Lance Armstrong Foundation Supports
Survivorship Cancer Care at Lancaster General
|
Lisa Cramer (left) said the support she received
throughout her cancer treatment at Lancaster General
was beneficial. She is joined by Kim Keith (center),
nurse navigator at Lancaster General, and Leslie
Tahsler (right), Lance Armstrong Foundation Project
Coordinator. |
With more than 10 million cancer survivors living in the United States, the journey beyond initial diagnosis requires education, support and monitoring of late and long-term effects to obtain and maintain optimal health and wellness.
Lancaster General takes survivorship seriously. Lancaster General is committed to guiding you through that journey, including cancer prevention programs, screening programs to detect cancer at the earliest possible stages, and nurse navigators who guide patients through the challenging phases of cancer treatment. In addition, Lancaster General’s wellness programs may help to reduce the impact oflate and long-term effects from cancer treatment regimes.
As both a world-class cyclist and a cancer survivor, Lance Armstrong understands the hard work, struggles and triumphs that come from enduring a long and difficult challenge. He founded the Lance Armstrong Foundation (LAF) in 1997 during his own battle against cancer. LAF’s mission is to “unite people through programs and experiences to empower cancer survivors to live life on their own terms and to raise awareness and funds for the fight against cancer. The LAF focuses on cancer prevention, access to screening and care, research and quality of life for cancer survivors.”
Since 2007, Lancaster General has been a community-based memberof the LiveSTRONGTM Survivorship Center of Excellence Network funded by the Lance Armstrong Foundation, and is affiliated with the University of Pennsylvania Abramson Cancer Center Living Well After CancerTM Program, one of the eight such centers of excellence in the country. The efforts funded by LAF include educational forums and the development of pilot programs and policies to enhance survivorship.
Tracking Treatments
“Years after a cancer patient's last treatment, they may experience late and long-term effects that are directly related to the treatment they received,” says Mary LeVasseur, Manager, Community Health and Wellness. “We are working on developing programs and policies to educate the public regarding those effects and piloting tools that provide patients and their healthcare providers with a record or summary of their cancer care.”
As part of the pilot program, 10 women undergoing treatment for breast cancer at Lancaster General met with the LAF team to review their treatment, discuss future health screenings and review an end-of-treatment summary.
“Women who go through the many different types of treatments for breast cancer often say that it was overwhelming,” says Leslie Tahsler, RN, BSN, Lance Armstrong Foundation Project Coordinator. “They were struggling to keep track of it all. They really appreciate having the information compiled in one document as they move on as breast cancer survivors. The women who received the end-of-treatment forms found them very helpful.”
One of those women was Lisa Cramer of Denver, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in July of 2007. She had many questions and naturally some anxiety about the road ahead. But the moment she learned of her diagnosis, Lisa’s nurse navigator helped her stay on the right track, answered her questions and scheduled appointments at the necessary times.
“My experience with my treatment at Lancaster General has been very good,” Lisa says. “There was a consistency throughout all of my care, and everyone treated me very well.”
She agreed that the end-of-treatment summary that she and her family doctor received was beneficial. “While I was reviewing it, it brought up some questions that I had, and I was then able to ask my doctor.”
Community Outreach
The LAF outreach also includes an education component for breast cancer survivors. Ninety women attended a recent lecture series featuring guest speakers on nutrition and exercise, thinking and attention, and healthy emotions through mindfulness.
Lisa said those educational programs made a difference. “The program on exercise really had a positive impact on me,” she says. “It gave me ideas for exercises that would help in my recovery that I didn’t normally do.”
The LAF team also worked with Crispus Attucks and the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority to plan “Sisters Helping Sisters Face Breast Cancer” for women of color. At the event, experts spoke about the importance of nutrition, exercise and finding support for yourself during your survivorship journey.
In February, Lancaster General planned a health fair for the plain community, with help from the Susan G. Komen for the Cure® Foundation. Lancaster General also plans to offer free group mammogram screenings at the Lancaster General Willow Lakes and Kissel Hill facilities for women who meet specific criteria.
Survivorship is a community issue and the LAF team will be working with the American Cancer Society and local health providers to learn about and promote other survivorship initiatives in the community.
“We do not have to invent a new tool or start a new program, there are already health care providers in our community providing excellent survivorship care,” says Randall A. Oyer, MD, Lancaster General Oncology Program Medical Director. “Our hope is that we can all work together, learn from each other and ultimately enhance the lives of all cancer survivors in Lancaster County.”
For more information on the LiveSTRONG program at Lancaster General, contact Leslie Tahsler at 544-3879. You can also find out more at www.livestrong.com.
Lancaster General provides a resource page on its Web site with information related to the Lance Armstrong Foundation, Susan G. Komen for the Cure® Foundation, the University of Pennsylvania's Abramson Cancer Center, American Cancer Society and other topics related to cancer care.
For more information, visit us at www.LancasterGeneral.org/cancer and select “Cancer Resources on the Web”
For more information related to this topic: