Categories for Diagnostics

How to Beat Stage 4 Neuroendocrine Cancer

Published by on March 24, 2021 | Share your thoughts

“I’m just really grateful. Because I don’t think Korey would still be here if we weren’t involved with you.” That’s Erin talking about her husband, Korey, who went from a rare, complex stage 4 neuroendocrine cancer diagnosis to remission in less than a year. Sounds too good to be true, I know – but it’s not. This is the power of Precision Oncology. And it all started with Erin and Korey’s unshakable determination to advocate for better cancer care. 🧬 Erin found CTOAM after standard care had left Korey with no more options. She knew she had to find a way to get him the help he needed…and their three young kids needed her to stay strong. She refused to give up hope. So she...
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Doctor

3 Genetic Tests Can Increase Your Life Expectancy by 80%!

Published by on November 18, 2020 | Share your thoughts

You’ve probably already heard about genetic tests for cancer. But did you know that when just one special type of genetic test is used in your cancer diagnosis your life expectancy increases by 30%? And did you know that when you add all 3 types of genetic tests to your diagnosis and treatment plan, your life expectancy increases by 80+% over standard care? Comprehensive Genetic Tests Are Key to Treatment Success With this leading-edge medical science, you and your oncologist can be certain that your diagnosis is accurate and that you’re getting the absolute best treatment for your cancer. Waste no time, leave nothing to chance. You should not feel like you’re in the dark about your cancer care! Demand certainty and don’t settle for...
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A Second Chance

A Second Chance for John

Published by on November 11, 2020 | Share your thoughts

John’s wife Nan had been diagnosed with an advanced form of cervical cancer nearly a decade ago. They spent about 5 years trying to fight it through standard care. Nan got surgery, radiation, and many rounds of chemo. She grew worse. They eventually reached out to us when it looked like there was nothing more that could be done for Nan, except for palliative chemo, through standard care. We took a look at her case and immediately sent Nan for genetic testing. Our cancer expert Alex Rolland found several promising treatment options based on results, including immunotherapy. However, due to various factors at the time, John and Nan decided to stick with standard care and continue with the palliative chemo. Nan passed away several months...
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Better cancer care

Better Cancer Care: How to Get What You Need

Published by on October 28, 2020 | Share your thoughts

“You get what you settle for.” You’ve probably heard that one before.  A good friend of mine told me this, many years ago, in relation to my dating life. I was seeing someone new and wasn’t sure if they were right for me…and my friend said, “well Michelle, you get what you settle for! So the question is: do you want to settle for him?”  I chewed on that for a while and eventually realized, yeah…I wasn’t going to settle for this particular man. And I’m so glad I didn’t!  Why am I telling you about my past dating woes?  Because “you get what you settle for” is true for many areas of life… Including cancer care.  Getting Better Cancer Care Requires Advocacy Standard cancer...
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How David Went From Stage IV to Full Remission in Less Than 1 Year

Published by on October 21, 2020 1 Comment

David was a pilot for Air Canada, with a loving wife and two young children. He had a good life. Young at heart and in his early 40s, he stayed fit by playing tennis and loved to relax spending time with his family and their giant fluffy black cat, Snickers, in their cozy Alberta home they’d newly renovated. The Dreaded News: Stage IV Cancer… Needless to say, getting cancer was not in David’s plans.But as we all know, cancer doesn’t play fair. And in his early 40s David got the dreaded news: he had a particularly complex case of stage IV neuroendocrine cancer. Pretty much the worst case scenario, especially for someone so young. His oncologist – one of the top neuroendocrine specialists in the country – told him chemo was...
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Breast Cancer Diagnosis

A Devastating Breast Cancer Story with an Important Lesson

Published by on September 16, 2020 3 Comments

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 1 Comment

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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