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

Husbands and Partners of Women With Cancer
Open to husbands and partners of women with any cancer diagnosis
1st and 3rd Tuesdays of the month, 5:30-7 p.m.
W.A. Monty and Tex Moncrief Radiation Oncology Building (adjacent to the Seay Building), Conference Room NF 3.102
To register, please call 214-645-2742.

I Can Cope
Open to anyone who has been diagnosed with cancer, as well as their caregivers and families
To register and for details, call 214-645-2672.

Man to Man
Open to men with prostate cancer
2nd Monday of January, March, May, July, September and November, 4:30-6 p.m.
Physicians Dining Room (near the cafeteria), UT Southwestern University Hospital - Zale Lipshy
To register, please call 214-645-8787.

Ovarian Cancer Support Group
Open to women with ovarian cancer.
Wednesdays, 12 - 1:30 p.m.
Participants are encouraged to bring a brown bag lunch; coffee and water are provided.
To register and for details, please call 214-645-2672.

WINGS: Women in New Growing Situations
Open to women with any cancer diagnosis.
4th Monday of the month, 5:30-7 p.m.
Breast Center Library (3rd floor), Seay Building
To register, please call 214-645-2743.

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; and,
• 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 due to a small family size or an incomplete family history. Current estimates indicate at least five 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 helps 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 - a 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 Harold C. 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.