Filling in the Gaps of Cancer Care
- Over a quarter of cancer patients say they do not have a trusted relationship with their care team. Actor Patrick Dempsey is working to change to that.
- After his mother was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, actor Patrick Dempsey saw a need for community resources for cancer warriors and their loved ones. That’s why he founded the Dempsey Center.
- According to a 2022 study, one in four patients said they first learned about their diagnosis from an online portal as opposed to the people on their care team.
- Only about 55% of patients felt like their care team was accessible and/or their oncologist truly listened to them.
- Two in three patients said they were not aware of survivorship resources.
- To address these issues, the Dempsey Center offers a refreshing and accessible take on complementary medicine, offering services like group therapy, support groups, educational classes, grief counseling, meditation, yoga and acupuncture, among other offerings – all free of charge.
Dempsey’s center and work was on full display this week in New York at a major health and advertising industry event that occurred against the backdrop of some sobering news about the new challenges faced by patients.
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The Maine-based organization opened its first location in 2008, and they now have three locations plus online programming. They are able to provide their resources free of charge due to donations, corporate sponsorships, foundation grants and the Dempsey Challenge – an annual biking event.
During the recent PHM HealthFront event, Dempsey spoke with SurvivorNet CEO Steve Alperin about his mother’s cancer being the catalyst for the founding of The Dempsey Center.
“She was a real fighter,” Dempsey said in his conversation with SurvivorNet. “We learned a lot in the process. She had the opportunity to see the center come to life. It was inspired by her journey and she spent a lot of time there.”
Though Dempsey’s experience is deeply personal, it is certainly one that resonates with many in the cancer community. And creating a space to help patients and their loved ones feel supported and educated is something many people dealing with cancer are in desperate need of.
WATCH: Patrick Dempsey’s Advice for Caregivers
According to a 2022 study of more than 1,800 breast cancer patients and 1,100 institutions, many people lack access to information about their disease as well as a supportive relationship with their care team.
Below are some of the study’s shocking findings:
- One in four patients said they first learned about their diagnosis from an online portal as opposed to the people on their care team.
- Half of patients said their doctor did not help them understand their results and discuss treatments.
- 46% did not feel fully comfortable engaging their care team to advocate for themselves.
- Only about 55% of patients felt like their care team was accessible and/or their oncologist truly listened to them.
- Just over a quarter of patients feel they don’t have a trusted relationship with their care team.
- One in four patients feel they cannot make sense of their medical records, due to complexity or access.
- Only one in five were presented with a clinical trial as a treatment option.
Needless to say, these stats are a call to action – one that Dempsey happily took upon himself.
When people come to his center, one of the first questions they are asked is, “What can we do for you?”
“In the center… we try to simply ask the question, what can we do to help you and support you in your cancer journey?” Dempsey said. “And then listening to them and getting them the information that, hopefully, empowers them and gives them the confidence to go into their treatment emotionally and mentally and physically strong.”
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But it’s not just about providing supplemental support before and during treatment. It’s also about having knowledge and resources for life as a survivor.
According to the above study, many patients struggle with life after cancer treatment. More specifically:
- Two in three patients said they were not aware of survivorship resources.
- More than half of patients were reportedly not informed of risks or side effects that could require further specialized care down the road.
“Survivorship is what we’re talking about now,” Dempsey said. “So that you’re not alone, so that you have someplace to go and to communicate your anxieties and your fears and your hopes and your dreams in a safe and medically proven environment.”
He added the mentorship program at The Dempsey Center is a special aspect of their patient care.
“This was something that was really important to my mother. She didn’t quite understand, like a lot of people that she went through treatment with didn’t survive, and she did. ‘So why am I still here?’ was the question she asked herself,” Dempsey explained of his mother’s survivorship journey.
“And with our apprentice program or our partnership, a survivor can then go back in and take all of that knowledge and all that experience and communicate with someone who’s recently diagnosed. And that is a profound moment when you see those two people connecting and it’s part of their healing process.”
And having this knowledge of your disease and what the journey will be like can empower patients to make the best choices for themselves throughout their journey.
The Motivation Behind Patrick Dempsey’s Mission
Patrick Dempsey’s mother, Amanda Dempsey, was first diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 1998.
“When my mother was diagnosed in 1998 with ovarian cancer, the feeling was absolute shock,” Patrick said. “This is the strongest person in my life. How can she possibly be vulnerable and be sick, and what do I do? What can I do to help her?
“And I don’t know anything, and that scares me. And that was the initial, I think, feeling that I had when my mom was diagnosed.”
Amanda had more than 12 recurrences throughout her 17-year battle before passing away from the disease at 79. Patrick’s sister was the main caregiver, but he still played a big role in helping his mother during her battle. Especially after he learned about the concept of complementary medicine – a term used to denote treatments you receive alongside traditional Western medicine for a more comprehensive mind-body approach.
“My mother could use this type of help,” he recalled thinking. “Is there anything in our community that’s like this? And when I asked that question, the answer was no. And then we started the center coming from that place.”
In Patrick’s words, complementary medicine addresses concerns with “the human spirit.”
“You have all this wonderful science, right?” he said. “But there also is the humanity and the side that needs the compassion. And that’s the type of work that complementary medicine provides.
“It’s not the end all be all, but one element of the team. And that’s an important role to have the patient wrapped with as much information and support that they can have moving forward.”
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