Categories for Treatment

Cancer and Mental Health – What’s Really Going On? Part 1

Published by on April 14, 2021 | Share your thoughts

Why does cancer affect your mental health? And, is there anything you can do for your mental health with cancer to make life a little bit less stressful in the meantime? You may or may not know this, but… I’ve been a professional counsellor for the last 30+ years. And I’ve helped thousands of folks through incredibly hard times. Without tooting my own horn too much, it’s safe to say I know a thing or two about mental health! 🙂 Working so closely with cancer patients and their loved ones during the past decade, since CTOAM began, has made me realize, even more deeply, how crucial it is to have awareness about what you’re going through emotionally… How Cancer and Mental Health Affect You You...
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Suffering from Cancer Treatment Wait Times?

Published by on March 31, 2021 | Share your thoughts

You’re not alone. It’s true… 55% of cancer patients in Canada are experiencing treatment & testing delays these. A recent article by the Canadian Cancer Survivor Network reveals that even after cancer services have resumed, over half of cancer patients are still reporting that their treatment, tests, and appointments have been cancelled or postponed… “Respondents said they had to wait an average of 34 days to reschedule cancelled or postponed in-person appointments, and 52 days to reschedule surgery and other procedures.” As I have talked about many times before, the sad reality is…even without COVID, cancer treatment wait times are far too long to begin with. You know as well as I do – you need access to proper diagnostics and treatment, NOW.  You need...
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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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How to Beat Stage 4 Lung Cancer – Thomas’s Story

Published by on March 10, 2021 | Share your thoughts

“5 days ago I celebrated my 75th birthday…I want to celebrate my 90th for sure. And you are my hope.” – Thomas Thomas came to us after standard care told him there were no more options left for him. He’d been diagnosed with lung cancer in 2011…which soon escalated to stage 4 lung cancer. After a long road of chemo, he finally decided to take matters into his own hands. He had no choice. Our cancer expert, Alex Rolland, got him genetic testing and a far more accurate diagnosis than he’d ever received from standard care. Alex also gave Thomas and his oncologist some excellent targeted treatment recommendations, which they were able to access. Thomas is now getting those drugs covered through Pfizer’s compassionate care...
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Cancer Treatment Delayed by COVID? See Anna’s Solution…

Published by on February 3, 2021 | Share your thoughts

Many patients are experiencing their cancer treatment being delayed due to COVID. Find out what your options are, now. How Anna Got the Right Treatment, Fast Anna had been feeling pretty strong, all considering. Sure, the shock of her breast cancer diagnosis a few months prior had turned her life upside down…  But she’d been dealing with it as well as possible. Her husband was really showing up for her and even her 6-year-old seemed to be managing fine. Anna was trying to live each day as normally as possible…taking things a day at a time. At that point, she’d gotten a few CT scans and was scheduled for surgery. The plan after surgery was chemo. While Anna was dreading the chemo, she was counting...
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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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Good healthcare

Does Chemo Work?

Published by on November 4, 2020 | Share your thoughts

This is probably the question we get asked the most. Does chemo work?  It’s something you need to know… Whether you choose to go ahead with chemo or if you pursue other options. In this video, our cancer expert Alex Rolland shares what chemo is, how it works, and if there’s something better… Watch here ⬇️ How Does Chemo Work? In a nutshell, chemo works by stopping cancer cells from replicating. But there’s a catch! Chemo is NOT selective – it attacks all rapidly reproducing cells in your body…even the healthy ones. That’s why hair loss is common, among the many other devastating side effects. And, chemo doesn’t target the part of the cell that’s mutated and replicating. So once you stop treatment, the cells...
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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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