Getting Help with Issues Surrounding Cancer Care
. . . an interview with Diane Blum, MSW
People with cancer often struggle with “issues overload,” dealing not only with the medical issues of cancer but also with an array of related psychosocial and practical issues. In this interview, Diane Blum, MSW, executive director ofCancerCare and a member of the Patient Resource Cancer Guide’s Patient Advisory Board, talks about the importance of coping with these nonmedical issues and the availability of helpful resources, including the services of oncology social workers.
An oncology social worker herself, Blum has written and lectured extensively about the psychosocial needs of people affected by cancer. She also is a founder of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, serves as Editor-in-Chief of Cancer.Net (the patient Web site from the American Society of Clinical Oncology) and has won numerous awards for her work.
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1. How does an oncology social worker help cancer patients deal with issues that could derail their cancer treatment plan?
Blum: While physicians and nurses on the cancer care team appropriately focus mostly on the patient’s medical care, the oncology social worker is trained to look more broadly at the person with cancer in the context of his or her environment — for example, what their family resources are, the kind of work they do, their financial situation, their cultural background.
You see, cancer is very much a diagnosis treated over time. It’s a chronic illness — and an enormous financial challenge — for many people. So it’s crucial to pay attention to their psychosocial and practical issues. For example, perhaps they don’t have insurance. They might have elderly parents to care for. Maybe they don’t have transportation to their treatment appointments. Or they might be wondering if they’re going to die and be immobilized by that fear. To address these issues, the oncology social worker provides helpful services, such as counseling, education and referrals to community resources.
The oncology social worker’s goal is to help people survive, and survive well. If they are going to put all this energy into achieving long-term remission or a cure, then we want to make sure their quality of life is something they can enjoy.
2. How does CancerCare help people dealing with cancer?
Blum: Our mission is to provide free support services to anyone affected by cancer. We offer counseling and support groups, educational materials, financial assistance and practical help. When I became executive director in 1990, we were a regional organization with a $6 million operating budget. Shortly thereafter, the National Cancer Institute asked us to extend our services nationally, which we did in 1994. We now have a $20 million-plus budget, and we help people in all 50 states.
We launched our Web site, www.cancercare.org, in 1996, and that changed the way people reach us and quickened the pace of our work. Our Web site had more than 1 million visitors last year!
The needs of cancer patients have really changed over the years I’ve been with CancerCare. There are more treatment choices now, and treatment is almost exclusively outpatient. There’s more burden on the patient to manage his or her own illness, to ask questions — yet there’s less time with professionals. For example, chemotherapy has usually been provided in an infusion room, giving the patient a chance to ask the nurse questions. But increasingly patients are on their own, taking chemotherapy pills. This makes it even more important to have credible resources to turn to for information and assistance.
3. Speaking of credible resources, you’re also the editor-in-chief of the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s Web site for patients, Cancer.Net. It formerly was called People Living With Cancer. Why the name change?
Blum: When ASCO started the Web site, we named it People Living With Cancer because we wanted to emphasize that it was for people — not just patients — and that they were living with cancer. But the name was a lot to remember and difficult to search for. So when ASCO moved to a new brand identity in 2008, it was the perfect time not just to redesign the Web site, but also to change its name to something easier to remember. One thing remains the same, however — it’s still an incredible resource full of information for people living with cancer.
4. Do you have any advice or inspiration you’d like to share with readers of the Patient Resource Cancer Guide?
Blum: Enormous advances have been made in cancer treatment and symptom management, helping people to have a better quality of life during treatment. Also, cancer more than many other medical conditions does have resources available to educate and support patients. But many people haven’t looked for help before and don’t know how to use it. So I’d encourage them to use information sources like Patient Resource Cancer Guide and CancerCare to maximize their chances.
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