ONE WOMAN’S CANCER EXPERIENCE LAUNCHES
NATIONAL RESOURCE GUIDE

Linette Atwood Determined to Make Life-Saving Information Available to Cancer Patients Across the Country

KANSAS CITY – She had seen cancer take the lives of her father, her husband and her sister, and she wasn’t about to allow this devastating disease to claim her, too.

So when medical experts told Linette Atwood that they’d found “abnormal cells,” she knew instinctively what she had to do.

“I had enrolled in a breast cancer prevention program and was told I was at high risk for developing the same type of breast cancer that killed my 49 year old sister just months earlier,” Atwood said. “And I was advised to take a ‘wait and see’ approach.”

Atwood didn’t exactly follow the doctor’s orders.

“I moved quickly and decisively to remove the risk of hearing my own cancer diagnosis,” Atwood states. “I scheduled immediate surgery which meant a prophylactic bilateral mastectomy and radical hysterectomy.”

Her decision seemed extreme to some; and extremely necessary to Atwood herself.

“Why would I want to live with the uncertainty and fear, when I could rid myself of the cancer potential almost entirely via surgery?”

That’s exactly what she did in the fall of 2002, just two months after the loss of her sister to breast cancer.

What happened next came as a surprise to all of her medical advisors, and validated her course of action: Following the removal of her breasts, tissue samples were analyzed by pathology and invasive cancer cells were in fact discovered.

“I already had cancer at the time of my surgery,” Atwood says. “But it was so small it couldn’t yet be detected. Had I taken the typical ‘wait and see’ approach, my body might have been ravaged by disease by the time I actually had symptoms.”

Doctors told Atwood that it might have taken five years for these invasive cancer cells to show up on a mammogram. That translates to five years of rampant and unchecked growth for what may have resulted in her own death sentence.

Atwood’s story is one of proactive intervention in the fight against the disease that claims over 500,000 American lives each year. And it’s a story that has compelled her to take monumental action on behalf of the millions of diagnosed with cancer annually.

Following her recovery, Atwood was at a personal and professional crossroads. She had a successful 25-year track record as the founder of a medical publishing company in Kansas City. Now, she was a victorious cancer survivor. At that inspired intersection, Patient Resource was born.

Atwood recently launched the first-ever national cancer guide targeting newly diagnosed cancer patients and their families. Titled Patient Resource, this 128-page directory is available in more than 6,000 cancer clinics and doctor’s offices around the country, free of charge.

Patient Resource is unlike any other cancer resource available, according to Atwood.

“This is a first in the world of cancer,” Atwood states emphatically. “And I know, because I’ve been there. I’ve been a ‘cancer consumer’ seeking information on behalf of my dad, my husband, my sister – and myself. Until now, there was no comprehensive, easy to read information available at a single source.”

Patient Resource is an informational bridge to hope and survival, she adds.

“Our directory answers many of the complex questions a cancer patient has after hearing their diagnosis,” Atwood says. “It presents thorough, reliable information during the toughest health challenge of your life.”

Patient Resource provides vitally needed information including:

• The importance of choosing the correct initial treatment
• How to find the best treatment facilities in the United States
• How to locate the top specialists for individual types of cancer
• The importance of getting a second and even a third opinion
• How to locate and participate in clinical drug trials
• How to manage financial issues, including the insurance maze
• Inspiring cancer survivor stories that offer insight, encouragement and hope

With over 1,400 cancer treatment facilities in the United States, Patient Resource lists them with contact information for each, including phone numbers, city, state and Web sites. This cross-reference allows patients and their families to focus their search specific to their own cancer type and region, thus saving valuable time. The guide also explains the differences between National Cancer Institute (NCI) and American College of Surgeons (ACS) designated cancer centers. The upcoming 2008 edition will also include content on cancer prevention tips for family and friends.

Atwood encourages everyone to request a copy of the cancer guide – even without receiving a diagnosis of cancer. Why? To ready a battle plan in the event it strikes you, a family member or friend.

“Don’t take a ‘wait and see’ attitude when it comes to your health and well-being,” she adds. “Take the steps now to educate yourself and learn what’s available to you. It could save your life.”

In the two months since Patient Resource made its debut, Atwood is already hearing from cancer patients, medical centers and oncologists across the country.

“Reaction to this guide is amazing,” she says. “It’s already making a positive impact in the lives of those who need it most.”

The 2007 edition may also be ordered at www.patientresource.net and at www.Amazon.com.

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For more information or to schedule an interview, please email Betsy Donnelly at BDonnelly@PatientResource.net or call 913.236.7757.