The Long Road Ahead

At just 33 years old, Samantha Scoblink faced a reality she never anticipated: a diagnosis of stage 4 metastatic breast cancer. What she initially dismissed as a pulled muscle near her left breast had escalated into a life-threatening condition. “I was devastated … I couldn’t believe this was happening to me,” Scoblink recalls. The cancer had spread to her sternum and lymph nodes, leaving her with limited treatment options at her local hospital near her small hometown of Berwick, PA.

“They said that they couldn’t do anything for me. All they could do was give me chemo for the rest of my life,” Scoblink explains. But after seeking a second opinion, she learned of another possibility. The Abramson Cancer Center in Philadelphia, about two and a half hours from her home, offered a more advanced treatment called proton radiation, which could target her cancer more precisely. To receive this care, however, meant facing the daunting prospect of traveling five hours round trip each day—or finding a place to stay nearby.

Traveling For Care

For many cancer patients like Scoblink, the logistics behind treatment can be as taxing as the disease itself. Transportation is a critical barrier, particularly for those in rural or underserved areas who must travel great distances for specialized care. According to a report by Chartis, a top-ranked healthcare advisory firm, “America’s rural health safety net has been in crisis mode for nearly 15 years.” With the closure of rural hospitals and chronic staff shortages, patients are increasingly forced to travel farther for life-saving treatments. For cancer patients, specialized treatments and clinical trials are also oftentimes linked to a particular hospital—regardless of distance. Coupled with rising costs for transportation and lodging, the burden becomes almost insurmountable for many.

A recent study from scientists at the American Cancer Society (ACS) and Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center has brought this issue into sharp focus, revealing that patients who experience delayed care because of transportation challenges are associated with increased emergency room visits and a higher risk of mortality. The problem is particularly acute for cancer survivors who already face a heightened risk of complications.

In a press release from ACS, senior author of the study and Scientific Director of ACS Health Services Research Dr. Xuesong Han states, “Transportation barriers prevent many patients with cancer from accessing timely and effective care. Lack of reliable and affordable transportation can lead to missed appointments, delayed diagnoses, treatment interruptions, and incomplete follow-up care.” She adds, “These factors can worsen the prognosis and quality of life of cancer survivors, as well as increase the costs and burdens on the healthcare system.”

Organizations like ACS are actively working to address these barriers, developing and promoting programs like Hope Lodge and Road To Recovery, which aim to ensure that all cancer patients can receive the comprehensive care that they need.

A Beacon of Hope

When Scoblink learned she would need to travel to Philadelphia for treatment, she looked to the ACS Hope Lodge program, a network of lodging that provides free accommodations to cancer patients and their caregivers.

Founded in 1984, the Hope Lodge program includes 32 locations strategically positioned near comprehensive cancer centers in cities across the United States, where cutting-edge research and treatments are available. With a referral from either an oncologist or social worker, any patient and caregiver traveling more than 40 miles to their treatment center can access the ACS Hope Lodge and its services for any amount of time that’s needed.

For Scoblink, Hope Lodge was much more than just a place to stay. It was a lifeline. After undergoing six rounds of chemotherapy in addition to a double mastectomy, she headed to the ACS AstraZeneca Hope Lodge in Cheltenham, PA, where she stayed while receiving 20 rounds of proton radiation therapy over several weeks.

The AstraZeneca Hope Lodge first opened its doors in May 2009 and has since supported thousands of patients and their caregivers. In addition to lodging, it offers guests transportation to major cancer centers like the Abramson Cancer Center, the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson and the Fox Chase Cancer Center. “Many of our guests come from small towns and rural settings, so they’re not accustomed to driving in a city like Philadelphia,” says Ochi Ogbogu, senior manager of the AstraZeneca Hope Lodge. “They’re often very anxious about it, so we take that burden off them.”

In 2023 alone, the AstraZeneca Hope Lodge served more than 1,200 patients and their caregivers, providing 2,445 rides and saving patients approximately $1.7 million in hotel and transport fees.

The facility features 37 guest rooms, each with a private bathroom. There are also communal sitting rooms on each floor, a library filled with books and games, a special sunroom for patients sensitive to sunlight, a reflection garden where guests can find tranquility, and a community kitchen where volunteer groups come to prepare and serve meals, mingling with guests.

“It was really the first place that I finally felt not so alone,” says Scoblink. “If Hope Lodge hadn’t existed, I really don’t think I could have even gotten my treatment done. It would have been too expensive for us to be able to stay in the city or even drive back and forth.”

The Road to Recovery

For patients who live near their treatment centers but still face transportation challenges, ACS’s Road To Recovery program offers vital support. Similar to a rideshare app, the program is powered by volunteers who sign up online, undergo background checks, and receive training to drive patients to and from cancer-related appointments.

Jane Longacre, a retired pediatrician and breast cancer survivor, began volunteering as a driver for the program in Montgomery County after reading about the program in a former issue of Philadelphia magazine’s Think Pink.

“Having gone through it, I know how important access to transportation is, especially with radiation where it’s every day and you can’t really miss the appointments,” Longacre says.

For many of the patients that she picks up and drops off, the ability to drive themselves is out of reach, especially when their bodies are already weakened by illness. And while family and friends often do their best to help, the burden of frequent trips can force loved ones to take time off work, risking financial strain and even job security.

“[Road To Recovery] is a great way of giving back,” she says. “Meeting these people and seeing how they just continue on no matter what life throws at them, it’s amazing.”

To sign up to be a volunteer driver for the Road To Recovery program, call 800-227-2345 or visit cancer.org/drive. For volunteer opportunities at Hope Lodge, call 267-622-600.