By Patricia A. Scheyer
NKyTribune reporter
Cancer is a scourge on mankind, there is no doubt about it. The numbers are staggering; one in every two males and one in every three females will get some type of cancer in their lifetime, a fact that makes the disease difficult to avoid.
It devastates entire families, putting a strain on family members and breaking hearts with the suffering.
The good news is, due to advances in treatment, people are getting better from cancer.
St. Elizabeth Hospital in Edgewood held a special event at the Cancer Center to celebrate cancer survivor day on June 2.
Regular people, patients, and survivors came to see what types of services the hospital has in terms of cancer screenings, cancer treatments, and resources for counseling, and methods of helping life be more palatable while people are going through cancer, like massages, and community support.
Dr. Michael Gieske was there to give good news about lung cancer screening. He is a family doctor who runs the lung cancer screening program, which has been in existence since 2013.
“Since that time we have done over 50,000 lung cancer screenings for people, a pretty impressive milestone,” he said. “Before the program opened, we didn’t have nearly that amount.”
He has noticed that the people being screened are younger than ever, and they are finding cancers, especially in young women. There is a program that targets high risk people, and if the people are between 50 and 80, or if they have had a 20-pack-a-day habit, or a half-pack-a-day for 40 years habit, the screening is covered by insurance.
He said they just had their 500th patient where they were able to diagnose lung cancer in stage one.
“When we catch the cancer in stage one, many times we can radiate it, or cut it out, and it’s done,” Dr Gieske explained.
Tables were set up showing resources for cancer survivors, and for caretakers who take their loved ones to treatments, and cook for them at home, being their own personal support for their sick loved one, but that dedication can take its toll on the caretaker. There are counselors who can help both the person with cancer and those who take care of them.
There are workshops for cancer survivors, and special family days for the whole family on July 28 in Cincinnati and August 23 at Middleton Mills road from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Cancer patients can get help at the Cancer Family Care section. There they can learn how to cope with the effects of cancer. Counselors can be reached at 513-731-3346.
Two rabbits and a dog stole the show.
These adorable animals are part of a pet therapy program called Pet Partners of Greater Cincinnati, where the owners take them into the rooms of patients. Dax, a beautiful 5-year-old Shetland sheep dog, also known as a Sheltie, is gentle and almost uncannily sensitive to the needs of the patient.
George doesn’t think he is big, but he is a Flemish Giant rabbit, and he weighs 15 pounds. Nevertheless, he stayed on the couch very calmly and accepted pats and praises from everyone, almost smiling, and just generating equanimity as he occasionally twitched his whiskers.
His companion, Alice, is a Netherland Dwarf rabbit who loves to dig, but loves people too, and she sat calmly for a while, but then started to explore, which wasn’t a good idea with a lot of people milling around, so Rose Hauser, her 10-year-old handler, scooped her up.
They brought a smile to the faces of onlookers.
Dr. Brent Xia, a surgical oncologist, talked about his three years of fixing cancers, and he, too, noticed that cancers are showing up in younger patients, especially colorectal cancer. He said that is why they are now recommending that people get screened at 45 instead of 50. He strongly recommended that people not be afraid of getting screened.
Linda Herms, a Nurse Navigator who works for doctors who treat breast cancer, talked about the importance of screening tests like mammograms.
“They now have different mammograms, which do a better job of finding cancers,” she explained. “Breast cancer doesn’t know an age — it tends to be hormone based, and it doesn’t care. Unlike fibrocystic disease, which eases off after menopause, however, breast cancer is a danger through the seventies.”
Herms said she has been working as a nurse for years, starting at Ft Thomas, but moved to the cancer center several years ago. Anyone who has been to a cancer doctor can understand the importance and value of a Nurse Navigator.
The person in charge of making this whole event happen is Trish Boh, an executive Secretary, but that job title doesn’t do her justice.
She has a story to tell, and that has cemented her motivation to do this event to reach people, and help them. Boh found a lump in her breast in 2019, and had a mammogram which did not reveal the lump she found. A year later she started having sharp pains, and with an MRI, her cancer was finally found. Despite the fact that she had suspected it was cancer, she was still in shock when she actually heard the words.
But it was a hard time to have cancer. COVID made it impossible for her husband to be with her as she had surgery to remove the lump. Later, two more lumps showed up and were removed. She had six weeks of radiation and now feels like her life was given back to her.
“This has been a passion project for me, from day one,” Boh said. “It was very challenging. My care team was amazing, and they are some of my best friends to this day.”
Boh said her radiologist also helped with her father-in-law when he was recently diagnosed with stage four prostate cancer, and he, too, loved the support he got. Now he is doing well with hormone and radiation treatment.
Although cancer touches nearly every family, there are more pathways to treatment than ever before thanks to research.
St Elizabeth does an excellent job of offering programs and screenings. There is a free skin cancer screening scheduled on June 7 at the Edgewood Cancer Center for Firefighters and First Responders only.
Then there is a similar skin cancer screening, also free, on September 6, at the Ft. Thomas Cancer Center from 10 a.m. to noon, and one on December 6, at the Edgewood Cancer Center, from 10 a.m. to noon.
For information for free cancer services the number is 513-791-4060, or the email is info@cancer-support.org, or go to MyCancerSupportCommunity.org.