Inside The Toolbox
An audio program helps cancer survivors build knowledge and skills to face their disease.
When first told they have cancer, most people are in a state of shock. Suddenly, they must adapt to the unfamiliar world and language of cancer.
"Most people don't know the resources available to them," says Carol Marcusen, L.C.S.W., a licensed clinical social worker at USC/Norris. "There's a huge learning curve."
Now, newly diagnosed cancer patients have a new resource
to help them cope with their illness: a toolbox. The National Coalition
for Cancer Survivorship, the Oncology Nursing Society and the Association
of Oncology Social Work collaborated to create The Cancer Survival Toolbox.
The Toolbox, free to cancer survivors thanks to a grant from Genentech BioOncology, is a set of three audiotapes focusing on the practical skills needed in daily life to manage cancer diagnosis and treatment.
"Treatment is pretty debilitating. I worried about how I would fit into society," says Beth Torres, a rectal cancer survivor who helped test the Toolbox before it was released. "The Toolbox gave me a positive foundation to work from. I went back into the same career as a regional manager for an insurance company -I didn't think I'd be able to because of dealing with the physical and emotional demands of cancer treatment."
The tapes, divided into six programs of 20 minutes each, develop key skills that can help people with cancer meet the challenges of their illness: Communicating, Finding Information, Making Decisions, Solving Problems, Negotiating and Standing Up for Your Rights.
"We wanted to give people more than examples of others who made wise decisions or a theoretical approach to a situation. We wanted people to be able to learn the skills they would need to manage their lives," says Marcusen. She was a member of the six-person team who spent more than a year researching and developing the tapes.
Ovarian cancer survivor Ann Corber says the Toolbox increased her confidence in her decisions and helped her become an active partner in her care. "I modified my approach to speaking with my physicians. I didn't know what I could ask for as a patient, but the Toolbox helped me in pursuing treatments I wanted."
Torres adds, "I hope it will help other survivors deal with what we face."
Anyone affected by cancer, including family members and caregivers, can receive the Toolbox by calling toll-free 1-877-TOOLS-4-U (1-877-866-5748), or by visiting the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship website at www.cansearch.org/programs/toolbox.htm