Cancer Control Month Feature: Dr. Autumn Lanoye
Dr. Lanoye serves as Affiliate Faculty in the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences
National Cancer Control Month is celebrated during the month of April in honor of those that are currently fighting cancer, have survived it and those who have tragically lost the battle. Dr. Autumn Lanoye has dedicated her career to helping cancer patients.
Dr. Autumn Lanoye is a clinical psychologist and Assistant Professor with a primary appointment in the VCU School of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology, Oncology, and Palliative Care. In her role as a clinician-scientist, she provides psychotherapy services for patients at Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center and conducts studies with the goal of improving both mental and physical health among cancer survivors.
“There is so much uncertainty associated with cancer diagnosis, treatment, and long-term survivorship—that makes it even more important to develop evidence-based programs to empower survivors to improve their mental and physical health. The goal is to be able to say ‘there may be a lot of unknowns right now, but here are some things that are within your control and are supported by research.’”
Dr. Lanoye’s research falls under the multidisciplinary specialty of psycho-oncology, which is concerned with 1) the emotional responses of patients, their families, and staff at all stages of disease; and 2) the psychological, social, and behavioral variables that influence cancer risk, prevention, and survival.1 Currently, Dr. Lanoye has ongoing work spanning both domains.
With respect to understanding and managing the emotional responses of cancer patients and families, Dr. Lanoye is a Co-Investigator on a Department of Defense-funded trial (PI: Dr. Ashlee Loughan) delivering an existential psychotherapeutic treatment called Managing Cancer and Living Meaningfully (CALM) to patients with primary and metastatic brain tumors, who have historically been excluded from this type of research. Dr. Lanoye—in collaboration with Dr. Susan Hong (Internal Medicine) and Dr. Maria Thomson (Social and Behavioral Sciences)—has also developed a self-guided journaling protocol to assist cancer survivors in recognizing, processing, and coping with stressful situations.
Dr. Lanoye’s work in prevention of secondary cancers among survivors focuses on risk behaviors including tobacco use, dietary quality, and physical activity. She is currently funded by an ACS-IRG mechanism (Co-Is Dr. Jessica LaRose and Dr. Susan Hong) to explore the feasibility and acceptability of a lifestyle intervention targeting chronic inflammation through improved sleep, stress management, healthy diet, and physical activity among emerging adult cancer survivors.
Through her work as a clinician and a researcher, Dr. Lanoye’s impact on the lives of cancer patients is twofold: “It is my hope that I can meaningfully contribute to improving quality of life of individuals diagnosed with cancer—both 1:1 in a therapeutic setting and through research efforts,” says Lanoye.
1. Butow PN, Breitbart WS, Jacobsen PB, Loscalzo MJ, Lazenby M, Lam W. Psycho-Oncology. Fourth edition. Oxford University Press, Incorporated; 2021.
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