September is National Gynecological Cancers Awareness Month, and University of Louisville physicians at the James Graham Brown Cancer Center are once more poised on the leading edge of research in specialized fields of study.

By the year 2015, the Commission on Cancer with the American College of Surgeons will require that accredited cancer centers have a process in place to disseminate a comprehensive care summary and follow up plan for patients completing cancer treatment.

Dr. Lynn Parker, University of Louisville Division Director for the Gynecological Oncology Clinic at the JGBCC, has been ahead of the curve in helping to implement standards and practices that will help patients and their physicians to successfully track their treatment and recovery plans through a helpful toolkit.

As the chair of the working group that created the gynecological oncology survivorship toolkit, Dr. Parker explained the importance of coordinating cancer surveillance in the National E-newsletter of the Society of Gynecologic Oncology (SGO).

The SGO Survivorship Toolkit includes templates for individualized care plans for survivors of endometrial, cervical, ovarian and vulvar cancers; general, post-treatment self-care plan for all cancer survivors; information cards to keep vital information at a glance, and a one-page calendar to help patients track their appointments after their cancer treatment.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

 The James Graham Brown Cancer Center is a key component of the University of Louisville’s Health Sciences Center and UofL Health Care.  As the region’s leading academic, research, and teaching medical center, our patients benefit from the latest medical advances, often long before they become available in non-teaching settings.  The Brown Cancer Center is affiliated with the Kentucky Cancer Program and the National Cancer Institute.  It is the only cancer center in the region to use a unified approach to cancer care, with multidisciplinary teams of physicians working together to guide patients through diagnosis, treatment and recovery.  For more information, visit our website www.browncancercenter.org