SOCIETY OF UROLOGIC ONCOLOGY SHARES NEW PATIENT & CAREGIVER RESOURCES TO MARK BLADDER CANCER AWARENESS MONTH Guidebook, Video, & Public Service Announcements Offer Information & Hope
Schaumburg, IL
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May 13, 2021 02:30 PM Eastern Daylight Time
The Society of Urologic Oncology (SUO) is sharing several new valuable resources for patients suffering from malignant genitourinary diseases like bladder cancer, and their caregivers. This release of a guidebook, documentary video, and public service announcements coincide with the designation of May as Bladder Cancer Awareness Month. The materials, made possible by funding support from Bristol Myers Squibb, feature Major League Baseball star pitcher and broadcaster, Jim Kaat. The resources offer information, help, comfort, and hope to those seeking more information about their health, and options following a diagnosis.
“Nearly 68,000 people in the United States are impacted by bladder cancer every year, making it one of the most common cancers. It is also one of the deadliest cancers that will claim close to 18,000 lives in the US this year alone,” explained Dr. Michael Cookson, the President of the Society of Urologic Oncology. “Too often our patients learn about this disease upon diagnosis despite the warning signs. The resources we are sharing help patients and their caregivers navigate the best path forward for treatment and better health.”
The SUO’s Guide to Advanced Bladder Cancer for Patients and Caregivers includes a 40-page guidebook and a companion (15-minute) documentary-style video.
The guidebook is designed to help the reader better understand advanced bladder cancer, how it can be treated, and resources available to help improve health and well-being.
Dr. Seth Lerner, a SUO physician, Chair of its Education Committee, and leader in the Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network stated, “These tools provide the information our patients, and the people who care for them need fight this disease. There are so many questions that come up along the way, and these resources will help them improve their lives in the exam room and at home too.”
The video features SUO President Dr. Michael Cookson, Chair, Department of Urology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center & The Stephenson Cancer Center; and Dr. Sima Porten, Associate Professor, Department of Urology, University of California, San Francisco. Also featured - speaking from the caregiver perspective - is Major League Baseball star pitcher and broadcaster Jim Kaat, who tells the moving story of his late wife’s battle with bladder cancer.
“Patients and their loved ones need to understand they are not alone,” stated Dr. Sima Porten, a SUO physician and member of its Education Committee. “Having information about the disease, how it is treated, and what can be expected can provide peace of mind to those in the fight. Learning from others and sharing experiences is valuable to the physical and mental health of patients.”
Additionally, public service announcements are being distributed to further promote the availability of these important resources. The thirty-second and one-minute versions of the PSA are available here:
https://suonet.org/resources/patients.aspx
“Receiving a diagnosis of advanced bladder cancer can be scary and overwhelming. Although it might seem impossible to sift through all the new information you are faced with, SUO physicians are committed to helping our patients though treatment and trustworthy resources like this guidebook and video,” Dr. Cookson continued.
The materials were produced by Conrad & Associates, an organization committed to improving health literacy by bringing together medical professionals and organizations, celebrities, and pharma to create patient education programs on current health topics.
In addition to resources for patients, the materials also offer guidance for caregivers – including the personal perspective from Jim Kaat who explains, “When you’re caring for a loved one, sometimes you neglect taking care of yourself. It’s very important for the caregiver to also take care of themselves.”
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The Society of Urologic Oncology (SUO) was founded in 1984 for the purpose of bringing together healthcare professionals to discuss, develop, and implement ideas to improve care for people with malignant genitourinary diseases like bladder cancer. The SUO hosts and sponsors programs designed to provide specific expertise in urologic oncology. The SUO’s research initiatives involve clinical trials through the SUO Clinical Trials Consortium. The SUO’s primary objectives are to:
- Encourage research and teaching in urologic oncology
- Bring awareness of urologic oncology to the larger medical profession
- Invite urologists into a society whose work is focused in malignant disease
- Be the most qualified organization on matters of urologic oncology
- Create standards for professional training in urologic oncology
Please visit https://suonet.org/home.aspx
For more information or to schedule an interview with a SUO spokesperson, please contact Dan Rene of kglobal at 202-329-8357 or daniel.rene@kglobal.com
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Dan Rene
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