The United Hospital Center in Bridgeport serves cancer patients on a daily basis, and to further aid patients, survivors and their families, it's offering a week-long lecture series featuring medical professionals.
Monday's topic was stress during cancer treatment.
Area massage therapists said they often work with cancer patients throughout their treatment to help relieve the additional stress the disease brings.
"The stress of having cancer, going through therapy, not knowing what the future holds is huge," said Debbie Thompson, a massage therapist at Massage Therapy & Spa in Bridgeport. "Stress is one of the worst things for your body."
To help in this effort, United Hospital Center in Bridgeport welcomed massage therapists to speak and work with cancer patients and survivors on Monday. Stress was the first topic discussed in the hospital's "It's All About You" lecture series.
UHC's Oncology Program Coordinator Judy Dye said this is the second year for the series. She said last year, it was a one night program, but this year it has grown into a week-long event.
"It's intended to be uplifting, whether that gives you information to deal with your care and your illness, or just to make you feel better," said Dye.
Visitors at the lecture said they appreciate the extra resources UHC is providing.
"I think it's great because you have a lot of caregivers, you have a lot of other people they don't know actually what to expect from going through their treatments and having to do all the treatments," said cancer survivor and Shinnston resident Diane Cleek. "They don't know how to react on being diagnosed with cancer."
Massage therapists said for cancer patients, relieving any bit of stress can help the healing process.
"It helps get the endorphins going so they don't have as much pain and it just gives them a sense of well-being," said Valarie Dunlevy, a massage therapist at Natural Touch in Lost Creek.
The lecture series will continue at UHC every day at 11 a.m. until December 7.
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