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Support Groups and Resources
UT Southwestern Medical Center has a caring staff of medical professionals who are committed to enhancing patients’ quality of life, as well as meeting the needs of patients’ families. Our staff can direct them to a variety of informative and enriching support groups and other resources, which can be tailored to meet a specific situation.
At UT Southwestern, excellence in patient care includes pointing the way to resources patients and their families may not be familiar with, but which have proved invaluable to others. We trust these services will assist patients on the road to healing and improved health.
Support Groups
WINGS: Women in New Growing Situations
This support group is for women with any cancer diagnosis. Facilitated by Angela Herbrich, Licensed Clinical Social Worker, it meets in the third floor Breast Center Library in the Seay Building on the fourth Monday of every month at 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Husbands and Partners of Women With Cancer
This support group is available for husbands, or partners, of women with any cancer diagnosis. It meets in the second floor conference room NC2.406 in the Seay Building on the first and third Tuesdays of every month at 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Dialogue Support Group
The Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center’s psychologist, Noelle McDonald, Ph.D. and oncology social worker Leslie Fetchen, L.M.S.W. offer this support group for anyone diagnosed with cancer, as well as their caregivers and families. Open to everyone, the group meets in the second floor conference room NC2.406 of the Seay Building on Tuesdays from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Ovarian Cancer Support Group
This support group is for women with ovarian cancer. The group is facilitated by Leslie Fetchen,
L.M.S.W., and meets from 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the Seay Building NC2.406. Participants are encouraged to bring a brown bag lunch; coffee and water are provided.
Resources
Social Work
Social workers and case managers at UT Southwestern provide a wide variety of valuable inpatient and outpatient services, including developing a total plan of care. Our social workers perform a comprehensive assessment of needs to determine the extent of services required for care and support, including providing patient and family counseling and coordinating with community providers for transportation, supplies, medication, home health services, hospice care and financial needs.
Nutrition Services
Nutrition is an important part of cancer treatment. Choosing the right kinds of foods to nourish the body can help the patient stay stronger and feel better throughout treatment. The dietitians in the Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center can assist patients in making informed choices about nutrition as well as work with them to:
- Minimize side effects from treatments (chemotherapy, hormonal medications, transplants, surgery)
- Enhance quality of life during treatment
- Improve ability to tolerate treatment
- Achieve and maintain a healthy weight
- Prevent or correct nutritional deficiencies
- Incorporate healthy nutrition habits
- Provide nutritional guidance on alternative nutritional therapies
- Educate family members about the patient’s special nutrition needs.
A note on vitamins, minerals, supplements and herbs during cancer treatment: If the patient plans to use any supplements, herbs or other complementary, alternative medicines during cancer treatment, PLEASE discuss it with the health-care team first. These may interfere with the patient’s treatment and/or medications.
Genetic Counseling and Risk Assessment
In many families, a pattern of cancer is obvious. In others this might not be the case, sometimes due to a small family size or an incomplete family history. Current estimates tell us that at least 5 percent of all cancers are due to a specific inherited syndrome while approximately 10 percent of cancers are familial.
UT Southwestern’s Genetic Cancer Risk Assessment Service identifies high-risk families and allows us to help them understand their risk of developing cancer as well as their options for prevention, early detection and treatment. We also have a familial cancer registry, or database of families with various types of cancer who are participating in research studies. It was established in 1992 to monitor people who have an increased risk of cancer due to their family background. Enrollment in the registry is completely confidential.
Moncrief Cancer Resources
An affiliate of the Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center at UT Southwestern, this nonprofit, community-based organization provides support services to cancer patients and their families in Tarrant County and surrounding areas. Social services, nutritional services, an oncology patient navigator and a transportation program are among the offerings.
Web Sites
National Cervical Cancer Coalition
The National Cervical Cancer Coalition (NCCC) places a very special and personal focus on providing outreach support to women with, or at risk for, cervical cancer and HPV (human papilloma virus) disease.
National Ovarian Cancer Coalition
The National Ovarian Cancer Coalition’s mission is to raise awareness and promote education about ovarian cancer.
Women's Cancer Network
The Women's Cancer Network is an interactive Web site dedicated to informing women about gynecologic cancer. Its goal is to assist women who have developed cancer, as well as their families, to understand more about the disease, learn about treatment options, and gain access to new or experimental therapies.
