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Patients & Caregivers

Patient and caregiver education classes and events

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center offers wellness classes and programs to support patients and caregivers in all aspects of living with cancer.

Following the merger of long-time partners, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, the organization was renamed to Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center. We are an independent, nonprofit organization that also serves as UW Medicine's cancer program. 

Upcoming Patient Education Events

Below are upcoming patient education events sponsored or supported by Fred Hutch. If you have any questions about an upcoming patient education event, please reach out to Ritu Shriyan at rshriyan@seattlecca.org.

Updates in Bladder and Urinary Tract Cancers for Patients and their Loved Ones
Updates in Bladder and Urinary Tract Cancers for Patients and their Loved Ones

March 18, 2023

This is a free, educational event for bladder and urinary tract cancer patients and their loved ones.

Sarcoma Patient and Caregiver Education Program
Sarcoma Patient and Caregiver Education Program

March 25, 2023

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center is hosting a free, virtual patient education event for sarcoma patients and caregivers, in partnership with the Northwest Sarcoma Foundation and Sarcoma Foundation of America. During the event, providers will talk about: 

  • Introduction to sarcoma
  • Updates to radiation for treating sarcoma 
  • Genetic testing
  • Supportive care for patients with sarcoma 
  • Information on rehab medicine and survivorship 
Ocular Melanoma Patient Education Symposium
Ocular Melanoma Patient Education Symposium

April 1, 2023

Fred Hutch is hosting a free education event: Ocular Melanoma Patient and Caregiver Education Symposium, in partnership with A Cure in Sight and CURE OM. During the event, providers will present important information on diagnosis, treatment, surgical and radiation oncology advancements, research as well as information on survivorship and supportive care. 

Northwest Melanoma Patient Symposium: Science to Survivorship
Northwest Melanoma Patient Symposium: Science to Survivorship

May 20, 2023

You are invited to the Northwest Melanoma Symposium: Science to Survivorship, co-hosted by Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center and the Melanoma Research Foundation. In this free, patient education event, providers will talk about updates in melanoma treatment. They will also discuss supportive care topics, such as managing anxiety and treatment side effects.

Past patient education events

Below are past patient education events sponsored or supported by Fred Hutch. Materials from the events are provided in case you missed an event but want to learn more. If you have any questions about an upcoming or past patient education event, please reach out to Ritu Shriyan at rshriyan@seattlecca.org.

Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML)

AML Connections: Evening with the Docs

September 22, 2021

Link to event recording

Bladder cancer

Updates in Bladder and Urinary Tract Cancers for Patients and their Loved Ones

Updates in Bladder and Urinary Tract Cancers for Patients and their Loved Ones

Breast cancer

2017 Northwest Metastatic Breast Cancer Conference

Video presentations from the Northwest Metastatic Breast Cancer Conference are available for viewing, courtesy of Komen Puget Sound.

Watch

Metastatic A metastatic cancer is a cancer that has spread to other areas of the body by way of the lymph system or bloodstream.
Kidney cancer

2022 Kidney Cancer Patient and Caregiver Education Symposium 

2021 Kidney Cancer Patient and Caregiver Education Symposium

2019 Kidney Cancer Patient Education Events

Video presentations from the program are available for viewing:

2018 Kidney Cancer Patient and Survivor Conference

View video presentations from the conference:

Caregiver A person who gives care to people who need help, such as children, older people or patients who have chronic illnesses or disabilities. A person who gives care to people who need help taking care of themselves, such as children, older people or patients who have chronic illnesses or disabilities. Caregivers may be health professionals, family members, friends, social workers or members of the clergy. They may give care at home, in a hospital or in another health care setting.
Melanoma

2022 NW Melanoma Symposium

View presentation

2021 NW Melanoma Symposium

View presentation

2019 NW Melanoma Symposium

2018 NW Melanoma Symposium

2017 NW Melanoma Symposium

Video presentations from the symposium as well as PDF downloads of the presentation content is available for viewing. 

Melanoma Cancer that begins in the melanocytes (cells that make the pigment melanin). It may begin in a mole (skin melanoma), but it can also begin in other pigmented tissues, such as the eye or the intestines.
Peritoneal cancer

High Five to HIPEC: Finding hope and health with peritoneal cancer

View presentation

Sarcoma

2022 Sarcoma Patient and Caregiver Education Program 

Watch video

2021 Sarcoma Patient and Caregiver Education Program 

Watch video

2017 Sarcoma Patient and Caregiver Education Program

Presentations from the Sarcoma Patient and Caregiver Education Program are available for download:

Caregiver A person who gives care to people who need help, such as children, older people or patients who have chronic illnesses or disabilities. A person who gives care to people who need help taking care of themselves, such as children, older people or patients who have chronic illnesses or disabilities. Caregivers may be health professionals, family members, friends, social workers or members of the clergy. They may give care at home, in a hospital or in another health care setting.
Waldenström's Macroglobulinemia

2018 Waldenström's Macroglobulinemia Patient Education Program

Video presentations from the program are available for viewing as well as PDF downloads of the presentation content: 

Community Events and Classes

For information or questions regarding local and national support organizations, groups, and retreats, contact the Patient & Family Resource Center at patientresourcectr@seattlecca.org or (206) 606-2081.

Community events

CancerCare Connect Education Workshops

CancerCare provides free, professional support services and information to help people manage the emotional, practical and financial challenges of cancer.

Register for Upcoming Workshops

Triage Cancer Webinars

Triage Cancer is a national, nonprofit organization that provides education on the practical and legal issues that may impact individuals diagnosed with cancer and their caregivers, through free events, materials, and resources.

Register for Upcoming Webinars

Cancer and Careers Virtual Conferences and Webinars

Cancer and Careers empowers and educates people with cancer to thrive in their workplace, by providing expert advice, interactive tools and educational events.

Register for Upcoming Events

National Bone Marrow Transplant Link Webinar, Podcast and Lunch & Learn Programs

The National Bone Marrow Transplant Link (nbmtLINK) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving individuals before, during, and after a bone marrow or stem cell transplant.

View Upcoming Programs

Bone marrow The soft, spongy material in the center of your bones that produces all your blood cells, such as white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets. Bone marrow transplant The process of treating disease with high doses of chemotherapy, radiation therapy or both. Bone marrow or peripheral blood stem cells are given after treatment to help the body make more blood cells. The process of treating disease with high doses of chemotherapy, radiation therapy or both. Because this treatment destroys the bone marrow’s ability to produce blood cells, bone marrow or peripheral blood stem cells are given after treatment to help the body make more blood cells. Stem cell A cell from which other types of cells develop. For example, blood cells develop from blood-forming stem cells.

Wellness resources

Food safety during cancer treatment

This class is geared towards transplant patients and some general oncology patients with decreased immunity due to illness or cancer treatment. The class includes guidelines for safe food handling, from grocery shopping to food preparation and storage are discussed.  Immunosuppressed diet guidelines and information on maximizing intake of safe foods are also reviewed. Safety hints for eating outside the home are also provided. Contact your team dietitian for a one-on-one nutrition consult.

Learn more about Fred Hutch Medical Nutrition Therapy Services

This class is pre-recorded and can be found on the Fred Hutch Patient Education YouTube page, under “Food Safety."

Attend the class virtually

Managing care at home for transplant patients

This class is held virtually for transplant patients and their families. If you are a transplant patient, contact your Team Coordinator to sign up for this class on Zoom.

Managing Care at Home is held weekly on Tuesdays, from 1-2pm. Classes on Zoom are live and give you the opportunity to ask the instructor questions, just like an in-person class.

If you have any problems accessing the videos or written material for this class, please call Transition Services at (206) 606-7008.

Sign In medicine, a sign is something found during a physical exam or from a laboratory test that shows that a person may have a condition or disease. In medicine, a sign is something found during a physical exam or from a laboratory test that shows that a person may have a condition or disease. Some examples of signs are fever, swelling, skin rash, high blood pressure and high blood glucose.
Stop smoking

Fred Hutch’s Living Tobacco Free services uses proven techniques to help people quit smoking. It’s never too late.

Learn more about living tobacco free

Look Good Feel Better Live!

Look Good Feel Better Live! virtual workshops provide valuable information and connection for women undergoing cancer treatment. This online experience offers live instruction and tips for dealing with appearance-related side effects of cancer treatment during one-hour, online workshops. 

Learn More

Side effects A problem that occurs when treatment affects healthy tissues or organs. Some side effects of cancer treatment are nausea, vomiting, fatigue, pain, decreased blood cell counts, hair loss and mouth sores.
Cancer Legal Resource Center

The Cancer Legal Resource Center provides information, outreach programs and community activities to educate and support cancer patients their families. This organization also provides information for healthcare professionals and advocates on matters like maintaining employment through treatment, accessing healthcare and government benefits, taking medical leave, and estate planning.

Learn More