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Alessandra Alvarez: Honored to Join Beyond the Cancer Diagnosis Series on Head and Neck Cancer Challenges

Alessandra Alvarez/AONN+

Jun 15, 2025, 16:22

Alessandra Alvarez: Honored to Join Beyond the Cancer Diagnosis Series on Head and Neck Cancer Challenges

Alessandra Alvarez, Nurse Navigator for Head and Neck/Endocrine Cancer at Baptist Health, shared a post on LinkedIn:

“Exciting News!

I’m honored to announce that I’ll be joining Adrian Pogacian, Founder of INCKA Psycho-oncology Center and Host of the Beyond the Cancer Diagnosis interview series at OncoDaily, for a powerful conversation exploring the psychosocial and psychological challenges faced by head and neck cancer patients.

As an Oncology Nurse Navigator with nearly nine years of experience with this population and transitioning into the role of a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner next year – this conversation is deeply personal and professionally meaningful. As I get closer to graduation, my heart is still very much in oncology.

I’ve seen the deep emotional toll this journey takes on patients, especially those with head and neck cancer. While spaces for Psych NPs in this field are limited, I’m driven to raise awareness about the psychosocial needs I’ve witnessed and to advocate for more integrated mental health support in cancer care.

We’ll be diving into:

The unmet emotional needs of head and neck cancer patients

Common psychological barriers to care and recovery

The evolving role of psycho-oncology in improving patient outcomes

How mental health support must be integrated across the cancer continuum

This is more than an interview – it’s a call to elevate how we approach cancer care.

Stay tuned for the full interview on OncoDaily.com

I’d love to hear your thoughts – how is your team addressing the mental health needs of cancer patients?”