cancer support | Grace Gawler Media

Navigating the Vascular maze in Cancer Medicine | A Vascular Surgeon’s Experience | Clotting Risks and What You Can Do

According to Jean Connors, MD and medical director of Anticoagulation Management Services at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute; Cancer patients are at a higher risk than the general population of developing serious blood clots, including deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in the legs or pulmonary emboli in the lungs, which can be fatal.

Navigating the Vascular Maze in Cancer Medicine – Interview with vascular surgeon (now retired) Dr John Singe. To further this conversation I have added a number of resources and what I believe is very helpful information for anyone interested in health and wellbeing and disease prevention.

“Of all the blood clots detected, 20 percent of them are detected in people who have cancer,” She says. Individuals over the age of 60 are at the highest risk of developing blood clots.

“There is a balance in the body between pro-clotting and anti-clotting activity,” says Connors. ”Cancer skews the balance in terms of pro-clotting, increases inflammation, and compresses blood vessels, all risk factors for developing clots.”
As well as a tendency to coagulate or clot; treatments for cancer or blood disorders can also affect the balance of pro and anti-clotting factors.
Immobility and increased bed rest during treatment also enhances a patient’s risk of developing a hyper coagulant state this is why many hospital patients are treated with heparin or some form of anti-coagulant medicine. When seated in a car or aeroplane for long periods of time, it is important to change position, take short walks when possible to keep your blood flowing and practice the simple exercise talked about in today’s interview on Navigating the Cancer Maze Select the title to be redirected to my internet radio show on Voice America’s Health and Wellness Channel. (Free to listen live streaming or to download on itunes.)
http://www.voiceamerica.com/episode/84200/special-encore-presentation-navigating-the-vascular-maze-in-cancer-medicine-clotting-risks-for
Patient risk of DVT and embolisms increases enormously with air travel to overseas cancer clinics and in my experience; the issue is often not addressed with diagnostic measures or treatment at these clinics. Unfortunately I have seen this scenario many times including when cancer patients are informed of the risks but are dedicated to a “natural cancer therapies” approach. These patients left their Clexane injections in their luggage to be considered for use at a later date. Cancer did not take their lives. Too many died as a result of DVT and resultant embolisms.

Of course if you have had DVT, embolisms or blood coagulation issues in the past it is essential to inform your treating doctor or oncologist. This is also a trap for patients being treated overseas where their complete medical history is not made available or where there are language and translation issues.

Formation of vascular blood clots is also a leading cause of death in cancer patients because cancer cells create conditions that favour clotting. We know that patients diagnosed with pancreatic, lung cancer, multiple myeloma, or hematologic malignancies are more likely to develop blood clots than other cancer patients due to cancer-specific factors, including their treatment regimens. These patients should receive particular attention in terms of preventative anti-coagulation therapy to decrease risk of events that could be fatal.

Dr Connors states that 10 percent of people diagnosed with DVT who do not have a known cancer will be diagnosed with cancer as part of the clot evaluation or in the next year to two years!
PREVENTION AND AWARENESS:
Having seen so many patients with blood coagulation, DVT and embolisms; it serves as a warning sign that blood should be checked for coagulation problems as a part of wellness and disease prevention program. Did you know that egardless of cancer, if you are over 50; the greatest threat to your continued existence is the formation of abnormal blood clots in your arteries and veins. Even athletes and those who are physically fit can be at high risk.

Dietary management and adjustments can help reduce risk – as well as some plant-based phyto-chemicals that have been proven to decrease blood viscosity. However – self diagnosing blood coagulation problems and taking supplements for “blood-thinning” or even taking excessive amounts of foods known to help “thin the blood” is not recommended.

Could you possibly eat all this in one sitting if it wasn't juiced? Imagine this amount 6 or more times daily! — Could you possibly eat all this in one sitting if it wasn’t juiced? Imagine this amount 6 or more times daily!

Recently I had a patient who experienced massive bleeding during a biopsy procedure. Her surgeon had told her to avoid aspirin and fish oil for 5 days before her procedure – which she dutifully did. However she was juicing large amounts of fresh ginger daily as well as turmeric root and she was making a juice from cabbage, mustard greens and turnip greens broccoli, asparagus an apple.
She almost bled out on the operating table and has had a long recovery due to excessive blood loss. It is not hard to see why specialists say to cancer patients when asked if they can have certain foods and supplements – “TAKE NOTHING – AVOID SUPPLEMENTS AND DON’T CHANGE YOUR DIET TOO MUCH”.

When the famous Hippocrates said “Let your food be your medicine and your medicine be your food” he did not mean juicing a wheelbarrow load of fruit and veges every day!!!

It is useful to know that several herbal preparations ( natural and supplemental) interfere with the anti-clotting activity of blood thinners and can increase bleeding time or your risk of bleeding. Garlic, ginger, celery seed, ginseng, curcumin and aniseed all carry coumarin effects (meaning that they can prevent your blood from clotting…. the opposite coagulation focussed on in this article.). (NOTE: Avoid combining tumeric (active ingredient curcumin) with anticoagulant and/or antiplatelet drugs. If you take blood thinning medication

Due to “blood thinning” side effects of turmeric; cease to take it at least two weeks before any surgical procedure.
Two other helpful suggestions about taking Tumeric ( cucumin)
Caution with Diabetes. Turmeric may lower blood sugar. Avoid turmeric if you take diabetes medications, since turmeric could cause your blood sugar to fall even further. This could result in hypoglycemia.
Caution with Gallbladder. The NIH recommends avoiding turmeric if you currently have problems with your gallbladder. If you have gallstones or a bile duct obstruction, turmeric may cause your condition to worsen.
Foods rich in vitamin E are also natural blood thinners.

Botanical Science and nutritional science knowledge tend to be little adhered to by the current fad that more is better whether in juice, smoothie or supplement. People are flocking to buy machines that will pulverise 10 carrots and 4 blocks of tofu along with bunches of kale and spinach etc in the pursuit of “health and wellbeing”!

In fact these approaches can really have a negative impact of health and wellbeing which I am already seeing in my Practice.
Case managing patients who wish to use complementary medicines and nutritional approaches alongside conventional medicine – presents a challenging management situation to health practitioners.

In our practice I do my best alongside my colleague Dr Whelan to gain patient’s trust in advising on what to take as supplements and foods. With 87 years experience between us – we try to educate and advise simplicity as a targeted approach – rather than trying to “hit a mosquito with a shotgun” – the one size fits all approach. We know they will be tempted and influenced by fellow patients and incorrect information in books and approaches generated by faddist cancer entrepreneurs as well as Dr Google. Experience tells us that our educated patients do very well indeed.

As another example of the importance of botanical science knowledge and how a simple food might heal or hinder. While research suggests that tangeretin in mandarin oranges may help prevent cancer, people who already have cancer may not reap any benefits. In fact, a diet rich in mandarin oranges may provide counteractive results in these people as tangeretin appears to interfere with metabolism of some drugs, including the anti-cancer drug tamoxifen. Mandarins and grapefruit are just two of many foods that should be avoided due to interactions with life-saving pharmaceutical treatments.

ASK A HEALTH PROFESSIONAL WHO IS QUALIFIED AND EXPERIENCED IN CANCER AND HERB/NUTRITIONAL DRUG INTERACTIONS TO DESIGN A PERSONALIZED HEALTH RESTORATION PROGRAM FOR YOU.

Realise that your situation will change as response and treatments change. This is why regular communication and case management is imperative for every cancer patient.

For those cancer patients who live in Queensland – you might like to visit our Gold Coast based consulting rooms where Blood tests and other checks can be organised to increase your wellbeing and lower risks of blood disorders and assist with your cancer management program. More information? Email me via the contact page on this blog or visit www.gracegawlerinstitute.com or www.drwhelan.com

Recommendation – Ongoing Management:
If you are diagnosed with a blood clot, be sure to complete all age-appropriate cancer screenings, including mammograms, Pap smears, and colonoscopies, among others, to evaluate your cancer risk. If all tests are negative, implying no cancer is detected, then it has been recommended that the basic clinical evaluation is repeated every 6 months in the 2 years after the clot occurred. In this way, it is likely that most cancers, if they occur, will be promptly detected. If you know someone who has had DVT without a known cause – please direct them to the following video. We all know that early detection of cancer means better outcomes.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZmT0xgv2Z4&w=560&h=315]

RESOURCES:
http://www.stoptheclot.org/
http://www.stoptheclot.org/documents/fam_test.pdf
http://www.voiceamerica.com/episode/84200/special-encore-presentation-navigating-the-vascular-maze-in-cancer-medicine-clotting-risks-for
www.gracegawlerinstitute.com
http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/dvt/facts.html
http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/dvt/diagnosis.html

Until next time……
Grace

Which Scan should I have – Navigating the Medical Imaging Maze

Each week in my team consultation practice with specialist GP Dr Bruce Whelan; we hear grave concerns from patients about the radiation risks from diagnostic scans. Unfortunately many cancer patients say no to two imperative diagnostics tools; biopsies and scanning procedures. Usually this is a result of consulting the doctor who never sees a patient and offers a one size fits all approach – yes it’s Dr Google! It is true that medical scans are a source of radiation – however the benefits of knowing as much as possible about your cancer and where it might be located in your body far outweigh the risks. Death from Cancer is not such a great option either I tell my clients.

This is why I interviewed Dr Nevil Chimon on Navigating the Cancer Maze internet radio Select this link to listen

Dr Nevil Chimon researches and develops radio tracers for medical imaging. The science, processes & advances of imaging techniques, & the radio-pharmaceuticals that magically make our inner parts visible to doctors for more accurate diagnosis; is the topic for today’s Navigating the Cancer Maze. Dr Nevil Chimon shares his passion and invaluable information for cancer patients about the different types of cancer & the best medical imaging to assist diagnosis. This is information that you need to know! All patients become intimately involved with the process of cancer imaging, & the relationship often lasts for 5 or more years.

BIOGRAPHY: Dr Chimon is a medical science graduate of UCLAN, BSc (Hons), Manchester University, MSc & NUS, PhD, with Post-Doctoral training in Molecular Imaging & Radiochemistry completed at the Paterson Institute for Cancer Research & Wolfson Molecular Imaging Centre, UK. Nevil has over 10 years of experience within the pharmaceuticals industry. Holding positions of increasing responsibility within MNCs and SMEs has provided him with broad exposure to projects involving drug discovery & imaging diseases, including cancer & dementia. Strategically, he recognizes an opportunity exists to leverage on molecular imaging technology to both accelerate drug discovery and improve the healthcare of patients by using PET-CT and PET-MRI multi-modality imaging.

Dr Nevil Chimon BSc (Hons), MSc and NUS, PhD,

During his 7-years based in Singapore, Dr Chimon has established the first Preclinical CRO imaging facility, obtained GMP licensing for the RadLink cyclotron facility, performed the first clinical trial with a proprietary radio-tracer for Bayer Pharmaceuticals, & manufactured new tracers to detect cancer. To Listen to my interview with Dr Nevil Chimon: CLICK HERE

As a Cancer Patient – You need to Know your imaging options so you make an informed choice:

Different imaging methods use different technology and provide different types of images. This means they have different benefits for showing what is happening inside the body (e.g. for showing bone, soft tissue or tumours). Imaging methods also have different potential advantages and disadvantages, including exposure to radiation.

Here are just a few of the New Scanning devices and procedures you need to know about:
Prostate Cancer: PSMA (Prostate Specific Membrane Antigen) PET-CT – A PSMA study, also called a ProstaScint® scan, is an imaging test to locate and determine the extent of prostate cancer. PSMA studies are performed on newly diagnosed prostate cancer patients to determine if the disease has spread to pelvic lymph nodes. The study is also performed on patients who have had their prostate gland removed (prostatectomy) and have an increase in prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood levels.

The study involves a special molecule called a monoclonal antibody developed in a laboratory and designed to bind to the prostate-specific membrane antigen on cancer cells. This antibody is paired with a radioactive material called Indium-111 that can be detected by a gamma camera. When injected into the patient’s bloodstream, the radioactive antibody travels and attaches to cancer cells. The gamma camera then produces three-dimensional images of the tumor and its location inside the body. This study is performed over as many as three days. On the first day, the patient first receives an intravenous (IV) injection of the radioactive antibody. Imaging is performed in two sessions, separated by 24 or more hours. Each imaging session will last between two and four hours. The camera rotates around the patient, who remains still.

Molecular imaging and prostate cancer? Molecular imaging is used to:
stage treatment: by determining the exact location of a tumor, the extent or stage of the disease and whether the cancer has spread in the body and plan treatment by selecting the most effective therapy based on the unique molecular properties of the disease and of the patient’s genetic makeup
Choline C-11 PET scan is an imaging test used to help detect sites of prostate cancer that have returned despite treatment (recurrent prostate cancer). It may be used when other imaging has not been helpful. Choline C-11 PET scan is a positron emission tomography (PET) scan that uses a special chemical tracer called Choline C-11 Injection.
Valuable links:
11E_The use of Choline PET_CT in prostate cancer imaging_Tara Barwick
SCANNING FOR PROSTATE CANCER
Targeted therapies offer new options for prostate cancer treatment

Breast Cancer: MRI: Some women, particularly those under the age of 50 and who are at high risk of developing breast cancer due to a strong family history or a genetic mutation, are encouraged to undergo annual breast Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) as part of their regular screening routine. MRI is sometimes a more effective screening tool for younger women, especially those with dense breasts. MRI scans are very expensive — up to $700 AUD per scan. There is a Medicare rebate for women at high risk of developing breast cancer.
Mammograms A mammogram is an X-ray of the breast and is the most common form of breast imaging. There are two types of mammogram — screening and diagnostic.
Screening mammograms: Screening mammograms are used for women who do not have any symptoms of breast cancer and who have not had breast cancer in the past. If you are aged 40 or over, have never been diagnosed with breast cancer and currently have no symptoms of breast cancer, you can be screened free of charge at a BreastScreen Australia clinic.
Diagnostic Mammograms Diagnostic mammograms are recommended for women who have a previous history of breast cancer or who are at high risk of developing breast cancer. Several X-rays are taken in order to obtain views of the breast/s from different angles. You will need a referral from a doctor for a diagnostic mammogram.
More info at http://www.bcna.org.au/living-breast-cancer/follow-care/breast-imaging

Diagnosing NETS (neuroendocrine tumours).

Ga68 DOTATE is a somatostatin receptor agent used in the imaging of well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumours. For poorly differentiated neuroendocrine tumours; standard F18 FDG-PET remains the imaging of choice for diagnosis. Dr Nevil Chimon discusses NET imaging options and the latest developments in my interview with him on Voice America.

Different types of imaging

X-rays (plain radiography) – Uses X-rays to show images of bones, tumours and other dense matter
Advantages: Quick, non-invasive and painless
Can help diagnose various diseases and injuries, including broken bones, cancer and infections
Disadvantages: Very small increased risk of cancer in future from exposure to ionising radiation (x-rays). Risk is greater for children
Computed tomography (CT scans) Uses multiple X-rays to produce cross-sectional layers that show detailed images inside the body, including bones, organs, tissues, and tumours.
Advantages*Quick and painless
*Can help diagnose and guide treatment for a wider range of conditions than plain X-rays
*Can detect or exclude the presence of more serious problems
*Can be used to check if a previously treated disease has recurred
Disadvantages*Small increased risk of cancer in future from exposure to ionising radiation (X-rays). Risk is greater for children
*Uses higher doses of radiation, so the risks (while still small) are in general greater than other imaging types
*Injection of a contrast medium (dye) can cause kidney problems or result in allergic or injection-site reactions in some people -Some procedures require anaesthesia.
Nuclear medicine imaging including positron-emission tomography (PET) Involves injecting, inhaling or swallowing a radioactive ‘tracer’. The gamma-rays emitted by this material are used by the scanner to show images of bones and organs:
Advantages*Usually painless
*Can help diagnose, treat, or predict the outcome for a wide range of conditions
*Unlike most other imaging types, can show how different parts of the body are working and can detect problems much earlier
*Can check how far a cancer has spread and how well treatment is working
*Involves exposure to ionising radiation (gamma-rays)
Disadvantages A PET scan can take 3 to 4 hrs from arrival to departure
*Radioactive material may cause allergic or injection-site reactions in some people
*PET scanners cause some people to feel claustrophobic, which may mean sedation is required
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) Uses magnetic fields and radio waves to show detailed images of organs, soft tissues, bones, ligaments and cartilage
Advantages*Usually non-invasive and painless
*Uses no ionising radiation
*Can help diagnose and guide treatment for a wide range of conditions
*Can provide similar information to CT in some types of investigations
Disadvantages*Can be a lengthy and noisy procedure
*Slight movement can ruin the image, requiring retesting
*Can make some people feel claustrophobic
*Sedation or anaesthesia may be required for young children or others who can’t remain still
*Injection of a contrast medium (dye) if needed can cause kidney problems or result in allergic or injection-site reactions in some people
Can’t be undertaken in some situations (e.g. when a heart pacemaker is present)
Ultrasound Uses high-frequency sound waves to produce moving images onto a screen of the inside of the body, including organs, soft tissues and bones
Advantages*Usually non-invasive, safe and relatively painless
*Uses no ionising radiation
*Does not usually require injection of a contrast medium (dye)
*Can help diagnose a range of conditions in different parts of the body, such as the abdomen, pelvis, blood vessels, breast, kidneys, muscles, bones and joints
Disadvantages*Quality and interpretation of the image highly depends on the skill of the person doing the scan
*Other factors can affect image quality, including the presence of air and calcified areas in the body (e.g. bones, plaques and hardened arteries), and a person’s body size
*Use of a special probe (e.g. for the oesophagus, rectum or vagina) is required in some ultrasounds
*Special preparations may be required before a procedure (e.g. fasting or a full bladder)
Bone scan? A bone scan is a diagnostic imaging test used to determine whether cancer has spread to the skeleton. A tiny amount of radio-tracer is injected into the patient’s bloodstream and accumulates predominantly in the bones where it can be detected by a specialized imaging device called a gamma camera. The resulting two-dimensional or three-dimensional images can reveal various processes such as bony fractures, infection or inflammation or the likely presence of cancer cells.

Select the following URL to learn about the impact of radiation from Medical Scanning:
http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/safety/?pg=sfty_xray

Medical imaging and Theranostics (developing molecular diagnostic tests in tandem with targeted therapeutics) are medical sciences that are moving forward at a rapid pace. Ask your oncologist/radiologist for the latest information about new scanning machines and techniques for your particular type of tumour.

We see many patients who have foregone critical diagnostic scans due to fears about radiation from scanning devices; mainly after reading poorly researched information on Dr Google. All cancer situations need proper diagnosing and monitoring. Most medical scans carry a small long term risk from radiation exposure – but to not know about a burgeoning cancer is a far greater risk to life and longevity.

If you need assistance and case management – you can consult with myself and specialist GP Dr Bruce Whelan in a team consultation at our Gold Coast, Qld Practice. I am also available for Skype consultations for distance Clients – We are able to offer world-wide referrals. To Contact myself and Dr Whelan: Email institute@gracegawler.com

Until next Time….

Grace

An Answer to Cancer – How Your Immune Body-Clock can assist Complete Remission | Navigating the Cancer Maze

Cancer affects everyone around the world in some way. Friends, relatives, children, mums and dads, grans and grandpas! It does not discriminate. It causes as much or perhaps even more misery than war because it reaches into every race, culture and country! If there was just one thing we could add to the recipe for Curing cancer or extending life with quality and well-being – wouldn’t we all be excited and interested?Do you want to know one important missing piece of the cancer puzzle? Two cancer researchers Martin Ashdown & Brendon Coventry have explored that question and yes they are excited!

How Your Immune Body-Clock can assist Complete Remission: (Please pass on the link to this blog to those in need)

Cancer affects everyone around the world in some way. Friends, relatives, children, mums and dads, grans and grandpas! It does not discriminate. It causes as much or perhaps even more misery than war because it reaches into every race, culture and country! If there was just one thing we could add to the recipe for Curing cancer or extending life with quality and well-being – wouldn’t we all be excited and interested? Do you want to know one important missing piece of the cancer puzzle? Listen to today’s show at: http://www.voiceamerica.com/episode/81479/an-answer-to-cancer-how-your-immune-body-clock-can-assist-complete-remission

Measuring immune cycles may be one missing piece of the cancer cure puzzle!

The show is free to air on the internet – live streaming listening at any time- free download – archived indefinitely.

Two cancer researchers Martin Ashdown & Brendon Coventry have explored that question and yes they are excited! So am I and so are some doctors and oncologists! Testing patients to map their immune cycle is not a complex exercise, but to do this, a system needs to be changed. All discoveries of worth seem to be hobbled for while – then accepted – struggling across the finish line…sometime after decades!

In 1983, Australian doctors J. Robin Warren and Barry Marshall isolated Helicobacter pylori, the bacterial cause of peptic ulcer disease. When the H. pylori hypothesis was developed, the doctors were certain that it would immediately gain universal acceptance and that within two years peptic ulcer therapy would be essentially an antimicrobial regimen”. This was far from the case. A 1986 book on Peptic Ulcer and its Drug Causation lends a page to the bacterial hypothesis, noting, “Whether these bacteria have an aetiological role in peptic ulcer gastritis is unknown”. At this time, doctors still prescribed drugs to reduce stomach acidity and monitored patients for complications. The story of Helicobacter pylori’s acceptance as a pathogenic agent reveals the issues with the acceptance of new thought even when there is validation and justification. http://www.jyi.org/issue/delayed-gratification-why-it-took-everybody-so-long-to-acknowledge-that-bacteria-cause-ulcers/

There are ethical laws in place; essential for the safety of humans in medicine. Changed laws of medical ethics, prevent a modern reprise of Pasteur’s heroic demonstration of his rabies vaccine through the vaccination of an infected boy. Measuring each cancer patients immune cycle and timing their treatment at the right time – is nothing akin to that! It simply makes sense!

Perhaps one can understand the caution in prescribing an antibiotic. Measuring immune cycles and timing treatment for a better outcome? Now to my way of thinking this fulfills the old Hippocratic oath – “Above all, do no harm!”

The Grace Gawler Institute has a history of wanting to procure the best treatment options for cancer patients. We feel that by educating patients about their immune cycle and taking this material to their doctor – they can help change the face of cancer treatment in a risk free experiment to prove (or not) the research work of Martin Ashdown & Brendon Coventry. This is why we have created the Cancer Immune Registry:

world cancer — Cancer affects everyone around the globe- it does not discriminate!

Background – A cancer drug used for more than 20 years that is now providing oncologists with new information about how to best help patients achieve complete remission. The drug called interleukin-2, is providing cancer researchers with something akin to how the “Rosetta Stone” was used to unlock historical script; the outcome; mapping the immune cycle!

To understand how this is possible – join me with guest Martin Ashdown on Navigating the Cancer Maze on Voice America’s Health and Wellness channel ( internet radio) to hear the full story of this amazing breakthrough.

Learn how you can access info about your immune cycle to assist cancer treatment efficacy.

RESOURCES:

1. http://www.voiceamerica.com/episode/81479/an-answer-to-cancer-how-your-immune-body-clock-can-assist-complete-remission

2. http://www.gracegawlerinstitute.com/immune-cycle-registry/

3. Martin Ashdown Window of Opportunity1 article: Australasian Science

4. MARTIN ASHDOWN A Matter of Time_AS_Article: article Australasian Science

5. VIDEO: Treatment of Metastatic Melanoma: Could Timing Be Everything? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXX-9t8xiAo

6. CLICK HERE FOR PRESS RELEASE VOICE AMERICA

7. CLICK HERE FOR VOICEAMERICA PRESS PASS RELEASE

Why you Need an Experienced Guide to Help you Navigate the Cancer Maze.

Best Advice for anyone dealing with Cancer – Don’t try to Navigate the Cancer Maze alone! Find an experienced guide – someone you can trust and who is professional. If you have cancer or know someone who is dealing with cancer – please forward this blog link or the direct link to Voice America – where the Grace Gawler Institute’s internet radio show is hosted. We have a global audience. Listen live streaming or download episodes for free and listen later. Please help us in our mission to distribute reliable, valid and evidence-based cancer information – The lives of cancer patients depend upon truth in all branches and modalities of medicine.

Best Advice for anyone dealing with Cancer – Don’t try to Navigate the Cancer Maze alone! Find an experienced guide – someone you can trust and who is professional. If you have cancer or know someone who is dealing with cancer – please forward this blog link or the direct link to Voice America – where the Grace Gawler Institute’s internet radio show is hosted. We have a global audience. Listen live streaming or download episodes for free and listen later. Please help us in our mission to distribute reliable, valid and evidence-based cancer information – The lives of cancer patients depend upon truth in all branches and modalities of medicine.

An experienced cancer guide who can navigate with a best of both worlds approach is becoming more and more essential in the escalating world of cancer information overload. While clearly patients want to be in charge & empowered when it comes to choosing cancer treatments, much of the knowledge being filtered to them is misleading; some just downright untruthful.

But on the other hand many patients have lost trust in the medical profession’s approach and treatment of cancer. Accordingly, this patient dissatisfaction has created a void in the system which has been readily filled by pseudo-science & magic promises of “cures” that don’t deliver. Time is precious for all patients but for some, a wrong path taken while navigating the maze, can have devastating consequences.

On today’s Navigating the Cancer Maze – I share with you some of the relevant history of cancer that has led to today’s experience of cancer and how for thousands of years – Cancer has been deemed to be incurable. How can patients be discerning & use a best of both worlds approach? In this episode you will learn about survival strategies & how patients can learn to embrace an intelligent and reliable approach. It is always useful to know about history and the history of medicine and cancer is no exception. By taking an historical walk through the centuries of cancer and medicine today to current time – you will learn why the cancer-cure is the most sought after prize on the planet. As a follow on oday’s episode is packed with useful – lifesaving information and strategies to help anyone effectively navigate the cancer maze.

Cancer is not a new disease of modern civilisation as many people think. Growths suggestive of osteosarcoma, a bone cancer; have been seen in Egyptian mummies.

The oldest complete example in the world of a human with metastatic cancer in a 3,000 year-old skeleton - Egypt — The oldest complete example in the world of a human with metastatic cancer in a 3,000 year-old skeleton – Egypt

Some of the earliest evidence of cancer is found among fossilized bone tumours, ancient Egyptian human mummies in, and ancient manuscripts. The oldest description of cancer was discovered in Egypt and dates back to about 3000 BC. Writings about the disease recorded on papyrus at the time, translated as, “There is no treatment.”

The ‘incurable’ nature of cancer and belief systems about cancer held by humanity for thousands of years is likely the reason that throughout the centuries, so many have wanted their claim to fame by trying to cure the so called incurable. Doctors even practised some strange and weird practises such as tying a live toad to a women’s breast to cure cancer.

Many of these were not scientists; some may have been genuine – for example, herbalists who stumbled across plants with anti cancer properties that may have played a part in a person’s recovery and this became folklore medicine – some of it is still of value today. However – this concept of cancer, has I believe – always left the door open for the charlatans and those who want to take advantage of an unsuspecting cancer public.

Over centuries – the trickster, charlatan, quack or snake oil salesman has been ready to peddle their products; whilst in modern times; information gathering pseudo-scientists, men in cowboy hats, banana-fuelled runners and aging entrepreneurs along with people who look barely old enough to vote, have jumped on the “I can cure cancer bandwagon” – follow me! Some of them may mean well – but without an understanding of cancer they have become the dangerous persuaders of modern times.

But hey let’s not forget that modern medicine and science have delivered the best results so far in history. Chemotherapy was first developed at the beginning of the 20th century, although it was not originally intended as a cancer treatment. During World War II, it was discovered that people exposed to nitrogen mustard developed significantly reduced white blood cell counts. From thereon investigations into cancer cures were driven by yes, some big pharma profiteers – but also by genuine researchers and scientists. It has not been the best we could have done in terms of making people sick in order to help them get better- that seems to go against the grain of healing principles. Yet although it has been a rough road for some – but many of my past patients would not be alive with out it! Immunotherapy has arrived on the scene….but there is more on the horizon. The future of treating cancer is now on the precipice of some amazing new information that I will be sharing with you in the next few weeks – STAY TUNED!

LISTEN TO GRACE GAWLER VOICE AMERICA AUDIO

This leads me to the real thrust of today’s show: That today in 2014 – in my experience in 40 years of working with cancer patients – that it is the strategies that a person employs in dealing with cancer that can make a difference to outcome and survival.

A How to Survive Cancer Manual is not given at the time of diagnosis! How to survive and thrive – how to live well or die well – how to enhance life quality throughout adversity, how to adapt to changes around you and in your body, how to relate to those around you, how to really heal your life and grow though the experience of cancer are less popular …. the real stuff of being a human with cancer is not to be found in juices and psuedo-science ….conventional medicine can help the body – but that is only one part of the story. Cancer patients who take charge of their life and make informed decisions clearly do well – even with advanced cancer.

Thanks for reading this blog and for listening to Voice America – Navigating the Cancer Maze. More on this topic in the next few days……Enjoy your day…..Grace

Resources mentioned in the show today:

Survivors School Masterclass http://www.healthintelligenceaustralia.com/survivor-school-enroll-here/
Biologists reconstruct genome of 11,000-year-old “almost immortal” sexually-transmitted dog cancer Biologists reconstruct genome of 11,000-year-old “almost immortal” sexually-transmitted dog cancer
Explore alternative medicine and cancer on Wiki http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alternative_cancer_treatments
The Truth about Coconut oil: http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/nutrition_articles.asp?id=1799
7 habits of highly effective people and other publications. https://www.stephencovey.com
Critical thinking: Edward de Bono
http://edwdebono.com/

Tips on How to Navigate the Carers Maze – Grace Gawler interviews Ellen Slater- Carers Qld.

Having been a sole care-giver at the age of 21 when my then boyfriend and later husband was suddenly diagnosed with osteogenic sarcoma (bone cancer) I had an abrupt introduction into the world of the caregiver. When he underwent surgery for a full leg amputation – life became even more challenging. Carers are the backbone of most societies. Their task is often unnoticed and even unappreciated. Ellen Slater aims to change that – in fcat she has made it her life mission to provide care and teach self – care to caregivers.

Tips on How to Navigate the Carers Maze – Grace Gawler interviews Ellen Slater- Carers Qld.

Ellen Slater has had a life-time of personal care-giving & then chose a vocation in care-giving as well as a career as a family therapist and counselor.

For 6 years Ellen has been Manager for Counseling, Family Support and Advocacy programs with Carers Queensland. Carers Australia is the peak body for carers. Carers Queensland is responsible for a National Carers Counseling Program (NCCP) which, Ellen has been privileged to manage. In Queensland the organization has 13 professional counseling staff, where they offer face to face counseling, telephone counseling & home visits. This is a state wide program. Ellen has recently resigned from her position at Carers Qld to follow her heart and passion into her next venture and adventure; Joyland Carers Retreat near Korora beach, Coffs Harbour in Northern NSW. www.joylandcarersretreat.com.au More about Ellen Slater on the Guest page.
CONTACT CARER’S QLD: www.carersqld.asn.au

Listen to the audio interview – download on itunes for free and live streaming anytime.

http://www.voiceamerica.com/episode/80607/how-to-navigate-the-carers-maze-grace-gawler-and-ellen-slater

About Ellen:
Ellen Slater Ellen has been a carer for most of her childhood, adolescence and adulthood. She has a Masters of Counseling & has completed clinical courses in Family Therapy and supervision, a Diploma of Ministry, a Bachelor of Counseling, & has now been accepted as a candidate for a PhD. She is a recipient of the “Golden Key”, University of New England-Armidale. Whilst studying and also caring for her late husband, she ran a successful private practice & support groups from home.

Near Joyland Carers Retreat Coffs Harbour

She became Senior Counselor & Manager for Counseling & Advocacy-Carers Qld.

As a carer she was exhausted, isolated, angry; then later guilty & emotionally burnt out.

She dreamed of having a break & being alone for a while to find her-self. She was aware of others in similar situations; carers who needed respite & nurturing to regain their strength and courage to carry on.

Joyland Carer’s Retreat will open in Jan 2015; a self funded initiative that is now almost a reality www.joylandcarersretreat.com.au

Resources:Australia:

www.joylandcarersretreat.com.au
http://www.carersaustralia.com.au/
http://www.carersaustralia.com.au/about-carers/young-carers2/

USA:

http://www.caregiver.com/
http://www.helpguide.org/elder/caring_for_caregivers.htm
https://www.caregiver.org/
http://www.caregiveraction.org/

CLICK HERE – TO LISTEN TO THE INTERVIEW WITH ELLEN SLATER

Attention caregivers: Making use of helpful services – USA RESOURCES CONTINUED.

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE HARVARD’S CAREGIVERS HANDBOOK

Being a caregiver for an ailing parent, spouse, child, or other loved one can feel like a lonely undertaking. But it doesn’t have to be, even if you don’t have family nearby to pitch in. Help for caregivers is available from various organizations. Once you learn what’s available, it may be easier to chart a less-demanding course toward meeting the needs of your spouse, relative, or friend.
Get your copy of Caregiver’s Handbook

Close to 49 million informal or family caregivers offer assistance of all sorts to adults in America. Their efforts are vital to the lives of people struggling with illness, disability, or the changes that often accompany aging. This report will assist you in meeting the needs of the person you care for while attending to your own. It includes financial, legal, and medical information that’s vital to caregivers, as well as a special section devoted to caring for yourself as you navigate caregiving challenges.

Here are some types of services and professionals you might want to investigate.
• Adult day services. These programs offer comprehensive packages of assistance, though what’s in the package varies from place to place. Services may include transportation, nursing care, meals, personal care (such as help with bathing or toilet use), social opportunities, or rehabilitative activities. Such facilities are immensely helpful if your loved one needs supervision or assistance with daily activities, health care, or social support for physical or cognitive impairments. Typically, adult day services are open during normal business hours. Some offer evening and weekend hours.
• Certified nurse’s aides. These trained aides can help with activities of daily living, such as bathing, dressing, and personal care. Keep in mind that they are not nurses, and so can’t administer medications.
• Hired companions and homemakers. You may want to hire someone to help with meals, shopping, and laundry; supervise activity; and provide companionship and transportation. Some people may also be willing to help with personal care. An informal arrangement—such as a college student who lives in a home and provides help in exchange for rent—can work well.
• Home health aides. These aides perform personal services such as bathing and dressing, and may do light housekeeping.
• Meal programs. Hot, nutritious meals may be available through programs like the Meals on Wheels Association of America (703-548-5558, or www.mowaa.org) or the federally funded Eating Together Program, which offers lunch and companionship at community centers. Senior centers, community groups, or religious organizations may have similar services.
• Case managers. Some hospitals and health insurance plans assign case managers to oversee and coordinate health care. Case managers are often registered nurses or social workers. They help coordinate services, keep tabs on a patient’s progress, and communicate with the patient, caregiver, family, clinicians, and key departments, such as billing.
• Nurses. Nurses offer skilled nursing care, such as inserting intravenous lines, cleaning wounds, and changing bandages. They can also administer medications.
• Physical, occupational, or speech therapists. These trained professionals may do in-home therapy sessions.
• Respite care workers. Respite care workers provide caregivers with time off from their caregiving duties.

• Transportation services. Some communities offer free or low-cost transportation to medical appointments for seniors or people who are disabled. Other potential sources of free or low-cost transportation help are religious and community organizations, such as churches or synagogues, councils on aging, and senior centers.
The United Way (www.unitedway.org) and other national organizations may be able to refer you to services in your community, useful information, and assistance. For example, the Alzheimer’s Association (www.alz.org) offers a 24-hour help line (800-272-3900) and support groups throughout the country. Some of its chapters also offer training programs, assistance with coordinating care, and other services.
Another good resource is a website sponsored by the National Health Information Center: www.healthfinder.gov. It can help you locate resources in your area. A local agency on aging, geriatric care manager, hospital case manager, or social worker can also advise you about local services and may be able to suggest ways to cover the costs.
For more on developing plans and effective strategies for the hard work of caregiving, buy Caregiver’s Handbook, a Special Health Report from Harvard Medical School.

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Introducing Health Intelligence Australia-A new Model of Healthcare Grace Gawler and Dr Bruce Whelan

On this week’s Navigating the Cancer Maze on Voice America radio, I presented an encore broadcast of a special interview with my colleague GP Dr Bruce Whelan: “Spinning Gold from Straw: How trauma transformed a Doctor’s Life and Practice”. This year, Dr Whelan and I have forged a very special medical partnership to help patients Navigate the Cancer Maze – Health Intelligence Australia.

On this week’s Navigating the Cancer Maze on Voice America radio, I presented an encore broadcast of a special interview with my colleague GP Dr Bruce Whelan: “Spinning Gold from Straw: How trauma transformed a Doctor’s Life and Practice”. This year, Dr Whelan and I have forged a very special medical partnership to help patients Navigate the Cancer Maze – Health Intelligence Australia.

Last week a patient asked me what makes Dr. Bruce Whelan unique in terms of the type of medicine he practises? The answer came

easily. In the past 10 years Bruce has become involved with and specialized in management of addictions, mental health and severe and chronic pain as well as general medicine. These are also all important aspects of cancer management. They are the areas of medicine that tend to be under-serviced by GPs due to time constraints or lack of training. But there is more that makes Dr Bruce Whelan uniquely suited to the new Health Intelligence Australia group.

Another area of Dr Bruce Whelan’s expertise is in the area of trauma. He knows a lot about trauma at a very personal level because in 2002 he was summoned to Bali from Sri Lanka, where he was working. He was given the unspeakably grim task of identifying bodies after the bombing at the Sari Club in Bali. His task was made even worse when he spent two days unsuccessfully trying to find and identify the body of his son-in-law Shane – killed in the bombing along with a partner of his daughter’s friend. As luck had it the girls were going to be late getting to the Sari Club that night. But lucky as they were to escape; the trauma of the incident lived on and shaped their future.

When Bruce graduated from the University of Queensland in 1967, like many of us, he had no idea what life had in store for him. As a doctor, Bruce Whelan had already seen lot of suffering, but the post-traumatic stress affect that the Bali incident produced, had long lasting effects. The product of uninvited change! Bruce fought a battle he could not win; to have bodies quickly identified, stored appropriately and repatriated to Australia.

This intensified the trauma, grief and loss experienced by many. However, being a resourceful doctor, eventually he was able to spin gold from straw as they say, and today, 14 years later; the experience brings with it a man who is the wounded healer who serves his patients with a rare quality of directness and authenticity. He is someone who deeply understands trauma and depression in another human being.

There is no substitute for this type of life experience. This type of experience can’t be learned in any university except in the university of life!

It is recognized by psycho-oncologists that a diagnosis of cancer is also a traumatic event and many patients experience PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) that often remains undiagnosed and untreated throughout the course of the illness. Some patients have experienced trauma before diagnosis and it may not have been dealt with. Unrecognized trauma can play a complicated role in the ongoing management of illness. Major life traumas can impact every treatment approach that a cancer patient will try during their recovery….. it can even affect patients who are survivors of the physical illness, but who did not have the opportunity to deal with the psychological impact of the illness at the time. This often plays out as depression, memory loss or dissociative disorders.

To make an appointment for a consultation to see either myself or Dr Whelan, or for a team consultation, please visit:

http://www.healthintelligenceaustralia.com/make-an-appointment/ or call 1800 011 723

RESOURCES: Check out the following resources to understand more about PTSD and the brain:The Biology of Trauma http://www.natal.org.il/english/?CategoryID=232

Article Psychology Today: The Anatomy of Post traumatic Stress Disorder

Listen to interviews with Dr Bruce Whelan on Voice America – at http://www.drbrucewhelan.com/about-dr-bruce/

Death | Discussing the ‘Elephant in the Living Room’ Beth O’Brien with Grace Gawler

There’s an elephant in the living room & no one mentions it; it is called death, the subject for today’s show. I work in a pro-life vocation with people with life challenging illness, but what happens when life is not prolonged & death is inevitable? How & where do you find the tools to help you navigate your way through the process? Learn more with Beth O’Brien on Voice America Navigating the Cancer Maze with Grace Gawler.

There are not only physical deaths that are relevant to today’s topic. There many “deaths” throughout life – the losses that occur as a a part of being human; loss of youth, loss of job, loss of identity, to name a few. But there are also overwhelming “deaths” throughout life – life’s big uninvited events that are felt so deeply that the grief seems endless and indeed may endure for life. These events are a apart of being human and shape the way we be on this planet. The person grieving a physical death will often get more support than the person grieving a divorce experiencing hidden pain or loss of a body part hidden from view by clothing. But grief, loss bereavement exists and it exists in many forms. Many patients have said to me that when their partner left them it felt worse than a death – that death was final – but it was challenging to accept the finality of an event when there was no physical death and the knowledge that every family event in future will have a “emotional stamp” on it!

Listen to my interview with Beth O’Brien:
http://www.voiceamerica.com/episode/79672/death-discussing-the-elephant-in-the-living-room-beth-obrien-with-grace-gawler

So – the subject is huge and relevant! Following on from last week’s show, today I interview a lady who works with death every day; funeral celebrant, Beth O’Brien. Beth is a Certified Thanatologist; Certified in Thanatology: Death, Dying and Bereavement”, an international accreditation with the Association for Death Education and Counseling. She is also a qualified Facilitator of Death Café, an international movement designed to increase awareness of death with a view to helping people make the most of their (finite) lives. Today’s discussion will be a valuable resource, bringing death to the discussion table.

After 20 years studying, researching and working with people who were experiencing loss and grief, Beth O’Brien discovered a strong connection to work with people who were experiencing grief and loss.

Recently she became a Certified Thanatologist, Certified in Thanatology: Death, Dying and Bereavement”; an international accreditation with The Association for Death Education and Counseling. In her work as a marriage and funeral celebrant she feels privileged to work with people on the most important and memorable days of their lives. Beth became so enthralled by the stories and eulogies she heard, she decided to become a personal historian and is a member of The Association of Personal Historians. Beth is a Death Café Facilitator, a Certified Grief Recovery Specialist®, Grief Educator & an Internationally Certified Funeral Celebrant/Trainer.

Resources to deepen your understanding of this important subject:

Beth O’Brien:

http://seasonsofgrief.com.au/about-beth/

www.australiancelebrations.com.au

http://deathcafe.com/

Hopewell Hospice – Gold Coast http://hopewell.org.au/

Recommended by Beth O’Brien: Doug Manning has been one of the most prominent speakers and authors in the grief counseling field since he started work in this area in 1982.

http://www.thecarecommunity.com/GriefSafePlace/tabid/59/Default.aspx

Other resources:

Caitlin Doughty

http://www.orderofthegooddeath.com/members/your-mortician

http://www.orderofthegooddeath.com/

Caleb Wilde – Confessions of a funeral director blog

http://www.calebwilde.com/

http://www.naturaldeathcentre.org.au/

http://www.voiceamerica.com/episode/79672/death-discussing-the-elephant-in-the-living-room-beth-obrien-with-grace-gawler

Why We Need to Search for the Truth in Cancer Cure Stories – Ovarian Cancer Help Part 3

Last week on Navigating the Cancer Maze on Voice America Health and Wellness Channel, I mentioned a immune treatment that is being acclaimed as a value add therapy for many cancer patients – in particular, those dealing with ovarian Cancer…

Last week on Navigating the Cancer Maze on Voice America Health and Wellness Channel, I mentioned a immune treatment that is being acclaimed as a value add therapy for many cancer patients – in particular, those dealing with ovarian Cancer…

The links and information follows:DENVAXTM – DENDRITIC CELL THERAPY – Customized Cell-based Cancer Immunotherapy INSTITUTE OF CELLULAR THERAPIES ( source )

Ovarian cancer: A 58 yr old lady was diagnosed of cancer ovary in June 2004. Her CA 125 antigen marker was positive and in the range of 10,000 units. She was operated upon and given six cycles of chemotherapy. She recovered from her disease and her marker was also within normal range. After one year, the CA 125 began rising and she presented to us with an increased titre of 400 units. There were signs of recurrence, and she opted for DC (DENVAX) therapy in June 2005. She has completed three years of receiving DENVAX. She is free of disease, proven both clinically and by radiological examinations. Her CA 125 marker is also stable for the last three years.

http://www.dendriticcellresearch.com/success_stories
http://www.dendriticcellresearch.com/publications

CUSTOMIZED DENDRITIC CELL IMMUNOTHERAPY IN CANCER

Another treatment greatly assisting Ovarian cancer patients is used by Hallwang Private Oncology Clinic in Germany. Removab – a trifunctional antibody has been used at the Clinic for many years Click Here for information

Last week I also discussed a new book by controversial American Cancer Physician Dr David Agus. His latest book A Short Guide to a Long Life by David B. Agus, MD, is published by Simon & Schuster ($24.99) and available on Amazon.

In his #1 New York Times bestselling book, The End of Illness, Dr. David B. Agus shared what he has learned from his work as a pioneering cancer doctor and researcher, revealing the innovative steps he takes to prolong the lives of not only cancer patients but all those hoping to enjoy a vigorous, lengthy life.

Now Dr. Agus has turned his analysis into a practical and concise illustrated handbook for everyday living. He believes optimal health begins with our daily habits.

In A Short Guide to a Long Life, David Agus espouses the idea that prolonged good health starts with lots of smallish changes today. Much of the advice – don’t skip breakfast; avoid sunburn – will be familiar. He notes that Hippocrates made many of the same observations – “Walking is man’s best friend”; “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food” – in the 4th century BC. Yet the truth is that few of us have so far incorporated them into our lives.

Some of Agus’s rules are cute: for instance, “Smile – the act itself will trigger the release of pain-killing, brain-happy endorphins and serotonin.” Others seem quirky – he’s adamantly against high heels: they cause inflammation, which can raise your lifetime risk of heart attack, strokes and cancer, he says.
A few of his dictums will give pause for uncomfortable thought. Rule 56 says to avoid airport backscatter X-ray scanners. Until science can prove they’re safe, Agus says, “I’ll be requesting the manual pat-down massage when I go through airports. You should, too.”
He debunks fads: rule 60 is “No Juicing”. “Does the body really like consuming 10 carrots all at once? Or a pound of radishes? I think not.” Or how about “Eat real food”. That means avoiding anything in a packet. It doesn’t matter if it announces itself to be good for you somehow by being, say, “cholesterol free” or “antioxidant rich”. “If they have to tell you why you should be eating it, you shouldn’t be eating it.”
In the book, Agus’s voice is calm and reassuring. In person, it’s more urgent. At one point he asks me if I’ve had a flu shot this year. I haven’t. “You should get it now,” he says. “If you get the flu, in a decade from now your chance of cancer or heart disease is elevated … So go and get that flu shot if you want to play with those grandkids. It’s a sore arm.”
Like most cancer doctors he sees the advanced disease; what can’t be reversed. He wants to instil a new way of thinking about cancer. It’s not something that visits us from outside, he says. We don’t “get” cancer. Rather, we need to stop our bodies from “cancering”. Cancer is a verb, not a noun.
Some rules for living longer – A Short Guide to a Long Life by David B. Agus, MD

– Caffeine, especially from traditional sources, may have protective, anti-cancer properties. But moderation is key.
– Smiling triggers the release of pain-killing, brain-happy endorphins and serotonin.
– Uncomfortable shoes cause inflammation that can have an impact on your entire system … Inflammation has been linked to heart disease, Alzheimer’s, cancer, autoimmune diseases and diabetes.
– Track your movement during the day with an accelerometer, and develop a daily personal activity target. Being sedentary is about as bad for you as smoking.
– Cleanliness counts. Wash your hands regularly, especially after exposure to germy things such as bathrooms.
– To reap the benefits of exercise, including all those biochemical reactions that lower your risk of illness, aim to break a sweat and get your heart pumping fast for a minimum of 15 minutes a day.
– Moderate alcohol intake, especially from red wine, can reduce one’s risk of heart disease. This benefit does have a caveat: drinking can potentially increase one’s risk for breast cancer, and drinking too much is far worse for your heart than being a teetotaller. Agus has a glass of red a day.
– Cold-water fish, such as salmon, sardines, tuna, trout, anchovies, herring, halibut, cod, black cod, mackerel and mahi-mahi are excellent sources of high-quality protein, healthy fats and naturally occurring vitamins and minerals.
– A daily low-dose aspirin (75mg) has been shown to reduce the risk of developing common malignant cancers in the lungs, colon and prostate by 46 per cent. So if you’re basking in the glory of middle age, this is something to discuss with your doctor. It’s the cheapest fountain of youth around and requires no prescription. Read the article about Dr David Agus in the Australian Good Weekend Magazine

Grace Gawler|Voice America|Three Months: A Caregiving Journey from Heartbreak to Healing

Dietrich Stroeh’s life came apart after learning that his wife had pancreatic cancer. The Stage Four diagnosis took him on the roller coaster ride of his life. Overnight, this successful businessman became a caregiver powerless over the course of his wife’s illness. He had to face internal weaknesses and external obstacles in order to take care of her and, when the time came, lovingly let her go. Stroeh chronicles his journey in this book, taking readers inside the Stroeh household where home care, medical decisions and much needed laughter give extraordinary shape to an unexpected and devastating illness.

Navigating the Cancer Maze: This week Dietrich Stroeh, author of Three Months: A Caregiving Journey from Heartbreak to Healing talks about his book.

This is a highly recommended read for anyone on the cancer journey – patients, family & friends. Grace Gawler

Listen at: http://www.voiceamerica.com/episode/75644/navigating-the-cancer-mazethree-months-a-caregiving-journey-from-heartbreak-to-healing-with-dietrich

Often on Navigating the Cancer Maze we speak about the possibilities of cancer recovery & how we can work towards that outcome. Let’s face it, it is what everyone wants to hear; however for many cancer patients, circumstances and unexpected challenges that cancer brings can mean the loss of a loved one. For every patient & family, it is important to address this topic, “What if things don’t go to plan?” Dietrich Stroeh’s life came apart after learning that his wife had pancreatic cancer. The Stage Four diagnosis took him on the roller coaster ride of his life. Overnight, this successful businessman became a caregiver powerless over the course of his wife’s illness. He had to face internal weaknesses and external obstacles in order to take care of her and, when the time came, lovingly let her go.

Stroeh chronicles his journey in this book, taking readers inside the Stroeh household where home care, medical decisions and much needed laughter give extraordinary shape to an unexpected and devastating illness.

Advocating for a loved one, caring for one’s self, being part of the medical team and handling grief are only a few of the topics that are addressed simply in this first-person story. Like the paperback, the newly released e-book also provides easy to read care-giving tips and useful resources that Stroeh picked up in the course of only three months time. It also includes a chapter of author-published articles about being a male caregiver and more.

“Three Months: A Caregiving Journey from Heartbreak to Healing is both a love story and a guidebook. Anyone going through an experience with a terminal illness would benefit from reading it,” said Dr. Kim Allison, MD, Director of Breast Pathology at University of Washington Medical Center.

An engineer by trade, J. Dietrich “Diet” Stroeh has headed up projects great and small, and managed the Marin Municipal Water

Diet Stroeh author — Dietrich Stroeh author

District in the midst of one of the worst droughts on record. That experience was the basis for his first book, The Man Who Made it Rain, co-written with Michael McCarthy.

Three Months: A Caregiving Journey from Heartbreak to Healing is available at Amazon (Amazon.com), Barnes and Noble (BarnesandNoble.com) and at FolkHeart Press (FolkHeartpress.com). FolkHeart Press, a boutique publisher located in Northern California, specializes in personal narratives and original folklore material. For more information: www.folkheartpress.com

http://www.voiceamerica.com/episode/75644/navigating-the-cancer-mazethree-months-a-caregiving-journey-from-heartbreak-to-healing-with-dietrich

Buy the book – kindle and paperback:

http://www.threemonthsbook.com/

Watch video of interview with Dietrich Stroeh & Sylvia Barry.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pc2gKeZl2w]

Alternative medicines and cancer-Grace Gawler in conversation with Sloan Kettering’s Dr Barrie Cassileth

This week on Navigating the Cancer Maze- Voice America and WorldTalk radio, I am in conversation with Dr Barrie Cassileth founder the Integrative Medicine Service at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center New York.

Navigating the Cancer Maze: The role of Complementary Therapies in Cancer Care
Grace Gawler in conversation with Memmorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center’s Dr Barrie Cassileth PhD on VoiceAmerica and WorldTalk Radio.
Broadcast times: USA Friday 22 March 2013 from Arizona live at 12 noon.
Saturday 23 March – Australia available after 8 am – listen streaming or download MP3 or download on itunes. Available to listen as a streaming audio anytime after the 29 March
Note: Facebook link is broken on my Voice America Page:

In about 30 minutes from now I will broadcasting from Germany – to Voice America Arizona with a show guest from New York – A truly geographically challenging show today!
This week on Navigating the Cancer Maze I am in conversation with Dr Barrie Cassileth founder the Integrative Medicine Service at theMemorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, (MSKCC) where she remains the chief, and holds the Laurance S. Rockefeller Chair in Integrative Medicine.

Dr Cassileth has been involved with the psychosocial aspects of cancer care for more than 25 years and also founded the Society for Integrative Oncology, which publishes a medical journal. She has just released a new book, The Complete Guide to Complementary Therapies in Cancer Care. MSKCC’s Integrative Medicine Service’s Web site, www.MSKCC.org offers evidence-based information about herbs, vitamins, and unproved cancer treatments at no charge to professionals and the public.

The Service’s research includes studies to evaluate the ability of specific complementary therapies to reduce important symptoms associated with cancer treatments and the investigation of botanicals for potential antitumor effects.

To listen in to the show – select the link below:
http://www.voiceamerica.com/episode/68025/navigating-the-cancer-maze-the-role-of-complementary-therapies-in-cancer-care-grace-gawler-in
About Dr Barrie Cassilieth:
Founding President of the International Society for Integrative Oncology and founding Editor-in-Chief of its journal, Journal of the Society for Integrative Oncology, Dr Barrie Cassileth has a truly holistic approach and is known as one of oncology’s most ardent advocates for treating the “whole” patient. At MSKCC she has been the principal investigator of many research studies. The Botanical Center investigates immune-modulating botanical supplements by composition, mechanisms of action and clinical value. She has published 158 papers and 60 books and textbook chapters for physicians, patients, and families. A new edition of The Alternative Medicine Handbook is underway, and the second edition of MSKCC’s Herb-Drug Interactions in Oncology is now available. Dr Cassileth has researched and promoted proven complementary therapies used along with mainstream care to improve quality of life and to help sustain healthy survivorship. http://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/doctor/barrie-cassileth

Please pass this blog address on to friends and colleagues and especially cancer patients. My Navigating the Cancer Maze internet radio show is free to air and free to download as an MP3. Any questions – contact me: institute@gracegawler.com

The Grace Gawler Institute is a not for profit registered health promotion charity providing access to invaluable information for cancer patients as a value add to conventional care