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.

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.

Recipients are awarded an average of $2,000 in grants and scholarships that help cover costs such as medical and living expenses, certain types of tuition, and family-building expenses.

Applicants must be U.S. citizens, 17-35 years old, and have completed active treatment. The application deadline is Monday, July 12.

To apply for a 2010 SAMFund grant, visit www.thesamfund.org. 

CancerCare offers specialized, free services for young adult patients, caregivers, loved ones, and survivors including counseling, financial assistance, support groups, and publications.

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.

This free series, made possible by support from the National Cancer Institute and LIVESTRONG, offers cancer survivors, their families, friends and health care professionals practical information to help them cope with concerns and issues that arise after treatment ends.

Part I, which takes place on Tuesday, April 13th, is entitled, Trouble Sleeping? Sleep Better to Feel Better: Tips You Can Use. The faculty for this program includes Elizabeth D. McKinley, MD, MPH, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Dean, Emily Blackwell Society, Case School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University; Sonia Ancoli-Israel, PhD, Director, Gillin Sleep and Chronomedicine Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, Professor of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego; and Stewart B. Fleishman, MD, Director, Supportive Services, Continuum Cancer Centers of New York, Beth Israel Medical Center, St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital. 

Part II, Communicating with Your Health Care Team After Treatment: Making the Most of Your Visit, will take place on May 18th.  Part III, Survivorship and Workplace Transitions, will take place on June 22nd.  And Part IV, Survivors Too: Communicating With and Among Family, Friends and Loved Ones, will take place on July 13th. All of the workshops take place from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Eastern Time.

These workshops are free – no phone charges apply.  However, pre-registration is required.  To register simply go to the CancerCare website, www.cancercare.org/connect.  Please plan to join us, and share this information with cancer survivors, their caregivers and your colleagues.

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.

While cancer patients and survivors may not be at any greater risk for infection with either 2009 H1N1 flu or seasonal flu, the CDC cautions that cancer patients and survivors are at higher risk for hospitalization and  potentially life-threatening complications from all types of flu.

The CDC recommends that people who have cancer or a history of cancer should receive a seasonal flu vaccine and the H1N1 flu shot (not the nasal spray vaccine). The seasonal flu vaccine alone is not expected to protect against 2009 H1N1 flu. Household members and caregivers of cancer patients and survivors also should be vaccinated against both types of flu.

Find out more at www.cdc.gov/cancer/flu

Get answers to these and other questions in 100 Questions & Answers About Caring for Family or Friends with Cancer (2nd Ed., 2009). The book offers practical guidance for caregivers, family members and friends on how to deal with common concerns arising from a cancer diagnosis.

Co-authored by Richard T. Hara, Ph.D., MSSW, CancerCare’s director of online services, and Susannah L. Rose, MS, MSSW, the book is available from Barnes & Noble, which will donate a portion of the book sale to CancerCare when you link from our website and purchase it online.

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