Researchers at the University of Virginia are hoping to improve the quality of life for post-treatment cancer survivors in Appalachia.
The weSurvive program provides free group and one-on-one nutrition and exercise guidance for rural, adult patients. It was created by Kathleen Porter — a registered dietitian at the UVA Cancer Center — through a $770,000 research grant from the American Cancer Society.
The study focuses on patients living in or near Appalachian counties in Virginia, West Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina and Kentucky.
Rural cancer survivors connect virtually as a group several times over a six-month period and also have one-on-one counseling sessions with care providers, who give individualized recommendations for nutrition and physical activity.Porter said the research could help ease rural health care disparities, adding that the goal is to “get the services really targeted to the regions and the people who need them.”
Rural cancer patients are more likely to have poorer health outcomes compared to those living in urban environments. It’s due to a lack of access to cutting-edge cancer treatment and higher rates of underlying health conditions like obesity and heart disease, according to the National Institutes of Health. Porter also said the program can help alleviate social isolation for some participants.
“They’re going through it alone,” Porter said. “They’re not as many people around them who’ve gone through cancer or are currently going through cancer. So bringing folks together allows our survivors to make connections with one another to know you’re not alone.”Porter said additional research could lead to standardized nutrition and exercise programs for post-cancer treatment survivors in both rural and urban settings.
“The way that they taste food is different. Sometimes there’s changes to their bodies, which can impact how they digest food,” Porter said about patients reacting to treatments differently. “Another cancer survivor may be able to say, ‘I season my food this way.’”
Some patients treated for breast cancer also suffer lasting effects, like leg pain or neuropathy, that may impact physical activity, Porter said. Having access to a community of peers going through the same struggles makes it easier to navigate that experience.
“[It’s] not the same conversation that you may be able to have with a trainer at a gym, or your friend,” she said. “They just don't know what it's like.”
About 20 people currently are taking part in the inaugural weSurvive cohort, which began meeting in February. Porter is preparing to launch new groups in August and September and is encouraging cancer survivors living in rural Appalachian communities to sign up through weSurvive’s eligibility screener website.
