Thyroid Cancer Support Group Meets At MD Anderson Cancer Treatment Center Orlando FL

Stevie JoEllie's Cancer Care Fund is pleased to announce the launch of a bi-lingual, peer to peer support group for thyroid cancer patients, survivors, caregivers and loved ones.

S.J.C.C.F. Thyroid Cancer Support Groups Meet the First Thursday of the Month - every month - from 6:00pm to 7:00pm at MD Anderson Cancer Treatment Center 1400 South Orange Avenue Orlando, FL 32801.

Support Group Room is located in the 4th Floor Classroom 3 and 4 -- Take the Lobby Elevator in the MD Anderson Building to the 4th Floor, go to the right around the corner to the end of the hall.  All the classrooms are clearly labeled and you will see a purple butterfly on our door.

Bi-Lingual English/Spanish interpreters available at every FREE community health education and peer to peer support forum for thyroid cancer patients, survivors, caregivers and loved ones 

Potential Cancer Signs: Nodules or bumps on gland or enlargement of thyroid gland. Trouble swallowing or breathing. Recurrent sore throat and/or unexplained recurrent dry cough and acute changes in voice that worsen over time. 

About Stevie JoEllie's Cancer Care Fund:  S.J.C.C.F. was Founded October 2008 by Wilma Colon- Ariza in honor of her beautiful daughter Stevie JoEllie Bragg diagnosed with Stage II Thyroid Cancer a few short weeks after her 21st Birthday in 2008.

 Stevie JoEllie's Cancer Care Fund Mission: To develop, create and launch an Access to Care Grant Program for Thyroid Cancer Patients and Survivors Nationwide.

 Programs and Services: Volunteer Peer to Peer Support Network, Patient Care Advocacy Services, Free Thyroid Cancer Awareness and Community Health Education Forums Initiative.

OUR CORE MISSION IS H.O.P.E.

Thyroid Cancer Facts 2010:  Thyroid cancer strikes just as many people as cervical & liver cancer.

• 30,000,000 Americans are suspected of having benign or cancerous thyroid gland nodules.

• 3,000,000 suspected of having thyroid cancer and thousands more are unknown victims.

• There are about 32,000 people in U.S.A alone diagnosed and treated for thyroid cancer each year and the numbers continue to rise.

• Currently, there are approximately  200,000 thyroid cancer patients and survivors in the U.S.A

• 10-15 million Americans have nodules that may be a sign of common non-malignant thyroid disorders.

• Thyroid cancer can be cured in some cases, depending on type and stage simply by the surgical removal of the thyroid gland and/or radioactive-iodine treatments to kill remaining cancer cells.

• Non-functioning or surgically removed thyroid gland is always treated with synthetic hormones such as Levothyroxine among others.

• Thyroid cancer afflicts mostly women ages 15 - 65.

• Men who have nodules are 3 times more likely to have cancer.

• A growing number of pediatric thyroid cancer cases have been reported in the past 5 years.

• Fine-Needle Tissue Biopsy of thyroid nodule is the "gold standard test'' recommended today by the AACE.

• Thyrid Cancer is prevalent in people exposed to head or neck radiation prior to 1950 or young people who have had numerous dental x-rays or other routine radiological exam of the head and neck. 

• The thyroid gland is a butterfly-shaped gland located in the front of the lower neck area or Adams apple.

• The thyroid gland provides hormones that regulate all vital internal organs and biological functions.

• If let untreated thyroid cancer grows and can spread to other 'distant' areas of the body such as the brain, bones, lungs, spleen or liver. 

• If detected early papillary thyroid cancer and follicular variant papillary thyroid cancer have a very high treatment success rate for most people. 

• Thyroid cancer often goes undetected simply because patients do not experience any obvious symptoms.