princess margaret cancer centre patient & … · princess margaret cancer centrepatient &...

J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 6 A N E W S L E T T E R F O R

P A T I E N T S , F A M I L I E S , S T A F F

A N D C O M M U N I T Y M E M B E R S

Patient & Family Education NewsP R I N C E S S M A R G A R E T C A N C E R C E N T R E

IN THIS ISSUE

Quit Smoking to Get the Best From Your Cancer Treatment

Library Corner: January 18 – 24 is National No Smoking Week

The Gerald Kirsh Humanitarian Awards

Quit Smoking to Get the Best From Your Cancer TreatmentBy Meredith Giuliani MBBS, MEd, FRCPC, Radiation Oncologist, Princess Margaret Cancer CentreCancer Care Ontario Smoking Cessation Champion, Toronto Central South

For people diagnosed with cancer, there are many benefits of quitting smoking. For cancer patients and families, quitting smoking can:

• improve the effectiveness of treatment,

• lessen the chance of a second cancer,

• and increase the chance of survival.

When people who smoke are diagnosed with cancer, they are often ready to quit but they need information and resources to help them. In recognition of this and the benefits of quitting for patients, the Princess Margaret started its smoking cessation program in 2013. Since that time, Princess Margaret has created many resources for patients and their families. These resources provide information on the benefits of stopping smoking for those having treatment for cancer or those who have had cancer in the past.

Look for posters in clinic waiting rooms, ask your doctor or nurse for a pamphlet or stop by the Princess Margaret Patient & Family Library to learn more about tobacco use during treatment. These posters and pamphlets include referral information to free smoking cessation programs.

Get connected to services available to help you quit smokingThe Princess Margaret has a new electronic way to link you to services to help you quit smoking. When you visit the Princess Margaret for the first time, you will be asked to give details about your smoking history using an iPad or computer. You will be asked to do this whether you smoke or not.

While you wait for your appointment, you can:

• Learn about how smoking affects your cancer treatment

• Learn about the support services you can get to help you quit (if you choose to)

• Connect right away to the support services that are right for you (for example, UHN Pharmacy, CAMH and Smokers’ Helpline).

If you choose to connect with one of the support services, they will get your phone number and contact you soon.

This new electronic system has been very successful since it started. Princess Margaret is reaching more patients than ever before. It can help you connect faster and more reliably to services to help you to quit smoking.

Be an advocate of your own health and please check out these resources on quitting smoking.

Library Corner: January 18–24 is National No Smoking WeekBy Michelle Snow, Librarian, Patient & Family Education, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre

Did you know that:

• Smoking and using tobacco before and during cancer treatment can delay healing, make recovery time longer, increase side-effects, and decrease how well the cancer treatment works

• Smoking and using tobacco is linked to many different cancers such as breast, bladder, cervix, kidney, mouth and throat, stomach, pancreas and lung.

• Exposure to second-hand smoke increases a person’s chance of developing lung cancer by 25%!

Listed below are some resources available from the Patient & Family Library, located on the main floor atrium at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre. Learn how smoking can affect your cancer treatment, why to quit before and during your cancer treatment, the

effects of second-hand smoke, and what resources and programs are available to help you quit.

BrochuresPick up a free copy of these brochures at the Patient & Family Library:

• Quit Smoking to get the best from your cancer treatment

• Smoking: It’s never too late to quit

• Smoking Cessation Program

• For Smokers Who Don’t Want to Quit

• For Smokers Who Want to Quit

• Help a Smoker Quit

• Live Free of Second Hand Smoke

Information and Support to Help You QuitAll programs listed below are free.

• Princess Margaret Cancer Centre

Why Quit: Smoking at cancer treatment

www.ThePrincessMargaret.ca/QuitSmoking

Find information on why it is important to quit smoking such as: smoking and cancer treatment, what happens to your body when you quit, tips to help you quit, and other resources and programs to help you quit

• Toronto General Hospital Outpatient Pharmacy

Toronto General Hospital, 585 University Avenue, 1st Floor, Norman Urquhart Building Toronto, ON M5G 2N2

Phone: 416 340 4075

Ask about getting help from your pharmacist to quit through the Smoking Cessation Program.

Patie

nt E

duca

tion

Impr

ovin

g he

alth

thro

ugh

educ

atio

n

Please visit the UHN Patient Education website for more health information: www.uhnpatienteducation.ca© 2010 University Health Network. All rights reserved. This information is to be used for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please consult your health care provider for advice about a specific medical condition. A single copy of these materials may be reprinted for non-commercial personal use only.

Author: Kelly Francis, Dorota Gan & Danielle SmallCreated: 01/2011Form: D-5744 C034-A

It’s never too late to quitSmoking

Smoking Cessation Program

Read this information to learn:

• why you should quit smoking

• how the Smoking Cessation Program works

• treatments to help you quit

• how to cope with withdrawal symptoms

• wheretofindmoreinformation

Facts about smoking

Did you know?

• 17% of Canadians smoke cigarettes. That means out of every 6 Canadians, about 1 still smokes.

• Cigarettes are the only legal product that kills up to 50% of users. That means for every 2 people who smoke, it’s likely that 1 will die from it.

• Smoking cigarettes kills more people in Canada than other causes of preventable death including:

▪ obesity (being overweight) ▪ physical inactivity (lack of exercise) ▪ or high blood pressure

Information for people who are ready to quit smoking

Please visit the UHN Patient Education website for more health information: www.uhnpatienteducation.ca© 2014 University Health Network. All rights reserved. This information is to be used for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please consult your health care provider for advice about a specific medical condition. A single copy of these materials may be reprinted for non-commercial personal use only.

Author: Kay Khan; Revised by M. Manji, RN CRE and N. Breede, RRT CRERevised: 10/2014Form: D-3370

UHN

Services include in person, telephone or email consults using tools, counseling and medications (if needed) to help you quit.

• Nicotine Dependence Clinic, Centre for Addiction and Mental

175 College Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5T 1P7

(416) 535-8501 ext. 77400

www.nicotinedependenceclinic.com

Offers treatment and services delivered by experts to help you quit smoking and using tobacco products. Services include one-on-one consult and review of your health, group counseling, and consults on medication to help you quit. You may also get Nicotine Replacement Therapy for free up to 6 months a year as part of the “STOP” program.

• Smoker’s Help Line (by the Canadian Cancer Society)

1-877-513-5333

www.smokershelpline.ca

Find telephone and online based resources and support to help you quit across Ontario.

Quit Smoking Mobile Health Apps These apps are free to download. Use them on mobile devices such as tablets, mobile phones, and portable computers. To learn more about mobile health apps, visit the Princess Margaret Patient & Family Library.

LIVESTRONG MyQuit Coach By Demand Media, Inc.

Break it off By Canadian Cancer Society

Visit the library: Hours: Monday to Thursday, 8:30 am – 4:30 pm Fridays 8:30 – 4:00

Location: Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, main floor, atrium

Phone: 416-946-4591 x 5383

E-mail: [email protected]

The Gerald Kirsh Humanitarian AwardsCompassionate Care at The Princess Margaret

Congratulations to Sandra Scott, Radiation Therapist and Patricia Murphy-Kane, Clinical Nurse Specialist, our 2015 recipients of The Gerald Kirsh Humanitarian Award!

The family of the late Gerald Kirsh established these awards as a tribute to the exceptional care they witnessed while he was undergoing treatment at The Princess Margaret.

Grateful patients and their families express their thanks to the many dedicated employees who are so important to their care. This is our 16th year celebrating all of our nominees at a special ceremony where patients, families, staff and the Kirsh family gather to recognize compassionate care at The Princess Margaret.

This year 18 nominees were honoured for demonstrating The Princess Margaret’s seven core values in an exceptional way: caring, excellence, teamwork, innovation, leadership, integrity and respect. Thank you to the many patients, families and staff who completed such thoughtful nominations making it very difficult for the selection committee to pick just two recipients. Everyone makes a difference and these awards helps us to remember just that!

All staff members and volunteers at The Princess Margaret who demonstrate an outstanding commitment to humanitarian care for cancer patients are eligible for nomination. If you would like to learn more about the awards please contact [email protected].

(Sandra Scott, Paula Kirsh, Patricia Murphy-Kane, UHN Photographics)

1-800-339-5662 | willowpublishing.com

placing an ad, contact us this Newsletter by

If you’d like to support

Proudly Canadian Since 1994

Quality Healthcare Publications

patient directory.ca

“When you’ve had cancer, every day is a gift.”

“ Thanks to the groundbreaking research, the care of Dr. Messner and the compassion of the whole team at The Princess Margaret, I’m here today.”

See Chris Taylor’s story at www.thepmcf.ca

A gift left in your Will can save lives. If cancer is your cause, support one of the top 5 cancer research centres in the world. To learn more about planning your gift, call 416-946-2295 or email [email protected]













–Chris Taylor

The information contained in this newsletter is to be used for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please consult your health care provider for advice about a specific medical condition. A single copy of these materials may be reprinted for non-commercial personal use only. © University Health Network - Princess Margaret Hospital - Patient and Family Library - 2016

Patient & Survivorship EducationEditor: Alaina Cyr, Patient Education Coordinator | Editorial Board: Nazek Abdelmutti, Daniela Fierini, Janet Papadakos, Aman Sium, Michelle Snow, Aileen Trang | Graphic Artist: Kristin Foster | Please forward comments, questions or submissions to [email protected]

The Patient Education and Survivorship Programs are supported by the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation.

princess margaret cancer centre patient & … · princess margaret cancer centrepatient &...

Documents