GLOBAL FOCUS ON CANCER INC
This organization has already been registered
Someone in your organization has already registered and setup an account. would you like to join their team?Profile owner : c*****n@g*****************r.o*g
Mission Statement
Global Focus on Cancer (GFC) was formed in 2011 as a US based 501(c)(3) non-profit organization to act as an agent of simple and effective change to help reduce the global burden of cancer. We do this through creating, implementing and sustaining cancer awareness programs and supporting the development of cancer support groups in countries where access to information about cancer is critically lacking.
About This Cause
MISSION Global Focus on Cancer’s mission is to raise awareness, provide support and create a global network of cancer patients, survivors, caregivers and medical professionals. Our goal is to increase awareness, decrease stigma and encourage early detection and treatment by increasing access to information about cancer. Awareness is an integral component in the early detection of the disease, and early detection is a key element in the battle against cancer. WHERE THE NEED IS GREATEST Cancer has reached near epidemic proportions worldwide. Globally, it kills more than 7.6 million people each year — more than AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria combined. An estimated 70% of these deaths occur in people living in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) such as Kenya, Cambodia, Guatemala, Myanmar, Tanzania, India and Vietnam. In many of these countries cancer treatment and prevention services are lacking, and some countries have no specialized cancer care at all. Even if treatment is available, it may be out of financial reach for many people making it less likely that patients will receive the care they need to survive. Additionally, due to the stigma that still surrounds cancer in many countries, cancer patients are often discouraged from openly discussing their disease, even among family and friends. This can have a tremendous psychological impact on patients as well as interfere with their ability to receive the medical care they urgently need. Cancer awareness is desperately lacking in many economically challenged countries. Awareness is an integral component in the early detection of the disease, and early detection is a key element in the battle against cancer. Often just the fact that surviving cancer is possible is a revelation to those who have previously only understood it as a death sentence. Countries defined as low- and middle-income account for as much as 72% of the world’s cancer deaths. In Vietnam alone there are approximately 125,000 new cancer cases diagnosed each year and 95,000 cancer deaths (more than 70% of patients die, one of the highest mortality rates in the world). Due to the extremely high burden of cancer in LMICs there exists a great need for cancer awareness, prevention and support programs. WHAT WE DO GFC was formed in 2011 as a US-based 501(c)(3) non-profit organization to act as an agent of simple and effective change to help reduce the global burden of cancer. We do this through creating, implementing and sustaining cancer awareness programs and supporting the development of cancer support groups in countries where access to information about cancer is critically lacking. HOW WE WORK GFC partners with local organizations to connect them with established global cancer resources. We translate existing cancer awareness materials and create new informational pamphlets in the local language that promote cancer awareness, early detection and treatment options. We utilize our relationships with doctors, hospitals, cancer organizations and multinational corporations to create and distribute country specific literature and to host cancer awareness seminars. We assist in creating new, and expanding upon existing, cancer support groups using established, successful models and adapting them to fit the individual country. GFC has developed a dual track approach in each target country that consists of: ➢ Cancer support groups in hospitals and other health care facilities. ➢ Cancer awareness programs delivered in the work environment. CANCER SUPPORT GROUPS OBJECTIVE In low resource environments, physicians are overly burdened, particularly oncologists. Additionally, there often exists an enormous health literacy gap between patients and their doctors. As a result, patients require extensive instruction and education about their illness. Frequently, this is overlooked and patients are left uneducated, frightened and confused about their treatment and future. We address these issues by introducing clinician led cancer support groups in the hospital setting. Group aims are: • To provide a place for people to share common concerns on cancer and well-being with trained medical professionals. • To educate patients and caregivers about cancer related topics such as treatments, side effects, exercise and nutrition, relationships and life after cancer. • To provide emotional support and help reduce anxiety for patients and their families. • To give patients a place to voice their concerns and receive information specific to their disease and treatment. Outcomes: o Empowered and informed patients. o Increased cancer awareness among patients, families and caregivers. o Reduced cancer myths and stigma among patients. CANCER AWARENESS PROGRAM OBJECTIVE To increase awareness of cancer prevention and detection methods in low resource environments through an evidence-based, locally-adaptable cancer awareness program delivered directly to factory workers in the work environment. One-third of all cancers are preventable by addressing lifestyle risk factors, and early detection is key to successful and lower cost treatment. Globally, 50% of cancer in LMICs occurs under the age of 65, leading to an avoidable loss of productive life years. Education and access to screening and diagnostic services are vital. Our goals are to: • Provide workers with a solid foundation in basic cancer facts. • Introduce ways to avoid or lower the risks of developing cancer. • Debunk myths and reduce stigma associated with cancer. • Encourage early detection and treatment of cancers. • Reduce the overall burden of cancer. • Increase survivorship. PROGRAM CONTENT The program content is developed through a multi-disciplinary partnership with multinational corporations and their local affiliates, international and local cancer control experts, local health NGO’s and public sector facilities. Components include training and capacity building for factory workers, and the development of a resource center within the factory health center that will provide information about specific cancers, screening and locally available and affordable treatment options. A select group of workers are trained to act as ambassadors and peer educators. Flip book style presentations provide basic, useful information about cancer prevention, early detection and treatment. This presentation is delivered by health care professionals in the factory setting. GFC partners with local health NGO’s to implement the program. The program includes information on: • Causes of cancer • Common types of cancer • General risk factors • Truths and myths about cancer • Cancer prevention and early detection methods • Cancer statistics specific to the target country • Nutrition and exercise information • Survivor stories/photos - humanizing the cancer experience We administer pre- and post-testing to a random sampling of employees participating in the seminar in an effort to measure knowledge change. We also gather data on attempts from the factory workers to access cancer prevention and screening services. EXPECTED OUTCOMES o Reduction in cancer burden and loss of productive life years. o Increase in health promoting behaviors, cancer risk reduction and promotion of early detection and treatment methods through primary prevention and disease education. Additionally: • Factory workers will have a solid foundation of basic cancer facts. • There will be a decrease is stigma and myths surrounding cancer among the target population. • Workers will be encouraged to access early detection and treatment services. • Empowered and informed employees. • Workers feel emotionally supported. • Increase in cancer awareness for workers and their families. • Increase in adapted healthier lifestyle choices lead to reduced absenteeism and overall healthier employees. PROOF OF CONCEPT: OUR WORK IN VIETNAM TO DATE GFC launched initiatives in Vietnam in 2012 and 2014. We partnered with the Breast Cancer Club (BCC) of Hanoi (until May 2012 it was the only cancer support group in Vietnam) and two additional oncology hospitals in the country to: ➢ Establish six new cancer support groups at the CanTho and Hue Oncology Hospitals, for breast, colorectal and general cancers. ➢ Work with all the groups to create basic cancer awareness materials and programs designed to educate the general population about cancer, decrease stigma, encourage early treatment, and increase survivorship. ➢ Network the Vietnamese support groups and hospitals with international affiliates for support, aid and training. In 2014 we entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Bright Future Foundation (BFF), founded in 2012 by the Vice-Minister of Health in Vietnam, Nguyen Thi Xuyen, MD/PhD, promising to work together on cancer awareness and patient support in Vietnam. We are now working closely with them on expanding the cancer support group network in Vietnam. We have entered into a multi-disciplinary partnership with local affiliates in Vietnam, international and local cancer control experts, local health NGO’s and public sector facilities to deliver our cancer awareness program to factory workers. Implementation of the program will begin in 2016. Moreover, GFC participated in an American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) sponsored Oncology Conference at Hue General Hospital, where we moderated a panel and presented on the efficacy of clinician led cancer support groups in the hospital setting. At the Southeast Asia Cancer Management and Support Group Summit held in Nha Trang, Vietnam, GFC partnered with the Bright Future Foundation, the Hue Breast Cancer Association, and WECAN/Seattle to share ideas and programs surrounding cancer management, treatment and care, support, education, and advocacy. The first of its kind in the region, the summit brought over 15 groups from 8 countries in the region together to begin the building of a supportive cancer coalition.