The Caring Ambassadors Program provides this website to help you and your loved ones
understand your disease and some of the health care options available to you.
Our three main methods to fight lung cancer are to Empower patients and providers with access to free educational materials, and resources; to Educate communities about the importance of screening and to share current information with patients and their families; and to Advocate for access to screening and treatment for lung cancer for all communities. Knowledge empowers you to ask the necessary questions to become your own best advocate. When your questions have been asked and answered, you and your health care providers will be in the best possible situation to determine the best treatment approach for you.
Lung Cancer Choices,© 5th Edition can be a useful tool for anyone who is caring for someone with lung cancer, but its primary focus is on the patient. This book is suitable for both the newly diagnosed and those who have been living with lung cancer for some time.
MY CHOICES© is a tool to help you recognize and act upon what you can control in your health care journey to achieve optimal healing, regardless of the illness you face. It contains elements of a guide book, health planner, journal, and activity book to help orient you to and plan for the journey ahead.
Caregiver Choices© is a resource for all those who find themselves in the role of caregiver for someone who has been diagnosed with lung cancer.
Weekly News Update. Caring Ambassadors Program provides 3 weekly news updates covering Lung Cancer News, Hepatitis C News, and My Choices© Update. Receive them delivered weekly to your inbox.
Weekly News Update
Lung Cancer News
Week Ending December 4, 2023
‘Relentless’ mom battles Stage 4 lung cancer
“A young non-smoker, Alisa Secaida was surprised to receive an advanced cancer diagnosis. Fortunately, doctors at City of Hope uncovered a rare genetic marker that made her tumor treatable.”
Lung Cancer Survival Improved Significantly Based on Early CT Screening: 20-Year Follow-Up Study Findings
“Low-dose computed tomography (CT) screening was found to significantly improve the cure rate for patients with lung cancer, according to a study led by Mount Sinai researchers.1”
Scientists discover how a key protein can help stop lung cancer spreading
“Researchers have identified a protein that could slow the spread of lung cancer and lead to the development of new anti-cancer drugs.”
Research Evangelist: UC expert discusses improving accessibility to lung cancer treatments
“The University of Cincinnati Cancer Center’s Robert Van Haren, MD, recently joined the Research Evangelist podcast to discuss advancements in lung cancer care. He said while there are exciting advancements in treatments, it is important to continue to work to address disparities in accessibility to the best treatments.”
What happens during lung cancer screenings, and who should get one?
“Regular preventive screenings save lives. Their primary purpose? Catching disease in the earliest stages leads to more effective treatments, improved outcomes and better quality of life. Just as a mammogram, blood pressure check, or colonoscopy screening can be lifesaving, the same holds for annual lung cancer screenings for those who meet the criteria.”
AI Tool Flags Non-Smokers at High Risk for Lung Cancer
“To identify the 10% to 20% of lung cancers in people who have never smoked, researchers have developed an AI-deep learning too that flags non-smokers at high-risk for lung cancer from a single chest X-ray.”
Videos:
Woman’s surprising cancer diagnosis an example of growing trend
“More young and middle-aged women are being diagnosed with lung cancer, now at an even higher rate than cases in men, and Palatine resident Mandy Warford is one of them. Health and Wellness Reporter Lauren Petty shares her story, and what advice Warford offers to women in the Chicago area.”
Impact of Molecular Testing on Lung Cancer Survival: Real-world Insights
“A comprehensive study on the association between the availability of molecular genotyping results and overall survival in advanced non-squamous, non-small cell lung cancer patients, shedding light on the importance of timely and concurrent testing.”
My Choices© News Update
Week Ending November 21, 2023
Surveys show providers and patients increasingly endorse ‘whole-person’ integrative care
“It has taken decades, but with each passing year, integrative health care is marching more squarely into the mainstream of American medicine. Countless millions of patients have long embraced the benefits of complementary, nonpharmacological approaches to relieve chronic pain and prevent disease, and the good news is that practitioners are increasingly seeing the benefits and incorporating them.”
Roswell Park launches advanced, high-speed blood cancer test
“A new Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center innovation has just gone global. Called PanHeme, it’s a test that uses next-generation gene sequencing technology to diagnose blood cancers like leukemia, lymphoma and multiple myeloma more precisely — identifying mutations in hundreds of genes — in under 72 hours, a dramatic improvement from the three- to four-week wait time for current molecular testing.”
Acupuncture and Massage Improve Pain for Patients With Advanced Cancer
“Both acupuncture and massage therapy relieved pain, enabled reduced opioid use and improved fatigue, insomnia and quality of life for people with advanced cancer, according to findings from a randomized clinical trial published in JAMA Network Open.”
Eliminate holiday season stress with these simple mindfulness strategies
“Don’t let Uncle Larry ruin another family holiday”
“Mindfulness strategies aren’t designed to erase your problems. However, these methods can help you cope with issues, including during the high-stress holidays. Mediative walks, practicing gratitude, and volunteering are ways to shift negative thought patterns to more positive ones. Setting boundaries with yourself and others may help you prevent triggering situations in the first place. When all else fails, return to the breath. Simply inhaling and exhaling until you feel calmer can be a genuine mood-booster.”
Over 50% of young people are ‘significantly’ lonely, according to a recent survey. A mindfulness expert believes he knows why
“More technology doesn’t equal more sense of connection. Way.com looks into a new survey conducted by Gallup and Meta that reveals young people are experiencing higher levels of loneliness than ever — with 1 in 4 suffering from bouts of feeling fairly or very lonely. Data was collected from respondents ages 15 and up from over 142 countries from June 2022 through February 2023.”
Governor Hochul Announces New Indoor Food Production System in East Buffalo
“Governor Kathy Hochul today announced a new indoor food production container to advance urban farming and increase awareness about hydroponic gardening, sustainability and nutrition for underserved New Yorkers in East Buffalo. Supported by the New York Power Authority, the facility will grow vegetables and herbs year-round in an indoor environment—with no soil. Produce will be distributed to the community and the learnings from the low-energy farming methods will help New York State achieve its clean energy goals and reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with food production.”
Exercise, Vegetable Consumption Linked to Better Quality of Life in Patients with Gout
“Gout-specific health-related quality of life is impacted by lifestyle choices including vegetable consumption and regular exercise, according to findings from a recent study. Results showed a negative linear correlation between dietary habits and exercise with the gout concern during attack subscale of the Gout Impact Scale (GIS), further revealing vegetable consumption was associated with well-being during attack and exercise was associated with overall gout concern.”
Hidden belly fat in midlife linked to Alzheimer’s disease
“Middle-aged adults who have visceral fat surrounding their internal organs in their belly may be at higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Having such fat deposits could trigger changes in the brain related to Alzheimer’s up to 15 years before symptoms of the neurological disease appear — and as early as age 50 — according to research presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America.”
Some doctors have stopped recommending weight loss. Here’s why
“In an attempt to curb misdiagnosis or health care avoidance, some providers are encouraging overweight patients to exercise and eat healthily without addressing weight at all. Other medical professionals think it’s important to talk about.”
Help Open People’s Eyes.
Would you be so kind as to share a snippet about your lung cancer experience with us?
There is no right way to share – talk, write, draw, speak poetry – just please SHARE. Email us: MyStory@CaringAmbassadors.org