August 9, 2007

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Grappling with a cancer diagnosis and its ensuing treatment can be a scary, lonely and emotional time – but it doesn’t have to be.

Doctors, nurses and staff at the Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Alabama at Birmingham are helping cancer patients cope with the emotional issues surrounding their disease.

The UAB Cancer Center has launched Courage Companions, a free, one-on-one support network that pairs cancer survivors with patients and their caregivers. It’s the only one-on-one support program of its kind in Alabama, organizers said. Enrollment is open to any cancer patients being treated throughout the Southeast, especially those getting care at UAB.

The cornerstone to Courage Companions’ service comes from having trained volunteers who’ve been through the cancer experience and are willing to listen, talk and offer guidance to those new to the ordeal. The volunteers’ goal of compassion mixed with their own messages of hope – and offering a real-world view of diagnosis, treatment and recovery – strengthen and calm those dealing with the disease, said James Estes, a retired businessman who lives in Tuscaloosa.

Estes is a lung cancer survivor who made a generous donation to UAB in late 2006 to begin the Courage Companions program.

“I can’t dwell enough on the fact that your mental outlook has a direct impact on how you cope with your particular cancer,” Estes said. “Talking with another survivor is about the only way most people can get the answers they need about their own mortality.”

Courage Companions matches individuals as closely as possible by cancer type, treatment, age, gender and other life circumstances. A secure database helps the program managers sort through volunteer and patient match-ups, which are done under strict confidentiality.

“Courage Companions provides a way for patients and families to receive emotional support, which is a complement to the medical care they receive from physicians,” said Katie Walls, a Cancer Center liaison who manages the program. “Volunteers are trained to help them with the practical issues that surround a diagnosis, like how to cope with fears and how to tell loved ones.”

Volunteers do not give medical advice, and are instructed to refer those questions to the patient's physician. Currently the program includes free telephone and online support and is open to patients and their caregivers. In-hospital support services by trained Courage Companion volunteers may be added at a later date.

To enroll log on to www3.ccc.uab.edu and click on the Courage Companions bullet under the patient care section, or call (205) 934-1603.

Similar free programs exist throughout the nation, including the American Cancer Society’s Cancer Survivors Network and CanCare Cancer Support Network based in Houston, Texas. UAB’s Courage Companions program more closely mirrors the CanCare program. The Alabama and Texas programs are partners in training volunteers.

UAB’s Cancer Center is the only one within a five-state region to have the U.S. National Institutes of Health comprehensive designation.