Groups, resources help Las Vegas breast cancer patients

Although 1.3 million people are diagnosed with breast cancer annually, those who receive the diagnosis can feel isolated. It’s as if they are facing the physical, emotional and financial distress alone.

But that’s not the case in the Las Vegas Valley, where several resources offer support to breast cancer patients and their family members, friends and caregivers.

Beating breast cancer begins with medical care, typically starting with a general practitioner who sends a patient to a specialized facility for a more thorough examination. Some Las Vegas hospitals and care centers have facilities on site specifically outfitted to address the physical and medical aspects of managing breast cancer. The Breast Center at Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center, for example, offers screening and diagnostic digital mammography, breast ultrasound and MRI, breast biopsies and a variety of other services.

“We’re a screening and diagnostic center, taking care of the radiology end of it, but we also have me, a nurse navigator, here to assist patients,” Linda Buckley said. “Anytime there is an abnormal finding, my role is to help patients navigate their way through the whole health care system.”

As a nurse navigator, Buckley works as a patient advocate and liaison for the patient and the family throughout the process, from diagnosis through treatment and beyond.

“We’re a full breast center,” she said. “It’s rare when I have a patient that I can’t help.”

The Breast Center, which has received national accreditation for its services, assists both women and men. It doesn’t work with children as often, but one of the strengths of many of the breast cancer support centers in Las Vegas is that they work with each other, so referrals to a more appropriate facility for certain patients is commonplace.

The financial stress that accompanies a breast cancer diagnosis can be one of the most difficult problems to manage, and many of the support systems in Las Vegas recognize this, especially for those who are uninsured or underinsured. Throughout October, The Breast Center is offering a $75 digital screening mammogram for those who need financial assistance. Also, The Breast Center works with an American Cancer Society patient navigator who has been able to assist with gift cards, co-pay help and other financial aid where appropriate.

The two WomensCare Centers affiliated with St. Rose Dominican Hospitals provide services to the uninsured through its R.E.D. Rose program, which assists women age 49 and younger.

“The R.E.D. Rose program is funded through the Susan G. Komen Foundation, Avon Foundation, National Breast Cancer Foundation, St. Rose in-kind medical services, St. Rose physicians and the Rose Regatta Dragon Boat Festival,” noted Holly Lyman, director of the Barbara Greenspun WomensCare Centers and community outreach.

Money collected through these sources provided services for 668 uninsured women last year including breast exams, mammograms, ultrasounds, biopsies, consultations, mastectomy prosthesis and temporary financial assistance.

For uninsured and underinsured women 40 and older, a federally funded program called Women’s Health Connection also provides breast and pap screening services to those living in Nevada.

Besides medical care and financial help, The Breast Center, the WomensCare Centers and similar organizations provide other kinds of support. The Breast Center offers a general breast cancer support group and one for people age 40 and younger, both of which meet once a month, and the WomensCare Center has a support group that meets twice a month in its Henderson location.

The Center for Compassionate Care at Nathan Adelson Hospice offers counseling for women and their loved ones through a grant from the Southern Nevada affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, and The Caring Place (a program of Nevada Childhood Cancer Foundation) offers a full schedule of activities and services that assist in the healing process for those who have had cancer, their family members, friends and caregivers.

“We have 10 support groups that meet here, and all are led by social workers with a couple of RNs in the mix,” said Pati Kearns, director of services of The Caring Place. “The groups are designed to meet the needs of different people.”

Groups available at The Caring Place include those specifically addressing breast cancer and women’s emotional care.

Though not affiliated with a religious organization, The Caring Place provides no-cost programs and services especially focused on healing the mind, body and soul. The cozy, intimate building in which the organization is housed has a library stocked with cancer-related resources, a couple of large common rooms for support groups and classes, massage treatment rooms and a children’s playroom.

Free of charge, run almost exclusively by volunteers and funded primarily by community fundraisers, The Caring Place provides group and individual support and guidance through an extensive schedule of healing classes. Energy and therapy classes such as massage, reflexology, shiatsu and guided imagery are available, as are several art classes including jewelry making, painting, collage and scrapbooking.

“The idea with all of the art classes is that we know you can’t physiologically be in a place of creativity and worry at the same time,” Kearns said.

Nevada Childhood Cancer Foundation President and CEO Jeffrey R. Gordon said, “The thing with The Caring Place is what it does for people, their healing within and their peace of mind. One of the greatest quotes I’ve ever heard about The Caring Place was, ‘Once I came to The Caring Place, they taught me how to live with cancer, not how to die.’ ”

At The Breast Center, there is a gift closet where anyone in the community can get wigs, hats, scarves, liquid nutrition and other items. It also hosts the Look Good … Feel Better program. Developed by the American Cancer Society, which offers tips and information on skin care, makeup, nail care and similar issues. General nutrition and oncology workshops and gentle exercise classes such as tai chi are also available for free or at a minimal cost at The Breast Center and the WomensCare Centers.

Though early detection of breast cancer may result in a less invasive and shorter treatment period, no cancer patient is left behind in Las Vegas. Any of the facilities that assist people who have breast cancer are easily accessible and happy to help guide patients through a potentially tumultuous time. Websites for local organizations such as The Breast Center, the WomensCare Centers and The Caring Place provide plentiful information about services and support available, and patients and their family and friends are encouraged to reach out for aid.

Likewise, to ensure Las Vegas programs like these continue into the future, community members are encouraged to participate in fundraisers or volunteer time where appropriate.

“We have these challenges in life, and everyone is touched by cancer somewhere,” Gordon said, “but there’s a way to live and there’s a way to be positive about those challenges.”