Hello everyone, and welcome to the latest issue of CONQUER. Although it is summertime, cancer never takes a vacation, and neither do we. This issue is filled with inspirational stories, valuable tips, innovative ideas, and ways to make you feel more in control of your life, during and after cancer and its treatment. Here are the highlights:
If you have children, you know how much you worry about them, and if one of them is diagnosed with cancer, you are truly beside yourself with worry. How do you explain to a child what is happening in his or her body? Read about the HOPE PROJECT, where innovative people found a way to do exactly that, by creating—what else—a video game that helps children to understand their cancer and treatment. This interactive tool (the superhero fights cancer!) also helps parents understand medical topics that are often complex. Find out how a superhero can kill cancer cells!
Read also the article from a navigator who provides 7 valuable tips on how a parent can cope with a child’s cancer diagnosis and treatment. They work well, no matter what their age.
And we know that when someone is diagnosed with cancer, it affects the entire family, including their children. Read about a 10-year-old boy who was affected by his dad’s leukemia, and how it motivated him to want to become an oncology specialist himself. We should never underestimate the impact a parent’s cancer has on our children. Our kids are watching how we are coping with such a crisis, and the teaching points they learn will last a lifetime.
As always, we have several patient stories. There is great value in learning from others who have “been there, done that.”
Ready to get back into the swing of dating again after a cancer diagnosis? Well, your life has changed, big time. You have decisions to make—when would be the appropriate time to tell a new special someone that you have or had cancer? How much information should you share? See how one survivor dealt with this.
We have 2 other articles dealing with survivorship: one offers 5 ways to reduce stress caused by the cancer in your life, and the second describes a group of go-getters who took it upon themselves to cycle coast to coast in the name of combating cancer! Easy as riding a bike, right?
There are thousands of clinical trials today for various forms of cancer. Blood cancers are tricky, because they can involve complicated steps, such as a transplant. Read the article about clinical trials available for blood cancers and the resources to help patients decide if they should participate in one.
Finally, the article on metastatic breast cancer is from me. I am passionate about palliative care, and I know it is often mistaken for being hospice care. It’s not! Rather, it is quality-of-life preservation, or restoration, at its best. It is designed to stand on its own long before a discussion about hospice ever comes into play. Learn more about palliative care to manage symptoms so that patients can enjoy their lives living in harmony with their breast cancer.
So that’s a wrap! Enjoy the rest of your summer, and we’ll be back with you in the fall.
