ALAC Gets Survivors Moving
Active Living After Cancer
Active Living after Cancer (ALAC), is a Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) funded program. The program aims to improve the quality of life of cancer survivors in Houston and El Paso by promoting physical activity, and by providing navigation services for survivorship issues. A large and growing number of cancer survivors in Texas, especially those who are medically underserved, necessitates effective programs to help survivors improve their health and physical functioning, thereby reducing the risk of cancer recurrence or new cancers.
The program consists of 12 weekly sessions, followed by a reunion at the conclusion of the program. Each session is comprised of cognitive and behavioral skills training related to increasing physical activity, a guided discussion on a survivorship topic, and short bouts of moderate physical activity. The program is free of charge, and each participant will be provided a pedometer and a resistance band, that they may keep, to help them reach their physical activity goals.
To be eligible to participate in the program, the participants must:
- Have a previous diagnosis of cancer at the time of enrollment.
- Not be receiving chemotherapy or radiation at the time of enrollment.
To find a location near you, or to register for a class, please call:
- Houston locations (English): 713-442-1216 or 713-442-1252
- Houston locations (Spanish): 713-442-1216 or 713-442-1252
- MD Anderson Houston Area locations: 713-563-6781 (English) or 713-563-4552 (Spanish)
- El Paso locations (Spanish): 915-771-6305
For more information about the program or to be a host site, please contact our Program Coordinator, Patricia Tracy at ALACprogram@mdanderson.org.
Our Partners
- Kelsey Research Foundation
- ProSalud
- Cancer and Chronic Disease Consortium
- Project CHURCH
Upcoming Classes
| Organization | Start Date/Time | Language | Status |
| Gift of Life - Beaumont | Thursday, March 25, 2021 2 p.m. |
English | Accepting new participants until April 8 |
| Kelsey Research Foundation | Wednesday, April 28, 2021 10 a.m. |
English | Accepting new participants until April 12 |
| MD Anderson West Houston | Monday, May 3, 2021 12 p.m. |
English | Accepting new participants until May 17 |
| MD Anderson League City / Galveston | Summer 2021 | English | Now Recruiting new participants |
| MD Anderson in Sugar Land | Summer 2021 | English | Now Recruiting new participants |
| Cancer and Chronic Disease Consortium of El Paso | Wednesday, April 7, 2021 | Spanish | Accepting new participants until April 21 |
| University of Texas in Tyler | April 2021 | English | Now Recruiting new participants |
*All classes unless specified are currently being conducted virtually .
Testimonials
"When I heard my doctor say that he thought I may have cancer after a routine checkup, it was like you see in the movies. All the air in my body escaped. Everything around me came to a complete stop and my mind went blank. Then I tried to start breathing again. I couldn’t and I started hyperventilating. This is how I felt during the entire time I was fighting cancer. Moments of feeling like all the air had left me. Everything around me stopping and freezing. And moments of sheer panic. We all know that cancer attacks the body and can see it. What cannot be seen is how it attacks the mind and spirit. I was healing and had a wonderful prognosis. But my mind and my spirit were in a terrible state. My doctor recognized this in me and recommended the Active Living After Cancer program. I was reluctant but my doctors had not steered me wrong yet. I’m not a social or outgoing person with strangers but within a few weeks, I felt like the women in the program with me were family. Learning more about the right foods to eat, the exercise recommended and the interaction with people who understood EVERYTHING about what I went through was the most meaningful thing that has come out of me having his horrible disease. My family and close friends have said that they see a light in my eyes and a pep in my step that they hadn’t seen since before being diagnosed. Active Living After Cancer is what helped me find a lost part of myself."- ALAC Graduate, Pasadena, TX
"Tremendously satisfied with this type of programs, lots of information, myths and realities. The people who gave the class knew exactly what they were talking about and got me out of doubt about the disease. Definitely recommended and keep going for much longer. Adriana, Mary and Isabel helped me a lot, gave me a lot of confidence and strength to continue fighting with this disease..." - ALAC Graduate, El Paso, TX
"Completely super grateful for their attention, everything that was delivered was very beneficial to us survivors 'a thousand thanks.'" - ALAC Graduate, Houston, TX
"The program is excellent I would have liked it to last longer. The facilitators were very well and cleared many doubts. I learned things I didn't know before." - ALAC Graduate, Houston, TX
"I've become more aware of my activities and more conscious of the way that we eat. It has made a big difference." - ALAC Graduate, Spring, TX
When I heard my doctor say that he thought I may have cancer after a routine checkup, it was like you see in the movies. All the air in my body escaped. Everything around me came to a complete stop and my mind went blank. Then I tried to start breathing again. I couldn’t and I started hyperventilating. This is how I felt during the entire time I was fighting cancer. Moments of feeling like all the air had left me. Everything around me stopping and freezing. And moments of sheer panic.
We all know that cancer attacks the body and can see it. What cannot be seen is how it attacks the mind and spirit. I was healing and had a wonderful prognosis. But my mind and my spirit were in a terrible state. My doctor recognized this in me and recommended the Active Living After Cancer program. I was reluctant but my doctors had not steered me wrong yet. I’m not a social or outgoing person with strangers but within a few weeks, I felt like the women in the program with me were family. Learning more about the right foods to eat, the exercise recommended and the interaction with people who understood EVERYTHING about what I went through was the most meaningful thing that has come out of me having his horrible disease. My family and close friends have said that they see a light in my eyes and a pep in my step that they hadn’t seen since before being diagnosed. Active Living After Cancer is what helped me find a lost part of myself.
- "Tremendously satisfied with this type of programs, lots of information, myths and realities. The people who gave the class knew exactly what they were talking about and got me out of doubt about the disease. Definitely recommended and keep going for much longer. Adriana, Mary and Isabel helped me a lot, gave me a lot of confidence and strength to continue fighting with this disease…" – ALAC Graduates El Paso, TX
Project ECHO: Community Cancer Survivorship
Through Project ECHO, we are providing on-going training and mentoring to community health workers implementing the Active Living after Cancer program. We provide case based learning, where the community health workers are able to share the experiences or issues they encounter while implementing the program. We deliver didactic lectures to train and address important topics for effective program implementation, and deliver didactic lectures over topics related to cancer survivorship.
Learn more about the Community Cancer Survivorship ECHO program
ALAC Newsletters
March 2021(Issue 34)
February 2021(Issue 33)
January 2021(Issue 32)
Related Institutes & Centers
Contact Us
Active Living after Cancer
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Center for Energy Balance in Cancer Prevention and Survivorship
Patricia Tracy, Program Coordinator
713-792-4154
ALACprogram@mdanderson.org
Mailing Address:
MD Anderson Cancer Prevention Center
1155 Pressler Street
Unit 1330
Houston, TX 77030