Young Survivors: Life After Cancer

You are cancer free! After chemo, radiation and multiple surgeries you are relieved to be done. Your family and friends are happy to celebrate your return to a normal life. But is that always the case? While weekly doctor appointments, checkups and blood draws are behind you, it can take a while to re-adjust from… Read more »

Oral Cancer Screening

Just as an annual medical checkup is essential to ensure the body is healthy, a regular oral checkup is crucial to maintaining a healthy mouth and detecting any abnormalities. Regular screenings by your dentist should include an oral cancer screening which aims to discover cancer or precancerous signs early enough to be treated successfully. Oral… Read more »

Life After Cancer

It’s been 2,259 days since my oncologist told me I no longer had cancer. When I stop to think about each day, it still brings tears to my eyes and butterflies to my belly. I have learned so much about who I am as a person, and how I want to show up in the… Read more »

Newest Trends in Cancer Wellness

Last month, I joined a virtual presentation by the Global Wellness Summit on the newest trends in wellness for cancer. Over 500 participants representing 59 countries registered to hear the international panel of integrative practitioners. Speakers included Mayo Clinic medical oncologist and lead researcher Minetta Liu, MD, functional medicine practitioner Johannes Wessolly, MD of the… Read more »

Managing Menopausal Symptoms in Cancer Survivorship

Managing menopausal side effects is more important than ever, as it affects the quality of life in cancer “thrivership.”  Many women and men face years of side effects from cancer treatment resulting from the surgical removal of ovaries and hormone deprivation therapy (tamoxifen, aromatase inhibitors, etc.) in hormone receptor-positive cancers such as breast, endometrial, ovarian… Read more »

Shay’s Story

Navigating Life

I’ve been having a hard time finding the right words for this column because, like everyone else, I am struggling to understand life right now. Everything in my struggle tells me to tell you, “Keep holding on to faith. Faith over fear. Live in love. Watch your words because you can unknowingly hurt someone. Life… Read more »

The Power of Liquid Biopsy in the Detection and Management of Cancer

What is a Liquid Biopsy? Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) were first discovered in 1869 by Thomas Ashworth in the blood of a man with metastatic cancer. He hypothesized that “cells identical with those of the cancer itself being seen in the blood may tend to throw some light upon the mode of origin of multiple… Read more »

Medicine and breast cancer concept, Woman with pink cancer ribbon

Breast Health Pandemic Survival Guide

The world is now abuzz with news about coronavirus (COVID-19), the viral disease that has taken us all by storm. The global response has been extreme with most things cancelled or postponed and the disruption to everyday life is unprecedented.  Whether or not the current global response is an appropriate action or an overreaction is… Read more »

30 Years of Comprehensive Cancer Care

This year, Desert Regional’s Comprehensive Cancer Center celebrates 30 years of serving our community. In 2011, we interviewed the center’s management team for a story on integrative cancer care – the use of both medical and natural therapies – and wanted to see how things have evolved. We followed up with the manager of Oncology… Read more »

Anti cancer book

Anticancer Living: Transform Your Life and Health with the Mix of Six

Anticancer Living is authored by the husband and wife team of Lorenzo Cohen, PhD, and Alison Jefferies, MEd who lead the integrative medicine program at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, TX. The scientific basis of all their information and recommendations is deep and sound.  In many ways, this book is a sequel to… Read more »