National Cancer Control Month

 

Cancer control focuses on reducing the number of people who get cancer, have complications from it, and die from it. It uses approaches that have been tested through research to control the number of cancer cases as well as the effects of cancer. Cancer control programs work to find and use the most effective ways to:

• Prevent cancer
• Reduce the risk of cancer
• Find cancer earlier
• Improve cancer treatments
• Help more people survive cancer
• Improve the quality of life for people who have cancer

Learn more at cancer.org. 

International Transgender Day of Visibility

 

Transgender cancer patience have a challenge than many other cancer patience may not... Studies have found that doctors, nurses, and other members of a health care team don’t always ask about sexual orientation or gender identity during check-ups and treatment visits. Because of this, transgender patients might not get enough information, support, or resources to help them deal with their feelings and sexual problems.

Don't assume your doctor or nurse will ask you about these and other concerns about sexual orientation or gender identity. You might have to start the conversation. It’s very important to talk with your cancer care team about what to expect, and to continue to talk about what's changing or has changed in your life as you go through procedures, treatments, and follow-up care. 

Studies also show that many doctors and nurses don't know the right questions to ask about sexual orientation and gender identity. Many are not familiar with different terms that describe if a person is lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT), or gender non-conforming (GNC). It's very important to let your cancer care team know your sexual orientation and gender identity, including what gender you were at birth and how you describe yourself now.

If you are a transgender, you'll need to give them a list of any procedures you may have had or any hormones or other medications you have taken or are taking for your transition. Letting your cancer care team know this information will help you get the personalized care you need. Be as honest and open as possible, and ask questions so your cancer care team can help and so you get the right answers. While you might feel embarrassed, remember your cancer care team must keep the information you tell them confidential. And, once a conversation is started, it's easier to continue it and to bring it up again during your future check-ups.

Learn more at cancer.org.

National Doctor Day

 

When you learn you have cancer, you want to make sure you get the best possible medical care and treatment. Choosing your doctor and treatment center will be one of the most important decisions you’ll make. There are many excellent cancer care centers in the United States, but how do you know where to look? Cancer.org offers some things to think about as you choose your doctor and hospital.

Passover

 

Earth Hour

 

#EarthHour is today 8:30pm-9:30pm local time. Turn off your lights and all non-essential electronic devices along with millions of other people across the world to raise awareness of the the planet and show your commitment to improving the planet.

National Joe Day

 

In honor of #NationalJoeDay we honor "Relay Daddy" Joe Gillette and invite you to join in the fun at Relay Daddy's Virtual Drive in tonight at 6pm where we enjoy the movie Grease!

Wear A Hat Day

 

Share pictures of yourself wearing a Relay For Life hat on social media today for #WearAHatDay! Don't have a Relay hat? Check out Relay Rewards or ACS Store for the right hat for you!

National Puppy Day

 

The American Cancer Society's Bark For Life is a 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.

Lynch Syndrome Day

 

Lynch syndrome is due to inherited changes (mutations) in genes that affect DNA mismatch repair, a process that fixes mistakes made when DNA is copied. These genes normally protect you from getting certain cancers, but some mutations in these genes prevent them from working properly. Learn more about family cancer syndromes at cancer.org.

National Puppet Day

 

Persian New Year

 

Patient Safety Awareness Week

 

#PatientSafetyAwarenessWeek encourages everyone to learn more about health care safety. During this week learn more about the Patient Bill of Rights.

Oral Health Day

 

For #OralHealthDay learn more about oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancers at cancer.org.

First Day of Spring

 

Nurse Day

 

Absolutely Incredible Kid Day

In honor of #AbsolutelyIncredibleKidDay, celebrate courageous kids impacted by childhood cancer by learning about Relay For Life's Gold Together teams.

Cancer doesn’t fight fair at any age, but it is particularly devastating for children. Substantial progress has been made against some types of pediatric cancers, boosting survival for those cancers. However, there are still several types of kids’ cancers with low survival rates or no known cure. 

With your help through the American Cancer Society's Gold Together Champion campaign, we can change the odds, and fight back together. During childhood cancer awareness month, Gold Together Champions will raise awareness and fund the fight to end childhood cancer.

St. Patrick’s Day

 

National Sleep Awareness Week

 

People with cancer sometimes have an increased risk for sleep problems because of treatment effects and other factors. It's important to know why sleep problems can happen, what can be done to help manage them, and when to ask for help. Learn more at cancer.org in honor of #NationalSleepAwarenessWeek.

Pi Day

 

Daylight Saving Time Begins

 

Lailat al Miraj

 

World Kidney Day

 

Kidney cancer, also called renal cancer, is one of the ten most common cancers in both men and women. In honor or #WorldKidneyDay learn more about Kidney Cancer at cancer.org.

TIPS Campaign kicks off its 10th Year

 

ACS CAN urging lawmakers to prioritize proven tobacco control policies.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released new advertisements today as they kick off the 10th year of the highly successful “Tips from Former Smokers” national campaign. 

The ads will run March 1 through Sept. 26 on national cable and network television, streaming radio, and online. The ads will also run in 28 local TV markets with higher smoking prevalence. 

Two of the new ads in this year’s campaign feature participants who have been diagnosed with cancer-related to tobacco use, as well as their caregivers. The following is a statement from Lisa Lacasse, president of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN): 

“With roughly one-third of all cancer deaths being linked to tobacco use, we’re excited to see the CDC kick off their 10th year of the “Tips from Former Smokers” campaign. This campaign has helped more than 1 million people quit in the time it has been running, has inspired millions more to try to quit and has saved an estimated $7.3 billion in smoking-related health care costs. Avoiding tobacco is one of the most effective ways to reduce your risk of developing cancer. 

“These powerful ads are based on strong evidence regarding which anti-smoking messages work best and have proven to be a valuable tool in the fight against this deadly addiction. But they’re even more effective when paired with strong tobacco control policies. 

“ACS CAN is calling on Congress and the administration to prioritize efforts to reduce tobacco use and save lives by increasing funding for the CDC’s Office on Smoking and Health (OSH). Additionally, federal, state and local lawmakers should continue to support a comprehensive approach to tobacco control with 100% smoke-free laws, regular and significant tobacco tax increases that include e-cigarettes, funding for evidence-based prevention and cessation programs and access to all FDA-approved cessation services in Medicaid. These interventions are proven to be the most effective ways to reduce tobacco use, which ultimately reduces death and suffering from tobacco-related diseases.” 

*Shared from MySocietySource.

Mar10 Day

 

#Mar10Day is a great day to highlight American Cancer Society's Gamers vs Cancer fundraiser, GAME ON. Gamers vs. Cancer is a program that invites you to get involved by taking part in a livestream fundraising event, organizing a gaming tournament, and more. Whether you’re a gamer, developer, publisher, esports org, or creator, you can make a difference because the American Cancer Society recognizes gaming as a potential force for good. Learn more at cancer.org.

National No Smoking Day

 

Today is #NationalNoSmikingDay. Quitting tobacco is not easy, but it can be done. Whether you smoke cigarettes, use smokeless tobacco, or are trying to help a friend or loved one, you'll find the information you at cancer.org.

National Nutrition Month

In honor of #NationalNutritionMonth learn about the Nutrition and Physical Activity Guidelines for Cancer Survivors. Cancer survivors are often highly motivated to seek information about food choices, physical activity, and dietary supplements to improve their treatment outcomes, quality of life, and overall survival. At cancer.org learn the scientific evidence and best clinical practices by a group of experts in nutrition, physical activity, and cancer survivorship. 

 

Missing regular mammogram increases risk of dying from breast cancer

 

​Finding coincides with plummeting cancer screening rates due, in part, to COVID-19.

Attendance at regular mammography screening substantially reduces the risk of dying from breast cancer, according to a large ACS-funded study of more than half a million women published March 1 in Radiology. Researchers said women who skip even one scheduled mammography screening before a breast cancer diagnosis face a significantly higher risk of dying from the cancer.

“This is the first time we’ve analyzed the mortality benefit of not just breast cancer screening, but regular breast cancer screening, using such a robust, comprehensive data set,” said Robert Smith, PhD, our senior vice president of cancer screening.

“This study comes at a critical time, as a staggering number of women have missed their regular mammogram over the past 12 months due to the period when screening services were suspended as a result of the pandemic, as well as enduring fears and barriers caused by the COVID-19 pandemic," he said.

In the new study led by László Tabár, MD, from Falun Central Hospital in Falun, Sweden, a multinational team of researchers took a more detailed look at screening attendance patterns to further refine mortality risk estimates. They analyzed data from almost 550,000 women eligible for mammography screening in nine Swedish counties between 1992 and 2016. The women were divided into groups based on their participation in the two most recent scheduled screening exams prior to cancer diagnosis. Women who participated in both screening sessions prior to diagnosis were identified as serial participants, while those who did not attend either screening opportunity were categorized as serial nonparticipants. 

Analysis showed that participation in the two most recent mammography screening appointments before a breast cancer diagnosis provides a higher protection against breast cancer death than participation in neither or only one examination.

The incidence of breast cancers proving fatal within 10 years of diagnosis was 50% lower for serial participants than for serial nonparticipants. Compared to women who attended only one of the two previous screens, women who attended both had 29% fewer breast cancer deaths.

“Regular participation in all scheduled screens confers the greatest reduction in your risk of dying from breast cancer,” said the study’s lead author, Stephen W. Duffy, M.Sc., professor of cancer screening at Queen Mary University of London.

Duffy said the results add further evidence to support regular screening with mammography as a means for reducing breast cancer-related deaths: “While we suspected that regular participation would confer a reduction greater than that with irregular participation, I think it is fair to say that we were slightly surprised by the size of the effect.”

“The message that women should take from this analysis is clear: regular screening tests can save your life,” Smith said.  “Regular mammography screening is an important part of a woman’s preventive health plan. And, if you’ve missed getting your mammogram during this pandemic, call your doctor to make up that appointment, and be conscientious going forward about getting regular mammograms.”

Breast cancer screening with mammography has helped to substantially reduce breast cancer deaths by enabling detection of cancer at earlier, more treatable stages. Despite mammography’s well-established effectiveness, many women don’t participate in recommended screening examinations, and pandemic-related barriers to screening have exacerbated this reluctance. According to the Prevent Cancer Foundation, an estimated 35% of Americans missed routine cancer screening due to COVID-19-related fears and service disruptions early in the pandemic.

In the U.S. in 2021, there will be an estimated 281,550 new cases of invasive breast cancer diagnosed in women and 43,600 deaths. For women at average risk of breast cancer, the American Cancer Society recommends that those 40 to 44 years of age have the option to begin annual mammography; those 45 to 54 undergo annual mammography; and those 55 years of age and older transition to biennial mammography or continue annual mammography. Women should continue mammography as long as overall health is good and life expectancy is 10 or more years. For some women at high risk of breast cancer, annual breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is recommended to accompany mammography, typically starting at age 30. 

*Shared from MySocietySource.

International Women’s Day

 

On #InternationalWomensDay learn about the cancers that commonly affect women, and what you can do to help protect yourself and your loved ones at cancer org.

Relay Rewards

 

The Relay Rewards website is being updated with new items; the 2021 Event Tees have been loaded for 100 points each. You can order now but they aren't available yet. I can't wait to see what else will be available soon!

New Raise Your Way platform coming in 2021

 

Seeking fundraisers to participate in a new platform pilot.

Raise Your Way is the American Cancer Society’s do-it-yourself fundraising program that lets you turn any activity into a fundraiser and take action for lifesaving change in the fight against cancer. Anyone can create, share, and manage a personalized fundraiser entirely on their own – quickly and easily. 

Raise Your Way will be shifting away from GoFundMe Charity (GFMC) as GoFundMe sunsets their charity fundraising platform in 2021. The new and improved Raise Your Way platform will offer even more functionality and flexibility, allowing you to create and manage fundraisers – and have fun doing it!

The GFMC platform will continue to operate until December 31, 2021, by which time all Raise Your Way activity will be hosted on our new platform. Note that GoFundMe Charity campaigns will not be transferred to GoFundMe.com.

Key dates

• March 31, 2021: GoFundMe Charity API will be sunsetted.
• June 30, 2021: Last day to start a new campaign through the GoFundMe Charity hosted platform.
• September 30, 2021: Last day GoFundMe Charity-hosted Raise Your Way campaigns/donate buttons can accept online donations, and last day for recurring donations to process.
• December 31, 2021: Last day GoFundMe Charity data is accessible via the GFMC Report Center.

*Shared from MySocietySource.

Multiple Myeloma Awareness Month

 

It is #MultipleMyelomaAwarenessMonth. Find our all about multiple myeloma, including risk factors, symptoms, how it is found, and how it is treated at cancer.org.

COVID-19 vaccine and mammography

Many people have been asking about the COVID-19 vaccine and its impact on mammography.  

The American Cancer Society’s cancer.org/covidvaccines webpage offers up-to-date, evidence-based information about COVID-19 vaccines in people with cancer. It also answers the question: "Could the vaccine cause issues if I’m getting a mammogram?" 

The page is linked to from the main informational COVID hub: cancer.org/coronavirus. The hub and its pages are updated regularly and are great resources to share with volunteers, family members, and friends. Bookmark the page to make sure you have the latest information.  

*Shared from MySocuetySource.

National Dentist Day

 

In honor of #NationalDentistDay, learn about Oral Cavity (Mouth) and Oropharyngeal (Throat) Cancer which start in the mouth (including the tongue) or throat. Learn about oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancers, including things like risk factors, symptoms, how they're found, and how they're treated at cancer.org.

Dress in blue for Colorectal Cancer Awareness

 

Dress in blue today to bring awareness to colorectal cancer and learn more about colorectal cancer at cancer.org.

National Day of Unplugging

 

At sunset tonight we start the 24-hour #NationalDayOfUnplugging. Everyone in encouraged to unplug, giving yourself a 24-hour respite from technology. The goal is to spread awareness about how to maintain a healthy life/tech balance. 

Over the past 12-months we have been more reliant on technology than ever before, but finding the balance is still important for our physical and emotional well being. If you can safely unplug and interact with world around you we recommend you doing that. During this 24-hours we can all focus on staying healthy with and without technology.

Employee Appreciation Day

 

In honor of #EmployeeAppreciationDay, please take the time to thank your ACS staff partner. Our staff partners support us, encourage us, and help us succeed. They take the fight against cancer personally and have chosen to do it as a profession. This past year has been hard on ACS employees; with furloughs, layoffs, and restructuring they have had to deal with job insecurities and changes. Please take the time to thank your staff partner, show them how important they are, and how much we appreciate their partnership.

Relay Rewards

 

The Relay Rewards website is being updated with new items; here are some on my favorite which would be great for use at your next in person event!

International HPV Awareness Day

 

#InternationalHPVAwarenessDay is a great day to learn about the human papillomavirus (HPV) and its link to cervical cancer and many types of other cancer. Learn more at cancer.org and also get information on testing for HPV and on the HPV vaccines.