Singer AdELA Lends Her Powerful Voice to 'Close the Gap'
- Singer AdELA was one of the voices featured in SurvivorNet’s last “Close the Gap” conference, an event meant to shine the light on disparities in cancer care.
- The singer shared how cancer has touched her life, after her best friend’s mother was diagnosed with bile duct cancer.
- Patients and their families often feel a sense of shock and helplessness after a cancer diagnosis. There are steps experts recommend to make the early days after a diagnosis a bit easier.
AdELA was one of the voices who participated in SurvivorNet’s “Close the Gap” conference last year, an event held to raise awareness about racial disparities when it comes to accessing the best cancer care. The “Don’t Trip” singer shared that she wanted to participate in the event after learning that a close friend’s mother was facing a cancer diagnosis.
Read MoreGetting the News About Cancer
Many patients are in utter shock the first time they hear they have cancer. Experts recommend taking some simple steps to ensure you are getting all the information you need and to help cope with anxiety you may be feeling.
Dr. Heather Yeo shares some advice for patients after a cancer diagnosis.
“I think it’s really important for them to be able to hear [about their diagnosis] multiple times, to take notes,” Dr. Heather Yeo, a colorectal cancer surgeon at Weill Cornell Medical Center, told SurvivorNet. “Oftentimes, if a patient doesn’t have a family member with them, I’ll offer to call their family member afterwards because you can hear something from your surgeon and not remember all the details.”
Dr. Yeo also suggests patients seek out second opinions before making treatment decisions if they are able and to speak up about any treatment questions they may have.
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