NYC-BASED LEGALHEALTH PROVIDES FREE LEGAL COUNSEL FOR CANCER SURVIVORS
Lance Armstrong Foundation-Funded Program Offers Practical Support for People Affected by Cancer 

AUSTIN, Texas - May 5, 2006 - The May 1 issue of Journal of Clinical Oncology (JCO) highlights the efforts of New York City-based LegalHealth, a project of the New York Legal Assistance Group, to make legal intervention a component of cancer care. Thanks to various funding sources including the Lance Armstrong Foundation (LAF), LegalHealth provides free legal services to underserved individuals with chronic illness and trains health care professionals on the legal issues affecting their patients.

Many cancer patients and their families face non-medical challenges, such as benefits entitlement and housing issues, and rarely consult legal counsel. Identifying the healthcare setting as an effective entry point to implement legal interventions with cancer patients, LegalHealth helps patients and families alike who may otherwise not have access to legal services.  

"Until now, little has been done to integrate legal advocacy services into the cancer treatment matrix, particularly for the low-income, generally underserved community," said Randye Retkin, director of LegalHealth and co-author of the JCO article. "Legal problems for patients with cancer are a significant non-medical need that must be addressed to maintain quality of life during and after cancer treatment and to promote continued access to care."

In the LAF's LIVESTRONG Poll in 2004, nearly half (49%) of the cancer patients surveyed said that the non-medical issues relating to their cancer were unmet, and more than half (53%) of respondents agreed that the practical and emotional consequences of dealing with cancer are often harder than the medical issues.

"The LIVESTRONG Poll results show us that people battling cancer are missing some critical support that they need - specifically practical and emotional support," said Andy Miller, the LAF's director of survivorship programs. "While we have focused our energy, and rightfully so, on identifying the most intense treatments to eradicate cancer from people's bodies, we must recognize the critical role that practical support such as legal counsel can play in a patient's overall well-being."

To date, LegalHealth has provided legal services to more than 500 individuals with cancer in the New York area.

About the Lance Armstrong Foundation
The Lance Armstrong Foundation (LAF) inspires and empowers people affected by cancer. We help people with cancer focus on living; we believe that unity is strength, knowledge is power and attitude is everything. From the moment of diagnosis, the LAF provides the practical information and tools people with cancer need to live life on their own terms. The LAF serves its mission through advocacy, public health and research. Founded in 1997 by cancer survivor and champion cyclist Lance Armstrong, the LAF is located in Austin, Texas. For more information, visit www.livestrong.org.