In Cancer, the Whole Is Greater Than the Sum of Its Parts

If you are like me, you found yourself leaving your oncologist's office after your diagnosis and asking yourself “What else can I do?” Little did I know at the time, but this question would become foundational for my care.

I started to research a lot, and I started to learn. I read a lot, Googled a lot and reached out to tons of random people. I became very involved in the integrative oncology world and began to realize how important it is to take care of Burt, not just Burt’s cancer.

First, some definitions. I will source the definitions, so you know I didn’t make them up!

Integrative Oncology

Integrative oncology is a patient-centered, evidence-informed field of cancer care that utilizes mind and body practices, natural products and/or lifestyle modifications from different traditions alongside conventional cancer treatments, according to the Society for Integrative Oncology.

Complementary Therapies

Complementary medicine is a term used to describe the types of treatments you may receive along with traditional Western medicine. Examples of complementary medicine include massage, meditation, biofeedback, tai chi, reiki, music therapy, guided imagery and dietary supplements, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

Alternative Therapies

Treatments that are used instead of standard treatments. Standard treatments are based on the results of scientific research and are currently accepted and widely used. Less research has been done on most types of alternative medicine. This may include special diets, megadose vitamins, herbal preparations, special teas and magnet therapy. For example, a special diet may be used instead of anticancer drugs as a treatment for cancer, according to the National Institutes of Health.

Ok, so I came out of my oncologist's office (this was mid-2022) and wanted to find out what else I could do to help myself. I found the Society for Integrative Oncology (SIO) through Google and other research. I am not a shy person, so I sent the president a note (she had no idea who I was) and she referred me to some other people who got me involved, whom I now consider friends. For transparency's sake, I have been involved with SIO for two years and am co-chair of several committees and involved in other areas too. I also found my favorite quote about integrative oncology (IO) that I now use all of the time from Dr. Donald Abrams at the Osher Center for Integrative Medicine at UCSF: “Cancer is the weed, we need to tend to the garden.”

What I like about integrative oncology is that there have been some studies behind it, so it’s evidence-based. I believe that all modalities have a place, so I leaned into that idea and started to build out my overall treatment plan. We always talk about being our own advocates and there is no one else who will build a western and integrative plan for you unless you do it yourself (now AI can help but that’s another article).

So, I am big into integrative. I believe in complementary (very similar) and some alternative too, but I focus more on integrative. To me, I am a big believer that just because something hasn’t been proven to work, doesn’t mean that it doesn't work, it just might mean that no one funded the study. I don’t discount things that people say help them because no one has “studied” it. I may or may not try them.

What are the integrative treatments that I do? I do intermittent fasting to put less stress on my organs, meditate, try to do yoga, try to walk outside, eat a diet with lots of fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds, etc., take some supplements, do acupuncture, see a team of naturopaths, weekly therapy, etc.

Can I tell you that any one of these things makes a difference? No. But can I tell you that I am doing great, get an injection once every 28 days, do all of the above and am very lightly symptomatic? Yes, I can.

As I said, I am a believer in integrative, meaning everything works together. When people ask me what treatments I have, I mention all of them, not just my medical treatment. They all work together.

Think of it like this: if you get chemo, do you think the chemo works better if you are eating healthy and have a healthy mindset, or if you eat all processed junk foods and are negative all of the time? Right, the first one. Mind you, I eat junk food, just not all the time. I still want to enjoy myself!

In general, with two types of cancer (renal clear cell carcinoma and an advanced pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor), I am pretty self-sufficient. I just got a job, drive everywhere, meet people all the time, go hiking, walk, cook, clean, etc. I feel like I am doing great and all of the above are helping me.

Some of the benefits of the IO treatments are also in how they help my mental health. I am more present, more engaged and more self-aware than I have ever been. And that comes from the focus on IO therapies, not my injection. In fact, I figured out that my injection is less than 1% of the time I spend in a 28-day cycle. So, that leaves 99% of my time free to focus on other ways to help myself and my quality of life (yes, lots of poetic license in there!).

Some other examples.

• Did you know that acupuncture can help with pain and neuropathy?
• Tai Chi is good for depression and anxiety?
• Meditation and mindfulness-based interventions can help with pain and symptom management.

These have all been studied and have data behind them. Google them or look for ASCO-SIO Guidelines and you should find them. Or ask me. I am pretty easy to find.

There has been a lot of medical tradition that has existed for way longer than Western medicine and when you are in the mode of “What else is there?” why wouldn’t you try things that cause no harm? Chemo can be harmful, but therapy isn’t. I want to exhaust the things that I can do that won’t hurt me before I do more things to kill a part of me (but that’s me and we are all different).

A few great resources include:

• Society for Integrative Oncology: if you are interested, find me and reach out.
• Cancer Choices: a great site about integrative oncology meant for patients. Good reviews of different treatments.
• Anti-Cancer Lifestyle: a free course on how to live a cleaner life and help live with cancer or try to avoid it.
• Healing Works Foundation: Dr. Wayne Jonas, a leader in IO, started this organization. Tons of great resources for patients and for institutions that are interested in IO.

That wraps up some general thoughts on IO for me. I am off to the SIO conference in Irvine, California this week, from Oct. 25 to Oct. 27. I am so excited. I went last year, and I learned a ton and met some amazing people.

It’s so different than traditional medical conferences. At SIO, I learned about psychedelics, cannabis, yoga, ayurveda, micro-biome and hypnotherapy. I even learned about the effects of playing golf on men with advanced prostate cancer. No one is making billions of dollars off of any of these, but they can all help people, and that's what IO is all about — patients, not profits.

If anyone has any questions, please reach out to me. This has made a big difference for me, and I am so happy to help others better understand IO and its benefits. (Tip: A lot of IO treatments are great for caregivers or people with any issues too, health or mental, not just for people with cancer).

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