Carla Gomez, PAMF Healthy Breast Program Coordinator, reaching out to community at Safeway stores in Santa Cruz
Carla Gomez, PAMF’s Healthy Breast Campaign coordinator in Santa Cruz, is working at a table set up at various Safeway store locations throughout Santa Cruz this month (October) to let people know about our Healthy Breast Program and resources.
This PAMF Healthy Breast Program reaches out to uninsured women to educate them on the importance of breast cancer screenings, and to connect them to resources that are available. Since its inception this past February, we have reached out to more than 3,400 individuals and have provided follow up treatment for 32 women, 5 of whom had surgical removal including 1 breast cancer diagnosis.
Frank delaRama, R.N., M.S., AOCSN, Oncology Nurse Specialist and Prostate Cancer Nurse Navigator
Recent buzz on PSA screening is up again, thanks to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) draft recommendations to be published soon, which plan to downgrade PSA screening from “I – inconclusive” to “D – no benefit” for men younger than 75.
My first gut-level feeling as a health care provider is fear that men will flat out avoid PSA screening based upon this recommendation. On the other hand, perhaps this news will uncover an opportune teaching moment, for men to have a thorough discussion with their physician about the actual pros and cons of PSA screening, as well as prostate cancer screening in general.
Following his own prostate cancer treatment, PAMF patient Mike Lowe offered to produce a DVD for the Cancer Care Center to give to all newly-diagnosed prostate cancer patients. With support from his doctor, and funding from two foundations, the patient-produced video – “Prostate Cancer Survivors’ Perspective,” is now given by PAMF to each newly diagnosed prostate cancer patient and has had more than 1,000 views on YouTube.
“The Prostate Cancer Survivors’ Perspective” video has guys who have gone through it talking directly to the new prostate cancer patients,” explains Lowe. “I had to do it because I thought it was necessary, and this is my contribution to the welfare of others who get diagnosed with prostate cancer.
Please click here to view an ADA compliant version of this video.
Would you want to talk with another man who was diagnosed with prostate cancer? Speak with a guy who had a particular type of prostate cancer treatment?
The Prostate Cancer Buddy Program at the Palo Alto Medical Foundation enables interested men to get in touch with other men who have also been diagnosed with prostate cancer and have completed a wide range of prostate cancer treatments.
“The buddies know what the guys are going through, because they’ve been there – and survived,” says Frank delaRama, R.N., MSN, AOCNS, clinical nurse specialist and prostate cancer navigator at PAMF’s Cancer Care Clinic. “They are available to share their own personal experiences, and provide understanding, support and practical information.
Frank delaRama R.N., M.S., Oncology Clinical Nurse Specialist & Prostate Cancer Nurse Navigator at the Palo Alto Medical Foundation
Ignorance = Not Bliss
A huge majority of the men I meet with newly diagnosed prostate cancer have almost no other medical problems. “I eat right, exercise regularly. I feel so healthy…but now I have cancer?!” In fact, most men who are proactive about their health are most likely to have their PSA blood test and Digital Rectal Exam (DRE) completed on time, starting as early as age 40 (see my previous post 40-45-50 for the full guidelines). So, it’s the healthy men who catch the prostate cancer very early, and at the same time, are the most frustrated with “being sick” for the first time in their lives.
Prostate cancer has been confirmed with a biopsy, and you have eliminated active surveillance, radiation and other treatment options. You’re now planning to have surgery…but who should you pick? This is the most common situation that I deal with day to day, helping newly diagnosed prostate cancer patients and their families.
My work as an oncology rehabilitation specialist at PAMF has allowed me to become a part of patient’s lives as they navigate the complicated journey through cancer treatment. I work with patients from their time of diagnosis, through surgery, chemotherapy and radiation and beyond. Our department within the Cancer Care Center addresses important issues such as pain, musculoskeletal and neurological side effects of treatment and surgery, fatigue, and swelling. Our main objective is to work as a team with patients and their families to improve their quality of life and return patients to their pain free prior level of function.
According to the CDC’s National Program of Cancer Registries statistics, men are more likely than women to develop cancer. In addition, men face a higher risk of dying from cancer than women.
Despite this, studies show that men are less likely than women to get routine preventive care, including cancer screening. June is national Men’s Health Month and a perfect time to raise awareness about cancer in men.
The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 2011 Annual Meeting is taking place June 3 – 7 this week in Chicago, IL and gathers 26,000 oncologists from all disciplines from around the world. This meeting is the major venue for presenting and discussing practice changing discoveries. More and more those discoveries are the results of increasing knowledge about the molecular nature of cancer and a new class of non-chemotherapy drugs are being added to our arsenal in the fight against cancer.
Age 45: Men with family history of prostate cancer, or African-American men should have yearly PSA & DRE.
Age 50: All men should have yearly PSA & DRE.
This is prostate cancer screening at its simplest. If nothing else, men should have discussions with their physicians at 40, 45, and 50, and proceed as advised.
Welcome! This blog is designed as a forum for engaging patients, their families and the community in conversations about health care, and to help promote health education and wellness with articles and tips from our doctors and staff from different departments. We welcome your comments and insight, however, please remember that this blog does not address specific patient medical issues or provide personalized medical advice. If you have a specific medical question, please contact your doctor directly.Thank you for visiting our blog.
According to the CDC’s 
