Cancer Matters: July Edition

Dear Reader,

Welcome to our July Cancer Matters edition! We want to celebrate and thank the thousands of subscribers that have come to look forward to our short but impactful newsletter! As the summer sun reaches its peak, we're excited to bring you insights, awareness, and strategies to make the most of this vibrant season of growth. This month, we spotlight Sarcoma Awareness. Sarcomas are one of the rarest and often most aggressive tumor types, which can present unique challenges in diagnosis and treatment, with over 100 types that vary in their biologic characteristics and response to therapy. We also delve into the beneficial role of exercise in enhancing treatment outcomes, particularly for younger sarcoma patients. Our resident health and wellness expert sheds light on how physical activity can boost the efficacy of chemotherapy and help young survivors to thrive over the long-term. In our Inspire Coach’s Corner, get valuable guidance on cultivating a culture of effective feedback within your team. Discover how to better understand your team’s motivations, recognize their strengths, and address areas for improvement, to create an environment of continuous motivation and growth. Finally, in our Grow segment, our seasoned sales and networking coach shares practical advice on navigating the post-ASCO flurry of new opportunities. You’ll learn the art of the follow-up, to convert new contacts and prospects into meaningful growth opportunities for your business or practice. We hope this edition empowers you with knowledge and strategies to tackle the challenges and seize the opportunities ahead. Thank you again for being a part of our community, and we wish you a productive and enlightening month!

Learn

Total Health plain language summaries feature a variety of topics presented by expert clinical faculty at our conferences throughout the year, and are designed to facilitate patient engagement and discussion with the cancer care team. July is Sarcoma awareness month, and in this edition of Cancer Matters, we feature a presentation from the 2024 West Oncology Conference with Dr David Portnoy, MD FACP from West Cancer Center. Sarcomas are cancers that arise from connective tissues, such as bone, cartilage, fat, and muscle. These are comparatively rare cancers, and they are especially difficult to study because there are over 100 different types, which vary greatly in their biologic characteristics, and in their sensitivity to commonly used cancer treatments such as chemotherapy. The survival of patients with sarcoma has been improving with increasing recognition and testing for specific molecular alterations that lead to their uncontrolled growth. In some types of sarcoma, such as the more commonly occurring gastrointestinal stromal tumors or GIST, these molecular alterations can be targeted with specifc drug therapies, such as the tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). Targeted therapies such as the TKIs offer an advantage over chemotherapy, as they are generally available in oral formulations, and can also be substantively less toxic for patients.

Click here for a plain language summary and link to the full presentation highlighted above.

UPCOMING EVENTS

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Inspire

Sharon Gill, Executive Coach

Welcome back to Coach’s Corner!

Last month, I mentioned we’d be discussing “The Art of Effective Feedback, a Catalyst for Growth and Development Within Teams.” Since then, I’ve become certified as a DISC Consultant. DISC is a behavioral analysis program that helps people understand their motivations and behaviors, and I’ve witnessed first-hand the improvement in communication that occurs when team members understand their own behaviors, and the behaviors of others.

• Effective leaders create a culture of feedback: They foster an environment where feedback is welcomed, and seen as an opportunity for learning. They encourage open communication, where team members feel safe to give and receive feedback.

• Using the DISC Method: Leaders can leverage the insights from DISC to tailor their feedback style to individual team members. It helps them to understand their communication preferences, and adapt their approach for maximum impact.

• Feedback should be specific and timely: When leaders address issues promptly and provide clear, actionable insights, focusing on behaviors and outcomes and not personality traits, they experience less gridlock in their organizations.

• Balance Positivity and Constructiveness: Acknowledging your team’s strengths and achievements, while also addressing areas for improvement ensures that feedback is motivational, and conducive to growth.

Remember, effective feedback is a continuous process. Embrace it as a tool for ongoing improvement and watch your team thrive! Also consider using the DISC model to improve communication on your team.

In the August's Coach’s Corner, we'll explore strategies for fostering a culture of accountability and ownership within teams, so stay tuned for more actionable tips!

For more information on professional coaching, please visit www.sharongill.com

Heal

Sami Mansfield, Cancer Exercise and Wellness Expert

It's Sarcoma Awareness Month, and while these cancers are less common, they can be both fatal and debilitating. Integrating exercise guidelines can play a role in improving treatment outcomes and reducing long-term side effects.

Research has shown that exercise can improve tumor vascularity, impacting how much chemotherapy can penetrate cancer cells, and allowing for the highest potency and impact of treatment. Including exercise during treatment can also lead to fewer functional changes, reduced fatigue, and a higher quality of life for patients.

Implementing exercise during treatment is an important strategy for long-term survival, especially for younger patients with osteosarcoma. While 70% of such patients survive into adulthood, survivors are at a higher risk of experiencing severe and chronic conditions. Exercise can help mitigate these side effects and research has shown positive effects on cognitive function as well.

Because many childhood osteosarcoma survivors are not physically active, a major challenge is initiating a lifestyle change. In this regard, individualized guidance and tailored exercise prescriptions supervised by healthcare professionals are crucial to ensure compliance and comfort. Regular check-ins with a physical therapist or trainer can also ensure that survivors are making progress and staying safe.

The American College of Sports Medicine's Moving Through Cancer initiative emphasizes that exercise is a crucial component of cancer care. Their updated guidelines recommend moderate-intensity aerobic training at least three times a week for 30 minutes per session, along with resistance training at least twice a week. Guidelines also reflect recent evidence that both cancer survivors and patients receiving active treatment can benefit significantly from regular exercise, promoting overall health and quality of life.

Schadler KL, Thomas NJ, Galie PA, Bhang DH, Roby KC, Addai P, et al. Tumor vessel normalization after aerobic exercise enhances chemotherapeutic efficacy. Oncotarget. 2016 Oct 4;7(40):65429. Armstrong GT, Kawashima T, Leisenring W, Stratton K, Stovall M, Hudson MM, et al. Aging and risk of severe, disabling, life-threatening, and fatal events in the childhood cancer survivor study. Journal of Clinical Oncology. 2014 Apr 20;32(12):1218.

Grow

Beth Conway, Business Coach and Sales Trainer

The Power of Following Up: Building Relationships Beyond ASCO

Attending a meeting like the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) can be exhilarating (and exhausting). The buzz of conversations, the exchange of ideas, and the potential for partnerships fill the convention halls. As someone in sales, whether you're promoting a product, a service, or your expertise, these interactions are crucial. But amidst the flurry of introductions, handshakes, and exchanged business cards, I believe the real magic happens in the follow-up.

It's easy to get caught up in meeting new people and conversations, but the true essence of fostering rapport and building meaningful connections lies in what happens next. Following up after a meeting like ASCO is not just a courtesy, it's a strategic move that can propel those new relationships forward.

How many times have you returned from a conference with a stack of business cards and the best intentions, only to let those connections fade away in the busyness of daily life?

The timely follow-up can transform initial contacts into collaborations, partnerships, and opportunities, and could be the catalyst for your next big project or initiative. It also demonstrates reliability, professionalism, and a genuine interest in nurturing the relationship beyond that initial handshake.

So, I challenge you to be consistent in your follow up - have you followed up with the representatives and colleagues you met at ASCO? Have you taken the initiative to send that email, make that call, or schedule a meeting? In the world of sales and professional networking, a consistent follow-up plan can be the defining factor between stagnation and growth.

Every follow-up is also an opportunity to reinforce your commitment, clarify mutual goals, and explore how you can collaborate effectively in oncology, whether it's by exchanging ideas, sharing resources, or exploring possible synergies.

As you reflect on your experience at ASCO, I hope you will consider the impact of your follow-up efforts and take proactive steps to nurture those connections. Remember, it’s not just a courtesy—it's a cornerstone for lasting partnerships and business success.

Feel free to reach out directly for additional tools and resources tailored to your specific needs. [email protected]

Share

Organizations We Love to Love

Mission

The mission of the Sarcoma Foundation of America (SFA) is to advocate for sarcoma patients by funding research and by increasing awareness about the disease. The organization raises money to privately fund grants for sarcoma researchers and conducts education and advocacy efforts on behalf of sarcoma patients.

Our Beginning

The spark that ignited the start of the SFA was the diagnosis of then 3-year-old Jeffrey Thornton with sarcoma. His parents, Dr. Mark and Patricia Thornton, along with physician, Dr. John Brooks, were motivated to act not only to help treat his cancer but others’ as well. Grappling with the Jeffrey’s diagnosis, they found there wasn’t a national patient advocacy and research organization dedicated to sarcoma patients and their families. They sought to fill that void. The Sarcoma Foundation of America was founded in 2000 and became recognized as a 501(c)(3) organization by the US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in 2001. Through these humble beginnings, the SFA has grown exponentially, and is the only national prominent charitable organization focused on the mission of finding new and better therapies to treat sarcoma. Today’s SFA has attracted thousands of members from across the nation and around the world with our work to advocate for sarcoma patients and their families and to find the cure in our time.

Our Goals

Eliminate pain and suffering due to sarcoma by:

• Advocating for increased government funding against sarcoma
• Creating alliances with the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries to rapidly develop new and better sarcoma treatments
• Increasing public awareness regarding early detection of sarcoma
• Educating sarcoma patients

To learn more please visit?curesarcoma.org

Until Next Month...