October 31, 2011
A new article in Essence magazine, “The Black Woman’s Guide to Breast Cancer,” offers tips on breast cancer prevention and screening, as well as on coping with a breast cancer diagnosis.
CancerCare Director of Education and Training Carolyn Messner, DSW is quoted in the article. She shares practical ways to support a friend who has been diagnosed, such as arranging a gift basket with some favorite pampering products.
The article appears in the October 2011 issue of Essence, on newsstands now.
CancerCare’s fact sheet, “What You Need to Know about Breast Cancer: A Guide for Newly Diagnosed African American Women,” offers more tips on coping with breast cancer. Read the fact sheet.
Learn more about CancerCare’s free services for women affected by breast cancer.
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Coping with Cancer, Learn More About Your Diagnosis, Survivorship | Tagged: breast cancer, cancer information, prevention, screening | 
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Posted by Kyle Hornyak
July 18, 2011
The results of a new study show how the CT scan is more effective than the X-ray as a screening tool to prevent deaths from lung cancer.
The National Lung Screening Trial (NLST) followed current and former smokers who did not have any symptoms of lung cancer. Participants were scanned with either a CT scan or chest X-ray when they entered the study, and then at the end of their first and second years of the study.
Participants were then tracked for up to five years, during which time researchers recorded the deaths of participants from lung cancer. The results showed 20% fewer lung cancer deaths in people who were screened with a low-dose CT scan than with a chest X-ray.
These results are very encouraging, as a major hurdle to treating lung cancer has been diagnosing it early enough to begin effective treatment. The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) is exploring the most effective way to implement screening guidelines based on these results.
“The news of these results is welcomed by the entire lung cancer community as a major turning point in the way lung cancer can be detected and treated as an early stage disease,” says CancerCare National Lung Cancer Program Coordinator Win Boerckel, LCSW-R.
Read more about the National Lung Screening Trial.
CancerCare created www.lungcancer.org to serve as a source of information and support for people affected by lung cancer. You can also visit CancerCare’s lung cancer diagnosis page on our newly-designed website to learn more about our free, professional support services for people affected by lung cancer.
Leave a Comment » | Doctor-Patient Communication, Learn More About Your Diagnosis, Treatment Guidelines | Tagged: cancer research, lung cancer, screening | Permalink
Posted by Kyle Hornyak
April 26, 2011
CancerCare recently added eight new publications to its reading room of Connect booklets and fact sheets, all of which can be ordered free of charge from our online order form:
Three of these new publications are in Spanish:
Stay up-to-date on new publications by signing up for CancerCare E-News, CancerCare‘s free monthly email newsletter.
Leave a Comment » | Clinical Trials, Coping with Cancer, Doctor-Patient Communication, Learn More About Your Diagnosis | Tagged: cancer information, cancer research, Clinical Trials, colorectal cancer, coping, multiple myeloma, screening | Permalink
Posted by Kyle Hornyak
November 5, 2010
Newly published research findings reveal that screening current and former smokers using a procedure called low-dose helical computed tomography (CT) reduces lung cancer deaths by 20% over standard X-rays.
These long-awaited results come from the National Lung Screening Trial, sponsored in part by the National Cancer Institute. And this data is so significant that the trial was actually halted early by NCI based on these interim findings.
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer mortality in the U.S., and Win Boerckel, CancerCare’s National Lung Cancer Program Director notes that the question “What is an appropriate screening tool to detect early stage lung cancer?” has been a point of considerable conflict among lung cancer advocates and researchers for several years now.
Says Boerckel, “Hopefully, a finding so significant that the director of NCI ended the trial on the basis of an interim analysis will speed the approval of this screening technique for reimbursement by Medicare/Aid and subsequent payment approval by health insurers.”
For more information about the National Lung Screening Trial, read the New York Times article about the study.
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Posted by Monica Cavazos Mendez
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
