HUMBLE, TEXAS (August 29, 2014)

The Cancer Center at Memorial Hermann Northeast Hospital recently started a Cancer Support Group for cancer survivors, their family and friends, and those who seek more information about cancer.

The topic for September’s meeting, scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 17, 4-5 p.m., is “Yoga and Stress Management.” The program will be taught by Sandy Brady, a certified yoga instructor who leads a Yoga Class for cancer patients every Thursday, 9:30 a.m. in the hospital’s Wellness Center. There is no charge for the program; however, you are asked to register by calling 281-540-7905.

“Everyone suffers from mild anxiety from time to time; however, chronic anxiety from illness such as cancer takes a tremendous toll on the body, draining energy resources, and keeping the body in a constant state of stress,” says Brady. “Yoga, on the other hand, enhances physical and emotional wellness – and brings a peace many patients had thought they'd lost forever.”

The Cancer Support Group meets on the third Wednesday of every month, 4 to 5 p.m., in the main lobby of the Cancer Center, 18955 Memorial North, on the main campus of Memorial Hermann Northeast. Future topics include “Lung Cancer Awareness” with Medical Oncologist Mamta Kalidas, M.D.

The Cancer Support Group joins a number of support groups for cancer survivors and their families at the hospital:

  • Breast Cancer Support Group – First Thursday of each month, 6:30 - 8 p.m., Cancer Center. Call 281-540-7443 for more information or to register.
  • Yoga for Cancer Patients – Every Thursday, 9:30 a.m., Wellness Center. Call 281-540-7808 to register or for more information.
  • Nutrition Classes for Cancer Patients – Fourth Monday of each month, noon, Cancer Center Conference Room. Call 713-851-0933 for more information or to register.
  • Art Therapy for Cancer Patients – First Monday of each month, 11 a.m. - 1 p.m., Cancer Center. Call 281-540-7808 to register or for more information.
  • CanCare Volunteers – Cancer survivors and care givers/family members are encouraged to volunteer by providing emotional support to other cancer patients and their families. Call 713-461-0028 for more information.

With almost $4 million in advanced radiation therapy equipment, the Cancer Center at Memorial Hermann Northeast is designed as a one-stop shop for the treatment of cancer. The center offers a linear accelerator with stereotactic body radiotherapy capabilities so that very high doses of radiation can be delivered to small, well defined tumors; high-dose rate brachytherapy equipment which permits the placement of radioactive material inside a patient’s body and allows delivery of higher doses of radiation to specific areas of the body; and a computed tomography scanner with large gantry bore that produces high resolution images for radiation treatment planning.