Topic: Cancer Patients

How “Heal Mary” Can Help You to Access Clinical Trials

Published by on September 8, 2021 | Share your thoughts

Don’t you just love it when you meet someone who’s work inspires you to your core? That’s how I felt when I had the chance to meet Cassandra Hui. Cassandra is the founder of a clinical trial platform called “Heal Mary”. Her personal story is heartbreaking – AND incredibly inspiring… Why did Cassandra start Heal Mary? When Cassandra’s mom was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer, Cassandra did everything she could to find help. It wasn’t long before she was confronted with the giant gap between what standard care in Canada could offer her mother and what was actually available through clinical trials. This fuelled Cassandra – out of her own need and frustration – to start an organization that could help connect cancer patients...
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Cancer and Mental Health – What’s Really Going On? Part 1

Published by on April 14, 2021 1 Comment

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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Foods to Avoid with Cancer Treatment?

Published by on April 7, 2021 1 Comment

We get asked this question a lot from our patients and readers. It makes sense… Since diet is one of things you can have control over during your cancer care! Our cancer expert, Alex Rolland, made a video to explain which foods you should be avoiding when you’re on cancer treatment: 👉 Watch here Foods to Avoid with Cancer Treatment With chemo, Alex says you definitely want to avoid eating foods that are involved in inflammation. These include… Saturated fats – often found in cheeses, meats, and junk food Acrylamides – a byproduct of barbecuing, cooking, and used in the food industry Bisphenols – a compound found in water bottles and in the lining of tin cans. (Bisphenols are what Alex calls an ‘endocrine effector’,...
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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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The Science Behind the COVID Vaccine

Published by on March 17, 2021 | Share your thoughts

So…what, exactly, is the vaccine and how does it work? That’s the question on a lot of people’s minds these days. I wanted to share with you a podcast episode that I found really helpful… It explains the science behind the COVID vaccine in a simple, easy-to-understand way. So you don’t need to be a science expert to get the gist! Here’s the episode👇 The Real Story About COVID Vaccines: What We Know, What We Don’t I recommend you have a listen. The podcast talks about the development of the vaccine… And how the vaccine works to stop a severe reaction or death from the COVID virus.  The experts emphasize that the vaccine is not a cure, nor does it make anyone immune. They give...
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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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Why is Standard Cancer Care Lacking?

Published by on January 27, 2021 2 Comments

Find Out Why Standard Cancer Care in Canada is Just Not Good Enough… I hear this all the time – and I bet it’s on your mind, too: “So is this what our medical plan has come to? People with money can afford better, faster cancer care than people with no money??” Yep.  And it’s sadly true…  For now. We’re working to change this at CTOAM. It is our #1 mission, in fact! But what we’ve learned over the past 10 years is… In order to create change, you also need to deal with the situation as it is now.  As in: you need to work within the current system AND outside of it. It’s the only way to actually build a better future. What...
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green tea

Does Green Tea Help with Cancer?

Published by on January 13, 2021 1 Comment

What’s one super simple thing you can do every day to feel better? The answer is steeping in your favorite mug… Green tea! Yes, that’s right. Drinking green tea does so much goodness for your body, like…controlling certain genes in cancers. 🧬 How?  Here’s what our cancer expert, Alex Rolland, has to say about green tea…Watch here ⬇️ Green tea has an active ingredient called ECGC (aka ‘epigallocatechin gallate’…phew, what a mouthful!). ECGC is pretty powerful. 👊 In fact, it’s capable of: ✅ Binding to & activating control regions of certain tumor suppressors ✅ Reducing angiogenesis (as in, when tumors recruit your blood vessels for their own malicious intent.)  But… All green teas are not created equal. Here’s a handy reference chart to see which ones...
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Emotional Support for Cancer Patients: A Simple Way to Get More!

Published by on December 30, 2020 1 Comment

Susan will never forget the day when she was recovering from breast cancer surgery in the hospital. (Who is Susan, you ask? That’s psychologist Susan Silk – and through her experience with breast cancer, she’s learned a LOT…not just about cancer, but about the dos and don’ts of emotional support for cancer patients.) But back to that time in the hospital… Understandably, Susan didn’t feel like having any visitors that day. She was exhausted and just wanted to be alone to rest and recharge. So when a colleague unexpectedly came to visit her, Susan explained to him how she felt. Guess what he said to Susan? “Well, this isn’t about you!”  Hmm… I think you’ll probably agree that this is not the best way he...
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