Our "Caring and Cancer Project," sponsored by the National Cancer Institute, produced and evaluated the new DVD program Touch, Caring and Cancer: Simple Instruction for Family and Friends.

The program is available in English, Spanish and Chinese language versions. You can now see previews of the DVD in all languages on the Partners in Healing website.

The mission was to create a program that enables family members to become part of the treatment team, joining with the efforts of the patient's other care providers by providing support at home as part of an integrative approach to care. The program is suitable for distribution to families by:

• Cancer support and advocacy organizations
• Cancer treatment centers
• Hospital cancer programs
• Hospice programs
• Palliative care programs
• Outpatient cancer services
• Organizations wishing to support families with cancer

The DVD is 78 minutes long and is accompanied by a 66 page illustrated manual. Our study with 97 caregiver/patient dyads found that family caregivers were able to safely reduce symptoms in cancer patients by 29-44% when using the techniques taught in the program (Journal of the Society for Integrative Oncology, Fall 2009 issue); to see a sumary, click here.

The program features two of the nation's leading experts in massage for cancer, Tracy Walton, MS, NCTMB, and Janet Kahn, PhD, NCTMB. Other contributors are William Collinge, PhD, the project director; David Rosenthal, MD, of the Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center, and former president of the American Cancer Society; and Susan Bauer-Wu, PhD, RN, Distinguished Cancer Scholar at Emory University. The program also features eleven caregivers and patients who were filmed learning and practicing the techniques. We are delighted that the program has won two Telly Awards for excellence in independent film making, in the categories of "Social Issues," and "Health and Wellness."

--- RESOURCES FOR PROFESSIONALS AND ORGANIZATIONS ---

For professionals and organizations who wish to provide the program to their families the following resources are available:

Program Guide -- Ideas for funding, disseminating and implementing the Touch, Caring and Cancer Program in your setting.

Consultation -- With William Collinge on strategies for successful use of the program in your setting.

Educational Opportunities -- Seminars and retreats led by William Collinge using the Touch, Caring and Cancer Program; and in-service programs or grand rounds presentations for professionals related to improving quality of patient care through this form of family participation.

Bulk Price List -- For quantity pricing of the Touch, Caring and Cancer Program (in all languages) as well as the CD Music for Partners in Healing

For all of the above contact William Collinge directly.