LaurenH Posted November 29, 2016 Share Posted November 29, 2016 The LUNGevity Support and Survivorship Program Supporting Lung Cancer Awareness Month Written by: David Morales November is both Lung Cancer awareness and National Family Caregivers Awareness month. In helping the fight, family and friends often take on the caregiver role to offer support. College News advocates the awareness for the cause this November. Katie Brown, the VP of the LUNGevity Support and Survivorship Program, joins College News with special guest Anita Logsdon, a nurse in oncology hematology care (OHC), to discuss the challenges of caregivers for people fighting lung cancer. College News: How common is lung cancer? Katie Brown: Lung cancer is very common. It affects one in 15 people. In the United States, it is the leading cause of death among men and women. There are more than 224,000 new cases diagnosed every year. CN: What is the role of a caregiver for a person diagnosed with lung cancer? KB: Caregivers are unsung heroes that take on many different roles and responsibilities. They may offer emotional, practical or physical support for a loved one or they may help at doctor appointments, during treatments and with household responsibilities. It really varies for each individual. CN: What types of support and resources are available to help caregivers navigate in their role? KB: Well, at LUNGevity we have a lot of lung cancer patients and caregivers. We have a comprehensive website that is scientifically and medically vetted. You can visit lungevity.org. There is also navigatelungcancer.org. That is a great new resource for caregivers. It was developed by Bristol Myers Squibb in partnership with lung cancer patient advocacy groups just like ours. It’s a comprehensive source of education and information for people living with lung cancer, their caregivers, loved ones and also Oncology nurses like Anita! CN: Hello Anita! What role can a caregiver play to help a patient navigate their medical care? Anita Logsdon: The caregiver can do some research before the initial visit so they can have knowledge of the appropriate questions to ask the doctor, such as: what type of lung cancer, what is the stage of the cancer and what type of treatment options are available? Especially, what the side effects of chemotherapy, immunotherapy or surgery are, or if there are any available clinical trials. Clinicaltrials.gov is a website that has information on clinical trials across the country. Clinical trials are an option now for treatment! There are many new therapies that have come out in the past few years for lung cancer. CN: What are some helpful tips to give caregivers when they visit a doctor? AL: Where I work, we have a multidisciplinary team. The patients and their family will meet first with the physician. After that initial consult, they will meet with an advanced practice provider, a nurse navigator and a financial navigator. This meeting helps to identify the needs the patient and their support team may have early on in their journey. CN: Katie, are the results of this new survey transparent throughout your organization? Katie Brown: I believe so! It’s clear that caregivers want more information. They want education and support. We find that, adequately supported, their better able to care for their loved ones. It improves the quality of life for the lung cancer patient and the caregiver. - See more at: http://www.collegenews.com/article/the-lungevity-support-and-survivorship-program-supporting-lung-cancer-aware#sthash.yrKQfHb1.dpuf This interview was originally published on collegenews.com on November 29, 2016. Link: http://www.collegenews.com/article/the-lungevity-support-and-survivorship-program-supporting-lung-cancer-aware Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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