Free Stanford Services To Cancer Patients

It's not uncommon for patients to arrive at the Stanford Cancer Center more than half an hour before their scheduled appointment times. They don't arrive early to deal with lengthy questionnaires or to read the latest issue of National Geographic. They're just eager to get a soothing and relaxing massage before meeting with their oncologists.

As part of the Cancer Supportive Care Program, massage therapists provide free fifteen-minute chair massages to cancer patients and caregivers daily. The massage program, along with other CSCP offerings such as yoga and nutritional counseling, aim to integrate mind, body, and spirit into cancer patient treatment, said Holly Gautier, a registered nurse who manages the programs.

Evidence-based research has shown that cancer survivors live longer and have reduced risks of recurrence if they adopt healthier lifestyle choices such as prudent diets, exercise, smoking cessation and limited alcohol consumption. In the Stanford Magazine article, "Coming through Cancer," Rosenbaum estimates that the risk of several cancers can be reduced by 30 to 40 percent if people eat mainly plant-based diets, exercise, and maintain healthy weight. He also emphasizes the need for people facing a life-threatening disease to have an organized philosophy that helps them get back to a normal life. All of this research supports the mission of the Cancer Supportive Care Program, which gives cancer patients tools to bolster their physical and psychological health as they battle the disease.

"I so appreciate these supportive services," said a member of the Gynecological Cancer support group, who has participated in Pilates and Yoga classes and the free chair massages. "They have made a big difference in my being able to handle my cancer with less distress and a more positive attitude. I am so grateful to Stanford."

The Cancer Supportive Care Program began in 1999 with support groups and educational lectures initiated by adjunct clinical professor of medicine Ernest Rosenbaum and psychiatry and behavioral sciences professor David Spiegel. A year later, Gautier joined the team and expanded the program by offering yoga and nutrition consultation. She now manages the program from her very visible desk in the lobby of the Cancer Center.

"I really love being able to use my personal and nursing skills to bring trust, joy and support to people who are experiencing a very difficult time and coming through it in a heroic way," Gautier said.

The program has grown to offer nine support groups, free classes, and workshops that range from art to healing imagery to Pilates exercise. Together, these offerings attract over 15,000 patient visits each year. Gautier said she is looking forward to adding new programs continually, especially by utilizing the internet for on-line outreach to people outside the San Francisco Bay Area. She also plans to reach more of the local community by incorporating a Spanish-speaking yoga instructor, adding that this need became apparent after the Stanford Health Library opened a branch in East Palo Alto, which has a large Spanish-speaking population.

Gautier spoke highly of the "Writing Through Cancer" program led by Dr. Sharon Bray, a program she described as a life-changing experience for participants--many of whom have gone on to publish books, articles and poetry. Bray points out that research studies have indicated a number of healing benefits from writing out of illness, including greater self-awareness and insight, more emotional openness, and improved heart and respiratory function. Furthermore, writing in a cooperative environment with others can lessen the isolation that sometimes accompanies cancer.

"Each week I post a writing prompt, one designed to inspire you to write from your cancer experience," Bray said.  "Whether through the prompts I provide or the words of others who have written with me, I hope people find this site a source of inspiration and encouragement, a place that offers people a gentle nudge to write and discover its wonderfully healing benefits."  The site features testimonials from various cancer patients; this public posting allows people to share in each other's experiences, Bray said.

Stanford's Cancer Supportive Care Program is available free of charge to all cancer patients, regardless of where they are being treated. In addition to the classes and workshops, nurses and volunteers who have battled cancer in their own lives are available to help patients navigate the system, arrange for second opinions, and provide a trusting and safe environment. Funded by donors who are passionate about supporting survivorship, this unique program provides a powerful set of resources to assist cancer patients transform themselves into cancer survivors.

The website for the Cancer Supportive Care Program is http://cancer.stanford.edu/outreach/support.html. The next scheduled public program is a free lecture  "New Developments in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Prostate Cancer" on Thursday, September 23 from 7 pm - 9 pm at the Arrillaga Alumni Center.  There will be another free lecture on Thursday, October 7, "New Insights into Breast Cancer Treatment and Survivorship," from 7 pm - 9 pm at the Arrillaga Alumni Center.