Unite in the Fight Against Cancer raised over $100,000 last year with the help of our community, and now that money is going straight back into our community through patient-centered programs at the Georgia Cancer Center.

Unite in the Fight Against Cancer, hosted by and supporting the Georgia Cancer Center at Augusta University, is a unique one-mile walk that celebrates and honors all those who have been affected by this disease.

Unite in the Fight will return on May 4. It will be held outside the Georgia Cancer Center Research Building at 1410 Laney Walker Blvd., from 8 to 11 a.m. There will be live music, food trucks, a special VIP patient/survivor room, therapy dogs, special guests and more.

“This funding is essential for patients whose insurance does not cover this,” Amanda Reiter, an outpatient oncology dietitian at the GCC, said when talking about her program, Nutrition Support Funding for Patients requiring Feeding Assistance.

The programs selected to receive funding from Unite 2023 are:

• Improving Varenicline Access for Vulnerable Tobacco Cessation Patients

• Cranial Hair Prosthesis for Chemotherapy-Induced Alopecia

• Limiting Adverse Effects of Lymphedema

• Oral Nutrition Supplements Assistance for Malnourished Patients

• Nutrition Support Funding for Patients Requiring Feeding Assistance

• Prostate Specific Antigen-based Program for Reducing Racial Outcomes Gap in Rates of Prostate Cancer Survival in Southeast Georgia (PSA-PROGRESS)

• Cooler Heads for Helping Hair Loss During Chemotherapy

These programs all have goals of ensuring that current and future patients have the tools needed to make the path to survivorship easier, such as providing formula at no cost to malnourished patients who struggle with eating due to side effects of treatment, like vomiting and nausea.

When it comes to future patients, Avirup Guha, the director of the cardio-oncology program at the GCC, is working on providing free prostate cancer screening events with funding from Unite with his program, Prostate Specific Antigen-based Program for Reducing Racial Outcomes Gap in Rates of Prostate Cancer Survival in Southeast Georgia (PSA-PROGRESS), which is a large collaboration project with many members of the community.

“I couldn’t imagine a better alignment when it comes to the mission of Unite and our program, both with the aim to fight against the development and promote the treatment of cancer,” Guha said.

If you would like to learn more about this event, follow the cancer center on Facebook to stay updated on it and the programs funded by Unite in the Fight Against Cancer. You can find more information or sign up you and your team by visiting the Unite in the Fight website.