A NEW DAY IN CANCER TREATMENT - St. Joseph Medical Center

Pam Trombero, B.S., C.C.R.P., LUNGS coordinator with Sylvia Levine,esophageal cancer survivor and LUNGS mentor.LUNGSmentors who can make the breast cancer journey less confusingand solitary. They provide an invaluable support system.s SOS mentors are trained extensively on topics like breast cancerdiagnosis, surgery and treatments, mentoring do’s and don’ts androle playing. Mentors are required to attend additional trainingthrough the Mentor Education Lecture Series.s A volunteer can elect to follow a single patient or severaldepending on her desire and availability. Mentoring is flexible andinvolves regular phone conversations with the patient as well aspersonal visits.s Each mentor is asked to provide two physicians’ releasesindicating she is emotionally ready to participate as a mentor inthe SOS program.s SOS volunteer meetings are also held to provide feedback, sharelearnings and new information about breast cancer, and recognizethe efforts of the volunteers.To become a mentor or to make a patient referral, please contact EdlaColeman at 410-427-2513 or email edlacoleman@catholichealth.net.Learning, Understanding, Navigating, and Growing SurvivorshipLUNGS, which stands for Learning, Understanding, Navigating, andGrowing Survivorship, was created in 2007 to address an unmet need inthe community—to support patients being treated for lung and esophagealcancers. With grants from the Dorothy Friedman Caplan Guild and theAmerican Cancer Society, the Cancer Institute has trained mentors to providesupport based on personal experience. Mentors and patients are able toshare the feelings, emotions and fears cancer patients sometimes have.The LUNGS program also focuses on education and guidance promoting ahealthy lifestyle and preventative care. The program offers free lecturesfocused on the challenges of cancer, common medical problems andstrategies for coping with the psychological effects of cancer.The LUNGS program at the Cancer Institute is distinct in acknowledging thesignificance of diverse quality-of-life issues and is able to provide cancersurvivors and their families with emotional and social support—crucial tocancer survivors. Patients are encouraged to embrace life, each other andthe future. Whether a patient is living with cancer, has been cured, or hasrecurred, LUNGS mentors understand cancer survivors’ questions and needsbecause they have lived the experience and have survived.To become a mentor or to make a patient referral, please contactPam Trombero at 410-427-4543.15