The Wellness Community Kicks Off New Support Group With a Seminar on Advances in Lung Cancer Treatment

The Wellness Community Valley/Ventura kicks off a new lung cancer networking group with a free educational seminar led by a UCLA lung cancer physician. “Progress in the Management of Lung Cancer” presented by Edward Garon, MD, takes place on Tuesday, June 21 from 6:30 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. at 530 Hampshire Road, Westlake Village, CA 91361. The seminar and networking group are open to lung cancer patients, survivors and family members. The lung cancer networking group meets on the first and third Tuesday of each month at 6:30pm, beginning July 5, at the same address as the seminar. Psychotherapist Peggy Johnston, MFT will facilitate. Johnston has been a cancer support group facilitator at The Wellness Community for 11 years. The seminar and the group are both free, but registration is required. Call (805) 379-4777 to register or learn more.

In April, for the first time in four decades, the National Cancer Institute reported a decline in lung cancer deaths for women. The lung cancer death rate for men began to decrease in the early 1990s. In the seminar Dr. Garon will discuss additional encouraging trends in treatment, clinical trials, and management of side effects. Dr. Garon is a physician and researcher at the University of California, Los Angeles. He has been awarded a UCLA Lung SPORE Career Development Award in 2007, a Hirshberg Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research award in 2007, the Tower Cancer Research Foundation Career Development Award in 2008, and a Lincy Foundation Grant in 2008. His interests are in gastrointestinal, pancreatic and lung oncology. Dr. Garon sees patients and conducts clinical trials at his private practice in Santa Monica.


The seminar kicks off a new support group geared exclusively to lung cancer patients and survivors. The group will be led by a professional therapist and is free of charge.

Kathy Joosten, a ten-year lung cancer survivor and an Emmy Award-winning actress, encouraged The Wellness Community to form a group to address the specific needs of lung cancer patients and survivors. “I am delighted that they are forming this group because it is essential for lung cancer patients to find support from people who are undergoing the same kinds of fears, expenses, body changes, chemotherapy, and radiation,” says Joosten, who senses a “subtle agreement” among people, even patients themselves, to not talk about lung cancer as much as other types of cancer. She adds, “We need a place where people who have remained silent until now can come together and talk about the disease.” Joosten has starred on many hit television series including The West Wing and Desperate Housewives.

Free Seminar Will Present New Advances in Prostate Cancer Treatment

Dr. Robert Princenthal will present “Advances in Prostate MRI, Detection and Staging” on Saturday, June 18 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at The Wellness Community Valley/Ventura, 530 Hampshire Road, Westlake Village, CA 91361. This seminar is part of The Wellness Community’s professional support services offered to prostate cancer patients and their loved ones, including a monthly networking group and a bi-weekly support group. The seminar and support groups are free of charge. Call (805) 379-4777 to RSVP or learn more.

Dr. Princenthal’s seminar will focus on new advances in Prostate MRI, detection and staging. “This new prostate MRI technique, now available in our community, provides critical information to men and their physicians in our outpatient center, so there is no need to drive to a university setting,” says Dr. Princenthal. Dr. Princenthal received his M.D. from Penn State University College of Medicine. He completed his residency in diagnostic radiology at Yale Univeristy School of Medicine and completed a fellowship at the University of California, San Diego. Dr. Princenthal practices with Rolling Oaks Radiology in Thousand Oaks, Westlake Village and Simi Valley.

Conejo Valley resident John Shwope is an advocate of prostate MRI after benefitting from a visit to Dr. Princenthal. “I was unaware that they had this instrument in Thousand Oaks and I immediately set an appointment,” says Shwope. “The scan results and Dr. Princenthal’s detailed diagnosis helped find the proper treatment modality and helped with the accurate administration of the treatment.”

Prostate cancer patients and their loved ones are invited to the monthly Networking Group, held the third Saturday of each month at 10:30 a.m. Prostate cancer patients and survivors are invited to the Support Group which meets on the second and fourth Wednesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. Both groups are led by psychologist Kevin Axelrad, Ph.D and are held at The Wellness Community Valley/Ventura, 530 Hampshire Road, Westlake Village.

For a complete list of TWCVV's free cancer support programs, please visit our Calendar Page.

Cancer Support Organizations Partner to Launch Support Group for Young Adult Cancer Survivors

The Wellness Community Valley/Ventura has partnered with the United Cancer Advocacy Action Network to launch a new support group for young adult cancer survivors on the first and third Monday of each month from 6:30 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. The group is open to men and women ages 18 to 39 and meets at 530 Hampshire Road in Westlake Village. The next group meeting is June 20. The group is free but registration is required. To register or learn more please call (805) 379-4777.

Each year in the United States, an estimated 70,000 young adults are diagnosed with cancer, and about 1 million young adult survivors are already grappling with issues related to the aftermath of the disease and its treatment. Research has found that young adult cancer survivors often lack access to professionally led services geared toward the specific emotional issues they face. Psychological support is an essential element of healing and recovery from cancer.

The Wellness Community Valley/Ventura (TWCVV), a leader in providing support groups to people affected by cancer, partnered with the United Cancer Advocacy Action Network (UCAAN) to extend their quality programs to young adults. UCAAN was founded by Rachel Shur, a leukemia survivor diagnosed and treated in her early thirties. Studies show that patients receiving psychosocial support experience less pain, stress and depression, are more likely to comply with medical treatment, experience fewer recurrences, and, in many cases, are able to enjoy a better quality of life and live longer.

“This group will cover the unique needs of young adult cancer survivors, including dating, taking care of a young family, career concerns, and finding alternative ways to cope with treatment side effects,” says group facilitator Gina Cole, MS, MFT. Cole is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and a certified trained facilitator with a private practice in Ventura.


About The Wellness Community Valley/Ventura
Celebrating its 20th Anniversary in 2011, The Wellness Community Valley/Ventura is an independently governed and funded affiliate of the Cancer Support Community, serving more than 3,000 community members affected by cancer each year with programs in the San Fernando Valley and throughout Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties. Programs are offered in English and Spanish. For more information, to volunteer or to make a donation, please visit www.TwcVv.org or call 805-379-4777. Text COMMUNITY to 90999 to donate $10 to cancer support programs. Standard text messaging rates apply. For full terms visit mgive.com/a.

Founded in 1982, the Cancer Support Community, formerly named The Wellness Community, is an international non-profit organization dedicated to providing free support, education and hope to people with cancer and their loved ones. In July 2009, The Wellness Community and Gilda’s Club joined forces to become the Cancer Support Community, one of the largest providers of cancer support worldwide. The combined organization is comprised of nearly 50 local affiliates, 12 affiliates in development and more than 100 satellite locations. By offering professionally led support groups, educational workshops, nutrition and exercise programs, and stress-reduction classes, The Wellness Community and Gilda’s Club continue to provide support, education and hope to all people affected by cancer.


About the United Cancer Advocacy Action Network
United Cancer Advocacy Action Network is a non-profit organization that aids survivors of cancer to become fully self-supporting through education, employment & emotional growth. By providing the tools needed to live life to their fullest potential, improve quality of life, help to gain full-time employment with benefits and/or aiding them to start a business so they will not be dependent on Social Security for long term. Together we can and UCAAN Make a Difference!