October Awareness

Posted almost 4 years ago

This announcement has 3 attachments:

malnutrition-infographic_tcm1423-102614 (52 KB)

7-things-to-know-about-getting-a-mammogram (390 KB)

Key Facts about October Cancer Awareness

Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women. 1 in 8 women in the US will get breast cancer in their lifetime. Though far less common, men get breast cancer too. Breast cancer is not always detected as a lump; it sometimes presents as a rash or swelling of one breast, or dimpling of the nipple. Many times breast cancer is only detected after a screening mammogram is performed. Screening mammograms are recommended starting at age 40 for women with an average risk, and younger, if you are at higher risk such as having a family history of breast cancer. Unfortunately many women are still delaying screening exams during the pandemic. See downloadable awareness materials below:

Breast Cancer Things you Should Know cdc.gov/cancer/breast/pdf/breast-cancer-fact-sheet-508.pdf
Bring your Brave cdc.gov/cancer/breast/young_women/bringyourbrave/resources/infographics/takeaction_infographic.htm
The Right to Know cdc.gov/ncbddd/disabilityandhealth/righttoknow/index.html

Liver Cancer

Liver cancer incidence rates have more than tripled since 1980. Risk factors include Hepatitis B and C, excessive alcohol ingestion and fatty liver from obesity. NASH, an acronym for Non-Alcoholic SteatoHepatitis, is the most severe form of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and is characterized by the presence of an abnormal accumulation of fat in the liver. Many of these risk factors don’t cause symptoms but can lead to excessive scarring in the liver. If left untreated, this can lead to cirrhosis or cancer. See the video How does your liver work at https://liverfoundation.org/for-patients/about-the-liver/ and Sarah Cannon blogs What You Should Know about Liver Health and Liver Cancer at https://sarahcannon.com/blog/entry/what-you-should-know-about-liver-health.

Awareness Topics that Impact Cancer Patients

Malnutrition

Cancer and cancer treatments may affect taste, smell, appetite, and the ability to eat enough food or absorb the nutrients from food. This can cause malnutrition, which is a condition caused by a lack of key nutrients. – National Cancer Institute. A good article about this is Malnutrition in Cancer Care: Time to Address the Elephant in the Room at https://ascopubs.org/doi/full/10.1200/JOP.19.00165.

Health Literacy

Did you know over a third of U.S. adults have difficulty with common health tasks, such as following directions on a prescription drug label? Health literacy is defined as the degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions. Reading literacy does NOT equal health literacy. To learn more go to www.accc-cancer.org/projects/health-literacy/overview.

Ostomy Awareness

World Ostomy Day is October 2, 2021. Go to this link to get more information.

Celebrating Healthcare Professionals and Diversity

Appreciation of these Healthcare Professionals

Cancer care is a team sport. Please celebrate these members of our multi-disciplinary team this month: pharmacists, physical therapists, case managers (11-17), ER nurses (11-17), medical assistants (18-24), physician assistants (6-12), pastoral care (25-31), respiratory therapists (25-31) and boss’s day (16).

Global Diversity Month

October is Global Diversity Awareness Month—a month to celebrate and increase awareness about the diversity of cultures and ethnicities. For more diversity dates see www.diversitybestpractices.com/2021-diversity-holidays.

Health Insurance

Insurance enrollment is around the corner. Here is some information and resources for you and your patients.

Health Insurance Webinars and Resources

Triage Cancer has an upcoming webinar on health insurance on 10/14/21 12-1:30 pm CST. Please share with your patients https://triagecancer.org/webinarreg-understanding-health-insurance. They also have many helpful guides and videos on their website https://triagecancer.org/ and free one to one help https://triagecancer.org/gethelp.

There are several Insurance and Finance Intensive courses are available at https://triagecancer.org/cancer-insurance-finance-intensive-training-program. These are FREE, comprehensive training programs for oncology health care professionals and advocates on health and disability insurance and finances, to improve patient and caregiver access to valuable information on how to mitigate the financial impact of a cancer diagnosis across the continuum of care.

Marketplace Insurance

Open Enrollment for 2022 runs Monday, November 1, 2021–Saturday, January 15, 2022. Enroll by December 15, 2021 for coverage that starts January 1, 2022. Go to www.healthcare.gov fpr more information.