Virtual Support Group Can Help Mesothelioma Patients Weather Pandemic
|

Virtual Support Group Can Help Mesothelioma Patients Weather Pandemic

ByAlex Strauss

A virtual support group may help mesothelioma patients and families cope with the stress of fighting cancer during the pandemic.  Virtual groups give patients and their families a place to find emotional support and information when it may not be safe to meet in person.  Brigham & Women’s Hospital in Boston is just one of the many hospitals turning to online meetings for mesothelioma patients. The International Mesothelioma Program began holding monthly meetings via Zoom in September. Multiple studies show support groups can help patients and families enjoy a better quality of life with mesothelioma during and after cancer treatment. Many hope that a virtual support group can help mesothelioma patients connect, even if they cannot get together in person. …

Mesothelioma Support Groups
| |

Mesothelioma Support Groups

ByAlex Strauss

Taking part in a support group can help relieve the stress of the illness for both mesothelioma patients and their families, according to a study in the September 12 issue of the European Journal of Cancer Care. Yet the support needs of this population are not being met, say the authors. “There is little research in mesothelioma generally, but particularly regarding the patient experience of living with the disease,” says Sally Moore, MSC, BSC, RN, lung cancer nurse specialist at the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust in Surrey, England. “Our care pathways are largely those in place for lung cancer – we haven’t teased out needs that are specific to mesothelioma.” Support is particularly important to mesothelioma patients, who often…