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Archive for the ‘Patient Resources’ Category

KAMMCares: Grants for Non Medical Expenses

Posted By on August 15th, 2011 at 8:56 am | 2 comments.

KAMMCares is a California-based national organization dedicated to helping anyone going through treatment for breast cancer. KAMMCares places funds directly in the hands of patients. The money can be used for child care costs, groceries, and any other day-to-day expenses. To apply, you must currently be in treatment for breast cancer, and provide a description of yourself, your life and interests, and a recent photo.

The complete application process can be found at the KAMMCares website. KAMMCares also requires a letter from your doctor outlining information about the type of treatment you are receiving and the length of time you have been in treatment. The organization requires that this information be provided on your doctor’s letterhead and signed by hand in ink by the doctor. KAMMCares will not accept photocopies or faxes.

More information about KAMMCares and the application process is here.

Representative Todd Stephens Hosts Fox Chase Cancer Center MammoVan

Posted By on August 15th, 2011 at 8:53 am | 0 comments.

Representative Todd Stephens and Fox Chase Cancer Center are joining forces to save lives by bringing the ‘MammoVan’ – a mobile mammography van – to Rep. Stephens’ District Office in North Wales on August 19. Women 40 and older in need of an annual mammogram can call Rep. Stephens’ office at 215-368-5165 to schedule an appointment.

Rest assured that your medical and personal information will NOT be shared with Representative Stephens’ office – calls to the office are for scheduling purposes only. Those who wish to receive a mammogram through this program must meet certain requirements which include the following:

  • Must be at least 40 years old
  • Must provide name and address of one of your doctors
  • Must have prescription from your doctor
  • Must not be breastfeeding or have breastfed within the past nine months
  • Must not have had a breast cancer diagnosis or be under treatment for breast cancer
  • Must not have had a mammogram within the past 12 months
  • Must be able to board the van on your own and stand alone for the screening
Please note that appointments are required for this important screening, so please be sure to call 215-368-5165 to schedule ASAP.

PBCC Patient Advocacy

Posted By on July 15th, 2011 at 8:56 am | 0 comments.

Diana reached the maximum coverage limit through her insurance before she had won her battle with breast cancer.  Despite an earlier denial of free treatment/Medicaid through PA’s Breast and Cervical Cancer Prevention Treatment Program because she had sufficient health insurance at the time, the PBCC encouraged her to apply again. She was approved for the program due to her “underinsured” status, and received coverage for her medical needs.

The PBCC advocates for all women and their families across PA. Our legislative victories have created changes that provide mammograms for uninsured women, insurance coverage for reconstructive surgery after a mastectomy, free treatment for breast cancer for uninsured and underinsured women, and funding for PA researchers working to find a cure. We are also here to advocate for women who might otherwise fall through the cracks in the health care system, who don’t know about available resources or how to access them.

Every day we hear from women who need guidance about how to navigate their way through an overwhelming maze of obstacles to medical care. Whenever we pick up the phone we know the caller might be a woman whose insurance company doesn’t want to cover the procedure that her doctor wants her to have. Or maybe her job is in jeopardy if she has to take time off from work for treatment. Or she has no health insurance and doesn’t know there are programs for which she might qualify.

Some days we are providing information about national, state, or local agencies that will provide the service she needs. Often we are explaining a complicated program in a way that makes it seem less confusing. Always, we can be a reassuring voice providing a personal touch in a world of voice mail and computer-generated phone responses.

If you or someone you know is facing an obstacle to their care that the PBCC may be able to help you overcome, please contact our Patient Advocate, Dolores Magro at Dolores@PABreastCancer.org.

Reconstructive Surgery Update: Silicone Breast Implants Not ‘Lifetime Devices’

Posted By on July 15th, 2011 at 8:54 am | 0 comments.

According to a recent FDA report, silicone breast implants are not made to last a lifetime.  Potentially half of all women who receive them for reconstruction – and 20% of women who receive the implants for augmentation — will need the implants removed within 10 years.

The conclusion was reached after the FDA examined data from post-approval studies and from its own adverse event reporting system, in conjunction with completing a literature review. Capsular contracture, reoperation, and implant removal were found to be the most frequent adverse outcomes with silicone implants. Other common adverse events of which women should be aware include implant rupture, wrinkling, asymmetry, scarring, pain, and infection. The longer the women had implants, the more likely they were to have complications.

While it is important to note that the data is preliminary, the implants did not appear to cause breast cancer, reproductive problems, or connective tissue disease.  If you experience any of these difficulties or complications, talk with your doctor about your options.

Targeting Breast Cancer: Adult Stem Cell Research

Posted By on May 16th, 2011 at 12:54 pm | 2 comments.

Over the last few years, much discussion and debate in the media has focused on using stem cells in medical research.  The issue has centered on the use of fetal stem cells, their possible use in research to cure or better treat a wide variety of diseases, and the ethical questions surrounding such research.  However, stem cells are not only found in fetal tissue; adult stem cells exist in the mature human body.

Stem cells were discovered in the breast in 2003 by researchers at the University of Michigan. They are defined as cells that “have the ability to continuously divide and develop into various other kinds of cells/tissue.”  It is possible that when a cancer re-emerges after hormonal therapy and chemotherapy, even in a woman with ER-positive breast cancer, the culprit may be stem cells that have not been affected by the treatment.  In recent laboratory research, investigators have tested the drug sorafenib (Nevaxar®), a drug used in the treatment of kidney and liver cancers, and found that this agent eliminated more breast cancer stem cells and blocked tumor formation better than 4 other drugs tested. It is now being examined in clinical trials.  This approach to cancer treatment, which deals with the disease at a cellular level through the targeting of genes and proteins, is one that we will see more of in the coming years as therapeutic options begin to focus on individual patient and tumor characteristics.

For more information about this research, click here. Or, more information about stem cells can be found here.

Need Help Getting Health Insurance or Services? Call PA Health Law Project

Posted By on April 15th, 2011 at 9:05 am | 0 comments.

The PA Health Law Project is a statewide center devoted to helping low income, elderly, and disabled Pennsylvanians access quality health care. If you are having trouble applying for Medical Assistance (MA), the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), or if there are no health care providers in your health plan who can meet your needs, contact the PA Health Law Project to learn how they can assist you.

PHLP’s team of 8 attorneys, 3 paralegals, a physician and a social worker help thousands of people each year. They answer questions, provide advice, negotiate agreements, and represent clients at administrative hearings and in court. PHLP services are free to qualified individuals.

The PA Health Law Project has participated in the PBCC’s seminars about the Commonwealth of PA’s Breast and Cervical Cancer Prevention and Treatment program (BCCPT) across the state and at our annual conferences. Their expertise about accessing quality health care is invaluable.

If you or someone you know needs help, contact the PA Health Law Project helpline at 1-800-274-3258 or visit www.phlp.org.

FrontLine, PBCC’s Print Newsletter: Spring 2011 Edition Online

Posted By on March 30th, 2011 at 3:54 pm | 2 comments.

The Spring 2011 edition of the PBCC’s print newsletter, FrontLine, is now available online! Thanks to Issuu, this newsletter is available to everyone though various websites including Facebook and PABreastCancer.org. Over the next few editions, we will be working to increase online content for FrontLine including videos, photos, and more!

Currently, FrontLine is mailed out to over 57,000 households and businesses across the state quarterly. If you receive FrontLine in the mail and wish to instead receive correspondence from the PBCC electronically, email us! We’ll be happy to make the change.

Enjoy the Spring 2011 edition!

Has Your Daughter Been Diagnosed with Breast Cancer?

Posted By on March 15th, 2011 at 8:57 am | 0 comments.

A breast cancer diagnosis is stressful not only for the patient but for everyone who cares about her. Mothers of daughters with breast cancer face the challenge of wanting to protect their child while having no control over what is happening. This is also a time when the daughter needs emotional support from her mother.

In 1995,  Mothers Supporting Daughters with Breast Cancer (MSDBC) emerged from one mother’s experience. Charmayne Dierker and her daughter Lillie Shockney founded MSDBC, which provides free services for mothers who have daughters battling breast cancer.

Click here to order a free booklet or to be matched with a mother volunteer whose daughter is close in age to your daughter and has had the same type of breast cancer and same treatment. Lillie Shockney, RN, BS, M.A.S. has presented her widely popular Humor and Healing workshop at five PBCC annual conferences. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1992 at the age of 38.

Do you know a breast cancer patient who needs a wig?

Posted By on January 10th, 2011 at 10:47 am | 6 comments.

Crickett’s Answer for Cancer is a York, PA-based non-profit providing wigs, head coverings, massage therapies and pampering products for breast cancer patients. Bonnie Julius and Carole Trone founded the organization as a loving memorial to Crickett, Bonnie’s daughter and Carole’s cousin and good friend. After their devastating loss, they decided to fund those things that others might think are frivolous or unnecessary. Their goal is to provide women with hope, inspiration and and the support they need to celebrate their own lives every day, as Crickett did. She saw each day as an opportunity to live life to the fullest and to celebrate the gift of life.

To request services, visit www.crickettsanswerforcancer.org. After completing a simple application, you will be referred to a vendor or service provider in your area for the items or services. Crickett’s Answer for Cancer will pay 100% of the cost directly to the vendor on your behalf. You will have no out-of-pocket expenses.

I first learned about this remarkable service when my sister-in-law in North Carolina was able to get a wig through them during her breast cancer treatment. Since then, I have been happy to include Crickett’s Answer for Cancer in our list of resources for the women who call us for help.

Patient Advocacy in 2010: It was a busy year

Posted By on January 5th, 2011 at 10:02 am | 4 comments.

Today is only the third working day of 2011 and we have already talked with three women, all with different issues they need help with. One hasn’t had a mammogram in several years and has no insurance, another is a Medicare patient overwhelmed with co-pays for medical bills, and another is paying over $1,000 a month for insurance due to a pre-existing condition.

This past year, 75 women with breast cancer, or their friends or family members, called the PBCC for help. Often they sounded exhausted and told us that they’d already tried a number of other places and expected that we wouldn’t be able to help them. That just makes us more determined to find the resources they need.

Over half of the questions we hear are about medical bills and co-pays or mammograms. Of the 75 who called,

  • 21 needed financial help with medical bills
  • 20 needed mammograms and were uninsured or underinsured
  • 9 had questions about BCCPT (free treatment program) or other coverage
  • 6 needed help paying for prescriptions
  • 3 were breast cancer patients on the verge of losing their insurance
  • 3 had general questions or concerns about breast cancer
  • 2 needed lymphedema supplies
  • 2 wanted a referral for a specialist or a hospital
  • 2 needed to know where to get prostheses
  • 1 needed a follow-up mammogram, which her insurance wouldn’t cover
  • 1 was awaiting diagnosis and was exploring coverage options ahead of time
  • 1 was looking for information about home health care
  • 1 had questions about legal issues of an employer not allowing time off for treatment

2010 Evening Reception at the Harrisburg HiltonAlso in 2010 we added this question to our online Friends Like Me care package order form: “If this is a self-request, would you like the PBCC’s patient advocate to call you?”

Usually, we find that the information included in the Friends Like Me care package answers all of the questions a survivor may have. But all the recipients we talk with say that the phone call is one more reminder that she is not alone, the PBCC is here for her.