Southeast Iowa Regional Medical Center, West Burlington, will host A Time To Heal Survivorship 101, a nine-week program for cancer survivors. The program will start on Wednesday, March 4, and be held every Wednesday through April 29, from 3-5 p.m. in the conference room in the Family Medicine Clinic (Suite 159) in Mercy Plaza on the West Burlington campus.
This program is geared toward helping cancer survivors adjust to their “new normal” with specially trained facilitators. Participants will share their journey with other cancer survivors and their caregivers, gaining support and fellowship. Topics include research-based advice on nutrition, exercise, intimacy, and reducing anxiety.
The deadline to reserve your spot in the Survivorship 101 Program is February 25, and can be made by calling the program coordinator at 319-768-4248.
This program is made possible by the Iowa Cancer Consortium and the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services with funding from the Great River Health Foundation.
More about Great River Health Cancer Care:
Great River Health offers comprehensive cancer care. The expert team of oncologists, nurses, and support staff treats the whole person – body, mind, and spirit – offering comprehensive care tailored to each individual.
There are many types of cancer treatment, each tailored to the individual needs of the patient. The following services are offered locally at Great River Health:
- Blood-product transfusions: chemotherapy, some types of cancer, and blood disorders may affect blood counts. Some patients need transfusions of whole blood or blood components such as red cells or platelets.
- Bone marrow biopsies: bone marrow sample can confirm anemia, leukemia, and lymphoma.
- Chemotherapy: or “chemo,” is the use of medication to kill rapidly growing cancer cells, slow their growth, and relieve cancer symptoms. There are many types of chemotherapy drugs, and sometimes several drugs are combined. A pharmacist mixes chemotherapy IV drugs in our cancer center. The process of receiving chemotherapy through an IV is called infusion. In some cases, oral chemotherapy drugs are prescribed.
- Immunotherapy: this treatment bolsters a weakened immune system caused by cancer or other diseases.
- Radiation therapy: this treatment helps kill cancer cells confined to one localized area, which is then blasted with radiation to kill the malignancies. This therapy may be enough to treat your cancer by itself, but usually, radiation therapy is combined with chemo and/or surgery.
- Surgery: the first-line treatment for many forms of cancer is the surgical removal of a tumor before the cancer cells have a chance to spread. Usually, surgery is used with other treatment types to destroy any lingering cancer cells and destroy them completely. Biopsies are performed after surgery to stage and type your cancer to provide further diagnostic insight to your oncology team.
To find out more visit www.greatriverhealth.org