Document 6479895

Take note: Herbs and supplements are medicine, too
Fact or fiction?
Herbs are natural and come from plants, so they can’t hurt you.
Absolute fiction – and for cancer patients on a regimen of drugs, nonprescribed substances can negatively affect their treatment or even be
outright dangerous.
“I view all herbs and supplements – anything over the counter – as
medications,” says Naturopathic Oncologist Dr. Leticia Cain, ND,
FABNO. “In order to provide our patients the very best care, we need
to know everything they are taking.”
There are several reasons the full disclosure is so important, she says.
First, herbs and supplements can interact with other medications
prescribed to combat the cancer directly or to deal with its secondary
effects. These interactions can lessen the effectiveness of cancer
treatment or increase negative side effects. Also, patients with
decreased liver function will be even less able to process substances
their provider isn’t aware of.
MARCH/APRIL 2012
Your
Stamp
Here
In addition, while something like vitamin C is regulated and very
standard across brands, herbs and supplements are not regulated by
the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. This means substances with
the same name can vary widely in their potency and other factors.
“For instance, I might prescribe something specifically for one of its
subcomponents – such as a particular brand and dose of green tea for
the level of polyphenols it contains,” she says. “But a generic, overthe-counter green tea pill might be nothing more than green tea in a
capsule, with none of the medical effects we intend.”
Dr. Cain says patients should review herbs and supplements with
their provider:
TUESDAY POTLUCK GROUP
SHARES TIPS AND LAUGHTER
900 SW 16th Street, Renton, WA 98057
• When any factor of your cancer treatment
(chemotherapy, radiation, etc.) changes
(with chemo on the side)
• If you have new symptoms
• If you start taking new medications
• When you have any questions at all – it’s better to check in
and be safe
Check out
our
Natural Medicines
Dispensary
The Natural Medicines Dispensary here at Seattle Cancer Treatment and Wellness
Center sells only the highest quality vitamins, herbs and supplements.
Our suppliers are chosen for the quality and purity of their products, many of
them “professional only” lines that are more potent than what you would buy
over-the-counter. (A survey of more than 1,200 supplements by ConsumerLabs.
com found one out of four to be contaminated or sub-potent.)
So, if you want to play it safe and get more bang for your supplement buck, get
your physician-prescribed supplements here. We also do not charge sales tax!
Mark your C alendar
MAY - is Melanoma/Skin Cancer Detection and Prevention Month. Learn more at www.melanomamonday.org.
MAY 17 - Look Good...Feel Better, free hair and makeup session brought to you by American Cancer Society,® 1 to 3
p.m. at SCTWC. You must call 1-800-ACS-2345 to register.
June 3 - Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure® Puget Sound, 7 a.m. – 3 p.m. at the Seattle Center. Learn more at
www.komenpugetsound.org.
June 8 - SCTWC is sponsoring the American Cancer Society’s® annual Relay for Life® for the fourth year in a row, 6
p.m. at Renton Memorial Stadium. Go to rentonrelay.org to join the SCTWC HOPESQUAD, or to cancer.org to find
the Relay for Life event nearest you.
June 9 - Pancreatic Cancer Action Network® 6th Annual Celebration of Hope (PANCAN) Gala. Go to Pancan.org
for more information and to register.
It’s midday Tuesday, and the room
bustles with laughter and activity.
People chatter and mingle around a center table laden with fresh stir-fry, rice,
beans and tortillas. With this cheerful atmosphere, you might have popped
into a neighborhood barbecue.
about
What is different is the picnickers are at Seattle Cancer Treatment and
Wellness Center (SCTWC) for their weekly chemotherapy, all seated around
the room in white treatment chairs and hooked up to IVs.
Seattle Cancer Treatment and Wellness Center
When you or someone you know has cancer – even advanced cancer or complex cancer – you never give up hope. Neither do we.
That’s because Seattle Cancer Treatment and Wellness Center believes that people with cancer deserve every chance to receive care that
is tailored uniquely to their cancer, their needs. No one-size-fits-all approaches here.
Your health care team includes board-certified medical oncologists, board-certified naturopathic oncologists, and other natural cancer
care and supportive care practitioners. We are proud to have been the first cancer center in the Pacific Northwest where doctors,
naturopathic physicians and other providers work side by side to practice true patient-centered care. We are experts in treating most
types of cancer and have pioneered innovative treatment for pancreatic cancer, breast cancer, colorectal cancer and lung cancer.
We accept most health insurance plans. Our services and providers include:
Medical Oncology and Clinical Research
Nick Chen, M.D., Ph.D
Atis Barzdins, M.D.
Shawna Smith, ARNP
Mind-Body Medicine
Lori Nelson, MA, LMHCA, LMP
Stacy Oxenhandler, ND, MA
Mana Iluna, MSW
Naturopathic oncology
Dr. Letitia Cain, ND, FABNO
Mark Gignac, ND, MSA, FABNO
Paul Reilly, ND, LAc, FABNO
Care Coordination and Patient Navigation
Bennett Reyes
Tanika Sims
Instead of withstanding half a dozen hours of chemotherapy alone and
leaving, they – and their families – have created a community, bringing and
sharing food, laughter and stories at a time you might not expect people to be
so jovial.
“The people here are nice – they feed you!” says Tim Hill, as the wife of another patient
bustles around the room, serving food and drinks. “If you’re having a problem with your
treatment, someone else might say, ‘Here’s what worked for me.’”
Duane Garrison adds: “We talk about normal parts of daily life, like, ‘How did you come
through the storm?’ We don’t just cover the grim stuff – but it’s a safe place to share if that
comes up.”
Continued inside...
Antonio Garza
_________________ For more information, visit www.seattlecancerwellness.com or call 206-FOR-HOPE _________________
Conveniently located in Renton at 900 SW 16th Street, Suite 100
The Navigator is a publication of Seattle Cancer Treatment and Wellness Center. It is not intended to replace the advice of a physician. No case is
typical. You should not expect to experience results described in this publication.
© 2012 Rising Tide
ehr
Julie Bo
ig
Tiffany Arneber
g-Patterson
The CTCA difference
Who’s in charge
here? You are!
There’s a reason it is called
“the big C” – a diagnosis of
cancer can be overwhelming,
and it can often seem like the
disease is the one in charge.
But at Cancer Treatment Centers of America® (CTCA), our clinicians
believe in your fundamental right to be informed about, and to
choose among, the best available options for your cancer treatment.
It’s all part of our Patient Empowerment Medicine® philosophy of
care.
Our health care providers do at least as much listening to you as
talking. Rather than telling you what you need, your care team listens
to you and provides clear, well-defined choices. Then, they help you
decide on a treatment plan that best suits your individual needs.
Far from being “just a nice thing to do,” patient empowerment care
has real benefits that can help you withstand your cancer treatment
and begin to heal. That means you can:
• Feel more in control of your life
• Make informed decisions about your care
• Choose treatments best suited to you
• Build confidence to face challenges
• Feel hopeful rather than helpless
The first step on the road to empowerment begins with some
questions - the list below will get you started, and the answers will
be unique to you. Bring your responses next time you meet with
your providers:
• Do you fully understand your medical condition?
• Have we explained your treatment options?
• Do you know what medications you are on and
their potential side effects?
• Have we addressed all your pain issues?
• How can we improve your quality of life?
At CTCA’s Western Regional Medical Center, which offers the same
approach to integrated care as SCTWC, treatment options also
include traditional therapies such as surgery and radiation plus pain
management, oncology rehabilitation and other complementary
services.
“Everyone is different – the way your body reacts to cancer, how
it responds to treatment, your lifestyle and expectations,” explains
Medical Director Nick Chen, M.D., Ph.D. “By offering an
integrative approach, we can use every possible tool to meet your
unique care needs.”
Antonio Garza, whose son is the stir-fry chef, is quieter than the rest, but his
approval comes easily: “This group surprised me – it is so friendly. They’re real
nice people, all of them.”
Although the weekly potluck ritual is just a few months old, veteran patient and
group member Dennis Phifer has brought his gourmet concoctions here for
years, and he still attends frequently to socialize.
And while the food keeps people moving about like bees in a hive, it is the family
atmosphere that makes treatment more bearable for all.
“The group dynamic here made me not want
to change my chemo schedule,” says Tiffany
Arneberg-Patterson.
• Do you need help coordinating care at home?
• Have we answered all your questions?
And Julie Boehrig chimes in: “It’s often
depressing on the ride over from Spokane,
but by the time I go home I feel better.”
To learn more about Patient Empowerment Medicine®,
visit cancercenter.com
Ben Taney even draws a direct connection
between the Tuesday group and his
resolve against cancer.
“This potluck is really nice,” he says. “We’re all here to fight the fight. If you keep
working toward something, eventually you’ll win.”
Each patient is waging a very private and solitary battle, but there are no
outsiders here. They are united in their choice to love and laugh and share – and
to keep on fighting.
Can we fix you a plate?
Duane
Integrative cancer care
Unique among cancer centers across the nation, CTCA expands the
boundaries of conventional care by bringing together traditional
tools for fighting cancer along with supportive therapies. For
example, at Seattle Cancer Treatment and Wellness Center
(SCTWC), we provide chemotherapy along with naturopathic care
and mind-body therapy. Our medical oncologists, naturopathic
oncologists and mind-body specialists work side by side to
determine the very best course of treatment for each individual
patient.
(Continued)
• Would you like to speak with a financial counselor?
What’s
up with that?
At Cancer Treatment Centers of America® (CTCA), integrative cancer treatment is not a buzzword or a recent trend. It is what we have
provided to our patients since 1988.
POTLUCK
Cancer Research Headlines
Caffeine may alter women’s estrogen levels
Researchers now believe women who drink caffeine see greater changes in
their estrogen levels. Variations in estrogen levels are associated with several
diseases, including breast and ovarian cancers. Go to www.usatoday.com and
search for estrogen, caffeine.
Cancer patients suffer needlessly from lack of nutritional support
Well-nourished cancer patients tend to have better clinical outcomes and lead
better quality lives, but 20 to 40 percent of cancer patients die from causes
related to malnutrition rather than the cancer itself. Go to www.prnewswire.com
and search for Wholesome Temptation.
Drug may slow early prostate cancer
The cancer drug, Avodart, which is typically used to treat an enlarged prostate
gland, could potentially help to slow the progression of early stage prostate
cancer, according to a new study. Go to www.consumer.healthday.com and
search for Avodart.
Researchers identify liver cancer risk factors
Two new studies from the Mayo Clinic find that hepatitis C infection and
obesity could be to blame for a surge in liver cancer cases, which have tripled
over the last 30 years. Go to www.consumer.healthday.com and search for
hepatocellular carcinoma.
on
Garris
When patients go the distance,
so do WE
When you come to Seattle Cancer Treatment and Wellness
Center (SCTWC), you’re not only going to meet patients
from Seattle, Renton or Tacoma. You are just as likely to run
into someone from Juneau, Portland or San Francisco.
SCTWC draws patients from all over the West Coast and beyond, and we work hard to make it easy on those who travel
the farthest.
“We want to take as much stress as possible off patients’
hands, so they don’t have to deal with that while they’re
receiving care,” says Tanika Sims, patient navigator and care
coordinator.
Her experience on the job is truly soup-to-nuts: anything it
takes to get patients and their families to SCTWC and make
their stays easier, Tanika likely has done.
“If someone’s coming into town and needs a place to stay,
we have contracts for reduced rates with local hotels and
extended-stay facilities. Or, if they’re driving here in an RV,
we can find them a place to park their rig,” she says.
Some patients and their families even fly in for their weekly
treatments when staffing and weather allow, courtesy of Angel
Flight, a nonprofit, volunteer-driven organization that arranges
free, non-emergency air travel for those with serious medical
conditions.
Julie Boehrig lives in Spokane and sometimes uses Angel Flight
to come to SCTWC for treatment.
“Driving five hours each way can get to be a grind, and it’s really
expensive on fuel. So we are very grateful that Angel Flight can
get me there,” she said. “It’s free, and it only takes an hour or two
each way, depending on the plane.”
“Just let us know what your travel needs are,” Tanika concludes.
“Lean on us, and don’t feel bad about asking.”
If you have questions about coordinating travel to SCTWC or
making your stay in Seattle easier, contact Tanika Sims,
425-204-3898 or tanikas@seattlecancerwellness.com.
Get a good night’s sleep
it’s not just mom’s advice
Having cancer can often seem to work against getting a good,
satisfying night’s sleep: You might be feeling increased stress or pain,
and the medications you are on could be keeping you awake.
But according to Naturopathic Oncologist Dr. Mark Gignac, ND,
FABNO, cancer patients may have more to be concerned about
than the peace of mind that proper sleep can bring – including their
ability to effectively fight the disease.
He says that during sleep, brain frequencies signal the release of
chemicals for healing and proper immune function – and deep sleep
is the only time this happens.
“So there’s a scientific basis to telling patients to get a good night’s
sleep,” he says. “It’s not just a platitude.”
A few things to try at home to sleep well:
• Make your bedroom as dark as possible, even changing your
window coverings if necessary
• Have a calming routine at bedtime – play relaxing music, read,
pray, meditate or “cool down” with easy stretching exercises
• Avoid activities that keep your brain running, such as checking
your e-mail
“The idea is to make your brain wind down, not crank up,” Dr.
Gignac explained.
To help cancer patients further battle sleeplessness, our providers
use a three-phase approach when prescribing medication. First
up are natural substances such as 5-HTP, theanine (a green tea
extraction) or tryptophan. If those don’t work, Benadryl® often
slows people down enough to sleep.
Also, innovative treatments – such as various sound (auditory)
technologies – have shown promise. Check with your provider
for more information.
“If a patient’s sleep habits still don’t return to a healthy level,
prescribing an actual sleep agent is the next step,” Dr. Gignac says.
“And people shouldn’t feel bad if they have to take a sleeping pill.
In order to get well, you need the benefits that only good sleep
can bring.”
Recipe of the season
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