New brochure helps explain treatment for gynecologic cancers

Feb 7 2005

The American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology has published a new patient information brochure Radiation Therapy for Gynecologic Cancers: Facts to Help People Understand Their Treatment Options to help educate patients and their families about the treatments available for gynecologic cancers.

“Being diagnosed with a gynecologic cancer can be an overwhelming experience and making sense of the different treatments available isn’t an easy task,” said Louis Harrison, M.D., Chair of the ASTRO Communications Committee and a radiation oncologist at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York. “We hope this brochure will help patients better understand the different types of treatments available and allow them to make the best, most informed decision about which treatment to receive.”

According to the American Cancer Society, nearly 83,000 women per year are diagnosed with some form of gynecologic cancer and more than 28,000 will succumb to the disease. The most common form of gynecologic cancer is uterine cancer, with more than 40,000 cases diagnosed each year. Widespread screening with the Pap test has allowed doctors to find pre-cancerous changes in the cervix and vagina and has helped to prevent the development of more invasive cancers. Many patients are not aware that their cancer may be best cured using a combination of surgery, radiation therapy and/or chemotherapy.

To help inform patients of their treatment options, ASTRO has developed an up-to-date brochure that patients can use to talk with their healthcare providers when contemplating radiation therapy as part of their treatment. The brochure also helps patients find support groups and information on clinical trials.

Patients and patient advocacy organizations can request free copies of the brochure by calling Beth Bukata or Nick Lashinsky at 1-800-962-7876 or e-mailing [email protected] or [email protected]. The brochure can also be viewed online at www.astro.org/patient/.

http://www.astro.org