Awareness Psychosocial Support Key In CancerTreatment (NAPSA)—Social and emotional support. These are the key elements of a program that provides a place where men, womenand children living with cancer—along with their families and friends— can build a personalized community of support as a part of cancer treatment. Cancer Support oO for Families Gilda’s Club, foundedin memoryof comedian Gilda Radner, providesfree emotional andsocial support to families living with cancer. For more than 12 years, Gilda’s Club has offered a comprehensive program built on this philosophy. It is based on the realization that while medical care helps individuals fight the disease, patients and their families are often left alone to manage equally urgent emotional and social needs. Now, a new study from the Institute of Medicine (IOM), “Can- cer Care for the Whole Patient: Meeting Psychosocial Health Needs,” validates the Gilda’s Club position and mandates that such support become part of a new standard in cancercare. According to the report, social and emotional support improves the quality of survival for the person with cancer, and can also impact the health and well-being of family and caregivers. Located in 22 cities throughout North America, Gilda’s Club helps people learn how to live with cancer whatever the outcome. To learn more, go to www. gildasclub.org.
