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News from CaSfA's Director
News from CaSfA's Director
Blog
Meditation
Posted on June 5, 2019 at 12:36 PM |
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The continuing rise in cancer rates and longer survivorship underscores the need for effective symptom management. Based on current evidence, meditation is a promising modality for the relief of both psychological and physical symptoms associated with cancer and its treatments. Meditation can reduce stress, control anxiety, improve sleep, and improve emotional health and self-awareness. It has also been reported to lengthen attention span and reduce age-related memory loss. CaSfA recently hosted a Meditation Workshop utilizing the free app, Insight Timer. Recommended by CaSfA members and psychosocial counselors, it contains over 19,000 meditations and offers the “largest free library of meditations and music tracks on earth.” I’ve recently started using it, and now also recommend it! The app allows you to select from many categories of guided meditations such as: · Recovery and Healing · Stress and Anxiety · Performance (clarity, creativity, leadership, etc.) · Health and Happiness · Relationships · Spiritual · Kids The app allows you to pick a meditation based on time too, varying from less than 5 minutes to over 30 minutes. You can choose between verbally guided meditations or those with music. We experimented with a few short meditations at our workshop. It became clear that what works for one individual may not work for another, so you have to try different options to find the best meditations for you. The app also contains courses in meditation. At our workshop we started the beginner course, “Learn to Meditate in Seven Days”. The course consists of seven, easy-to-do, 12-minute lessons: · All You Do is Breathe · Here and Now · Witness Your Thoughts · Mind-Body Connection · Exploring Emotions · Power of Intention · Finding Inner Stillness There are also courses for those who are more advanced in meditation (although there are fees associated some of these.) New content is added every day, so you really cannot run out of free offerings! Give it a try! |
The American Cancer Society's 2019 Annual Report
Posted on January 16, 2019 at 4:44 PM |
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Much has been written in the past weeks about the American Cancer Society’s Annual Report. (To read the 70+page report visit https://www.cancer.org/content/dam/cancer-org/research/cancer-facts-and-statistics/annual-cancer-facts-and-figures/2019/cancer-facts-and-figures-2019.pdf) Here are some facts from the report: The Good News · The U.S. cancer death rate has hit a milestone, falling for the past 25 years. The nation’s cancer death rate was increasing until the early 1990s. It has been dropping since, falling 27% between 1991 and 2016 · This decline translates into more than 2.6 million fewer cancer deaths from 1991 to 2016. This progress has been driven by steady declines in death rates for the four most common cancer types – lung, colorectal, breast, and prostate. · More than 15.5 million Americans with a history of cancer were alive on January 1, 2016, most of who were diagnosed many years ago and have no current evidence of cancer. · Lower smoking rates are translating into fewer deaths. · Advances in early detection and treatment also are having a positive impact. · The 5-year relative survival rate for all cancers combined has increased substantially since the early 1960s, from 39% to 70% among whites and from 27% to 63% among blacks. Improvements in survival reflect advances in treatment, as well as earlier diagnosis for some cancers. The Bad News: · Cancer remains the nation’s No. 2 killer · The ACS predicts there will be more than 1.7 million new cancer cases, and more than 600,000 cancer deaths, in the U.S. this year. · Obesity-related cancer deaths are rising. Of the most common types of cancer in the US, all the ones with increasing death rates are linked to obesity, including cancers of the pancreas and uterus. Another is liver cancer. Liver cancer deaths have been increasing since the 1970s, and initially most of the increase was tied to hepatitis C infections spread among people who abuse drugs. But now obesity accounts for a third of liver cancer deaths, and is more of a factor than hepatitis. The nation’s growing obesity epidemic was first identified as a problem in the 1990s. It can take decades to see how a risk factor influences cancer rates, so we may just be starting to see the effect of the obesity epidemic on cancer. · Prostate cancer deaths are no longer dropping. The prostate cancer death rate fell by half over two decades, but experts have been wondering whether the trend changed after a 2011 decision by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force to stop recommending routine testing of men using the PSA blood test. That decision was prompted by concerns the test was leading to overdiagnosis and overtreatment. The prostate cancer death rate flattened from 2013 to 2016. So while the PSA testing may have surfaced cases that didn’t actually need treatment, it may also have prevented some cancer deaths. · There’s been a decline in the historic racial gap in cancer death rates, but an economic gap is growing — especially when it comes to deaths that could be prevented by early screening and treatment, better eating and less smoking. In the early 1970s, colon cancer death rates in the poorest counties were 20 percent lower than those in affluent counties; now they’re 30 percent higher. Cervical cancer deaths are twice as high for women in poor counties now, compared with women in affluent counties. And lung and liver cancer death rates are 40 percent higher for men in poor counties. |
End of Life Care
Posted on February 7, 2018 at 4:53 PM |
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End-of-life care is the term used to describe the
support and medical care given during the time surrounding death. This care
does not happen only in the moments before breathing stops and the heart stops
beating. People living with one or more
chronic illnesses may need a lot of care for days, weeks, and even months
before death. In addition, we don’t
always know when death is near, so it is important that we figure out a plan in
advance. According to the National Cancer Institute, “End-of-life
care includes physical, emotional, social, and spiritual support for patients
and their families. The goal of end-of-life care is to control pain and other
symptoms so the patient can be as comfortable as possible. End-of-life care may
include palliative care, supportive care, and hospice care.” Some
interesting statistics: ·
90% of people say it’s important to discuss end
of life care with their families, but only 27% have done so. ·
80% of people say it’s important to discuss end
of life treatment with their physicians, but only 7% have done so. ·
82% of people say it’s important to put their
wishes in writing, but only 23% have done so. Visit these sites for help in documenting your end-of-life care wishes: https://theconversationproject.org |
Cancer and Exercise
Posted on September 8, 2017 at 4:11 PM |
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There is a
physical (and mental) decline in our bodies as we age—and studies have shown
that biologic aging begins in our 20’s!
Add cancer and the effects of its treatments to this decline and we can
end up with significant weaknesses. It can be
extremely challenging to do any exercise or fitness program during treatment
and even after treatment is completed. I
remember some days, just getting out of bed was a major accomplishment. There is pain and limited abilities that may
be secondary to surgeries and radiation.
Cancer and its treatments may also leave one with disorders of the
nervous system, such as peripheral neuropathy, making even walking painful, and
disrupting balance. Many of these issues
can take a very long time to improve, but research has shown that a program of
fitness and exercise can not only aid in recovery, but also reduce the risk
certain cancers forming and/or returning. Here’s great
info from National Cancer Institute: (From: https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/obesity/physical-activity-fact-sheet; Go to link for references) Physical
activity: · Any movement that uses
skeletal muscles and requires more energy than does resting · Can include working,
exercising, performing household chores, and leisure-time activities such as
walking, tennis, hiking, bicycling, and swimming. · Is essential for people to
maintain a balance between the number of calories consumed
and the number of calories used. Consistently
expending fewer calories than are consumed leads to obesity, which is linked
to increased risks of 13 different cancers: Adenocarcinoma of the esophagus Colon and Rectal cancer Gastric cancer Liver cancer Gallbladder cancer Pancreatic cancer Breast cancer (postmenopausal) Uterine cancer (endometrial) Ovarian cancer Renal Cell (Kidney) cancer Meningioma (Brain) Thyroid cancer Multiple Myeloma (Blood cancer) Evidence
also indicates that physical activity may reduce the risk of getting several
cancers through other mechanisms, independent of its effect on obesity. (From:
https://www.health.harvard.edu/exercise-and-fitness/does-regular-exercise-reduce-cancer-risk)
A recent study from the National Cancer
Institute, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, strongly supports
the theory that regular exercise reduces the risk of many types of cancer. The
research team pooled the results of 12 large studies conducted both in the
United States and Europe, including over 1.4 million people. Study participants
provided information on their lifestyle, including physical activity. All of
the illnesses they developed were recorded, including nearly 190,000 cases of
cancer. The research team compared the rates of
cancer in those people with the highest levels of physical activity and those
with the lowest levels. They found that those with the highest levels of
physical activity had lower rates of cancer of the esophagus, lung, kidney,
colon, head and neck, rectum, bladder, and breast, as well as of two cancers of
the blood (myeloma and myeloid leukemia). The rates of these cancers in the
most active people were 7% to 38% lower than in the least active people.
Interestingly, the most active men had a 4% higher rate of prostate cancer and
a 28% higher rate of melanoma. The researchers doubted the significance of the
very slightly higher rate of prostate cancer, and they presented evidence that
the higher rate of melanoma was likely because the more active people spent a
lot more time in the sun. Exercise
has a number of biological effects on the body, some of which have been
proposed to explain associations with specific cancers, including: · Lowering the levels of hormones, such as insulin and estrogen, and of certain growth factors that have been associated with cancer
development and progression [especially important for reducing risk of breast and colon cancer] · Helping to prevent obesity and decreasing the harmful
effects of obesity, particularly the development of insulin resistance (failure
of the body's cells to respond to insulin) · Reducing inflammation · Improving immune system function · Altering the metabolism of bile acids, resulting in decreased exposure
of the gastrointestinal tract to these suspected carcinogens [especially important for reducing risk of colon cancer] ·
Reducing the amount of time it
takes for food to travel through the digestive system, which decreases
gastrointestinal tract exposure to possible carcinogens [especially important for
reducing risk of colon cancer] The
benefits of physical activity/fitness for cancer survivors (and remember, by
current definition, you are considered a survivor from the day you are
diagnosed): · Not only reduces chance of
getting certain cancers, but also reduces incidence of recurrence · Improves prognosis and
likelihood of survival · Improves quality of
life—including self-esteem, emotional well-being, sexuality,
sleep disturbance, social functioning, anxiety, fatigue, depression and pain · Reduces incidence and
severity of other chronic conditions which may complicate care, such as
cardiovascular disease and Type 2 diabetes · Reduces body weight and
body mass index (which may have increased as a result of cancer therapy) · Improves cognitive
function · Reduces side effects of
some cancer therapies (Dr. Ligibel of Dana Farber has done studies that showed
exercise reduced the side effects of aromatase inhibitors used to treat some
breast cancers https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4372849/
and http://www.breastcancer.org/research-news/exercise-helps-ease-ai-side-effects) How
much exercise should we be getting? Adults need at least: 2 hours and 30 minutes (150 minutes) of moderate-intensity aerobic activity (i.e.,
brisk walking) every week and
muscle-strengthening activities on 2 or more
days a week that work all major muscle groups (legs, hips, back, abdomen,
chest, shoulders, and arms). OR 1 hour and 15 minutes (75 minutes) of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity (i.e.,
jogging or running) every week and
muscle-strengthening activities on 2 or more
days a week that work all major muscle groups (legs, hips, back, abdomen,
chest, shoulders, and arms). OR An equivalent mix of moderate- and
vigorous-intensity aerobic activity and
muscle-strengthening activities on 2 or more
days a week that work all major muscle groups (legs, hips, back, abdomen,
chest, shoulders, and arms). NOTE: 10
minutes at a time is fine We know 150 minutes each week sounds like a lot
of time, but it's not. That's 2 hours and 30 minutes, about the same amount of
time you might spend watching a movie. The good news is that you can spread
your activity out during the week, so you don't have to do it all at once. You
can even break it up into smaller chunks of time during the day. It's about
what works best for you, as long as you're doing physical activity at a
moderate or vigorous effort for at least 10 minutes at a time. |
Resources for Meditation and Attaining Mindfulness
Posted on January 14, 2017 at 12:55 PM |
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A new website that offers FREE guided meditations has been
created for cancer survivors. Kara (https://thisiskara.com ) features 12
meditations including the four core qualities whose initials give Kara its
name—kindness, awareness, rest and allowing.
The remaining eight tracks are designed to help with specific difficult
emotions or challenges that survivors experience, such as feeling overwhelmed,
afraid or angry; feeling alone or like you are a burden; or being in pain or
sleepless. Recommended by CaSfA member, TM:
Buddha in Blue Jeans by Tai Sheridan (https://www.amazon.com/Buddha-Blue-Jeans-Extremely-Sitting/dp/1466480033?ie=UTF8&dpID=61GkWLXz52L&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR104%2C160_
). You can download it for free to your
kindle or buy the paperback for less than five dollars. “Poet-philosopher and Zen Priest Tai Sheridan's
'Buddha in Blue Jeans' is an extremely short, simple and straight forward
universal guide to the practice of sitting quietly and being yourself, which is
the same as being Buddha. Sitting quietly can teach many ways to accept life,
meet pain, age gracefully, and die without regret. The book encourages sitting
quietly every day. Topics include: Sit Quietly; Care For Your Body; Accept Your
Feelings; Give Thoughts Room; Pain is Natural; Be Who You Are; Live Each Moment
Well; Love Indiscriminately; Listen to Others; Be Surprised; Wonder; Live
gratefully; Do No Harm; Benefit life; A Wish for The World. The book is for
people of any faith, religion, race, nationality, gender, relationship status,
capacity, or meditation background.” Another
short, easy and helpful read is Jon Wortmann’s Mindfulness is Sublime: 9 Ways to Sleep Better, Shake the Nerves and
Finally Get Happy (https://www.amazon.com/Mindfulness-Sublime-Jon-Wortmann/dp/1507602634/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1483999093&sr=1-1&keywords=mindfulness+is+sublime
) “The power to feel rested, in control, and happy already exists
within your own brain. But too many of us are so busy and stressed we simply
don’t enjoy our lives. We finish the week and can’t remember how we spent our
time. Tired of missing the precious moments? Want to change? Now you can. The
way is called mindfulness. Mindfulness is a philosophy, a series of exercises,
and now a scientifically validated therapeutic treatment for emotional
suffering like chronic stress and depression. But it doesn’t take a trip to a
monastery or a 10-week class to begin experiencing the benefits of transforming
your body and mind. Mindfulness Is Sublime is a series of nine invitations.
Each invitation explores a different avenue into the most important thing too
many of us ignore: this moment. Whether you need the scientific or the
spiritual way into this essential discipline for every human being, this little
book begins your journey. Buddha, Thoreau, and your favorite yoga teacher
figured out how to grab the beauty of this moment. You can experience the same
pleasure they discovered. Unwrap the present.” BTW,
CaSfA member, LW attended a workshop led by Jon Wortmann. After hearing her glowing recommendation, I
have been in contact with him and am hoping to schedule a FREE workshop for our
group the end of April. Stay tuned for
more details…. |
American Cancer Society's 2016 Facts and Figures
Posted on June 25, 2016 at 1:11 PM |
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CaSfA's most recent newsletter contains my notes from the American Cancer Society's 2016 Facts and Figures. It's a lengthy document that summarizes current scientific information about cancer in the United
States. To download the document visit: http://www.cancer.org/acs/groups/content/@research/documents/document/acspc-047079.pdf. Here's just a few of my notes from the report: Can Cancer Be Prevented? “A substantial proportion of cancers could be prevented.”
Tobacco use is a major cause of some cancers. “In 2016, about 188,800 of the
estimated 595,690 cancer deaths in the US will be caused by cigarette smoking”.
It is also estimated “that about 20% of
all cancers diagnosed in the US are related to body fatness, physical
inactivity, excess alcohol consumption, and/or poor nutrition, and thus could
also be prevented.” “Certain cancers are related to infectious agents, such as
human papillomavirus (HPV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV),
human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori). Many
of these cancers could be avoided by preventing these infections through
behavioral changes or vaccination, or by treating the infection. Many of the
more than 5 million skin cancer cases that are diagnosed annually could be
prevented by protecting skin from excessive sun exposure and not using indoor
tanning devices.” Incidence of New
Cancer Cases and Deaths from Cancer in 2016 About
1,685,210 new cancer cases are expected to be diagnosed in the US; 37,620 in
Massachusetts. About 595,690 Americans
are expected to die of cancer; 12,630 in Massachusetts. Cancer is the second most common cause of
death in the US, exceeded only by heart disease, and accounts for nearly 1 of
every 4 deaths. “The total cancer death rate
rose for most of the 20th century because of the tobacco epidemic, peaking in
1991 at 215 cancer deaths per 100,000 persons. However, from 1991 to 2012, the
rate dropped 23% because of reductions in smoking, as well as improvements in
early detection and treatment. This decline translates into the avoidance of
more than 1.7 million cancer deaths. Death rates are declining for all four of
the most common cancer types-lung, colorectal, breast, and prostate.” Risk of Developing
Cancer Cancer usually develops in older people; 86% of all
cancers in the United States are diagnosed in people 50 years of age or older.
Smoking, eating an unhealthy diet, or not being physically active will increase
one’s risk of developing cancer. “Lifetime risk refers to the probability that
an individual will develop or die from cancer over the course of a lifetime. In
the US, the lifetime risk of developing cancer is 42% (1 in 2) in men and 38%
(1 in 3) in women.” Interested in reading more? Join CaSfA to receive my newsletters containing relevant information about cancer! |
Loved Ones' Perspectives
Posted on October 9, 2015 at 12:46 PM |
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Cancer doesn't just affect the patient. It affects our loved ones too. I recently read two very moving essays by loved ones and caregivers of cancer survivors. Read them: http://blog.dana-farber.org/insight/2015/10/how-to-care-for-a-partner-with-cancer/ http://www.sarah-levy.com/blog-1/2015/10/7/mymomhercancerandme |
"Being Mortal"
Posted on June 24, 2015 at 6:37 PM |
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Today I met with some CaSfA members. Among other topics, we did discuss end of life issues. The conversation reminded me of an episode of Frontline I recently
watched, “Being Mortal”, on PBS. (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/being-mortal/).
Although it was very emotional, I highly recommend watching the
program. According to PBS’ website, “The United States has a problem
when it comes to conversations around death and dying, says Dr. Atul Gawande.
Patients with life-threatening illnesses tend to focus on how to beat the
steep odds against them, he says, without hearing from their doctors about how
certain kinds of treatment might actually worsen their remaining time
alive. It’s understandable, says Gawande, but ‘hope is not a plan.’” “For
Gawande, a New Yorker writer and a renowned surgeon at Boston’s Brigham
and Women’s Hospital and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, too many questions
are going unasked. Questions like: What are your priorities if your time is
limited? What are your goals for treatment? What are your fears? And what
trade-offs are you willing to accept as a result of your care?” |
Viruses Can Be Used To Treat Cancer
Posted on May 6, 2015 at 5:50 PM |
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60 minutes
recently did a piece on the use of the polio virus to treat glioblastoma brain
tumors. Watch the episode if you have a
chance: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/polio-cancer-treatment-duke-university-60-minutes-scott-pelley/ In a recent blog post, Dana
Farber discussed this study out of Duke and some other studies in which viruses
are being used to successfully treat cancer. Check it out at (http://blog.dana-farber.org/insight/2015/05/from-foe-to-friend-viruses-show-new-promise-as-cancer-treatment/) |
Vitamin D and Colorectal Cancer
Posted on February 5, 2015 at 7:14 PM |
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There’s
another study showing the anti-cancer properties of Vitamin D. “According to a new
study led by researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, clinical trial
patients with metastatic colorectal cancer who had high levels of vitamin D in their bloodstream
prior to treatment with chemotherapy and targeted drugs, survived longer, on average,
than patients with lower levels of the vitamin.” These findings were recently reported
at the 2015 American Society of Cancer Oncology (ASCO) Gastrointestinal Cancers
Symposium in San Francisco. Read more at http://www.dana-farber.org/Newsroom/News-Releases/new-study-shows-high-vitamin-D-levels-increases-survival-of-patients-with-metastatic-colorectal-cancer.aspx |
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