Colon Cancer Alliance Urges Patients and Caregivers
By: Stacey Moore
Every four minutes, someone in the United States is diagnosed
with colorectal cancer, a diagnosis that can be overwhelming
without appropriate information and support. For both newly
diagnosed patients and those who have been living with colorectal
cancer, access to key information is essential in learning how to
cope with their disease and treatment. A new educational workshop
series developed by the Colon Cancer Alliance (CCA) called
"Conversations About Colorectal Cancer" provides patients with the
needed tools to help discuss colorectal cancer with their doctors
and loved ones.
According to Amy Kelly, CCA Co-Founder and Executive Director,
"Patients not only need to understand their cancer, they need to be
prepared for what's next, and an informative conversation with
their health care provider is the first step to determining the
best way to manage their diagnosis and treatment. Our program will
offer patients help in communicating with their doctor, an
essential part of managing their disease that can sometimes be
overlooked."
In order to help patients find hope and resources in their own
communities, the CCA is hosting a series of local events as part of
the "Conversations About Colorectal Cancer" program. The workshops,
which will take place in 10 cities in 2006 and 2007, allow patients
to hear from leading physicians on a range of topics, ranging from
the latest treatment advances with targeted therapies to managing
their side effects. In addition, patients and caregivers will have
the opportunity to listen to and support one another in their
collective battle against colorectal cancer.
"While talking to your doctor about cancer treatment is necessary,
some patients may find it difficult to do so," said Dr. Allyson
Ocean, medical oncologist at The Jay Monahan Center for
Gastrointestinal Health at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill
Cornell Medical Center. "Good communication is a key component of
patient care, so it is very important that patients feel
comfortable approaching their health care providers with any
questions they may have-and that their health care providers are
able to give them the time and understanding needed to answer their
questions clearly and completely."
A Harris Interactive survey of more than 500 cancer patients and
300 oncologists revealed that patients who held in-depth
discussions with their physicians about cancer topics knew more
about their condition than those who did not have discussions with
their doctor. In addition, the patients who did not speak to their
doctors were also less informed about the possibility of treatment
delays, infection, impact of low red and white blood cells, and
proper patient education.
New resources have been created as a part of "Conversations About
Colorectal Cancer" to help patients understand more about their
cancer and provide guidance on how to interact with their
doctors.
For more information on the workshop series, and to access the patient resources, visit the CCA Web site www.ccalliance.org, or call (877) 422-2030. The Colon Cancer Alliance is a national patient advocacy organization, with chapters located across the country, and is the official patient support partner of Katie Couric's National Colorectal Cancer Research Alliance. The CCA is dedicated to ending the suffering caused by colorectal cancer. This educational workshop series is funded by an unrestricted educational grant from Amgen.
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