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Memphis, TN – July 22, 2011 The West Clinic and WINGS Cancer Foundation are pleased to announce the recent launch of “Cancer Transitions: Moving Beyond Treatment, ™” a new program offering help to cancer survivors as they transition from active treatment to post-treatment care.  The session was held April 15th through July 15^th. Developed by LIVESTRONG™, the Lance Armstrong Foundation, the program was created to bridge the gap between cancer treatment and life following cancer.

Panelists included Brad Somer, MD; Janice Pazar, RN, PhD, HSP; Anita Vincent, RD, CSO, LDN, nutritionist; and Gerry Finney, cancer survivor and personal trainer, who discussed  various topics including:

• Exercise after treatment
• Specialized nutrition for people after cancer treatment
• Need for continued emotional and social support
• Medical effects of cancer treatment
• Long-term medical management.

Dr. Brad Somer, Medical Oncologist and Hematologist with The West Clinic, served as facilitator for the program.  “We are very proud that The West Clinic and Wings Cancer Foundation were the regional recipients of the LiveStrong transitions program grant,” stated Somer. “We created an experience that promoted, educated and pushed the care continuum beyond cancer treatment. We expanded our survivorship program which helps patients and their families through the often difficult aftermath of therapy in the hopes of getting them back to an active, productive and meaningful life.”
The West Clinic and WINGS Cancer Foundation applied for a nationwide special grant and were awarded funding to conduct the program bi-annually. The program, offered at no cost to participants, provides cancer survivors with information and tools to make the transition into living a full and productive life as a survivor including exercise, nutrition, emotional health, quality of life and medical management after cancer treatment ends.

According to a 2007 Institute of Medicine report, 12 million cancer survivors in the U.S. face a heavy physical and psychological burden as they transition from cancer patient to survivor.  A report issued by the Institute of Medicine in 2008 recognized the paradigm shift of cancer’s impact on the entire family.  The report, entitled Cancer Care for the Whole Patient, states that “Good quality health care must attend to patients’ psychosocial problems and provide services to enable them to better manage their illnesses and underlying health.”

For additional information please contact Janice Pazar, RN, PhD, HSP at 901-683-0055 x 1294 or WINGS Cancer Foundation at 901-322-2984 or visit www.westclinic.com and www.wingscancerfoundation.com