
On World Cancer Day, Stories of Courage and Support
On World Cancer Day, The American Journal of Managed Care would like to acknowledge the determination of cancer survivors and the support provided by various organizations to patients and their families.
The Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) is a global organization based in Geneva that partners with cancer societies around the globe as well as the World Health Organization and the World Economic Forum create a united front to allow greater equity and to reduce the global burden of cancer. UICC has declared February 4th as World Cancer Day and according to their website, there are 770 activities planned around the globe to mark the importance of the day.
At The American Journal of Managed Care, we would like to acknowledge the determination of cancer survivors and the support provided by various organizations to patients and their families.
A Survivor and an Advocate
Debra Madden became an active cancer research advocate following her second cancer diagnosis at the age of 42 years. Nearly 20 years earlier, she had been diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma and subsequently developed late treatment effects, including cardiotoxicity and breast cancer.
Here’s how she
Several organizations are supporting patients and survivors cope with cancer and its aftermath, including providing a voice to access innovative and personalized treatment, fertility preservation, and financial support.
Supporting Personalized Care in Cancer
Precision medicine will perhaps establish some of the most important biomedical innovations of our generation. However, for that future to become a reality, we have to create an access and reimbursement environment that is conducive to precision care, according to Alan Balch, PhD, CEO of the Patient Advocacy Foundation (PAF) and its advocacy affiliate, the National Patient Advocate Foundation (NPAF).
In the August 2015 issue of
Fertility Support
Raising awareness on fertility preservation among cancer patients as well as care providers is a growing need. And the LIVESTRONG Foundation is committed to helping out.
In 2014, the LIVESTRONG Foundation
Financial Support
The Patient Access Network (PAN) Foundation is a charitable organization that provides underinsured patients with the
To help younger patients get their life back on track The Samfund has developed various support programs. As they wrote in
Stories of Courage
But finally, it’s the spirit and determination of the patient that is the winner.
“If I could give my 16-year-old self any advice when I was diagnosed, I would probably tell him that it’s going to suck a lot. Your cells are going rogue and the fact that they are turning on you in no way reflects on you as a person. There are a lot of people out there who want to help you, and it won’t hurt that much for you to let them. It’s worth putting in the extra effort to get it right instead of jumping into something quickly because you feel that’s what you’re supposed to do. Also, girls named Heather are trouble and should be avoided,”
Woody is a 25-year-old 8-time cancer survivor, who, in his own words, pays his rent by producing short films for companies and nonprofits. Woody is an active member and advocate for the adolescent and young adult cancer community, working to raise funds for fellow cancer patients and survivors.
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