Gynecological Cancers Toolkit

The post Check out our September Toolkits: Childhood & Gynecological Cancer first appeared on Indiana Cancer Consortium.

The HPV virus is the single greatest risk factor for cervical cancer. HPV is passed person-to-person through skin-to-skin sexual contact. HPV vaccination is the best method of prevention. According to the CDC, less than 50% of adolescents in Indiana are currently vaccinated. Only 48% of girls and 17% of boys ages 13-17 receive the HPV vaccine (CDC).

Hepatitis B is a liver infection caused by the hepatitis B virus. Hepatitis B is spread when blood, semen, or other body fluid infected with the Hepatitis B virus enters the body of someone who is not infected. In the United States, it is estimated that up to 2.2 million people are potentially infected with Hepatitis B, many of whom may be unaware of their infection (CDC). The best way to prevent Hepatitis B is by getting vaccinated.

The post August: National Immunization Awareness Month first appeared on Indiana Cancer Consortium.

In June, 2011, I was diagnosed with Stage III colorectal cancer. No family history. No genetic disposition. At 37 years old, a healthy, working mother of 3 young children, why would I get this? Researchers still don’t know the scientific “why” the incidence of colorectal cancer is increasing in those under 50 years of age. But I believe the reason “why” I was diagnosed with this ugly disease is to help others. I was diagnosed so I could spread the word, that if it can happen to me, it can happen to anyone.  

Colorectal cancer is preventable and treatable. Many, like myself, go on to live productive lives once our treatment is completed. But others are not so fortunate. That is why it is important to listen to your body, be your own best advocate, and get a colonoscopy!  

In the fall of 2011, I started to notice a pain in my lower right abdomen. Nothing major, but enough that I went to have it checked out by my general practitioner.  She told me that as a working mother of three whose husband had a stressful job, I probably just needed a break. She sent me home with some pain killers and a bottle of Tums. This was my only symptom and even though I continued to visit my GP, cancer never entered the conversation. Kidney stones, irritable bowel syndrome, and an ulcer were all considered.  

It wasn’t until I was physically unable to stand when I drove myself to the emergency room that an MRI and CT scan were performed. This was over 7 months after my initial complaint. Test results showed a tumor on my right side and I was rushed into emergency surgery. 48 hours later, I was diagnosed with colorectal cancer.  

Colorectal cancer treatment is not fun. Chemotherapy and radiation are not the most enjoyable experiences I’ve had in my life. In fact, they are the most horrible nightmares that I have ever been through. But, I am here. I am alive. I saw my daughter graduate high school and college. She recently got her first job. These are milestones that I wasn’t sure if I would ever see. I’m lucky and I know it. 

Many others are not so fortunate and many have similar stories of misdiagnosis and providers that don’t consider colorectal cancer in those under 50 years of age. That is why it is so important to listen to your body, to be your own best advocate, and to insist on a colonoscopy if you have any symptoms that lend themselves to a colorectal cancer diagnosis. Don’t blow off a pain in your side, continual diarrhea, or blood in your stool. Contact a provider and insist on getting to the bottom (pun intended) of your symptoms.  

If it can happen to me, it can happen to anyone. I was only 37. My children were 11, 6, and 4 years of age. While I carry physical scares, we all carry emotional scars from that time. Surviving cancer is not easy, but it can be done. My family is proof of that, while no child should see their mother go through what I have been through, I am here. Thank you for letting me share my story. I hope it helps even just one person. 

The post Hoosier Survivor Stories first appeared on Indiana Cancer Consortium.

• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Coronavirus (COVID-19) 
  • Sign up for the CDC COVID-19 Newsletter 
  • Get the latest public health information from CDC 
  • A Guide for Cancer Patients and Their Caregivers and Family Members
  • Providing nurses with information to help cancer patients prevent an illness like COVID-19 is critical. “To keep our communities safe and the most vulnerable people healthy, everyone needs to stay at home as much as possible. But patients with cancer and survivors must take extra steps to help maintain their health and safety,” says CDC’s Dr. Richardson. Based on CDC’s Staying Well While Staying Home Guide, Dr. Richardson’s new blog post for the Oncology Nursing Society’s ONS Voice, provides patient education talking points to help prevent COVID-19 and avoid being exposed to it.
  • A cancer diagnosis and its treatments can bring many challenges. The possibility of getting seriously ill from COVID-19 adds to these challenges. It’s important for cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers to know what to do to protect their health and reduce the risk of getting COVID-19. CDC’s Division of Cancer Prevention and Control Director, Dr. Lisa Richardson, provides steps cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers can take to stay healthy during the COVID-19 pandemic in this podcast.
• The National Comprehensive Cancer Network has begun compiling a list of COVID-19 information sources for oncology specialists and patients.
• The American Cancer Society addressed the risks and complications of COVID-19 for cancer patients
• National Cancer Institute: Coronavirus and What People with Cancer Should Know
• National LBGT Cancer Network: Coronavirus Information 
• National Institutes of Health: Coronavirus (COVID-19)
  • Cancer Currents blog post, “How Does COVID-19 Affect People with Cancer? NCCAPS Will Help Find Out,” by NCI Deputy Director Dr. James H. Doroshow. This post highlights the launch of a long-term, nationwide study, called NCI COVID-19 in Cancer Patients Study (NCCAPS). 

American Cancer Society Support Resources

We’re here for you and your patients 24/7 – 1-800-227-2345 – Our trained Cancer Information Specialists can answer questions 24 hours a day, every day of the year to empower you with accurate, up to date information to help patients make educated health decisions. We connect patients, caregivers, family members, and medical staff with valuable services and resources. Our Cancer Information Specialists can be contacted by phone (1-800-227-2345) or Live Chat – www.cancer.org/about-us/online-help/contact-us.html.

• Cancer Information Videos – Videos can help you learn more about cancer prevention and early detection, cancer treatment, cancer programs and services, your particular type of cancer, and more. Stories from cancer survivors and their caregivers will inspire you.
• Caregiver Resource Guide – This tool is for people who are caring for someone with cancer. It can help you: learn how to care for yourself as a caregiver, better understand what your loved one is going through, develop skills for coping and caring, and take steps to help protect your health and well- being.
• Cancer Survivors Network – Safe online connection where cancer patients and caregivers can find others with similar experiences and interests. At csn.cancer.org, members can participate on discussion boards, join a chat room, and build their own support network from among the members.
• Caregiver Video Series – This series offers psychosocial and educational support for caregivers of loved ones with cancer. It also provides selfcare techniques, so they can maintain or improve their own quality of life, as they go through the caregiver experience.
• Reach To Recovery connects breast cancer patients with trained volunteers to receive peer-to-peer support.
• “tlc” Tender Loving Care – helps women cope during and after cancer treatment by providing wigs and other hair loss products (plus how-to information), as well as mastectomy products, all at affordable prices.
  • tlc Wig Coupon
• ACS Research Podcast – American Cancer Society grantees discuss critical questions in cancer research. From prevention to treatment, from bench to bedside, from career development and mentoring to outreach and advocacy, leading experts share their thoughts about the most important issues in the field. Here’s the link to the ACS Research Podcast, which is available on iTunes (here) and other podcast platforms such as Soundcloud, Spotify, and Stitcher. The intended audience is a lay audience that’s interested in science and research, but are not scientists.
• American Cancer Society YouTube Channel
• Stories of Hope
• Cancer Support Community
• ACS Covid-19 Information
  • What cancer patients and caregivers need to know about COVID-19? ACS Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Len Lichtenfeld, provides important guidance and perspective in this PODCAST(24min).
  • American Cancer Society Common Questions About the Coronavirus Outbreak 
  • Nurture Your Emotional Health: Coping with anxiety during the coronavirus outbreak
• American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network COVID-19 Pandemic Impact on Cancer Patients and Survivors Survey

Indiana COVID-19 Response ECHO

The Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health ECHO Center at IUPUI uses Project ECHO to share knowledge and best practices across practices and communities. ECHO uses web-based Zoom videoconferencing to allow participants to get real-time answers to their questions.

Indiana COVID-19 Response ECHO sessions are Wednesdays from 8:00-9:15am ET. They will be hosted weekly for 6 weeks (and longer, if needed). 

The Indiana COVID-19 Response ECHO will feature public health and clinical leadership that will share perspectives and best practices for addressing COVID-19 in Indiana communities during the evolving pandemic. Curriculum topics for this program will include: Infection Control Practices, Expanding Telehealth Services, Screening and Protocols for Testing, and much more! All members of the healthcare team or individuals responding to the COVID-19 pandemic in their community are welcome to join. 

For questions or more information, Please contact Andrea Janota, 317-274-3178 or email ajanota@iu.edu 

Other Resources 

• IU Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center: Psychologist Dr. Johns answers questions about COVID-19
• Managing Loneliness and Anxiety During This Time of Social Distancing BreastCancer.org Podcast
• Beware of Fraudulent Coronavirus Tests, Vaccines and Treatment
• FDA Takes Action to Address Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
• HUD Releases Multifamily Radon Testing Guidance in Response to Coronavirus (COVID-19) Emergence
• Nutrition and Cancer Prevention Strategy Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic

The post COVID-19 and Cancer Resources first appeared on Indiana Cancer Consortium.

Spots are filling up quickly so be sure to register now>>>

The ICC Annual Meeting is a unique event that brings together the diverse, broad spectrum of organizations and professionals needed to cause action and create meaningful change in cancer prevention and control. Attendees at this meeting have an extraordinary opportunity to exchange ideas and experiences with a wide variety of experts from the Indiana cancer community.

The objective of this year’s annual meeting is to explore the evolution of cancer care and prevention throughout the state, specifically as it relates to legislative changes, HPV-related cancers, tobacco cessation, and more. Our goal is to stimulate discussion, collaboration, and strategic planning among statewide partners. Stakeholders will convene to address innovative practices as they relate to the full continuum of cancer prevention and care.

The ICC is honored to welcome Tamika Felder, Cancer survivor and award-winning women’s health advocate. Tamika is the Chief Visionary at Cervivor – a nonprofit dedicated to cervical cancer advocacy and support. Named a “Cancer Rebel” by Newsweek in a 2017 cover story, Tamika is a highly sought-after speaker on cervical cancer advocacy, cancer prevention, HPV education, and living life with purpose after cancer. She is the author of “Seriously, What Are You Waiting For? 13 Actions To Ignite Your Life & Achieve The Ultimate Comeback.” Tamika currently serves on the steering committee of the National HPV Vaccination Roundtable. She’s shared her story and experiences on Presidential Cancer Panels convened by the White House. An award-winning television producer, Tamika is currently filming a documentary about cervical cancer, the women living with it, and the vaccine to prevent it. Her story of patient-to-advocate / survivor-to-Cervivor inspires and mentors not only patients and medical communities, but anyone who has struggled with obstacles in their life. Learn more about Tamika’s work at Cervivor.org and TamikaFelder.com.

We are also thrilled to welcome Robert Winn, M.D., director of VCU Massey Cancer Center. In this position, he oversees a cancer center designated by the National Cancer Institute that provides outstanding cancer care, conducts groundbreaking research to discover new treatments for cancer and offers high-quality education, training and community outreach programs. In addition to directing the activities of Massey’s 205 research members – researchers and physicians from 38 departments in 3 colleges and 4 schools at VCU – he also manages a research laboratory at VCU. His current basic science research, which has been supported by multiple National Institutes of Health and Veterans Affairs Merit awards, focuses on the cellular pathways that drive the development and progression of lung cancer and the role of cell division arrest in lung cancer. He has authored or co-authored more than 60 published manuscripts in peer-reviewed academic journals. Winn is committed to community-engaged research centered on eliminating health disparities. He is a principal investigator on several community-based projects funded by the NIH and National Cancer Institute, including the All of Us Research Program, a NIH precision medicine initiative. He has received national and international acclaim for his efforts to empower underserved patient populations, improve health care delivery and ensure equal access to cancer care. 

Registration for this event is free. Register here.

Full Agenda:

9:00 – 9:15 a.m. Opening Remarks & Welcome

• Katie Crawford – American Cancer Society
• Dr. Lindsay Weaver – ISDH Chief Medical Officer

9:15 – 9:45 a.m.

• Dr. Patrick Loehrer – Medical Director, IU Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center

9:45 – 10:35 a.m.

• Keynote- Share Your Story & Prevent Cancer: It’s Possible
• Tamika Felder – Award-winning television producer, author, and cancer survivor

10:35 – 11:25 a.m.

• Keynote- Health Disparities in the 21st Century
• Dr. Robert Winn – Director, VCU Massey Cancer Center

11:25 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

• Project ECHO: Harnessing the Virtual Classroom to Improve Cancer Care at the Local Level
• Dr. Tyler Severance – Pediatric Hematology Oncology Fellow, Indiana University School of Medicine

12:00 – 12:15 p.m. Break to Grab Lunch

12:15 – 12:45 p.m.

• Pharmacists and Tobacco Cessation: Standing Orders in Indiana
  • Veronica Vernon – Chair of the Indiana Pharmacists Association Legislative and Regulatory Council
• Indiana Tobacco Legislation
  • Nick Torres – American Lung Association

12:15 – 12:45 p.m.

• HPV Vaccination: Debunking Myths and Combatting Misinformation
• Dr. Monica Kasting – Assistant Professor, Purdue University

12:45 – 1:15 p.m.

• Awards Ceremony & Closing Remarks

This activity has been approved for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s) and ANCC contact hours by Indiana University School of Medicine in collaboration with the Indiana University School of Nursing.

The post Save the Date: ICC 2020 Annual Meeting first appeared on Indiana Cancer Consortium.

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

12:00 to 1:00 pm EST

Cancer data can be daunting, but the Indiana Cancer Consortium is here to help! The ICC has developed a suite of data resources to help you get the information you need – for completing your next grant application or deliverable, planning or evaluating your big project, and other cancer data needs. During this webcast, we will take a look at each of these resources, and show you how to get up-to-date cancer statistics.

Target Audience: Local health departments, healthcare professionals, academics, not-for-profits, community organizations/task forces, and anyone else interested in up-to-date cancer data. 

Join us over lunch to launch into cancer data!

Register Now!

The post Lunch & Launch into Cancer Data! first appeared on Indiana Cancer Consortium.

The Indiana Cancer Consortium is pleased to announce a new funding opportunity for a multi-phase grant initiative with select cancer centers or hospitals to focus on health systems change for tobacco treatment across Indiana. In order to help address the high smoking rates among those living with cancer, these funds support the development of statewide hospital and cancer treatment centers that are tasked with implementing evidence-based tobacco prevention and cessation efforts according to area needs. This funding opportunity includes a baseline assessment of current tobacco prevention and control practices and the development of a 12-month implementation work plan to address specific barriers and gaps in tobacco cessation efforts supported by the ICC Tobacco and Prevention Cessation Manager (TPC Manager).

Project funding is up to $26,000 dependent on the number of organizations awarded. The awarded organization(s) will commit to championing the long-term effort to develop and evaluate evidence-based policy, systems, and environmental change strategies, as outlined in the Indiana Cancer Control Plan. Complete details of project deliverables can be found in the request for application and technical assistance will be provided throughout the project period. 

Applications will be reviewed by a selection committee, using a systematic technical acceptability review process. The quality and technical merits of the application will be scored using an objective set of criteria.

To download the application, click here.

The post Apply Now! first appeared on Indiana Cancer Consortium.

THE RELEASE OF THE INDIANA CANCER FACTS AND FIGURES:

FIFTH EDITION

In partnership with the Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH), ICC membership, and partnering organizations, the Indiana Cancer Consortium is proud to release our Indiana Cancer Facts and Figures: Fifth Edition!

At the time of publication, this report provides the most recent and accurate data for the state of Indiana, covering a wide variety of current cancer issues and trends, including cancer incidence, mortality, and survival statistics, as well as information on decreasing the risk of cancer, cancer symptoms, risk factors, early detection, and treatment.

We will be hosting a webcast to help members become more familiar with the data and better understand the Facts and Figures. Stay tuned for more information as it becomes available!

The ICC would like to thank the ISDH and American Cancer Society for their organizational partnership in the development of this report. We also thank all those who helped make this report a reality, including section authors, report editors, and data contributors. The time, resources, and expertise shared will establish this report as a leading tool for Indiana’s cancer prevention and control efforts. Furthermore, we also recognize the value of all those who will now take this report and act according to its findings.

The post Download the PDF! first appeared on Indiana Cancer Consortium.

Project ECHO is a case-based learning system and guided practice model that increases medical education and workforce capacity to provide best-practice specialty care and reduce health disparities. Healthcare providers from multiple locations will connect with a specialist or team of specialists through video conferencing at regularly scheduled times. ECHO provides a forum for using case presentations to engage experts and learners in an “All Teach, All Learn” conversation. The key to ECHO’s success is moving knowledge, not patients to provide the right care, in the right place, at the right time.

Cancer ECHO is free to all participants. To participate in this ongoing, interactive, and relevant learning, all you need is access to the Internet. Participating with a webcam is highly encouraged but not required. No cost CME credits will be provided to all participants.

Additional benefits include:

• Enabling providers to practice at the top of their licenses by confidently treating patients with common complex conditions.
• Allowing patients to stay in their local communities and receive treatment from their own healthcare providers in their medical homes.
• Enabling healthcare providers to acquire new skills and competencies.
• Becoming part of a community of practice, increased professional satisfaction, decreased feelings of isolation when practicing in rural and underserved communities.

ECHO sessions are 90 minutes and include a brief didactic presentation of a topic related to cancer care and case-based discussions of patients submitted by participants. Cancer Prevention and Survivorship Care ECHO clinics will begin on Tuesday, September 17 and are scheduled every 1st and 3rd Tuesday from 12:00pm-1:30pm ET for one year. We know that busy providers may not be able to join every ECHO clinic. Each ECHO clinic will be archived so registered participants can see what they missed! Please join us as your schedule permits.

Please click here to complete the online registration. Space is limited. For questions or more information, please contact Anyé Carson by phone (317-278-9725), email (carsona@iu.edu), or visit our FAQs page and the IU ECHO Center website.

The post Registration Now Open first appeared on Indiana Cancer Consortium.

The post ICCP Dashboard Released! first appeared on Indiana Cancer Consortium.