History of Cancer Services

Cancer Services is often confused with the American Cancer society, and while the two organizations have a small shared history and similar names, it’s important to know the difference. The American Cancer Society is the nationwide, voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem. As significant as research is, Cancer Services of Greater Baton Rouge’s mission is to improve the lives of those living with cancer. We hope for the day we have to close our doors because research and medicine has eliminated cancer, we are here in the meantime for those people who are currently living with, through and beyond cancer, as well as for their friends and family members.

Cancer Services began as a local affiliate of the American Cancer Society in 1949, funded by the Community Chest (later the United Givers' Fund, now known as Capital Area United Way). Ten years later in 1959 the American Cancer Society asked its local affiliates to withdraw from the United Givers' Fund in order to conduct annual fund-raising efforts in support of national cancer research. While recognizing the importance of research, members of the Board of Directors voted to continue fulfilling the agency's original mission of providing programs and services for local cancer patients.

Today we still proudly maintain our relationship with the Capital Area United Way, and are still providing programs and services for local cancer patients and adapting to meet their changing needs as research and medicine continually improve the landscape of cancer survivorship.

So, until there’s a cure, there’s Cancer Services.

Think Before You Pink

October is breast cancer awareness month and stores and websites have filled their shelves and pages with a myriad of pink items to benefit breast cancer research, awareness, patients and survivors. Purchasing these items can be a great way to show your support for those in your life that are living with cancer but there is concern about the legitimacy of some of these products and how much actually benefits the charities they claim to help.

The Better Business Bureau is warning people to ask questions before buying products linked to breast cancer awareness groups. They suggest the following tips for consumers interested in learning how their pink ribbon product purchases will benefit charity.

• Inspect the product itself for information. Many companies clearly report how much of their sales go to charity and specifically where the money goes.
• Check the company’s website. If the information isn’t on the product itself, it often can be found via the website printed on the product packaging.
• If you still can’t find the information, call the company and ask for it. Firms that use charity tie-ins to market their products should be transparent to consumers.
• Contact the charity directly if you have doubts they are receiving proceeds.
• Check out the charity to decide whether you believe it is worthy of your support. One way to do this is by contacting the BBB to determine whether the charity meets the BBB’s Standards for Accountability. You may reach the BBB by going to www.bbb.org or by calling 314-645-3300.

Think Before You Pink™, a project of Breast Cancer Action, launched in 2002 in response to the growing concern about the number of pink ribbon products on the market. The campaign calls for more transparency and accountability by companies that take part in breast cancer fundraising, and encourages consumers to ask critical questions about pink ribbon promotions.

P.S. If you want to be sure that your dollars are going to stay in this community and directly help those living with breast cancer and all other cancers, consider donating to Cancer Services of Greater Baton Rouge. For more information call 225-927-2273 or visit our website.

Support Behind Bars: Our Program for Women Fighting Cancer in Prison

There are a few people who might say that going through cancer is like being in prison – that it sometimes feels as if your body is a prisoner to the disease. For a select group of women at the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women (LCIW) in St. Gabriel, that statement has a deeper meaning. They are living with, through or beyond cancer - and living behind bars.

Our Program Director, Esther Sachse, began facilitating the new LCIW Survivors for Life monthly support group in January 2010. LCIW started this group as an innovative way to give support, comfort and information to inmates who were dealing with cancer.

The women in the group say that they look forward to group meetings now more than ever. “We have the same fears about cancer as those in the outside world,” said group member Melanie. “We are scared of the nausea and the side effects. We are scared of what will happen if the cancer progresses. Since we don’t have our family members here to encourage us, this group is our family and our inspiration to keep going.”

Just as with any support group here at Cancer Services, this sense of encouragement can be easily seen. When one group member, Paulette, announced that she was not yet going to pursue treatment for her pancreatic cancer, the group chimed in with words of encouragement. “You must fight for your life,” group member Gail said. “You need to be aggressive with your cancer before it is aggressive with you.”

Paulette expressed that she has all of the same fears that someone who isn’t in prison might have. “I’m scared to get sick from chemotherapy and I’m scared of losing my hair,” she said. But by the end of the meeting, with the group’s encouragement, she had decided she would ask to pursue a doctor’s appointment at Earl K. Long hospital.

The group’s administrator, Ms. Jeanetta Dent, says the program has had a positive impact for the women. “Even though they are incarcerated, they need help and comfort. Some of the women had cancer before they came here and are still dealing with the effects. Some of them are fighting now and some have also had children with cancer. This group gives them an opportunity to connect and to know that they aren’t alone in their situation - that there are others who understand what they are going through, even in this unique circumstance.”

Lorena, a group member who is set to be released by the time this newsletter is delivered, said that she feels the group has prepared her for returning to society as a cancer survivor. “I faced cancer once here and I will need some help when I leave. Now I feel like I have the support necessary in order to address that part of my life.”

Many people say that a positive attitude is half the battle when dealing with a cancer diagnosis. For these women, it may be hard to stay positive while behind bars, but thanks to the new support group, they are finding the courage to deal with their cancer. As Lorena said, “There aren’t a lot of things that we can control in prison. But we can control supporting one another.”

This support group shows that just as cancer can go behind bars, so can our mission. We are here to improve life for those living with cancer - no matter the circumstance.

Q&A: Cancer Vaccines

Every Sunday, Cancer Services publishes a Cancer Q&A in the Health Section of The Advocate.

Q: What are cancer vaccines?

A: In order to understand vaccines, it is important to know about the immune system. A person’s immune system, from birth, knows to protect the body from foreign substances like bacteria and viruses and then remembers it in order to fight it off if the foreign substance tries to attack again. A vaccine is a type of medicine that helps the body prepare to fight disease and infection. A weakened version of the virus or bacteria is introduced into the body so that the immune system learns how to fight it.

There are two types of vaccines: preventative and treatment. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved three preventative vaccines, Gardasil®, Cervarix®, and a vaccine for the hepatitis B virus (HBV). Gardasil® and Cervarix®, protect against two types of HPV (types 16 and 18) that are responsible for 70% of cervical cancer cases. The HBV vaccine is important because it prevents hepatitis B infections, which can lead to liver cancer. Most children receive this vaccine shortly after birth.

The first treatment vaccine for cancer was approved in April 2010. Provenge® is approved for use in some men with metastatic prostate cancer. It is designed to stimulate an immune response to prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP), an antigen that is found on most prostate cancer cells. In a clinical trial, sipuleucel-T increased the survival of men with a certain type of metastatic prostate cancer by about 4 months.

Other treatment vaccines are still in the development phase, being tested to see if they can prevent a cancer from growing, keep a cancer from recurring, shrink tumors, or kill cancer cells left by other treatments.

For more information contact Courtney Britton, librarian at Cancer Services of Greater Baton Rouge at (225) 927-2273, cbritton@cancerservices.org or visit the Resource Center at 550 Lobdell Avenue.

Teal Toes!

Did you know that September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month? Inspired by Teal Toes, Inc., the (female) staff at Cancer Services painted our toenails various shades of teal, the ovarian cancer color.

To learn more about this unique endeavor to spread awareness about the "whispering killer," check out Teal Toes, Inc.