Free Booklets on Caregiving and Talking to Children About Cancer

July 19, 2012

Two of CancerCare’s most popular Connect booklets, Caregiving for Your Loved One with Cancer and Helping Children When a Family Member Has Cancer, have been completely redesigned and are back in stock. Each booklet can be ordered free of charge from our online order form.

Caregiving for Your Loved One with Cancer provides many helpful tips for helping a loved one coping with cancer, including:

  • Ways to provide emotional support
  • How to care for a loved one who lives far away
  • Tips for taking care of your own health
  • Strategies for coping with the difficult emotions brought on by caregiving

Learn more about our free resources for caregivers.

 

Helping Children When a Family Has Cancer explains the importance of communicating with children about cancer, and offers tips for:

  • Disclosing a cancer diagnosis
  • Discussing treatment side effects
  • Talking about a loved one’s prognosis

View all of our services that help children cope with cancer.

 

 

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Posted by Kyle Hornyak

CNN Profiles CancerCare Oncology Social Worker

July 12, 2012

CancerCare oncology social worker Richard “Rick” Dickens, LCSW-R, shares his story of coping with cancer in a new segment airing on CNN’s “Human Factor.” The program, which profiles extraordinary individuals who have overcome challenging odds, is narrated by CNN’s chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta.

Rick first came to CancerCare as a client after being diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and participated in a support group for young adults coping with cancer. Interacting with other support group members helped Rick realize he wasn’t alone in his journey. The group gave him emotional support as well as valuable insight into his diagnosis and life after treatment.

Rick joined the staff of CancerCare as a professional oncology social worker in 1997, moderating the support group he had previously attended. As CancerCare’s Mind/Body Project Coordinator, Rick incorporates practices such as visualization and meditation into his counseling to help people cope with difficult emotions and find a sense of peace.

Watch the CNN segment and read his blog:

Read more about Rick’s journey as a cancer survivor.

Rick recently answered questions about using mind/body practices to cope with cancer as an “Ask CancerCare” featured expert.

Learn more about CancerCare’s resources on mind/body and relaxation practices.

 

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Posted by Kyle Hornyak

Melanoma More Common Among Young Adults; CancerCare Helpline Provides Information and Support

March 7, 2012

Tanning beds have been long understood to be a major risk factor in developing melanoma. Yet many people across the U.S., especially teens and young adults, continue to use tanning salons regularly, despite laws in 36 states that restrict their use among minors, according to an article in today’s New York Times. In fact, people who start using tanning beds before age 30 are 75% more likely to develop melanoma, which is among the most common cancers for women under 30.

Read the article.

Melanoma is a risk even for those who abstain from tanning beds. Jonah E. of Brooklyn, NY came to CancerCare for help after being diagnosed with melanoma at the age of 28. He met with an oncology social worker for free counseling, and learned ways to cope with his anxiety and fears. Today, he is better able to manage the emotional challenges of his diagnosis.

Read Jonah’s story of help and hope.

CancerCare’s Melanoma Helpline is staffed by professional oncology social workers and provides reliable information, emotional support, and helpful resources to people facing melanoma. Call the Melanoma Helpline at 877-MRF-6460 (877-673-6460).

Along with counseling and our helpline, CancerCare also offers free publications, including Treatment Update: Melanoma. Our free fact sheet, “Staying Safe in the Sun,” provides tips on protecting your skin from sun damage. We also offer Connect Workshops that can be replayed as podcasts, including “Advances in the Treatment of Metastatic Melanoma.”

Learn more about the free services we offer to people facing melanoma.

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Posted by Kyle Hornyak

Get Help Managing Cancer-Related Pain

February 6, 2012

A new study found that many patients coping with cancer reported better managing their cancer-related pain after receiving emotional and/or practical support. The study, published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, also found that education about pain management helped patients learn to better control their pain.

Read more about the study.

Pain is a symptom of cancer and its treatments that can—and should—be controlled. CancerCare’s professional oncology social workers work with people coping with cancer to develop strategies for managing cancer-related pain. It is important for patients to discuss any pain they are experiencing with their health care team, which can include doctors, nurses, social workers, or pain specialists.

CancerCare provides pain-management information in our free publications, Controlling Cancer Pain: What You Need to Know to Get Relief, and “Opening the Door to Effective Pain Management.” Leading medical experts also addressed pain-management techniques during CancerCare’s Connect Education Workshop, “Coping with Cancer Pain: What You Need to Know.”

Learn more about CancerCare’s free resources about pain management.

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Posted by Kyle Hornyak

Support for Caregivers of People with Cancer

December 19, 2011

For many caregivers, supporting a loved one going through cancer is a full-time job. Along with providing emotional support, caregivers may be charged with administering treatment or helping to manage side effects. Often, caregivers do all this at the expense of their own health and well-being.

CancerCare CEO Helen H. Miller, LCSW writes about the importance of supporting caregivers of people with cancer in the latest issue of Oncology Nurse Advisor. The article provides tips on how oncology nurses can help caregivers of people with cancer receive emotional and practical support.

Read the article.

CancerCare helps anyone affected by cancer, and offers specialized services for caregivers, including online, telephone, and face-to-face support groups—completely free of charge.

Learn more about how we help caregivers of people with cancer.

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Posted by Kyle Hornyak

CancerCare to Honor Leading Cancer Experts at Annual Tribute

October 25, 2011

Dr. Noopur Raje, MD, director of Mass General’s Center for Multiple Myeloma, will be presented with CancerCare‘s Physician of the Year award during our annual “Tribute to Our Friends”  ceremony, on October 27 at our national office in New York City.

Dr. Raje, who is also an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, has been a presenter in numerous Connect Education Workshops focused on multiple myeloma. CancerCare‘s educational workshops are one-hour live discussions with leading oncologists across the country that can be listened to over the telephone or online.

Dr. Noopur Raje, MD

Listen to Dr. Raje’s recent presentation on “Coping with the Stress of Caregiving When Your Loved One Has Multiple Myeloma.”

CancerCare will also honor Guadalupe R. Palos, DrPH with our Interdisciplinary Award. Dr. Palos’ career in oncology has included roles as a health educator, clinician in cancer prevention and detection, and researcher in symptom research.

Dr. Guadalupe R. Palos, DrPH

Listen to Dr. Palos present on “Understanding the Important Role of Adherence in the Medical Management of Cancer.”

View all of CancerCare’s upcoming Connect Education Workshops.

CancerCare will also honor the Dan Ferrante Memorial Fund Committee with the Special Fund of the Year Award. The committee was created in memory of Dan Ferrante, who died from lung cancer in 2005, with the goal of raising funds to support people facing cancer. To date, the Dan Ferrante Memorial Fund Committee has raised more than $100,000 in support of CancerCare’s free services for anyone affected by cancer.

Leave a Comment » | Advocacy, Doctor-Patient Communication, Learn More About Your Diagnosis, Support CancerCare, Survivorship, Treatment Guidelines | Tagged: , , | Permalink
Posted by Kyle Hornyak

Sensitivity to All Backgrounds, Cultures Crucial to Patient Care

September 15, 2011

CancerCare CEO Helen H. Miller, LCSW writes about the importance of culturally sensitive health care in the latest issue of Oncology Nurse Advisor.

The United States is the most diverse country in the world, which can present a challenge to the health care professional. Miller’s article offers tips on how oncology nurses can provide the most effective care to each patient, regardless of his or her background, culture, race, ethnicity, and beliefs.

Read the article.

CancerCare’s professional oncology social workers help anyone affected by cancer—completely free of charge.

Learn more about how we help.

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Posted by Kyle Hornyak

Coping with Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia

August 2, 2011

A new article in this month’s issue of Coping with Cancer magazine explores ways to cope with the challenges of a chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) diagnosis.

The article’s content is excerpted from CancerCare’s recently updated, three-part CML fact sheet series. The series explores topics such as:

Read the article.

World-renowned experts in treating CML recently answered listeners’ questions during CancerCare’s free Connect Education Workshop, “Living with CML: Current Perspectives on Survivorship.” Listen to a podcast of the workshop.

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

2 Comments | Coping with Cancer, Doctor-Patient Communication, Learn More About Your Diagnosis | Tagged: , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Kyle Hornyak

New Study Shows Early Detection of Lung Cancer Saves Lives

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.

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Posted by Kyle Hornyak

Survivorship Focus of Free Connect Education Workshop on July 12

July 1, 2011

On Tuesday, July 12, from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Eastern Time, CancerCare, in collaboration with 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, will present a free, telephone workshop entitled: Fear of Recurrence and Late Effects: Living With Uncertaintity. 

You can listen to this program on the telephone or via live streaming through the internet.  This workshop is the last of the four-part series, The Ninth Annual Cancer Survivorship Series: Living With, Through and Beyond Cancer.

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

The faculty for the July 12 program includes:

  • Richard Dickens, MSW, Survivor Perspective, Blood Cancers Program Coordinator, Mind/Body/Spirit Project Coordinator, CancerCare
  • Merle H. Mishel, RN, PhD, FAAN, Kenan Professor, School of Nursing, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
  • David Spiegel, MD, Jack, Sam and Lulu Willson Professor in the School of Medicine, Associate Chair, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine

This workshop is free – no phone charges apply.  However, pre-registration is required.  To register, and for more information, simply go to the CancerCare website, www.cancercare.org/connect_workshops.

If you missed Parts I, II or III of the series, they are available as podcasts, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week: 

Leave a Comment » | Coping with Cancer, Doctor-Patient Communication, Survivorship | Tagged: , , , | Permalink
Posted by Kyle Hornyak

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