The program will help newly-diagnosed cancer patients navigate treatment options. (photo courtesy of Getty/Cedars-Sinai)

A new donor-funded project is offering free assistance to newly-diagnosed cancer patients across Los Angeles County to help them navigate the appointments, tests, options and challenges that come with a life-altering diagnosis.

Funded by a gift from the Lippin Family Trust and launched by the Tower Cancer Research Foundation, The Ronnie Lippin Cancer Support and Navigation Project is part of Cedars-Sinai Cancer’s community outreach and engagement. Eligible patients do not need to receive their cancer care from Cedars-Sinai to participate.

The project was established in honor of the late trailblazing music publicist and manager Ronnie Lippin, who died of breast cancer in 2006. Her husband, Dick Lippin, founder of The Lippin Group public relations firm, established the grant in collaboration with the foundation.

“I see Tower Cancer Research Foundation and Cedars-Sinai as my partners in a pioneering venture that I believe enriches the lives of people needing a guiding hand through this very difficult period in their lives,” Dick Lippin said.

The project funds two “navigators” – multilingual specialists who are fluent in Spanish, Korean, Tagalog and Swahili. The navigators guide patients through all stages of cancer treatment –including arranging transportation to and from medical appointments, accompanying patients to those appointments and scheduling screenings and treatments. If mental health assistance is required, navigators also offer referrals to qualified professionals.

“Cedars-Sinai Cancer serves one of the most diverse patient populations in the country,” said Dr. Dan Theodorescu, director of Cedars-Sinai Cancer. “This new program is in line with our commitment to serve all patients, and will provide patients with a trusted partner who understands their culture and can guide them through this challenging diagnosis in their primary language.”

Any Los Angeles County resident is eligible to participate in the program, free of charge, regardless of financial or citizenship status, age, sexual identity, belief system or education level. Project leaders are intending to reach geographic areas and groups across Los Angeles County that are documented as having higher rates of late-stage diagnoses.

A 2022 Cedars-Sinai study published in Frontiers of Oncology showed that ethnic groups in Los Angeles had high rates of particular cancers. For example, Black people have higher rates of prostate cancer, triple-negative breast cancer and pancreatic cancer than people who identify with other groups. Latinos have higher incidence rates of certain cancers, including liver cancer and late-stage melanoma than non-Latino white people. Rates of breast cancer among Koreans have increased more significantly than among people who identify with other groups.

“This project’s whole-person approach to helping cancer patients will chip away at disparities by providing timely access to treatment, and equitable allocation of survivorship tools – all provided by trusted navigators working in the community,” said Zul Surani, associate director of community outreach and engagement, and an administrator of the Cancer Research Center for Health Equity at Cedars-Sinai Cancer. “Culturally tailored navigation across the cancer continuum is a massive undertaking and has proven effective through decades of research, and this program aims to reduce the cancer burden across Los Angeles neighborhoods.”

To participate, fill out the Ronnie Lippin Cancer Support and Navigation Project application at coe.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9LauvggxdFa70Cq. For information, visit cedars-sinai.org.