May is Skin Cancer Detection and Prevention Month. 
One in five people will be diagnosed with skin cancer in their lifetime. Young women in New Hampshire are at an increased risk for developing melanoma, a dangerous form of skin cancer, according to a recent study by the NH Dept. of Health and Human Services. |
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National Cancer Survivors Day
| National Cancer Survivors DayŽ is an annual, worldwide Celebration of Life that is held in hundreds of communities throughout the United States, Canada, and other participating countries. Participants unite in a symbolic event to show the world that life after a cancer diagnosis can be meaningful and productive.
National Cancer Survivors Day is traditionally observed on the first Sunday in June, although several events happen throughout the month .
Cancer Survivors Day events are being held at NH CCC partner organizations throughout New Hampshire. To find an event near you, contact your local cancer center, or the American Cancer Society.
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Guidelines Say Diet, Exercise, Weight Control Improve Odds after Cancer Diagnosis
New guidelines from the American Cancer Society say for many cancers, maintaining a healthy weight, getting adequate physical activity, and eating a healthy diet can reduce the chance of recurrence and increase the likelihood of disease-free survival after a diagnosis. The recommendations are included in newly released Nutrition and Physical Activity Guidelines for Cancer Survivors, published early online in
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Other news...
HEAL NH Awards Grants to Four Communities
Healthy Eating Active Living (HEAL) NH, announced earlier this month that it will provide funding, training and other resources to four New Hampshire cities and towns - Ashland, Berlin, Laconia, and Nashua.
The grants were awarded to help communities identify and implement municipal strategies - such as adding bike paths, sidewalks, and farmers markets - to provide more choices for residents to eat healthy and be physically active.
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"Tips From Former Smokers" Recently Released
CDC's Office on Smoking and Health (OSH) launched a groundbreaking campaign on March 15, 2012, to raise awareness of the human suffering caused by smoking and to encourage smokers to quit.
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NH Soles Lost... At What Cost™?
The Breathe New Hampshire Youth Network™ (NHYN) is a statewide youth empowerment program for ages 11-18 whose mission is to create a new generation of leaders who will engage others in matters that impact breathing. Their current project, NH Soles Lost... At What Cost™? was created to bring attention to the impact of tobacco use in New Hampshire as well as the number of lives lost in New Hampshire due to smoking.
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Walk NH 2012
June 1-7 You can schedule a walk with your school, senior center, health facility, business, park and recreation department, etc. to be a part of this statewide effort to encourage people to make walking part of their daily lifestyle. |
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Cancer Treatment Summary Templates
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The New Hampshire Comprehensive Cancer Collaboration's Survivorship Workgroup has produced and piloted two Cancer Care Summary Templates.
Click here to view or download.
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If you know someone who may be interested in joining NH CCC or in learning more about our activities, please forward this newsletter.
Thank you!
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NH CCC Annual Conference Addresses Cancer Survivorship: Shift in focus goes from 'end of life' to 'quality of life'
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Over 175 people - from cancer survivors to health care professionals - attended New Hampshire Comprehensive Cancer Collaboration's (NH CCC) day-long
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Rebecca Kirch of the American Cancer Society speaks about improving quality of life for cancer survivors at the NH CCC Annual Conference
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conference Wednesday, March 21st in Concord. This year the NH CCC's 7th Annual Conference addressed quality-of-life issues ranging from patient-centered cancer treatment, to pain and distress management, and post-treatment support for survivors.
"We need to shift the dynamic to save lives and improve quality of life for survivors," said Rebecca Kirch, JD, Director of Quality of Life and
Survivorship at the American Cancer Society.
Ms. Kirch was the first of over 13 speakers and presenters
at the Conference. She kicked off the event by explaining the importance of educating patients and providers about
the benefits of palliative care and discussing quality-of-life issues early in the treatment process. She shared research that indicated that only 29% of people diagnosed with
cancer are asked about quality-of-life issues by their health
care providers.
Dr. Diana Dickson-Witmer, Vice-Chair of Commission on Cancer 2012 Standards Revision Committee, discussed the need to change to more patient-centered care: "If we do the right things, with the help of our partners, we can
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Dr. Diana Dickson-Witmer and Dr. Teresa Ponn discuss the importance of the new Commission on Cancer patient-centered standards at the NH CCC Annual Conference
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create better outcomes and reduce health care costs."
Other speakers and presenters addressed a variety of topics including
the physical, psychosocial, spiritual, and financial impacts facing cancer survivors. Presentations from the conference can be found on the NH CCC website and by clicking here.
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Terry Johnson, Director of HEAL NH and a cancer survivor, speaks about the benefits of physical activity during and after treatment
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Don't Fry Day is Friday, May 25th
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The National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention uses the Friday before Memorial Day to encourage sun safety awareness and to remind everyone to protect his or her skin while enjoying the outdoors. Even in shade you can burn, particularly if the sun reflects off of water. To protect your skin and
 eyes, wear sunscreen with a minimum of Sun Protection Factor 15
(SPF 15). In addition to reapplying frequently, check for an expiration date on your sunscreen. Be sure to wear sunglasses and look for ones with 100% ultraviolet (UV) protection.
Skin cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed in the United States. And, you don't have to live in Arizona or Florida to get skin cancer.
So, limit your exposure to the sun between the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Sunscreen? The U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued new sunscreen regulations last year and for large companies, those new rules go into effect in the next few months (smaller companies have another year to comply). The terms "sunblock", "sweatproof", and "waterproof" are no longer allowed on sunscreen labels (because none of the terms are totally true). Products can indicate that they are "water resistant" but must add reapplication is necessary every 40 - 50 minutes. Even if you don't sweat or go into the water, you must reapply every two hours in order to be protected. Most important of all, only broad-spectrum (protect against ultraviolet A or UVA and ultraviolet B or UBV radiation) sunscreens with an SPF of 15 or higher can state that they protect against skin cancer if used as directed with other sun protection measures. |
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Public Policy Education (PPEC) Committee Continues Activity
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The PPEC continues to follow several bills and here is a brief update:
HB 1642 re: destination cancer (now named "specialty") hospitals and HB 1617 re:CON status - we submitted testimony to the Senate Health and Human Services Committee opposing HB 1642 as we did in the House. Our concerns continue to be that they would not take Medicaid patients and would be exempted from the states Certificate of Need (CON) process. The issue of access to care for ALL NH residents is clearly consistent with our Cancer Plan. The Senate committee did a significant rewrite both bills, reversing the House's repeal of the CON and making more demands of for-profit specialty hospitals. As of May 9, these two bills (HB 1617 and HB 1642) remain on the table after a full Senate session. The Senate has just one more week to act on remaining House bills.
HB 1216 & 1217 address medical hydration and nutrition for those without advance directives and a bill that will not mandate the use of a particular form for advanced directives. Senate hearings are taking place and NH CCC partners including the NH Hospice and Palliative Care Association have been active in addressing these bills.
All legislator contact information is available on the NHHA website at: http://www.nhha.org/advocacy/nh-legislators. The status of these bills can be tracked at http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/.
The PPEC has been convening via frequent conference calls to stay abreast of these issues. We will wind down as the legislative session comes to a close, and will gear back up again prior to the 2013 session once again. Let us know if you are interested in joining this committee.
Nancy Kane and Mike Rollo, Co-Chairs
NH CCC PPEC
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Just Released: Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer, 1975-2008
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Although improvements are reported in the US cancer burden, the special feature section highlights the effects of excess weight and lack of sufficient physical activity in contributing to the increased incidence of many cancers, adversely affecting quality of life for cancer survivors, and worsening prognosis for several cancers. The report highlights the importance of efforts to promote healthy weight and sufficient physical activity in reducing the cancer burden in the United States and notes that continued progress against cancer in the United States will require both individual and community efforts to improve lifestyle behaviors and support healthy environments.
Read full report...
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Dear Me New Hampshire
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The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services Division of Public Health Services (DPHS) launched a contest in connection with the hard-hitting media campaign Dear Me in 2011. The contest and campaign, entitled Dear Me New Hampshire, was promoted in collaboration with the Manchester and Nashua Public Health Departments, in order to help NH residents quit tobacco.
The campaign's call to action, "No one can make me quit, but me," was born out of conversations with real people wanting to quit. The contest asked residents, "If you wrote a letter to yourself about quitting tobacco, what would it say?" Those who saw or heard the statewide campaign were encouraged to write a letter to themselves with their personal reasons to quit tobacco and have a chance to enter the contest. Letter writers could compete to win a flip camera and record their personal battle quitting tobacco; ultimately they competed to be in a Dear Me ad featuring their own personal story.
Two winners were chosen and their personal stories will be produced and aired on NH television, radio and websites. You can watch inspiring recordings of people reading their Dear Me letters, read compelling letters, support other people who are trying to quit, write your own letter, and join the Facebook page, Dear Me New Hampshire at the NH Tobacco Helpline's website, www.TryToStopNH.org.
The Helpline provides no-cost counseling and encouragement for quitting tobacco use to all NH residents.
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2012 Surgeon General's Report Calls On Nation to Make the Next Generation Tobacco-Free
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Almost 50 years after the landmark 1964 Surgeon General's Report on tobacco, Dr. Regina Benjamin, United States Surgeon General, released a new report and called on the nation to make the next generation tobacco-free. According to the report, Preventing Tobacco Use Among Youth and Young Adults, far too many youth and young adults are using tobacco. Today more than 600,000 middle school students and 3 million high school students in the U.S. smoke cigarettes. In New Hampshire alone, an estimated 3.2% of middle and 19.8% of high school students smoke.
In New Hampshire, the latest data show that trends in high school cigarette, cigar, and little cigar, chewing tobacco, snuff, and dip are stagnating. Alarmingly, in male youth, the use of other tobacco products (such as chew) and cigars is beginning to rise again, 14.2%, and 22.9%, respectively.
Nationwide, declines in the use of tobacco by youth and young adults have slowed for cigarette smoking and stalled for smokeless tobacco after years of steady progress. While the long-term health effects of tobacco use are well known, smoking early in life has substantial health risks that begin almost immediately-even for youth and young adults. Heart disease damage, for example, is evident in most young smokers and those most sensitive die very young. Smoking during youth and adolescence slows down lung growth. Teens who smoke are not only short of breath today but they may end up as adults with lungs that never reach their full capacity. That damage is permanent. For online copies of the full Surgeon Generals's report, executive summary, and an easy-to-read guide on tobacco use and young people, visit www.surgeongeneral.gov.
Check out the Surgeon General's Video Contest: Tobacco - I'm Not Buying It, that challenged youth and young adults to speak up about the use of tobacco products.
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For More Information
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For more information about NH CCC go to our website
www.nhcancerplan.org or email info@nhcancerplan.org |
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