 2011

Charity Navigator, America’s largest independent charity evaluator, recently teamed with GreatNonProfits to launch the “Reviews” tab on their website, which allows anyone to post reviews of their experience with a nonprofit organization.

Here are some examples of what people are writing about CancerCare’s free professional services:

My counselor Kathy helped me to learn what I thought was impossible, how to live again.

To say that I am grateful for all that CancerCare has done for me does not begin to convey my feelings. It is a place of warmth, with a caring, dedicated staff that put their hearts into everything they do. The work that they do so well makes a difference in so many lives.

Cancer can destroy your spirit but a place like CancerCare gives you the hope and faith you need to survive.

Please visit our page on CharityNavigator’s website to post a review of your own.

Share

2 Comments | Advocacy, Coping with Cancer, Support CancerCare, Survivorship | Tagged: , , , | Permalink
Posted by Kyle Hornyak

Join CancerCare’s Team for EIF Revlon Run/Walk for Women in NYC, Apr. 30

February 8, 2011

CancerCare is now recruiting team members to participate in the 14th Annual EIF Revlon Run/Walk for Women, to be held  Saturday, April 30 in New York City.

Last year, our team of dedicated runners and walkers raised more than $50,000 for CancerCare’s free, professional support services for women diagnosed with breast and gynecological cancers. 

Register to join our team before Feb. 28 and save $5 by using the limited-time promotion code NYTEAM5. Early bird registration is $30;  regular registration is $35.

Don’t live in New York? You can still support the CancerCare EIF Revlon Run/Walk team by making a donation on the CancerCare team page.

For more information about the walk, and how to join our team, contact team co-captain Deborah Sussman at dsussman@cancercare.org.

Share

Leave a Comment » | Support CancerCare, Uncategorized, Women's Cancers | Tagged: , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Kyle Hornyak

Actress, Cancer Advocate S. Epatha Merkerson to Host CancerCare’s “Partnerships in Hope” Awards

January 14, 2011

Health care luminaries dedicated to supporting people affected by cancer will be honored at CancerCare’s annual “Partnerships in Hope” awards dinner, to be held on Thursday, February 24 at Gotham Hall in New York City.

Celebrated actress and longtime CancerCare advocate S. Epatha Merkerson will host this year’s dinner. Merkerson is best known for her role as NYPD Lieutenant Anita Van Buren on the long-running NBC drama series, “Law & Order.” Merkerson’s character faced a cancer diagnosis in the drama’s final season, which aired last year.

The series, which focused almost exclusively on solving the case at hand, offered occasional glimpses of its characters’ personal challenges, like this scene in which Lt. Van Buren is at her desk reviewing her employer-provided health plan: 

In a recent interview with the Associated Press, Merkerson talks about her love of the show:

Merkerson was lauded for her starring role in the 2005 television movie, “Lackawanna Blues,” for which she won a Best Actress Golden Globe, and Emmy and Image Awards. A critically acclaimed stage and film actress, she is also a two-time Tony Award nominee, most recently for her lead role in the 2008 Broadway revival, “Come Back Little Sheba.”

Merkerson will be sharing the stage at CancerCare’s “Partnerships in Hope” dinner, now in its 28th year, with CancerCare client William Reader, of New York City, who will share his personal story of caregiving for his life partner, Lester, who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and passed away in 2009 from the disease. 

The evening will also honor The Hirshberg Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research, which generously supports CancerCare’s financial assistance program for pancreatic cancer patients and their families. Eli Lilly and Company and Morphotek, Inc.  will also be honored for their support of CancerCare‘s free educational workshops and publications.

Learn more about the “Partnerships in Hope” Awards dinner.

Share

Leave a Comment » | Advocacy, Caregiving, Support CancerCare, Survivorship | Tagged: , , , | Permalink
Posted by Kyle Hornyak

« Previous Entries
Next Entries »