By Anne Polta, Reporter of West Central Tribune
Willmar – An oncology panel from the Virginia Piper Cancer Institute in Minneapolis had a wealth of information on cancer of the esophagus to share with the 100 people attending the West Central Cancer Symposium Wednesday. They gave statistics, described treatment regimens and provided an overview of some of the key research in esophageal cancer. Yet real patients were never far from the discussion.
Clinicians are better equipped to care for these patients “when you know what they’ve been through,” said Dr. Dan Dunn, a surgeon and medical director of the esophageal and gastric care program at the Virginia Piper Cancer Institute.
This is the 24th year the Willmar Regional Cancer Center has hosted the symposium. The event draws nurses, social workers and other health care professionals from across the region to deepen their knowledge about the disease of cancer.
“The idea is to educate those around us in the cancer care setting,” said Amy Mugge, director of the Willmar Regional Cancer Center. “It’s important for the whole team to continue to learn, because things change in health care so quickly.”
This year organizers focused on some of the most challenging forms of cancer — cancers of the head, neck and esophagus.
The audience also heard an update on drugs used for treating cancer and received an overview of pathology’s role in identifying and staging cancer, a critical step in determining appropriate treatment.
But along with the science and clinical information, they heard about the emotional impact of cancer.
And for the first time, there was an evening session just for patients, families and survivors, featuring guest speaker Brenda Elsagher, an author and comic with firsthand experience as a colorectal cancer survivor.
There’s an increasing emphasis on care of the whole patient, emotional as well as physical, Mugge said.
“It’s becoming very important. It can help our patients through all that,” she said.
Sherri Klaers, staff education coordinator at Rice Memorial Hospital and one of the organizers of the symposium, said the planning committee has begun including more sessions each year that focus on patient well-being.
This year the symposium opened with a session on the grief, loss and uncertainty experienced by cancer patients and their families. It closed with a talk by Elsagher on the healing power of humor.
In 2012, the most recent year for which local statistics are available, 486 new cases of cancer were diagnosed and/or treated at Rice Memorial Hospital. Breast cancer accounted for the largest number of cases, followed by lung, prostate and colorectal. The Willmar Regional Cancer Center’s cancer registry contains data and follow-up information on 8,600 cases dating back to 1994.
Cancer now outranks heart disease as the leading cause of death in Minnesota.
Mugge said many of the participants in the symposium Wednesday came from up to 60 miles away, reflecting a demand for education that helps boost skills and knowledge.
“It’s exciting to be able to give this opportunity to the community,” she said.
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