BY KATIE KESTEL MARTIN, PUSATIER SHERMAN ABOTT & SUGARMAN, LLP Cancer and Its Impact on the Legal Community 10 | September/October 2023 | BAEC Bulletin
ACS 2022) There is so much more work to be done.
In one way or another, we are all affected by cancer. It’s a cruel disease in that it spans many different types with different symptoms and causes. So, it’s ever challenging to screen, treat, and – hopefully, someday – cure. It is also a disease that affects everyone regardless of socioeconomic class, race, gender, or lifestyle.
This past September, I was fortunate to attend legislative meetings in Washington DC with Senate offices and Representatives of New York State. About 700 volunteers attended various meetings to ensure ample funding for cancer research, no cost sharing for high risk insured men for prostate screenings, and Medicare coverage of multicancer early detection screening. These policies can provide for life saving measures before a cancer is too far gone for effective treatment. I thought to write this piece to share some hope and to remind ourselves that our legal community is no exception to the challenges that cancer brings. I have seen folks face down death and fight to live. I’m sure many of the readers who find this article have too. In this fight, there really is no stronger inspiration to realize what good we still may have in our day or in our time with the ones we love. Consider screening awareness for yourself as well, especially for breast, colon/colorectal, prostate, and lung cancers, especially if you are at high risk due to heredity or prior conditions. These screenings can help detect cancers early enough to allow for less invasive treatment and, hopefully, give better prognoses. There are local mobile units and offices who provide such screenings. Again, unfortunately, there continues to be a need for access and to eliminate cost sharing for early detection. Policy can only do so much; there needs to be support and awareness to ensure all communities can be screened early and effectively. To support a loved one or friend during their treatment could be as easy as helping with meals, offering to carpool their kids to and/or from school, or checking in with a cup of coffee. Bring them some hope that they are heard and loved. Do not forget to keep handy the resources of the Erie County Bar Association including the Membership Assistance Program and the Erie County Bar Foundation. To help support those facing cancer as well as other life challenges, please consider a donation to the Erie County Bar Foundation. In the meantime, this October, let’s celebrate our survivors including here in our Bar. Let’s remember those we have lost to this terrible disease. And, I ask you as advocates in our community, help fight back. Advocate for good and positive change for those tangled in the health care system while faced with a diagnosis.
A person who faces cancer may be feeling as though they are faced with a world of disruption, confusion, and maybe chaos. Of course, there is also love, support, and above all hope. To quote Marcus Aurelis, the Stoic “Philosopher King”, “To be like the rock that the waves keep crashing over. It stands unmoved and the raging of the sea falls still around it.” The cancer survivor, or “rock”, is strongest in this storm when they are supported and do not feel they stand alone. I have been a volunteer with the American Cancer Society and American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network for 15 years. I have met some of the most inspiring, courageous people in my journey as a volunteer and advocate. I have also seen the ugly, heartbreaking side. Individuals and families who face cancer treatment are also facing scary realities like rent or mortgage payments still being due, transportation (including transportation to far away treatment centers), child care (especially during treatment or in recovery from treatment), student loans, debt, medical bills… the list is endless. This feeling of lack of control can only deepen if a person lacks access to resources, doctors, and early detection. October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. While ALL cancers are important and in need of support, there’s an important reason we should pay special attention to this cause in particular – it brought the taboo of the private cancer struggle to light, and is now saving lives. It was not until recent history that mammograms were covered by most insurances. Screenings and therefore access to screenings makes the difference when a cancerous lump can be discovered and the chance to effectively treat and eradicate the cancerous cells. Early screening and early detection can save lives. However, we should never forget that breast cancer is still one of the four most common cancer types. And despite the efforts to increase early detection and improve treatment, the “mortality rate in Black women remains 41% higher than in White women, despite the lower incidence.” (Cancer Facts and Statistics,
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