October Awareness

This week we take note of two kinds of cancer that are being recognized during the month of October. One you may already know quite a bit about, but the other may be less familiar.

Breast Cancer

The number of breast cancer survivors has risen over the last couple of decades thanks in part to the efforts of national organizations like Susan G. Komen for the Cure and the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Under the umbrella of these organizations, thousands of small groups and local initiatives have been created with the mission of educating friends, neighbors, sisters and daughters about the need for routine exams and screenings in order to catch breast cancer in earlier and more effectively treated stages.

More people are surviving, but it's also good to know that incidences of breast cancer have been declining since 2000. This decrease (almost 7%, according to the American Cancer Society) can be attributed to reductions in the use of menopausal hormone therapy (MHT), also known as hormone replacement therapy (HRT). The Women's Health Initiative produced a report in 2002 that found that the combination of estrogen plus progestin was associated with increased risk of breast cancer and coronary heart disease. The report led to a reduction of therapies and birth control options combining both of those hormones.

At Hope Cancer Resources we approach breast cancer on many levels. We have certified health educators on staff who work in the community to spread information about early detection and screenings. Through our Save-A-Life program, we also help the under- and uninsured pay for their required mammograms. Finally, we share information about local support groups offered for women who are going through breast cancer treatment or who are survivors of the disease.

You can find breast cancer news and information at the following websites:
Susan G. Komen for the Cure
The Breast Cancer Research Foundation
Young Survival Coalition

Liver Cancer

Liver cancer is not common in the United States, with just over 26,000 new cases expected to be diagnosed this year. That is about 2% of all new cancers expected to be diagnosed. In contrast, liver cancer accounts for up to half of all cancers in many underdeveloped countries, mainly because of the prevalence of hepatitis, caused by contagious viruses, that predisposes a person to liver cancer. In the U.S., new cases have been increasing by about 3.4% in men and 3% in women each year since 1992. Incidence rates are highest among Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders and Hispanics.


The liver can be affected by primary liver cancer, which begins in the liver, or by cancer which begins in other parts of the body and then spreads to the liver through the bloodstream. Most liver cancer is secondary or metastatic, meaning it started elsewhere in the body.

Symptoms for liver cancer include:

• Losing weight without trying
• Loss of appetite
• Upper abdominal pain
• Nausea and vomiting
• General weakness and fatigue
• An enlarged liver
• Abdominal swelling
• Yellow discoloration of your skin and the whites of your eyes (jaundice)
• White, chalky stools

More information on liver cancer can be found at the following websites:
Mayo Clinic
National Cancer Institute

Cancer Survivorship

As we keep an eye on the information being disseminated on the web and in the news about cancer and its associated topics, a thread we see often implies that not enough money is being spent to "cure cancer". There are so many fundraising runs, bike rides, walks, vigils, restaurant promotions, etc... but people are still dying. When you are watching your loved ones battle cancer, it's hard to understand the progress that has been made. But there has been progress.

According to a report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the number of cancer survivors in the United States increased to 11.7 million in 2007. To put that in perspective - consider the fact that there were 3 million cancer survivors in 1971 and 9.8 million in 2001. Great news! Regardless of whether or not a cure has been found, the numbers tell us that the treatments that are being tested in clinical trials around the world are finding drugs and therapies that are saving lives.

More good news that accompanies those numbers... Study findings indicate:

• Breast cancer survivors are the largest group of cancer survivors (22 percent), followed by prostate cancer survivors (19 percent) and colorectal cancer survivors (10 percent).
• Among all survivors, 4.7 million received their diagnosis 10 or more years earlier.

What this information tells us is that those screenings we keep encouraging you to have are working. And not only are people surviving - they're surviving longer. We've said it all along - but that's the proof in black and white. Screenings save lives.

Of course, more survivors mean an increasing need for support for after the battle. Survivors often deal with long-lasting effects of their treatments that can be uncomfortable, annoying, or down-right debilitating. When a patient and their family is in the middle of their treatment, it's hard to think past what they are doing right then, so the work that comes after - staying healthy, recovering and maintaining pre-cancer activity levels, and learning to accept the limitations that they may have to live with - is often nothing they want to discuss or even consider.

Support groups and information focused on survivorship are in demand more and more by patients and their families. We work to meet that demand in the support groups we facilitate and also with our licensed Social Workers on staff. They work with individuals to determine specific emotional needs, and find sources of information and support to make sure that transitioning into the new life post-cancer treatment is as smooth as possible. If you or someone you know needs some assistance and information about being a cancer survivor please contact us at 479-361-5847.

More information about cancer survivorship can be found on these websites:
Support groups in Northwest Arkansas can be found on our website here.
National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has information, podcasts, and even the ability to send an e-card here.
The National Cancer Institute lots of information grouped by survivorship topic here and a long list of publications and resources here.

Some of the information in this posting was found in this press release on the National Cancer Institute website.

What about the Caregivers?

There is plenty of information out there about dealing with cancer as a patient. Magazines such as Cure and Coping with Cancer, and their accompanying websites, provide wonderful support to patients about the reality of life with cancer and follow them into recovery and survivorhood. There are support groups for different kinds of cancer diagnoses (see ours here), books to read, and products aimed at making a cancer patient more comfortable and better prepared to cope with their journey.

But what about the caregivers? Very often, cancer patients are dependent on spouses, siblings, children, or just close friends. Patients need help navigating the sometimes overwhelming array of new physicians and medications and the added scheduling burden of frequent visits to different doctors and medical clinics. Functions that used to be managed easily by the patient like doing laundry and mowing the lawn become highly scheduled and doled out to volunteers pulled from family members and friends. Behind all of this scheduling and dietary monitoring and pill-sorting and equipment renting is usually one specific person who takes on the bulk of the burden.

Caregiving can exhaust even the strongest individual very quickly. But the physical tasks that are required are not the only causes of fatigue. The emotional burden of maintaining a positive outlook around your loved ones or just having to be the "keeper of the information" can also be extremely tiring. If you are a caregiver don't forget to consider your own needs for down-time.

Take advantage of all those offers of help and be specific. Now is not the time to say "Oh, we're fine... thanks for your offer." If someone asks what they can do - give them a short list. Ask "What are you willing to do?" In some cases, leaving the house for anything other than a medical appointment can be daunting or even impossible depending on a patient's condition. Would they mind going to the grocery store with a shopping list for you? How about picking up your dry-cleaning and running a package by the post office? If they are offering to help - let them.

Something that often comes as a surprise to caregivers is the range of emotions that accompany the journey. It's not just the patient who has to deal with these feelings, but sometimes the caregiver has a harder time showing them. There is a mis-conception that a caregiver needs to remain strong and not let their emotions get the best of them. Here is some info from the National Cancer Institute that deals with this subject:

It's common to feel stressed and overwhelmed at this time. Like your loved one, you may feel angry, sad, or worried. Try to share your feelings with others who can help you. It can help to talk about how you feel. You could even talk to a counselor or social worker.

You probably have many feelings as you take care of your loved one. There is no right way for you to feel. Each person is different. The first step to understanding your feelings is to know that they're normal. Give yourself some time to think through them. Some feelings that may come and go are:

• Sadness. It's okay to feel sad. But if it lasts for more than 2 weeks, and it keeps you from doing what you need to do, you may be depressed.
• Anger. You may be angry at yourself or family members. You may be angry at the person you're caring for. Or you may be angry that your loved one has cancer. Sometimes anger comes from fear, panic, or stress. If you are angry, try to think of what makes you feel this way. Knowing the cause may help.
• Grief. You may be feeling a loss of what you value most. This may be your loved one's health. Or it may be the loss of the day-to-day life you had before the cancer was found. Let yourself grieve these losses.
• Guilt. Feeling guilty is common, too. You may think you aren't helping enough. Or you may feel guilty that you are healthy.
• Loneliness. You can feel lonely, even with lots of people around you. You may feel that no one understands your problems. You may also be spending less time with others.

Talk with someone if your feelings get in the way of daily life. Maybe you have a family member, friend, priest, pastor, or spiritual leader to talk to. Your doctor may also be able to help.
Here are some other things that may help you:

• Know that we all make mistakes whenever we have a lot on our minds. No one is perfect.
• Cry or express your feelings. You don't have to pretend to be cheerful. It's okay to show that you are sad or upset.
• Focus on things that are worth your time and energy. Let small things go for now. For example, don't fold clothes if you are tired.
• Remind yourself that you are doing the best you can.
• Spend time alone to think about your feelings.

At Hope Cancer Resources, our licensed social workers and counselors are able to schedule individual appointments with you and/or your loved one to help you cope with the varied physical and emotional challenges that accompany a cancer diagnosis. Don't hesitate to reach out to those around you. We're here to help.

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.