Cancer survivors worry about treatment disruptions

 

A new ACS study reports that early in the 2020 pandemic in the U.S., one-third of cancer survivors worried about treatment and cancer care disruptions. 

Using a mixed methods approach, investigators utilized survivors’ own words to more deeply describe their experiences and worries about the pandemic’s impact on their overall health. 

The article, appearing in the Journal of Psychosocial Oncology, finds the impact of the pandemic on cancer survivors and the broader health care system is widespread and exacerbated by serious gaps in the health care system. 

For this study, investigators led by Corinne Leach, MPH, MS, PhD, and colleagues, examined cancer survivor worries in relation to treatment, infection, and finances early in the U.S. pandemic. Data for this study came from a survey dated March 25 to April 8, 2020 from the 2019-2020 American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network’s (ACS CAN) Survivor Views Panel. 

“This study demonstrates the importance of clear communication between healthcare providers and patients experiencing concerns and uncertainties that may affect mental health during the pandemic as the care provision landscape continues to change,” said Dr. Leach.  

Key findings from this study include:

• Many survivors experienced disruptions in health care treatments. 
• 77% worried they are high risk for serious health impact and were concerned about ICU admission or death if infected with COVID-19. 
• 27% worried the pandemic will make it hard to afford cancer care. Respondents shared concerns of deciding what would be most important in terms of having medicine or food. 
• The fear of getting sick and uncertainty over just how worried survivors should be because of COVID was pervasive for cancer survivors, leading to reported self-induced measures to reduce their risk of infection, such as social distancing and mask wearing.
• Many respondents described social isolation, including overall loneliness and feelings of being isolated due to social distancing, during the COVID-19 pandemic.

An unanticipated theme that emerged in the qualitative analyses was the concern expressed by survivors around the inability to bring a companion to in-person appointments. Although participants understood and respected the decision of healthcare systems to institute measures to protect staff and patients from COVID-19 infection, survivors seemed to be caught off-guard by the new rule, especially when receiving bad news, such as a cancer recurrence.

Here are quotes from three of the 972 people surveyed:

• “There is now SO MUCH MORE ANXIETY! I question everyone in my life in ways that I've never done before. No one comes in or out of my home. My husband (who works in a grocery store) moved out. I'm living in total isolation. Having to decide whether to move forward with treatment and risk contracting COVID-19 or stop treatment and let my cancer grow has been difficult. It's like trying to decide if I want to die by heart attack or stroke. There's no good option!” - 32-year-old female rectal cancer survivor in treatment
• “I am incredibly worried to go out in public, even to my oncologist's office, in fear that if I am infected, I am at a higher risk for serious impact. I was scheduled to have an MRI next week as routine follow up, but was recommended to postpone it until May due to COVID-19.” - 32-year-old female lung cancer survivor
• “My surgery is reconstruction. It's considered non-essential, but it is essential to me… I hate this COVID-19, its ruining everything for me. I was ready to move forward with surgery. I am disappointed they are postponing everything.” - 50-year-old breast cancer survivor

“The delays and cancellations noted by cancer survivors in the survey highlight the need for policy interventions and new delivery models that make it safe for cancer patients to receive care, and the need for public policies that address the financial worries associated with the pandemic,” write the authors. 

Those policies include increasing federal Medicaid funding to ensure people can get health coverage should they find themselves uninsured, continuing to offer and increase funding for Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cancer screening programs, and providing $15 billion to NIH to restart stalled clinical trials.

*Shared from MySocietySource.

Help ACS win $25K by logging miles in March!

 

This March, The American Cancer Society will be competing for a $25,000 donation in the Miles For Meaning event on the Kilter app. In this challenge, registered participants log miles (running or walking) over the course of March on an interactive leaderboard, earn awesome prizes, and can even fundraise to support our life saving mission! It is free to register and there is no mileage or fundraising requirement to participate.

CLICK HERE to learn more about this Kilter “Miles For Meaning” opportunity!

How do you get involved? It’s easy!

     1. Download the Kilter app (iOS/Android)
     2. Create an account, complete your profile & connect your miles tracking devices (FitBit, Garmin, Strava, etc)
     3. Visit “EVENTS” within the app (bottom left) and locate the Miles For Meaning campaign in “EXPLORE”
     4. Click join & search our team: American Cancer Society West Region

During the entire month of March, registered Team Members track their miles and compete on an interactive leaderboard to help us hit our goal and take home the grand prize of $25,000. There will also be fun pop-up challenges throughout the campaign to win donations for ACS and prizes for individual participants.

Although this is the “American Cancer Society West Region Team”, anyone from anywhere can join us as we can have up to 100 participants. 

Thanks for your ongoing support of the fight against cancer and we hope you join us for “Miles For Meaning” in March!

Luminaria Exchange

 

Ready, Set, Light Up The World With HOPE!

I am excited to announce the launch of the Relay For Life Luminaria Exchange!

Beginning Monday, March 1st, 2021 you can share luminaria from your Relay, Region, or team on The Relay For Life Luminaria Exchange Facebook page. That’s right, it’s going virtual!

Your luminaria should highlight your event, team, and/org location where you Relay. (Please do not share luminaria dedicated to individuals as this page is primarily meant to demonstrate how Relayers come from all corners of the world.) Make sure your picture or graphic is clear, colorful, and creative so we can all see who you are and where you Relay. Include a little bit about yourself in the text of the posting, such as your event, team, and/or location. And don’t forget to share, comment, like, and share again – let’s get to know each other, collaborate, and fight and celebrate and ONE community.

Ready, Set, Light Up The World With HOPE!

Purim started today

 

Panda Express Fundraiser

 

go to the promotion web-page

House relief bill provides more options for health care coverage

Increased and expanded marketplace subsidies, COBRA assistance, and Medicaid incentives would help stem pandemic-driven coverage loss.

The U.S. House of Representatives will soon consider legislation to increase access to health coverage for millions of Americans, including cancer patients and survivors, as part of its pandemic relief package.

House Committees are currently considering, and will soon advance, legislation to increase the generosity of subsidies to cover the costs of marketplace health plans—including offering subsides to those who are receiving unemployment benefits—offer financial support to cover the bulk of premium costs for laid off workers who choose to keep their employer-sponsored health care plans, and boost the federal reimbursement for states to expand their Medicaid programs.

Also included are provisions to provide economic assistance to some nonprofits, many of which are struggling to provide essential services during this time.

A statement from Lisa Lacasse, president of ACS CAN, follows:

“Ensuring people have access to comprehensive health care is critical as the nation continues to deal with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Millions of people, including cancer patients and survivors, have unfortunately lost their jobs, their health care, and their means to adequately prevent, detect, and treat their disease. Helping cover the premium costs of health insurance—whether through increased subsidies on the exchange or by helping pay for continuing employer coverage through COBRA—will provide much-needed assistance to families and individuals struggling to maintain and afford their health care.

“However, for a growing number of people in the coverage gap, increasing access to Medicaid is the only way to effectively ensure access to comprehensive health coverage. While 38 states and the District of Columbia have already taken this step, too many individuals remain without adequate insurance options in the 12 states that have not expanded. Without health coverage, individuals are more likely to be diagnosed with cancer at a later stage and more likely to die from the disease. By including policies to incentivize states to increase access to their Medicaid programs, this legislation will help ensure more individuals are able to get lifesaving care, help address health disparities across the country and save lives.

“Additionally, extending economic relief to nonprofits hit hard by the pandemic—many of which provide critical health related services—will help bridge the gap many Americans are facing when it comes to managing their health and their finances.

“Recovering from this pandemic will require ensuring as many people as possible can get and maintain affordable health care. The committee action today is an important step to that end, and we look forward to working with Congress to improve access to care during this time and beyond.”

*Shared from MySocietySource.

Training opportunity for medical providers: Nutrition and Physical Activity for Cancer Survivors

The American Cancer Society, with support from the Center for State, Tribal, Local, and Territorial Support at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has created a CME-accredited training simulation called Let’s Talk: Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Cancer Survivorship.

The simulation is designed for physicians, physician assistants, nurses, and nurse practitioners.

It offers a safe learning environment in which to practice effective communication techniques for discussions with cancer survivors around the sensitive topics of healthy eating, physical activity, and body weight. 

The training provides personalized feedback on practice conversations so that healthcare professionals can assess their competency to lead similar conversations in real clinical interviews. 

It is CME-accredited and approved for .5 CME credits for physicians and physician assistants and .5 CEU credits for nurses and nurse practitioners.

How to sign up: Click here to access the free training, and feel free to share the training opportunity with your colleagues in the medical community.

*Shared from MySocietySource.

$5 million gift funds new Diversity in Cancer Research Program

 

We are excited to share that a $5 million gift from the Phillip and Elizabeth Gross Family Endowment will support the creation of the American Cancer Society’s new Diversity in Cancer Research program, a permanent umbrella that will support our effort to foster a more diverse scientific workforce community.  

This initial investment will launch our Diversity in Research Internship program, which will fund biomedical cancer research internships for undergraduate students from racial or ethnic backgrounds that are underrepresented in the scientific community, with a goal of promoting a more diverse scientific workforce in the long run. 

Diversity in science is key to invigorating problem-solving, driving innovation, and ultimately positioning the scientific community to better address inequity in cancer prevention, treatment, and care. We hope to sustain the program for about a decade, and continue to fundraise in support of the program. 

The program will launch this summer with an initial class of 25-40 interns from 5-10 schools around the U.S. Starting in 2022, we anticipate funding about 100 internships at 20-25 programs around the country. We’ll share more about the application process in the months to come.  

The investment comes as part of the research funding campaign ACS launched last July. The concept – an internship program aimed at increasing diversity within the science community – was developed by Bill Phelps, PhD, SVP, extramural discovery science, and Chris Thomas, senior director, philanthropy, with Tawana Thomas-Johnson, VP, diversity and inclusion, providing strategic guidance at every step of the development and implementation of the program. 

The Gross family has taken a leadership role in diversity in multiple areas and felt that the ACS Diversity in Research Program was of critical importance and wanted to guarantee it would be a permanent part of ACS.

“In the fight against cancer, advancements in research provide the best hope for saving millions more lives,” said Elizabeth Gross (pictured here.) “Phill and I believe that creating opportunities for a more diverse community of cancer researchers will not only spur innovation and ingenuity, but it will help eradicate health disparities, build trust across these various communities, and advance cancer care for everyone. It is our joy to assist in this important work alongside the American Cancer Society.”

*Shared from MySocietySource.

Female breast cancer now most diagnosed cancer in world

​Excess body weight, physical inactivity, alcohol consumption, postponement of childbearing, fewer childbirths, and less breastfeeding are reasons why.

Cancer ranks as a leading cause of death in every country in the world, and, for the first time, female breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer, overtaking lung cancer, according to a collaborative report, Global Cancer Statistics 2020, from the American Cancer Society (ACS) and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). 

Data show that 1 in 5 men and women worldwide develop cancer during their lifetime, and 1 in 8 men and 1 in 11 women die from the disease. 

The article describes cancer incidence and mortality at the global level and according to sex, geography, and levels of social and economic development, and discusses associated risk factors and prospects for prevention for each of 10 major cancer types, representing more than 60% of the newly diagnosed cancer cases and more than 70% of deaths from cancer. 

The report appearing in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, shows an estimated 19.3 million new cancer cases and almost 10 million cancer deaths occurred in 2020. Female breast cancer was the most commonly diagnosed cancer, with an estimated 2.3 million new cases (11.7%), followed by lung (11.4%), colorectal (10.0%), prostate (7.3%), and stomach (5.6%) cancers. 

The incidence of breast cancer is increasing in countries where rates of breast cancer have been historically low. “Dramatic changes in lifestyle and built environment have had an impact on the prevalence of breast cancer risk factors such as excess body weight, physical inactivity, alcohol consumption, postponement of childbearing, fewer childbirths, and less breastfeeding,” the authors noted. “The increasing prevalence of these factors associated with social and economic transition results in a convergence toward the risk factor profile of transitioned countries and is narrowing international gaps in the breast cancer morbidity.” 

Death rates of breast cancer among women in transitioning countries were even higher compared with the rates among women in transitioned countries (15 and 12.8 per 100,000, respectively), despite the substantially lower incidence rates (29.7 and 55.9 per 100,000, respectively). “As the poor outcome in these countries is largely attributable to a late-stage presentation, efforts to promote early detection, followed by timely and appropriate treatment, are urgently needed through the implementation of evidence-based and resource-stratified guidelines,” said Hyuna Sung, PhD, lead author of the report  and Principal Scientist at the ACS. 

Data show that lung cancer remained the leading cause of cancer death with an estimated 1.8 million deaths (18%), followed by colorectal (9.4%), liver (8.3%), stomach (7.7%), and female breast (6.9%) cancers. Lung cancer death rates are 3 to 4 times higher in transitioned countries than in transitioning countries, however, this pattern may well change as the tobacco epidemic evolves given that 80% of smokers reside in low- and middle- income countries. With about two-thirds of lung cancer deaths worldwide attributable to smoking, the disease can be largely prevented through effective tobacco control policies and regulations. 

According to the report, an estimated 28.4 million new cancer cases are projected to occur in 2040, a 47% rise from 2020 globally. Transitioning countries are experiencing a larger relative increase in cancer incidence (64% to 95%) versus transitioned (32% to 56%) countries due to demographic changes. The authors state that this may be further exacerbated by increasing risk factors associated with globalization and a growing economy. The authors warn that the growing rate of incidence could overwhelm health care systems, if left uncontrolled. Efforts to build a sustainable infrastructure for the dissemination of proven cancer prevention measures and the provision of cancer care in transitioning countries are critical for global cancer control. 

Data in this report do not reflect the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic as they are based on cancer data collected in earlier years, and the full extent of the impact in different world regions is currently unknown. According to the report, delays in diagnosis and treatment, including suspension of screening programs and reduced availability of and access to care, are anticipated to cause a short-term decline in cancer incidence followed by increases in advanced-stage diagnoses and cancer mortality in some settings. 

“The burden of cancer incidence and mortality is rapidly growing worldwide, and reflects both aging and growth of the population, as well as changes in the prevalence and distribution of the main risk factors for cancer, several of which are associated with socioeconomic development,” said Freddie Bray, BSc(Hons), MSc, PhD, senior author of the report and Head of the Section of Cancer Surveillance at IARC. “Effective and resource-sensitive preventative and curative interventions are pertinent for cancer diagnosis. Tailored integration into health planning can serve to reduce the global burden of cancer and narrow the evident cancer inequities between transitioning and transitioned countries observed today.” 

*Shared from MySocietySource.

National Love Your Pet Day

 

It’s #NationalLoveYourPetDay. If your pet is a dog learn more about the American Cancer Society Bark For Life fundraising event honoring the life-long contributions of our canine caregivers. These dogs demonstrate unconditional love, joy, compassion, and no judgments of cancer survivors’ abilities or appearances. Learn more at cancer.org. 

Watch the replay of the Coaches vs Cancer show on health equity

Guests included two ACS staffers and Craig Robinson, brother of Michelle Obama.

If you missed the special Suits And Sneakers Week event on Jan. 27, Advancing Health Equity through the cancer lens, watch the replay now.

Guests included Tawana Thomas Johnson, the American Cancer Society's VP, Diversity and Inclusion; Ashley Brown, American Cancer Society's director of Health Equity; and Craig Robinson, executive director of the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC).

The purpose of this event was to provide people with the knowledge and tools to play an active role in leading conversations and taking meaningful action to address cancer disparities.

Click here to listen to Robinson talk about his new job and the importance of the NABC's relationship with ACS (28 minutes in to the interview). 

Robinson was named its executive director in July, succeeding Jim Haney. Robinson brings more than three decades of administrative and coaching experience to the NABC. 

Return to Screening

 

We are excited to share that ACS and the National Comprehensive Cancer Network^® (NCCN^®) are teaming up with leading cancer organizations across the country to endorse the resumption of cancer screening and treatment during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

 

The coalition of 76 organizations released an open letter reminding the public that cancer still poses a major threat to people’s health, but acting as soon as is safely possible can lead to much better outcomes in the future. The letter examines distressing trends showing a significant drop-off in recommended cancer screening and treatment compared to prior years. This concerning side-effect of the pandemic could lead to a staggering number of preventable cancer deaths over the next ten years and beyond. Oncology experts agree that people should not delay any necessary prevention or care.

 

Resource on the Brand Toolkit:

• ACS Guidance on Cancer Screening Report October 2020 Full Version

National Drink Wine Day

 

On #NationalDrinkWineDay learn how alcohol use is linked to cancer rates. Alcohol use is one of the most important preventable risk factors for cancer, along with tobacco use and excess body weight. Alcohol use accounts for about 6% of all cancers and 4% of all cancer deaths in the United States. Learn more about the link between alcohol use and cancer at cancer.org.

Random Acts Of Kindness Day

 

#RandomActsOfKindnessDay is a day to celebrate and encourage random acts of kindness and paying it forward. What random act ff kindness will you do today?

Ash Wednesday

 

Happy Mardi Gras & Fat Tuesday!

 

ACS African American Black Employee Engagement Group Black History Month 2021 Update

Did you know ACS has an African American/Black EEG anyone can join? The group works to engage the AAB community in our mission, income, advocacy and volunteer activities; to promote employment opportunities among AAB staff and external partners; and to provide a mechanism to share information, best practices and resources. Learn more on their Yammer Group.

 

This year’s ACS Black History Month theme is Homecoming: Honoring our past, embracing our present, looking to the future. There will be activities for engagement all month, more details will be featured in the Black History Month article on Society Source 2/1, but staff will be encouraged to share pictures and stories the first week, second week will be "spirit week" with special challenges, an EEG call open to all staff with distinguished volunteer leaders on Thursday 2/11, and a watch party on Friday 2/12 (participating in the week will be a "challenge" on Virgin Pulse and staff can get points), the next week trivia/quizzes will be shared, and the last week there will be a dance class led by an instructor from Detroit which will also be tied to Virgin Pulse points.

Get Involved:

• Join AA/B EEG: Join AA/B EEG
• Email inclusion@cancer.org to join any EEG
• ACS West Region Social Justice Advisory Council - The Social Justice Advisory Council (SJAC) led by Carolyn Williams-Goldman, Interim Executive Vice President, Field Operations is committed to advising and supporting West Region ACS and ACS CAN towards achieving social justice by becoming a more diverse and inclusive organization in the fight against cancer. The council serves staff and volunteers with candid conversations surrounding systemic racism, diversity, and inclusion. One of the principle goals of SJAC is to create and nurture a culture of inclusion and anti-racism by operationalizing and fostering best practices and integrating them into our work in alignment with our core ACS values and Cultural Beliefs.

For more information contact Blythe Mooney: blythe.mooney@cancer.org

 

Resources on Brand Toolkit:

• Social Justice Toolkit Supporting Black Communities
• ACS Commitment to Achieving Health Equity
• Diversity Research Internship Program
• Health Equity and Research Sell Sheet

Happy Presidents Day!

 

Happy Valentine's Day!