Welcome to Mission Matters for February.  Each month, Mission Matters includes our Mission Matters Blog here at http://www.relayforlife.org,  a conference call series and newsletter.  Our next conference call will be on Tuesday, February 19 at Noon Eastern and 8:30 PM Eastern.  To join the call:  1-800-910-2399, passcode: 487160.  Watch for the Mission Matters newsletter to post by the end of the month to the Relay Library in the Mission Matters folder.

Did you know that the American Cancer Society has a wonderful on-line resources for cancer survivors and their family and friends?  It is the Cancer Survivors Network^SM.  The Cancer Survivors Network is an online community connects patients, survivors, and their loved ones with others who have "been there" for insight, moral support, and inspiration.  Visit http://www.acscsn.org/ to learn more, be inspired by people facing cancer and even share your story.

I Can Cope Classes Available

In support of the American Cancer Society's 2015 challenge goals to the nation and our leadership role to improve quality of life for cancer patients and their families, the I Can Cope® program provides reliable information and practical coping skills to cancer survivors and caregivers.  Traditionally, I Can Cope classes have been delivered in a community setting by trained facilitators. In an effort to extend the reach of the program, the Society is providing interactive online versions of these classes. The free online classes allow cancer survivors and caregivers to take the classes in the privacy of their home or in a location of their choice at a time that is convenient for them.

I Can Cope online classes are self-paced and feature voice-overs, videos, quizzes with feedback, links to more in-depth information, and a satisfaction survey. The average time to complete a class is 20 to 30 minutes (or longer if users watch the videos and read the linked information).

The current classes available on-line are:

• Communicating Concerns and Feelings
• Exploring Self-Esteem and Intimacy
• Keeping Well in Mind, Body and Spirit
• Learning About Cancer
• Managing Cancer-related Fatigue
• Managing the Effects of Illness and Treatment
• Mobilizing Resources and Support
• Nutrition and Physical Activity After Treatment
• Nutrition During Treatment: Part 1: Nutrition Basics
• Nutrition During Treatment: Part 2: Managing Side Effects
• Relieving Cancer Pain
• Understanding Cancer Treatment

If you, a loved one, or friend is facing cancer, this is a helpful resources you can use in the privacy of your own home.  Remember, having cancer is hard, but finding help shouldn't be.  To get connected to I Can Cope On-line, visit - http://www.cancer.org/docroot/ESN/content/ESN_3_1x_I_Can_Cope_Online.asp

Did you know that like the American Cancer Society also has bookstore?  You can visit the ACS bookstore at www.cancer.org/bookstore.  Here you will find everything from resources on cancer, including books on various types of cancer like colorectal and breast cancer to cookbooks that help you make better choices that are delicious and good for you.  There are also great resources for caregivers and even books on how to help young children deal with a parents cancer.  Be sure to check it out!

March is Colon Cancer Awareness Month- Let's Get Ready

Colorectal cancer (sometimes called colon cancer) is the third most common cancer diagnosed in men and women in the U.S., and is the third leading cause of cancer mortality for men and women. In 2007, an estimated 112,340 Americans were diagnosed with colon cancer and 41,420 with rectal cancer. More than 52,000 people were expected to die from the disease last year. Despite these statistics, colon cancer is largely preventable if precancerous polyps are found and removed before they become cancerous. If colon cancer is found and treated at its earliest stage, the five-year survival rate is 90 percent.

Despite the potential of screening tests to prevent colon cancer and save lives, screening rates remain low - about two in five adults age 50 and older report not having been screened. During National Colon Cancer Awareness Month (March) your American Cancer Society aims to increase awareness of the importance of getting tested for colon cancer as a way to prevent colon cancer and to detect it early. Be sure to check out the Fight Back section at http://www.relayforlife.org to learn ways you can Fight Back Against Colon Cancer and be sure to visit us again in March for more information on colon cancer awareness month.

March: Take Out Colon Cancer Through Advocacy

Last March, Congress introduced the Colon Cancer Early Detection and Treatment Act (HR 1738) to expand access to screenings and treatment to those without coverage. 

The colorectal screening and treatment bill would provide an unprecedented opportunity to reach the uninsured, minorities and other medically underserved men and women disproportionately affected by the disease.  In addition to providing early detection screenings, programs will provide the full range of cancer care including follow-up of abnormal tests, access to diagnostic and therapeutic colonoscopy, and treatment for detected cancers.

If this legislation passes, it could have a direct impact on reducing colon cancer deaths by screening more Americans for colon cancer and then providing them with the necessary treatment. 

During the month of March visit www.acscan.org/relay for opportunities to TAKE ACTION so you can make a difference in the fight against colon cancer.  

A widening problem - Obesity and Cancer Mortality

Scientists had been creeping around the edges of obesity and cancer mortality for decades when, in 2003, Society investigators quantified the magnitude of the problem.  "We estimate that current patterns of overweight and obesity in the United States could account for 14 percent of all deaths from cancer in men and 20 percent of those in women," a team of Society researchers wrote in The New England Journal of Medicine. Some informal estimates put the overall proportion as high as one-third.  As biologists track down the specific mechanisms by which obesity is linked to cancer, Society investigators have since continued to report an association between the two:

• 2004 - "Overeating may be the largest avoidable cause of cancer in nonsmokers," write Jeanne Calle, PhD, and Michael Thun, MD, MS, the Society's managing director of analytic epidemiology and vice president for epidemiology and surveillance research, respectively, in The New England Journal of Medicine.
• 2005 - Society researchers link obesity to an increased risk of pancreatic cancer among men and women.
• 2006 - It's discovered that excess fat contributes to the risk of breast cancer among postmenopausal women, regardless of histologic type, and especially for tumors of advanced stage and high grade.
• 2007 - Society research indicates that obesity increases the risk of more aggressive prostate cancer; losing weight may decrease the risk.

Be sure to check out our Fight Back Page for more information on nutrition and physical activity.

 "Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together."  - Vincent Van Gogh

Be sure to join us for the next Mission Matters Conference Call on March 11 at Noon Eastern and 8:30 PM Eastern, our topic will be Colon Cancer Awareness Month!