As if a cancer diagnosis isn’t challenging enough, the search for credible information and compassionate support can be overwhelming.
Shannon La Cava, PsyD, director of the Simms/Mann UCLA Center for Integrative Oncology, recently spoke at a cancer conference in Orange County about new ways of communication. She touched on topics such as finding trustworthy information and learning from the personal stories of survivors.
“When there’s so much information, you can get lost in that if you don’t know what you’re looking for,” she told the audience.
In January, Dr. La Cava was part of a panel discussion at the Nixon Cancer Center Conference at the Nixon Library in Yorba Linda. The panel included health care providers and journalists.
“My goal in participating in the panel was to represent the psychosocial oncology side of cancer care and to really demonstrate there are a lot of resources available to a person living with cancer, and their family, to gain that sense of control, knowledge and connection,” Dr. La Cava said.
Whole-person care
To that end, the Simms/Mann UCLA Center for Integrative Oncology was established in 1994 to provide whole-person care to people with cancer, from the time of diagnosis through survivorship. Services include counseling, support groups, nutrition consultations, integrative medicine and spiritual support.
During the panel discussion, Dr. La Cava spoke about how the vast amount of information available online can affect the well-being of cancer patients in positive or negative ways.
“How do we alleviate distress and also give information, education and try to do so in a way that is going to be the most supportive to that patient and also into the medical decisions they make with their provider and family?” she asked.
She recommended finding community or forming a trusted team for support, which can help guide people to the quantity and type of information they desire.
The Simms/Mann Center website contains links to UCLA Health information as well as to other respected national sources. Some of the recommended sites cover clinical information while others are groups that offer peer mentoring or support for caregivers. The Simms/Mann Center also offers its own extensive educational programming.
Hope and solidarity
The panel also discussed the benefits of the personal cancer stories of patients that may be shared on social media, podcasts or in a support group.
Dr. La Cava noted that hearing those stories can provide an example, hope and solidarity.
“For a patient to be able to tell their own story, I think there’s so much power in that,” she said. “We can learn from one another and we can learn from those stories.”
Dr. La Cava also mentioned during the discussion that sometimes patients might want information or support at times that are convenient for them or when they are experiencing elevated distress or worry.
In an interview, she said the Simms/Mann Center offers supportive services that patients can draw strength from in those moments. For instance, in a weekly mindfulness meditation class, participants learn and practice breathing techniques that induce calmness and relaxation.
“We give tools of mindfulness and individual therapy to alleviate some of the distress and give support to a person in the moment, but also something they can walk away with when they have moments of anxiety,” Dr. La Cava said.
Patients can also turn to their UCLA Health doctors for resources or read patient stories and watch educational videos on the website.
”Gaining insight and understanding from their medical team, supportive services, and their peers can help to normalize the impact of a cancer diagnosis and assist a person living with cancer in accessing factual information about their health care,” Dr. La Cava said. “Rather than just Googling, having a health system like UCLA is really valuable. There’s a lot of information that a patient and their family can trust.”
