Categories for Diagnostics

Breast Cancer Diagnosis

A Devastating Breast Cancer Story with an Important Lesson

Published by on September 16, 2020 1 Comment

Why did Janice’s breast cancer go undiagnosed for so long? Janice came to us in October of last year. She had been experiencing pain in her left breast for over a year and could feel a strange lump. After 6 months Janice went to her doctor to see if it was breast cancer. Her GP took her concerns seriously and sent Janice for an ultrasound. But nothing obvious showed up on the results.  And since Janice had no other symptoms, her doctor said to just ‘wait and see’ if the pain continued.  9 months went by and the pain kept getting worse.  The painful waiting game… During that time, Janice tried everything: she started eating healthier, tried different bras, no bra, new pillows, physiotherapy, and...
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Childhood cancer

Childhood Cancer: Why Do Kids Get Cancer?

Published by on August 26, 2020 | Share your thoughts

You might have wondered why children get cancer…  It’s a very fair question – after all, we know that many cancers are influenced by lifestyle factors. Things like smoking or obesity can indeed impact your chance of getting cancer over time…but not when you’re, say, 5 years old.  So why do some kids end up suffering from cancer? Our cancer expert, Alex Rolland, explains in this video below. Why childhood cancer occurs Here’s a quick rule of thumb, according to Alex: If someone has been diagnosed with cancer under the age of 50, it’s almost certain that they’ve inherited a cancer-related genetic mutation. In other words, they were born with it.  And it could either be a germline mutation (aka something passed down from a...
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CT Scan Misdiagnosis

Cancer Misdiagnosis – Should You Trust a CT Scan?

Published by on August 19, 2020 | Share your thoughts

Pretty much everyone dreads finding out they, or a loved one, have cancer. But that’s not even the worst part of a cancer diagnosis – what’s more stressful is wondering about cancer misdiagnosis. No fun. Read on to hear what happened to Gerry and how our research scientists at CTOAM were able to help. Gerry’s Cancer Misdiagnosis Story Gerry had been going about his life as usual. He worked an office day job that he liked, at a large company with decent health benefits. His wife, along with their two young boys, were the light of his life. Things were good. But after a routine work physical exam, everything changed. Gerry was given the news that no one ever wants to hear. A nightmare come...
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Antibody testing for COVID-19

Brand New Antibody Testing for COVID-19

Published by on August 12, 2020 | Share your thoughts

Rapid at-home antibody testing for COVID-19 is the best way to lower your risk of infection! ✔️ The value of these tests has been well established in previous pandemics…and now, finally, in this current one too. We’ve been using these home-tests since the onset of this pandemic. With full disclosure to Health Canada, naturally. Because CTOAM’s research scientists have long known about the efficacy of this type of antibody testing for COVID-19! And now, after months, one of the most prestigious medical journals (The New England Journal of Medicine) has finally published their opinion on them, which verifies what our experts have known from the start! You can read the article here: 🩸 Why rapid home-testing for COVID-19 could save us from this mess It’s...
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Cancer Misdiagnosis

Is a Cancer Misdiagnosis Common?

Published by on July 29, 2020 | Share your thoughts

Perhaps the only thing scarier than a cancer diagnosis is learning that you’ve been misdiagnosed. Of course, if it turns out that you don’t actually have cancer, then that’s amazing news! (Although, wouldn’t you have wanted to avoid the whole ‘cancer scare’ if you didn’t even have it in the first place?) Sadly, what’s far more common is when people are misdiagnosed with the wrong type of cancer. Which means that instead of getting the right treatment from the get-go, you were wandering down the wrong path, wasting precious time, through no fault of your own. Our cancer expert, Alex Rolland, explains more in this video. How often does cancer misdiagnosis occur? Watch here ⬇️ When someone calls us at CTOAM, they usually want to...
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Find the Right Treatments Matching Your Cancer Genetics

Published by on June 19, 2020 | Share your thoughts

CTOAM Is Partnering With OmiCure to Bring You the Most Advanced Precision Diagnostics! A word from CTOAM’s Chief Research Scientist and Co-Founder, Alex Rolland: CTOAM has prided itself on always staying on the cusp of Precision Oncology and cancer genetics – and, for the last 10 years, we have been the first to bring many amazing diagnostic and treatment technologies to cancer patients all over the world. Now we are entering a new dawn in Precision Oncology! We have just partnered with OmiCure to bring our patients the latest in diagnostic technology using their advanced Artificial Intelligence (AI) platform. This amazing new technology analyzes 30 million reads of RNA sequencing from a tumour biopsy in order to identify the best possible drug combinations for each...
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Computer generated image of close-up of blue DNA strand with red cells surrounding it.

Did You Inherit Cancer Causing Gene Mutations?

Published by on February 18, 2019 1 Comment

Many of us have had a blood relative with cancer. If you inherited certain causing genetic mutations, it can increase your chances of developing cancer as well. Two Types of Inherited Mutations There are two types of inherited mutations that could affect you for cancer. 1. Germline Inherited: These are inherited through the family germline, affecting many generations. They’re relatively rare, connected with causing 10 -15% of cancers. 2. Somatic Inherited: In contrast, the other type of inherited mutation is only present in that person – and not their family. So, with this kind, there is no previous family history of cancer. Most cancers are caused by this type of inheritance. Inherited Mutations with NO Family History This type of inherited mutation occurs when the...
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A notepad with a list of new year's resolutions for 2019 written with blank spaces.

5 New Year’s Resolutions to Make When You Have Cancer

Published by on January 5, 2019 2 Comments

It’s that time of year again…time for the annual barrage of “New Year, New You” articles, memes, and discussions around the water cooler. If you have cancer, though, this year is probably looking a bit different. The typical New Year’s resolutions to lose weight, start running, cut out gluten, or floss daily don’t seem that important. You have one goal and wish for this year – and that’s to survive cancer. Our client care team at CTOAM has put together a list of things you can do this year that are scientifically proven to increase your chances of beating cancer. So that you can look forward to many more years of making New Year’s resolutions and spending time with your loved ones. 1. Get a...
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A DNA strand overlaps a close-up of a cancer cell.

How Genomic Profiling Increases Cancer Patients’ Chances of Survival!

Published by on October 3, 2018 2 Comments

In nearly a decade of helping people recover from cancer, CTOAM’s precision oncology specialists have never seen two people with exactly the same cancer. Our specialists have seen people with breast, lung, brain, and prostate cancer, as well as other types of cancer – and, even within the same category, no two people have had the exact same mutations driving their cancer. Therefore, each of our patients has required a unique combination of advanced targeted therapies and nutraceuticals, and sometimes in addition to other treatment interventions. In order to have the best chance of recovery from cancer, your treatment must target your unique genetic mutations. And for that, you need genomic profiling and Precision Oncology’s gene-based approach to cancer care. What is Cancer? Cancer is...
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Two women smile for a photo, one has cancer and a scarf around her head.

What if Better Cancer Treatment Already Exists?

Published by on September 30, 2018 1 Comment

What if there were already better cancer treatment options? Better than standard chemotherapy and radiation? There are! We now have more accurate tests and treatments that help cancer patients live longer than standard cancer care. These treatments have already been approved for use in Canada and have recently become part of standard care in the UK. They’re also already used in most top cancer hospitals in the US, like the Mayo Clinic, MD Anderson, and John Hopkins. But, most are not yet available through Canadian public healthcare. It could take upwards of 10 years for these lifesaving treatments to become offered through Canadian public healthcare. That’s where CTOAM comes in. Cancer Treatment Options and Management (CTOAM) is a Canada-based company that specializes in providing Precision Oncology...
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