The International Cancer Corps (ICC)

If you're an ASCO (American Society of Clinical Oncology) member, you may like to know that ASCO has partnered with Health Volunteers Overseas (HVO) to launch a new humanitarian program called the International Cancer Corps (ICC). There's a tremendous opportunity to help developing countries provide better cancer care.

To learn more about some of these volunteering opportunities, visit: www.asco.org/volunteer

Providing free medical care

I've been on several overseas medical missions trips where we provided free medical care. I even went on some trips as a medical student. We distributed medications, performed some minor surgeries, and evaluated patients for all types of acute and chronic medical conditions. Since we were only there for a short amount of time, we could only make a small impact. However, other medical teams would frequently visit the same towns and villages, so they would receive intermittent care through the year.

Now, you don't even need to go overseas to provide free medical care to those who are in need. According to the WSJ Health Blog: "More than 2,000 people showed up the other day at a Southern California basketball arena seeking free medical and dental care... A nonprofit group called Remote Area Medical is holding a week-long clinic at the Inglewood Forum, the former home of the L.A. Lakers...There weren’t enough medical volunteers to treat everyone who showed up for the clinic’s first day yesterday, and hundreds of people spent the night in the parking lot in hopes of getting care today, the L.A. Times reports."

I've provided free medical care overseas and also in several major U.S. cities. There are so many people in this country who need medical care but they're unable to afford it. We don't have enough groups like Remote Area Medical to provide free care to those who lack health insurance.

Providing free medical care

You don't have to go on a medical missions trip to provide free medical care. I've personally had the opportunity to deliver some free medical care here in the U.S. and also in Mexico, Ecuador, and Honduras (these were through medical missions trips). It's very rewarding to provide free healthcare and it seems like more U.S. physicians and other U.S. healthcare professionals are spending time to volunteer and help the community during these difficult economic times. Are you willing to volunteer right now? I realize that we may not be in the midst of a national disaster like Hurricane Katrina, but our nation is facing some serious economic challenges and many individuals and families are in desperate need of medical care.

Watch this brief CNN video as hundreds line up for free medical care at a Remote Area Medical event in East Tennessee. Can't see the video? Make sure you're on Medicine and Technology