Nationally-Recognized Author Speaks at A Reason To Hope Series About “The Human Side of Cancer”

Talk to Offer Patients and Their Families Guidance for Coping with Lung Cancer and Making Treatment Decisions

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PITTSBURGH, Nov 1 – Approximately 8,470 Pennsylvania residents, and approximately 173,000 Americans, will receive a diagnosis of lung cancer this year. Lung cancer is the number one cause of cancer deaths in Pennsylvania. Today, even though patients and their families and caregivers have more choices about how they might manage and treat lung cancer, coping with diagnosis and making decisions about treatment can be overwhelming. Nationally-recognized psycho-oncology expert and author of Human Side of Cancer: Living with Hope, Coping with Uncertainty, Jimmie Holland, MD will be speaking to patients and family members in Pittsburgh about the difficulties and challenges that accompany treatment decisions. This lecture is part of a national program, “Together, Facing Lung Cancer”, to offer guidance about coping with illness and making difficult decisions. Dr. Holland will be joined by Suresh Ramalingam, MD, an oncologist specializing in lung cancer treatment and research. The two will be talking to lung cancer patients and their families at the Herberman Conference Center at the UPMC Cancer Pavilion on Thursday, November 10, 2005 from 7:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

“Together, Facing Lung Cancer” is a program that encourages patients, friends, family members and physicians to work together. The program offers guidance for patients and loved-ones in dealing with diagnosis and social challenges associated with a diagnosis of lung cancer. “I have learned over the years about the difficult things people have to cope with when they have any kind of cancer - the negative and frightening meaning of the word cancer, and the feeling that people look at them differently,” Dr. Holland said. “Patients need the support of others to strengthen their ability to cope and to feel they are not in this alone.”

“It is so important for patients to create a strong personal network of support among each other and with their medical caregivers to help them make decisions about care and treatment,” said Dr. Ramalingam. “Today, recent innovations and newer therapies offer options for patients that weren't available just a couple years ago.”

To attend this free event RSVP by calling (800) 724-1136 or e-mailing info@togetherfacinglungcancer.com. For more information about the program visit www.togetherfacinglungcancer.com.

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UPMC News Bureau