Cancer and COVID-19
COVID-19 has affected many cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers. The pandemic also impacts screening rates. In some instances, cancer patients have not been allowed to have loved ones join them for cancer treatments which can lead to increased feelings of isolation and anxiety. Physical distancing measures discourage routine office visits, which can delay preventative screenings and put people at risk of their cancer going undetected and progressing. Additionally, cancer patients receiving cancer treatments are more likely to be immunocompromised and may increase their risk of severe illness from COVID-19.
Everyone is being encouraged to practice physical distancing, hand washing for at least 20 seconds and frequent cleaning of surfaces. Please see OHA COVID-19 website for more information: https://govstatus.egov.com/OR-OHA-COVID-19.
Additional resources about cancer and COVID-19:
American Cancer Society
From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):
From the George Washington (GW) Cancer Center:
Find the latest data on the burden of cancer in Oregon
The cancer data for Oregon both statewide and in Oregon counties can be found at the
Colorectal cancer - The cancer YOU can prevent
Colorectal cancer is the second most deadly form of cancer.
But it doesn't have to be.
Screening can prevent colorectal cancer or catch it when it is highly treatable. Too few men and women in Oregon are getting screened. There are several reliable screening tests; some cost as little as $25 and all are covered by insurance. Get screened....then tell a friend to!
TheCancerYouCanPrevent.org
Bone Marrow
Every three minutes someone in the United States is diagnosed with a blood cancer like leukemia. For many, their only hope for a cure is a bone marrow transplant.
What is Bone Marrow? Bone marrow is the soft, spongy-material inside some bones. It contains cells called blood-forming stem cells (hematopoietic cells).
How does Bone Marrow donation work? A bone marrow transplant takes a donor’s healthy blood-forming cells and puts them into the patient’s bloodstream, where they begin to grow and make healthy red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets.
Donors must be at least 18 years old but not older than 60 years.
Learn more about becoming a bone marrow donor.
Visit the National Bone Marrow Registry, called Be the Match, at
https://bethematch.org/support-the-cause/donate-bone-marrow/ or call 1 (800) MARROW-2 to speak to a Be The Match representative.
Donor Frequently Asked Questions:
https://bethematch.org/workarea/downloadasset.aspx?id=858
Donor Frequently Asked Questions in Translated into Multiple Languages (Spanish, Portuguese, Vietnamese, Chinese & Korean):
https://bethematch.org/support-the-cause/donate-bone-marrow/translated-materials-on-marrow-donation/
ScreenWise
ScreenWise is a statewide network of providers offering breast cancer, cervical cancer and heart disease screenings and diagnostic services to low income women living in Oregon. The ScreenWise mission is to reduce breast cancer, cervical cancer, heart disease and other chronic diseases by promoting early detection, screening, and risk reduction support.
Participants seeking information about family history collection and genetic conditions will be connected to the Oregon Genetics Program.
Patients diagnosed with breast or cervical cancer may be eligible for treatment through the State Medicaid Breast and Cervical Cancer Treatment Program (BCCTP), regardless of whether they were enrolled in ScreenWise when they were diagnosed. Call OHP at 800-699-9075 for further information regarding BCCTP.
Patients: Call 211 for patient assistance information and referral.
Providers: If you are a provider seeking information about ScreenWise, please call the 211 Provider Line to speak with a ScreenWise Specialist at (971) 277-6816.
Need help to quit smoking or want to learn more about tobacco prevention in Oregon?
Smokefree Oregon is all of us - individuals, communities, organizations and health workers - who want a healthier environment for all Oregonians. Even if you've never smoked, or if you're struggling to quit, we all have something to gain. Smokefree Oregon is about setting our state free from the burden of tobacco. It's about saving dollars - and saving lives.
What we eat and how we move is related to where we live
Achieving lifelong health for all people in Oregon includes good nutrition and active living to maintain a healthy weight and prevent many cancers. Access to good nutrition and places to exercise are not the same in every part of the state. Much can be done to maintain, improve and create healthy communities that support people in making healthy choices. The state Public Health Division works with local partners across Oregon on community solutions focused on policy, systems and environmental change to help increase healthy food choices and connect people to places and opportunities where they can be regularly active.
Want to make your workplace healthy?
Wellness at Work is a public-private partnership that aspires to reach more than one million Oregonians with workplace policies and programs that support employees to eat healthier, move more, quit tobacco, and use the kinds of health care that will improve and sustain their health.
Included at this site are:
- A free worksite assessment
- Steps to building a culture of health
- Model policies for making your workplace tobacco free, and more
Healthy Worksites website