The Assertive Cancer Patient

An Answer From ASCO, Sort Of

As I mentioned the other day, I didn't receive a grant to go to Chicago for the ASCO annual meeting as a patient advocate. Maybe I have a huge ego, but I really thought I wrote a good application and I would get a grant.

So that was disappointing. I still plan to go, but it's a lot of money for me, since my income is primarily from SS Disability. Anyway, for future reference, and because I was curious, I e-mailed and asked what kind of patient advocates they gave grants to, and how many they gave this year.

Here was my e-mail, to Jeannine M. Salamone, who is senior program manager, Communications & Patient Information, for ASCO, the American Society of Clinical Oncology:

Jeannine—Hi. I was wondering what kind of patient advocates you gave grants to—were they “professional” patient advocates like social workers and people who work full time for cancer-related nonprofits? Also, how many grants did you give this year?

She didn't answer my last question, about how many grants they gave, but here's her answer:

Dear Jeanne,

Please accept my apologies for not getting back to you sooner. We look at a lot of different factors when evaluating patient advocate scholarship applications. We look at financial need, timing of the application, involvement in research advocacy, and affiliation with non-profit cancer associations/organizations (either as staff or volunteer). Many scholarship recipients work as volunteers on SPOREs, IRBs, research panels, grant review panels, they review clinical trial consent forms, etc. This is the second year that we were able to provide patient advocate scholarships for our Annual Meeting and next year we hope to secure even more funding.

I look forward to seeing you in Chicago. Please be sure to utilize our Patient Advocate Lounge (room S402) and attend our Research Review Sessions for Patient Advocates, in the Patient Advocate Lounge on Saturday, May 31 and Sunday, June 1 from 5:15 to 6:30 PM. Once we receive your registration form, you will be placed on our patient advocate list and will receive more information about these Annual Meeting Patient Advocate Programs.

Best Regards,

Jeannine

If my reading of that is correct, they were leaning towards people involved in "research advocacy," and it's true that that is not a primary focus of mine.

I care less about the latest and greatest cancer treatment breakthroughs than I do about issues like doctor/patient communication, making decisions about treatment, and the whole "psychosocial" side of living with cancer, which includes support, coping, stress, and all of that.

I will be going to the meeting, and blogging about it each day that I am there. If you are a cancer patient who is also planning to go, please let me know. Maybe we can join forces while we're there.

@ Jeanne Sather 2008.

ASCO and a Better Mood

Well, my strategy seems to be working.

I finished writing my application for a grant to go to the ASCO conference in Chicago as a patient advocate, and sent that off, and that improved my bad mood by quite a bit.

As did all the supportive comments on my blog and in e-mails. Thank you all.

So now I need to move on and get the guest room clean, walk my dog, and go to the post office. Just the ordinary things of life.

ASCO
That's the American Society of Clinical Oncology, and some 30,000 people, mostly oncologists, I imagine, will be gathering for this meeting in Chicago in late May and early June. The downtown hotels are already sold out, so if I go I will have to stay at an airport hotel. Apparently there will be free shuttle service.

Here are some of the sessions that I plan to attend:

** Communicating Prognosis: How Oncologists Can Be More Effective
(I know Tony Back, the moderator for this one, and have made presentations with him several times in the past, including one to medical students at the University of Washington Medical Center. Baby doctors, I call them.)

** Integrating the Humanistic and Scientific Aspects of Patient Care: The Perspective of Seasoned Surgical, Medical, Pediatric, and Radiation Oncologists

** Access to Investigational Drugs Off-Protocol: What Do We Owe Patients?

** Conflicts of Interest in Oncology: Understanding the Problems and Finding Solutions

** Recognition and Management of Medical Errors in Oncology

** Erythropoiesis-Stimulating Agents Use and Overuse: How Do Oncologists Negotiate Conflicting Demands?

Great titles, huh? (NOT.)

I was looking for more on clinical trials, like how to get cancer patients to enroll in clinical trials, because I have some thoughts on that, and also some sessions on psychosocial issues, which I didn't find at all. I want to suggest that someone should do a psychosocial trial about stress over medical bills and patient outcomes.

I'll take the info I have on that along with me to the conference, because I might meet someone who is interested, and of course I will have my laptop so I can blog about all of this.

Go to the ASCO site to read about the conference: ASCO