Minority Cancer Awareness

By Melissa Flynn APR, MBA Cancer Support Community North Texas

Hope comes in many forms – especially when it comes to the cancer journey. For many women across the U.S., they’ve found hope within the walls – or virtual programs – of Cancer Support Community and its 175 affiliates. The longstanding emotional and social support nonprofit with the iconic red doors prides itself on being that “missing link” in cancer care for patients, their caregivers and families.

Picture a place where everyone knows your name – yep, like “Cheers” – but with people who also understand what it’s like to be on the journey from diagnosis to treatment (and surviving long term) and literally everything in between. Need a support group? A fantastic wig? An educational class about nutrition during treatment – or even intimacy? A yoga class or holiday get together with people who “get” what it’s like to go through the ups and downs of cancer? And all for free? That’s Cancer Support Community.

Take the Dallas-Fort Worth affiliate, Cancer Support Community North Texas, whatever cancer patients and their families need can be found at one of three clubhouses with comfy couches, a kitchen, learning areas, and support rooms across three counties.

Mirchelle Louis, long-time CEO of CSCNT and recently in treatment herself (and regularly sporting fun wigs and bandannas), believes that no one should face cancer alone, especially women. “Women are connectors, we need to see and talk with people like us – and during the cancer journey, it’s even more important,” she says. “The other thing is that we’re not always sad – sure I have tough days, but I really need to laugh, play games and eat with others sometimes, too. We want people to just be themselves when they walk through our doors or take a class online. No strings attached.”

Now layer onto a cancer journey a culture that maybe isn’t as accepting of illness or expects a person facing a cancer diagnosis to turn only to their family and not seek outside help.

The cultural stigmas around cancer and getting cancer support are a real barrier for many – and it’s why Cancer Support Community aims to find creative, inclusive ways to connect with women of all ethnicities and cultures.

To offer some perspective, while cancer is the leading cause of death among Asian Americans, they have the lowest rate of cancer screening among all ethnic/racial groups in the country. Why? Some Asian traditional beliefs say that illnesses, like cancer, stem from karma or bad choices, so sharing a cancer diagnosis is laden with shame and fear. In fact, 2019 research by MD Anderson Cancer Center/University of Texas/University of Hong Kong showed that Chinese Americans maybe be especially vulnerable to cancer self-stigma.

Yvonne Liu, a freelance writer and breast cancer survivor, wrote all about the pressures of keeping her cancer hidden in a 2021 NBCNews.com article about cancer stigmas for Asian Americans. “For 28 years, I kept my breast cancer a secret. I lived in fear that my Chinese-American friends would shun me if I told them what I had endured…instead of seeking the support of friends and fellow churchgoers, I suffered in silence.” For some cultures, like Hispanic Americans, the expectation is that cancer patients will turn to their families to help them navigate their cancer journeys. For Native Americans, it’s more about accessibility of cancer support – unless it comes to the reservations, care isn’t an option.

CSCNT’s Louis says she learned many years ago that they needed to be creative and accessible to different cultural backgrounds to ensure people of all ethnicities feel comfortable reaching out.

Not surprisingly, the Spanish-speaking part of CSCNT has grown leaps and bounds in recent years. She and Spanishspeaking resource specialist Patricia (Trish) Callahan now run a dedicated group called Amigos Unidos (Friends United), which is very different from the rest of the affiliate’s programming. Callahan says that the Hispanic community wants to see this kind of emotional and social support as a family as opposed to individual support, so they have two-hour group meetings. The first hour is a potluck dinner where everyone reconnects and spends time together; the second hour is a formal support group and is tailored to what the group wants – from emotional support to educational demos to relaxation exercises.

Nationally, Cancer Support Community focuses heavily on health equity, accessibility and cancer care as well – from directing outreach to African-Americans whose chance of being diagnosed with cancer is two times greater than white men and women, to creating a full set of online educational resources and website support in Spanish, to establishing the first fulltime cancer care center on an American Indian Reservation in 2019. The national Cancer Support Helpline also offers help in more than 200 languages.

A smiling face at every turn, Juanita found the CSCNT affiliate because she was struggling to find the resources to be seen by an oncologist in a new country. She was first concerned about detecting a possible recurrence of her breast cancer, and then how to pay for treatment when the recurrence was confirmed this past June (2022). Callahan says that being newly married and not speaking much English left her fairly isolated, so she invited Juanita to Amigos Unidos. “She hasn’t missed a thing since. She just loves it and says ‘I felt a lot of relief from the first time I went to the group because you get to share your problems. For example, in addition to having the illness, what gives me so much anxiety is the economic aspect of it. They just did new scans and I looked at my bill and it was $15,000! I thought, how am I going to pay for this? The first time I went to the group, they told me, don’t worry, you can do a payment plan. And they tell me what to take for my side effects and share recipes with me and reach out and ask me how I’m feeling. Many women in the group have given me so much help!”

Lastly, Louis adds, “Our doors are open, come live your life, laugh, cry and get the support you need. Every woman deserves this kind of support and friendship from people who understand what a cancer journey is like.”

Want learn more about CSC? Louis suggests searching for a local affiliate on cancersupportcommunity.org. Or, if women would rather call the national helpline (1-888-793-9355) to get support, it’s always available.