January 3, 2011
CancerCare’s newest Connect® Booklet, Your Guide to the Latest Cancer Research and Treatments, highlights the year’s most exciting treatment updates on a number of different cancers. The information was presented by leading experts at the 2010 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).
Some of the year’s most promising findings included:
Melanoma: For the first time ever, a new drug extended the lives of people whose melanoma no longer responds to other treatments and has spread beyond the skin to other parts of the body. (Learn more about CancerCare‘s free support services for people affected by melanoma).
Lung Cancer: Researchers reported that older patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer can be safely and effectively treated with more aggressive chemotherapy. Researchers also reported that supportive care not only improves the quality of life for people with metastatic lung cancer, but also extends their lives. (Visit www.lungcancer.org to learn about CancerCare‘s free resources for people diagnosed with lung cancer and their loved ones).
Blood and Lymph Cancers: For the first time, drugs such as lenalidomide (Revlimid) can be used not only to treat newly diagnosed or relapsed myeloma, but also as therapies to keep myeloma from coming back after successful first-time treatment. (CancerCare provides individual transportation grants to people with multiple myeloma through our “Door to Door” program, along with a wide range of additional free support services).
Head and Neck Cancer: Researchers discovered that testing a patient’s human papillomavirus (HPV) status helps doctors craft more effective treatments for the patient. (CancerCare helps people affected by head and neck cancer and their loved ones through free support services including counseling, support groups, education, financial assistance, and referrals to other resources).
Read the entire booklet online, or order free copies from our website.
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Clinical Trials, Coping with Cancer, Learn More About Your Diagnosis, Treatment Guidelines | Tagged: ASCO, cancer information, cancer survivors, Clinical Trials, coping, research, side effects | 
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Posted by Kyle Hornyak
September 22, 2010
MAGRIT, a large study in patients with non-small cell lung cancer, seeks volunteers who have had surgery to remove their tumor. Over 400 medical centers in 33 countries are participating in the study.
Visit the study’s website to learn about what MAGRIT involves, if you are eligible for this study, and to find a study center close to you. It’s best to consult with your doctor first to determine whether you should participate.
CancerCare offers reliable information about clinical trials and how they can improve the quality of your care. You can read our free booklets and fact sheets about lung cancer and clinical trials directly on our website. In addition, on Friday, September 24, leading experts on clinical trials will answer your questions and concerns in the Connect Education Workshop, The Important Role of Clinical Trials. Register for the live discussion here.
Through the CancerCare Co-Payment Assistance Foundation, people undergoing treatment for non-small cell lung cancer who have health insurance coverage may be eligible to receive up to $10,000 per year in co-payment assistance.
You can help show your support for people facing lung cancer by participating in CancerCare’s 8th annual Lung Cancer Walk. This year, the walk will be held in two locations: on Sunday, November 7 in Woodbury, NY, and on Sunday, November 14, in Palo Alto, CA. The Walks raise funds to support CancerCare‘s free, professional services for anyone affected by lung cancer. To register, visit our Lung Cancer Walk website.
To learn more about lung cancer and CancerCare’s services for people affected by lung cancer, visit lungcancer.org.
Leave a Comment » | Clinical Trials, Learn More About Your Diagnosis, Support CancerCare | Tagged: cancer research, Clinical Trials, fundraising, lung cancer, research | 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 15, 2010
CancerCare was proud a proud participant at the 2010 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting, held June 4-8 in Chicago, IL. The ASCO Annual Meeting is the nation’s premier educational and scientific conference where more than 30,000 oncology health care professionals gather to discuss the latest in cancer care.
CancerCare’s ASCO-Sponsored Patient Advocacy Booth allowed our representatives to interact with health care professionals from across the country — and around the world — to promote our free support services for anyone affected by cancer.
ASCO President Douglas W. Blaney, MD, with CancerCare’s Monica Cavazos Mendez
Complete ASCO Annual Meeting coverage, including research summaries, podcasts, and video can be found on ASCO’s website.
CancerCare’s publication, Your Guide to the Latest Research and Treatments: Highlights from ASCO 2010, will be available soon. Please stay posted for updates!
Leave a Comment » | Support CancerCare | Tagged: ASCO, cancer information, cancer research, Events, research | Permalink
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.
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
September 16, 2009
A new online program helps adult post-treatment survivors find ways to manage stress, fatigue, difficult emotions, and after-effects of cancer treatment. The program, called “Thriving and Surviving” is being conducted by the Stanford University School of Medicine in conjunction with the Cancer Research Center of Hawaii.
Participants in the program stand to benefit not just themselves, but also future cancer survivors, as the program is being evaluated for its effectiveness in teaching skills needed for day-to-day management of life after cancer.
Cancer survivors anywhere in the United States, with any level of computer experience, can sign up for this study at the Thriving and Surviving website.
Leave a Comment » | Survivorship | Tagged: cancer survivors, coping, psychological impact of cancer, research, stress | Permalink
Posted by Monica Cavazos Mendez
July 22, 2009
The latest findings in cancer research presented during annual medical conferences or scientific meetings can be hard for patients to sort through and comprehend. CancerCare’s free booklets present these findings in an easy-to-understand format that helps patients, their loved ones and caregivers determine what impact new research might have on their particular diagnosis or treatment plan. Our latest booklets cover breast cancer (highlights from the 2008 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium), blood cancers (covering the 2008 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Hematology), and other cancers (from the 2008 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology).
All CancerCare publications are completely free of charge and can be ordered directly from our website.
Leave a Comment » | Learn More About Your Diagnosis | Tagged: ASCO, ASH, Clinical Trials, research, SABCS | Permalink
Posted by Monica Cavazos Mendez
