Southland Oncology and South Suburban Cancer Center Celebrate First "Celebration of Life Party"

MOKENA & HAZEL CREST, IL – In honoring the indomitable spirit and courage of local cancer survivors, Southland Oncology, a Vantage Oncology facility in Mokena, South Suburban Cancer Center, a Vantage Oncology facility in Hazel Crest, and the physicians with Affiliated Oncologists, LLC hosted its first Celebration of Life Party on Tuesday, June 24th at CD & ME in Frankfort. Over 180 attendees enjoyed live entertainment, food and light refreshments as well as the opportunity to share their stories with fellow survivors.

The American Association for Cancer Research’s second Annual Report on Cancer Survivorship in the United States shows that as of January 2012, there were approximately 13.7 million cancer survivors in the United States, a number that is expected to rise by 31 percent to 18 million by 2022.

In 2005, The Institute of Medicine (IOM) committee prepared a comprehensive report on the challenges associated with addressing the needs of post-treatment cancer survivors. This report documented the growing number of cancer survivors living after treatment ends and how they were 'lost in transition' with little guidance or coordination in their health care, and their unmet health care needs. The report clearly states that there is a need to acknowledge this phase of the cancer care trajectory, to conduct more research, to better understand how care should be provided, and to focus on improving the coordination and quality of care through use of a treatment summary and survivorship care plan.

Because of this 2005 IOM study, the post-treatment survivorship care conceptually falls into three major domains or the “Three Ps”: Palliation of on-going symptoms; Prevention of late effects of cancer treatment or second cancers; and Health Promotion to maximize future wellness. Ensuring that all three Ps are addressed is an important component to achieving outstanding survivorship care.

“As cancer specialists, we continue to work diligently to find new radiation and drug therapies to improve survival rates. However, we must not forget the emotional impact cancer has on patients and their families. By hosting events such as the Celebration of Life Party, we are providing a nurturing environment that enables survivors to share their experiences and hopefully lend support to those patients recently diagnosed,” said Paul Crossan, M.D., radiation oncologist and medical director of Southland Oncology.

Major advances in cancer prevention, early detection, and treatment have resulted in longer survival, and therefore, a growing number of cancer survivors. However, a cancer diagnosis can leave a host of problems in its wake. Physical, financial, and emotional hardships often persist after diagnosis and treatment. Survivors may face many challenges, such as limited access to cancer specialists and promising new treatments, inadequate or no insurance, financial hardships, difficulty finding employment, psychosocial struggles, and a lack of understanding from family and friends. In light of these difficulties, our community needs to focus on improving the quality of life for cancer survivors. 

“When a patient walks in through our doors, we begin a journey together towards what we hope will have a positive outcome,” explained Elke Aippersbach, M.D., radiation oncologist at South Suburban Cancer Center. “We believe patients who have the support of their family, friends and medical team give themselves a significantly better chance of beating their disease.”

“We are inspired both personally and professionally by our amazing patients who simply refuse to back down from cancer. Their incredible courage is why we dedicate our lives to saving theirs,” said Jay Ginde, M.D., radiation oncologist and medical director of South Suburban Cancer Center.

For more information about Southland Oncology, please call (708) 478-4302 or log on to www.southlandoncology.com.

For more information on South Suburban Cancer Center, please call (708) 799-9995 or log on to www.southsuburbancancercenter.com.

For more information on Affiliated Oncologists, LLC please call (708) 478-4302 or log on to www.AffiliatedOncologistsIllinois.com.