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The website is meant to educate patients and their caregivers on several aspects of the kidney cancer journey.
Receiving an initial diagnosis of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is often an overwhelming experience for patients. As a result, they may struggle to retain the wealth of new information given to them at this point, including treatment options, potential outcomes, and other next steps.
In an effort to help patients navigate this aspect of their cancer journey, Hackensack University Medical Center has launched a Kidney Cancer Resource Center specifically for patients who have received a diagnosis of RCC.1 This website is meant to educate patients and their caregivers on what kidney cancer is, the different stages of the disease, possible treatment options, what to expect when living with RCC, and more.
In a recent interview with Urology Times®, Nitin K. Yerram, MD, outlines the rationale for the creation of this tool as well as the benefits of this resource for patients and their caregivers.
“It took us 2 years to get everything together,” explained Yerram. “We got multiple different leaders in the field—pharmacists, the palliative care team, radiation oncologists, medical oncologists—to come together in an interdisciplinary way to put together a resource center for patients. That's what we want it to be. This is purely for patients and their caregivers, because they're a large part of this whole treatment process as well. We felt like the best type of patient, the best outcomes, come from someone who's informed and who's educated about their disease, and we really wanted to be able to provide that for them.”
Yerram is a urologic oncologist at Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey.
Yerram also explained that the website includes videos and diagrams to help patients digest information in a different way. The hope, he says, is that patients can come to their next visit better informed and prepared to ask key questions about their specific treatment plan.
“Having [a] more informed discussion with the patient really helps everyone,” said Yerram. “I think it's a helpful resource for anyone, whether it be clinicians or caregivers or patients. The website is www.KidneyCancerResourceCenter.org, so we really hope to see patients use it.”
REFERENCE
1. Hackensack University Medical Center launches educational website for people with kidney cancer. News release. Hackensack Meridian Health. January 8, 2025. Accessed April 20, 2025. https://www.hackensackmeridianhealth.org/en/news/2025/01/08/hackensack-university-medical-center-launches-educational-website-for-people-with-kidney-cancer