Cancer Prevention: What's on the Horizon?

As early as 2006, we were seeing news articles about the possibility of a vaccine coming to market to fight cervical cancer. At that time, the HPV vaccine was in the final stages of research, and was under review by the FDA. In the summer of that year, the vaccine was approved for girls and young women, and was later approved for males as well. It is now considered a vital tool in the prevention of cervical cancer in men and women, and is as close to being a "cure" as we have seen to date.

Just like those conducted on the HPV vaccine, there are hundreds more clinical research trials being done every day that are investigating the effectiveness of newly developed drugs and procedures. Clinical trials are a vital key to removing the word cancer from "household word" status.

Cancer research trials are conducted for many reasons. Some are simply focused on finding a "cure". Sometimes, these lead to discoveries that were unexpected - such as a medication that was being used to treat one kind of cancer that is then found to be effective on another type, or even another disease altogether. In other studies, researchers may be trying to discover ways to manage symptoms or after-effects of treatment such as "chemo-brain" and post-radiation nerve damage. Trials are also conducted that study the psychological impact of medical treatments and offer new "best practices" for doctors in order to prevent patients from suffering emotional distress during their treatment and recovery.

For a patient, the decision to participating in a clinical trial can be a difficult one to make. Many trials are "double-blind", meaning that the doctor and the patient don't know if the syringe or i.v. of fluid being administered is actually a newly created medication, or a placebo. Entering into that kind of study means placing faith in the importance of the study, not necessarily in any improvement that might be seen by the patient themselves.

There are many benefits to participating in a clinical trial. They offer a level of care that may be a step up from the standard if the treatment you are receiving is found to be effective. Participation can empower a patient and allow them take a lead role in their treatment plan. The psychological effect of this can be beneficial to many patients - feeling "helpless" is a common complaint of cancer patients who are undergoing cancer treatment and request counseling support. Finally, participation in clinical trials allows patients to become part of the important work being done to improve cancer treatment and find cures on a national and global scale. The ongoing legacy of cancer trial participants is significant.

Of course, there can be drawbacks to participation, and patients have to discuss them with their physician as well. There could be side-effects that doctors are not yet aware of. Even if the new treatment has benefits, it may not work on every patient. Health insurance does not always cover all the costs of a research study. New treatments may simply not be any better than the standard of care, which would mean that money spent and side-effects endured may be of no benefit to the individual patient. That's where the ongoing legacy comes in... the more people that are involved in trials, the more quickly the most effective treatment options and cures will be discovered.

More information on clinical trials being conducted in Northwest Arkansas is available on the Highlands Oncology Group website. Their research staff is on the fore-front of the cancer fight and can provide additional information for patients interested in looking at all their treatment options.

Cost of Cancer is on the Rise

Portions of the following post were pulled from an article on Scientific American online. 

There's been a new report released by the Journal of the National Cancer Institute that says that the cost of cancer care in our country is not going to be decreasing anytime soon. According to the report, published online January 12th, the financial burden of cancer is expected to rise precipitously in the next 10 years—despite decreasing incidence numbers. 

"Rising health-care costs represent a central challenge for both the federal government and the private sector," wrote the study authors, led by Angela Mariotto of the Surveillance Research Program at the National Cancer Institute. Overall 2009 healthcare costs in the U.S. were about $2.5 trillion, and spending is expected to increase to some $4.6 trillion by 2019. Based on Medicare data and other sources, the new analysis shows that in 2010, cancer care for 16 common types of cancers in U.S. women and 13 common types of cancers in U.S. men tallied up to $124.6 billion.

Those are some BIG numbers. And it's not even taking in ALL cancers... only 16 common types.

As you can imagine, Northwest Arkansas is not immune to the effect of rising costs for cancer care. In 2010 Hope Cancer Resources provided services and financial assistance valued at $687,690.00 to 1,489 cancer patients and their families. These were services that would have been paid for out of people's pockets if we were not here to provide them.

Or not...

One of the main reasons we do what we do is because local oncologists were seeing too many of their patients not showing up for appointments or taking the medications that were prescribed for them. Once the physician creates a treatment plan, that patient has to be able to follow that plan in order for the treatment to be successful. If a patient can't pay for gasoline, or loses their car to repossession, all the treatment plans in the world won't help that patient get to their radiation or chemotherapy appointments.

Similarly, if an individualized cocktail of medications is prescribed to manage symptoms and begin fighting the disease, but a patient is forced to choose to pay for those drugs or pay the mortgage - which do you think they will choose? Cancer treatment doesn't have to last more than a few months - it depends on the type and treatment - but sometimes those few months are all it takes to put a family into financial crisis.

That's what we're here for. We provide temporary support to cancer patients and their families during those crucial few months - or longer if that's what it takes - to help them get out of treatment and into the "recovery" stage. At times, there are continued needs from an emotional standpoint, but the financial crisis that can be crippling is usually over by that time, and patients and families are better able to look forward with hope.

We anticipate a growing number of patients needing our services in 2011. Not only because, as the articles predict, the costs will continue to increase, but also because more people are going to be treated in Northwest Arkansas when a new Highlands Oncology Group clinic opens in Rogers. Expanded patient care means expanded expenses. We would love for you to join us in making cancer treatment a little less stressful for your friends and neighbors... Consider making a gift today - it could change someone's life tomorrow.

Hablamos Espanol!

Hearing the words "You have cancer." is emotionally challenging even when you speak your doctor's language... imagine seeing their grave expression and knowing something is seriously wrong but not being able to completely understand what they are saying. An enormous amount of information is given to a new patient and their caregivers when a diagnosis of cancer is made. There are treatment plans to discuss and sign off on, prescriptions to get filled and take correctly... lots of information from lots of different people. It can be overwhelming for anyone, regardless of their native language.

At Hope Cancer Resources we have a Spanish language interpreter and a social worker who work with patients and provide interpretation services for them and their families. Kathy Taylor, our interpreter, and Adela Martinez, one of our licensed social workers, can answer questions on the phone, meet with new patients at Highlands Oncology Clinic, or accompany a family to medical and other appointments that are required to support their diagnosis. Kathy also helps translate the materials we provide to the community as well, an invaluable asset as we work toward our goal of reaching ALL of Northwest Arkansas with our services and educational programs.

There is no good way to learn you have cancer. But with a little bit of help, we hope we can take away the uncertainty and confusion that language barriers can cause. 

For more information on translation services, contact Kathy Taylor at 479-361-5847 or kathy.taylor@hopecancerresources.org

 

The Impact of Hope Cancer Resources

When you work for a non-profit organization, it kind of goes without saying that the passion for the stated mission helps drives your daily to-do list. It also helps keep you going on days that would, at times, make you question your sanity. But aside from that passion, it's the day-to-day impacts we see our work having in our community that really keep us focused. We have a budget and expenditures just like any for-profit entity, and we do report to a board of directors, and sharing numbers like the ones listed here truly humble and energize us on the toughest days.

Between September 1, 2009 and February 28, 2010

682

Newly diagnosed patients were seen by one of our social workers at Highlands Oncology Group

208 

New patient applications for financial assistance were processed.

$11,180

Average per month provided for Emergency Assistance (mortgage, rent, and/or car payments and utilities).

$2,752

Average per month provided as financial assistance for prescriptions related to a patient's cancer diagnosis.

$7,140

Average value per month of prescription assistance provided to patients through a Prescription Assistance Program (PAP).

60,994

Miles traveled to provide access to treatment for patients who do not have transportation or 

are unable to drive.

32 

Patients per month (on average) provided transportation for treatments.

270 

Cancer screenings and diagnostic tests provided through the Save-A-Life Program.

998

Cases abstracted through the Cancer Registry.

And then we receive notes like this in the mail...

"I would like to thank each and every person that is responsible for the scheduling and payment of my visit to the Community Clinic and NW Breast Center. If not for your financial assistance, I more than likely would not have been able to receive the treatment I needed. Your help is so very much appreciated."

Thank you for YOUR support of our mission - we can't do it without you.

Why we do what we do

All non-profit organizations have a "mission statement". It helps explain their existence and gives the staff and volunteers a sense of purpose in their work. HOPE's mission is unique in that we provide hands-on psychosocial and financial assistance directly to patients in need. Last year, we touched the lives of 73% of the patients estimated to have been diagnosed with cancer in northwest Arkansas. Very often, this mission comes home to us in a very sobering way, not only fueling our determination to reach as many patients as possible, but also reminding us that life and family and security is precious. And for some, fleeting.

On June 9th, 2008 Jessica and our summer intern, Hannah, were told by the nurses at Highlands Oncology Clinic that a walk-in patient was waiting to see a doctor and would probably need assistance. They also informed them that the patient, “Ashley” aged 33 years old, would not need our help long-term because her cancer was everywhere and she would probably not live another month.

When Jessica and Hannah went to meet Ashley in the waiting room, she was leaning against the front desk counter in pain, unable to sit in a chair. Ashley and her step-grandmother slowly followed them back to the consultation room where she continued to stand in pain with tears in her eyes. The distress tool, a survey she had filled out in the waiting room, indicated Ashley was highly stressed and in need of financial and emotional services, but the most striking aspect of the form was one word Ashley had scribbled - “Terrified.”

As our staff visited with Ashley to discern her needs and try to give her a sense of comfort and hope, she talked about not wanting to die and shared her desire to go back to school. It was heartbreaking to hear her story through her tears as they knew her situation was dire. It was soon revealed that Ashley had a 14 year old son who did not know she was sick. He was at a summer camp and would be there until the 28th of June. This caused some concern because our staff knew it was possible Ashley would not be alive by the time her son came home.

As she spoke to Jessica and Hannah, Ashley indicated that she and her son were the only support each other had. The step-grandmother was willing to take them in and take Ashley to her doctor appointments, but Ashley did not have any money or other assets and had been denied disability and unemployment. She was in the midst of a Medicaid spend down so she did not have anything to contribute to the extra costs that the grandmother was taking on.

When Ashley exited her appointment with the doctor that same day, Hannah was outside the exam room with a fuel card, literature to help Ashley prepare to tell her son of her diagnosis, a cancer care application to help her receive extra funds, and adult diapers for her hemorrhaging. Ashley was comforted by the immediate help and a familiar face in the oncology clinic.

To date, we have helped Ashley with $425.00 in gasoline, $270.00 in prescription assistance, and obtaining other resources for her. Ashley and her son are doing well. HOPE, Inc. is continuing to help her as she enters her last week of treatment.

This is why we do what we do.