Life and Health

On Saturday, June 17, the GRH Oncology Clinic celebrated an opportunity for the community to come together and honor our cancer survivors, while hoping to raise awareness of the continued rise in Union County cancer rates.

The inaugural Cancer Survivor Awareness 5K Fun Run and Walk garnered more than 180 registrants, who showed up with friends and family at the La Grande High School track to participate. We celebrated these cancer survivors and supporters and worked to raise awareness of them and the issues they face while advocating for cancer care, treatment and research.

Cancer survivors include people living with or being treated for cancer and those who are now in remission or cancer-free. Due to significant advances in cancer treatment through clinical trials, more and more people who have been diagnosed with cancer are surviving and living longer than before. Today, there are approximately 18 million cancer survivors in the United States—or more than 5% of the population.

In June 2024, we plan to host our second Cancer Survivor 5K Fun Run and Walk—we hope to see you there!

Breast cancer diagnosis is on the rise:

GRH saw a nearly 30% increase from 2020–21 to 2021–22 (see the full chart in The origins of cancer care in Union County). Many of these women are younger. Regular mammograms are not just for women in menopause. Talk to your doctor about your risk for breast cancer. You may need to start screening earlier.

Cancer care at Grande Ronde Hospital

The story of our Oncology services is nearly 20 years in the making. We knew that having cancer care treatment options close to home would let our patients stay in the community and remain connected with their homes and families as they went through their tests and treatments. Drawing from our pioneer spirit to find a way, we introduced a new clinic, service line and specialty provider. Read more about the origin of this vital community resource in The origins of cancer care in Union County.

Categories: GRH Foundation