2009 Team Sarcoma in Baltimore, MD

If it's May, it must be time to start spreading the word about this year's Team Sarcoma events.

What is a Team Sarcoma about? To quote the website:
"The Team Sarcoma Initiative is an internationally coordinated set of events to raise awareness of sarcoma and raise funds to support sarcoma research, clinical trials, and patient and family services. The annual effort consists of a "core" Team Sarcoma Bike Tour and local Team Sarcoma events that are held worldwide during the same week. The Team Sarcoma Initiative has become an International Sarcoma Awareness Week with over 8,000 people participating worldwide in 2008.

For information about the core team ride and other team events both in the US and abroad, look here:

http://sarcomahelp.org/team_sarcoma.html

I'll be attending the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center's 2009 Team Sarcoma Bike Event
All Wheels Welcome!
Bicycles, Rollerblades, Scooters, Skateboards and Wheelchairs
Sunday July 29, 2009
Registration begins at 7:30 am
Event runs from 8:30 am - 12:00 pm
For more info and to pre-register:
http://www.hopkinskimmelcancercenter.org/index.cfm/cID/1684/mpage/item.cfm/itemID/1039

The Work Goes On

In the past year, I have continued my volunteer work with the Liddy Shriver Sarcoma Initiative. Bruce and Beverly Shriver have been kind enough to allow me to contribute three articles for ESUN (ELECTRONIC SARCOMA UPDATE NEWSLETTER). The goal of all three articles is to help those whose lives have been impacted by a sarcoma diagnosis to better cope and support the patient (if not themselves). If you have any feedback on these articles, I'd love to hear it ~ Elizabeth

A Guide to the Sarcoma Universe for Those who Have Just Arrived
An ESUN Article
Elizabeth Goldstein-Rice and Mary Porcher Sorens
On the day of diagnosis, whether you are sitting on the examining table, holding the patient's hand, or answering a friend's phone call, sarcoma is a new and frightening experience. There is so much to accept and understand, and it can be difficult to get your bearings.
This article is designed to help you and those around you navigate the sarcoma universe. It provides important facts about sarcoma and its treatment, and it is meant to be a useful guide for sarcoma patients and those who advocate for them, including their parents, family and friends.
http://www.sarcomahelp.org/learning_center/articles/newly_diagnosed.html

The Importance of Second Opinions for Sarcoma
An ESUN Article
Elizabeth Goldstein-Rice
http://www.sarcomahelp.org/learning_center/articles/second_opinions.html
Because sarcoma is a rare cancer, most physicians may only encounter a few instances of it in their lifetime, if any at all. Patients need to be diagnosed and treated by physicians and interdisciplinary teams that have experience with sarcomas. If you are diagnosed with sarcoma, we encourage you to obtain a second opinion about your initial diagnosis and your proposed treatment plan from a sarcoma center. Good physicians are not offended when patients seek a second opinion about a rare cancer; it is fairly standard procedure. Moreover, some insurance companies require a second opinion before they will reimburse costs for a proposed treatment plan.

The Importance of Treatment at a Specialty Center for Sarcomas
An ESUN Article
Elizabeth Goldstein-Rice
http://sarcomahelp.org/learning_center/articles/sarcoma_centers.html
There are numerous and important reasons why someone who has been diagnosed with sarcoma should be treated at a center where there is an interdisciplinary medical team that has experience in treating this rare disease.