Cancer Care, Inc. Produces "Briefs" to Help Patients Cope With Side Effects, Understand Clinical Trials, Find Local Resources, and More

Cancer Care, Inc., a voluntary cancer agency dedicated to providingsupportive services for people with cancer and their families, is providing copies of CancerCare Briefs—single-page information sheets that help cancer patients copewith their illness—free to callers to their 800 support and counselingline.

Covering topics such as "How to Find Resources in Your CommunityIf You Have Cancer," "Practical Tips for People With Cancer WhoAre Experiencing Nausea or Have Lost Their Appetite," and "YourHealth Care Team: Your Doctor Is Only the Beginning," Cancer CareBriefs reflect Cancer Care's experience providing direct services to cancerpatients and their families for more than 50 years.

"Now, we have been able to produce a series of short informationalpieces, or briefs, that convey much that we have learned about helpingpeople with cancer. These aren't meant to replace our services, but tosupplement them and offer help to people having specific problems or questionsabout what to do or expect," says Cancer Care Executive Director DianeBlum, a certified oncology social worker.

The Briefs are available free of charge by calling the Cancer Care CounselingLine toll-free at 1-800-813-HOPE (1-800-813-4673) from anywhere in theUnited States. Titles include:

• Breast Cancer—A Mammogram Can Help Save Your Life
• Don't Be Afraid of Clinical Trials: They Could Improve the Qualityof Care You Receive
• Be an Effective Advocate for Yourself or Someone You Care About
• Practical Tips for People With Cancer Who Are Experiencing Nausea orHave Lost Their Appetite
• What Are Experimental Treatments for People With Cancer? Are They Safe?Are They Effective? Are They Covered by Insurance?
• HMOs and Other Managed Care Plans
• Your Health Care Team: Your Doctor Is Only the Beginning
• How to Find Resources in Your Own Community If You Have Cancer

Callers to Cancer Care can also receive one-to-one phone counseling,join a telephone support group, participate in educational teleconferenceson specific subjects, request other informational resources, or get referralsto local resources.