Blog

The Cancer Support Community is excited to announce the launch of its new Biomarker Testing Tool for lung cancer. This groundbreaking streamlined platform empowers lung cancer patients and their loved ones to be informed and active participants in the treatment decision-making process.

I dare say I’m not the only one feeling fragile during these long months grappling with the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s like I’ve lost a layer of skin. And now, just as students like my daughter have returned to the classroom and college campus, cases are rising. How long will the pandemic continue to pose a threat to our health and way of life? Will things ever be “normal” again? The answers seem more and more unclear. Still, life persists. Babies are born. Lovers marry. Too many good people die from cancer.

Clinical trials are a promising avenue for expanding treatment options and extending survival for people with cancer. However, out-of-pocket costs associated with trial participation and gaps in insurance coverage create barriers for many cancer patients. The CLINICAL TREATMENT Act guarantees coverage of the routine care costs of clinical trial participation for Medicaid enrollees with life-threatening conditions, like cancer.

“I see a lot of patients and caregivers paralyzed by fear, especially after a tough diagnosis,” Dr. Boxwell said. “It’s easy to become immobilized in these situations, and this is why movement created by walking is so essential. When we move our bodies, we move our minds. In this way, patients and caregivers learn to see different possibilities.”

Each month, the Cancer Policy Institute profiles advocates who have been engaged in health advocacy. Read on to learn more about Mackenzie and her passion for closing the gap in health disparities. If you are interested in learning more about policy, advocacy, and ways to get involved, sign up to be a part of the Grassroots Network!

Welcome then to the gray zone, a space that can feel equal parts unsettling and empowering. Both are true, and here’s why. The gray zone is where we rid ourselves of rigid black and white thinking and certainty by appreciating small, less defined moments that give shape to our experiences.

I think it’s the cruelty of it all that has me so upset. Cancer is fierce. Cancer doesn’t discriminate. Cancer kills. This is true: there’s nothing quite like a cancer diagnosis to bring us face to face with mortality.

On September 18, 2020, it was announced that Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died after five bouts with cancer (including colon, lung, and most recently metastatic pancreatic cancer).

Each month, the Cancer Policy Institute profiles advocates who have been engaged in health advocacy. Read on to learn more about Rujul and his tip for people interested in becoming an advocate.

One of the major themes dominating health care discussions today is that health care costs in the United States are proving unsustainable. Practices known as utilization management (UM) are one of the ways by which health care costs have been addressed. As part of the Forum on Utilization Management, the Cancer Policy Institute (CPI) is releasing a series of blogs aimed at educating patients about different UM practices and techniques, how they impact access to care, as well as advocacy opportunities to address those barriers to care. Read this third blog in the series to learn more about Step Therapy.