Tag Archive for: nutrition

What Are the Benefits of Early Integration of Lifestyle Medicine?

 

How can early integration of lifestyle medicine benefit cancer patients? Expert Dr. Amy Comander from Massachusetts General Hospital discusses the importance of lifestyle medicine and the pillars of lifestyle medicine as part of oncology care. 

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Enhancing Cancer Survivorship Through Wellness Strategies

Enhancing Cancer Survivorship Through Wellness Strategies

Survivorship Care: Screening and Lifestyle Strategies to Reduce the Risk of Secondary Cancers

Survivorship Care: Screening and Lifestyle Strategies to Reduce the Risk of Secondary Cancers

Equity in Cancer Care: Accessing Lifestyle Medicine for All

Equity in Cancer Care: Accessing Lifestyle Medicine for All

Transcript:

Lisa Hatfield:

The future of lifestyle medicine and cancer care holds immense potential for innovation. How do we harness the benefits early on? I’m connecting with a Harvard researcher to understand more in this Patient Empowerment Network RESTORE program. 

Dr. Comander, from your perspective, what are the key benefits of incorporating lifestyle medicine early in the cancer treatment continuum rather than solely focusing on survivorship?

Dr. Amy Comander:

When we think about individuals with cancer, who already have a very serious diagnosis, we want to help empower those individuals to improve their health to the best they can to help reduce the risk of other chronic diseases, reduce the risk of cancer recurrence potentially, and just feel better. And that’s why I think lifestyle medicine is so important and that these tools should be accessible to all individuals after a diagnosis of cancer.

And again, just focusing on learning about the importance of physical activity and nutrition and stress management and adequate sleep and social connection and avoiding risky substances. Again, it sounds overwhelming, and I usually tell my patients, just pick one thing that you want to start working on to help improve your health. And I will tell you, it’s amazing the progress that my patients have made. And I would say, like I think of a patient I saw the other day, she would tell you, “There’s no way in the world I ever wanted to get breast cancer.” It was definitely like the last thing on her list that she wanted.

But she did acknowledge that since her diagnosis, it was almost like a wake-up call, or a teachable moment that this is the time that I am now going to take charge of my health and be the healthiest version of me that I can. And I think that was really inspiring. And so I love hearing those kinds of comments from my patients once they have really taken charge and trying to improve their health behaviors in this way.

Lisa Hatfield:

Thank you. Dr. Comander, looking ahead, what innovations or advancements in lifestyle medicine do you anticipate will have the greatest impact on cancer care and survivorship in the coming years?

Dr. Amy Comander:

Well, there are so many exciting research studies coming out that are really further demonstrating the benefits of these lifestyle interventions for patients with a diagnosis of cancer. For example, so much research coming out about, learning about the mechanisms of the gut microbiome, or why exercise is important, or the benefits of achieving a healthy body weight, which I know is very complicated by the way.

So I think the more data we have to really demonstrate the importance of these tools for lifestyle medicine will really result in more widespread adoption of cancer centers around the United States, and around the world, really emphasizing that these tools need to be a key component of oncology care. And that’s certainly something I’m trying to do and I’m so grateful to partner with you to help spread this important message so we know that patients can learn about these tools to help take charge of their health as they’re going through cancer treatment.

Lisa Hatfield:

Well, you heard it here from Dr. Amy Comander. Thanks for joining this RESTORE Program. I’m your host, Lisa Hatfield.

How Can I Maintain a Healthy Diet During Ongoing Cancer Treatment?

How can cancer patients maintain a healthy diet during and after cancer treatment? Expert Dr. Amy Comander from Massachusetts General Hospital discusses common side effects of cancer treatment and advice for boosting nutrition during and after cancer treatment.

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Related Resources:

How Does Cancer Treatment Impact Nutrition?How Does Cancer Treatment Impact Nutrition?

What Is Whole Person Care Exactly?

Why Is It Important to Address Whole Person Care?

Why Is It Important to Address Whole Person Care?

Transcript:

Lisa Hatfield:

As a patient living with cancer where there’s no cure and treatment is ongoing, I’m constantly navigating the challenges of maintaining my health during treatment and avoiding unwanted side effects. Nutrition is a big part of that, but it’s not the whole picture. I’m getting to the bottom of it with a respected oncologist in this Patient Empowerment Network RESTORE program.

Dr. Comander, how can patients manage treatment side effects that affect their appetite or ability to eat? And what role does hydration play in supporting cancer treatment and recovery?

Dr. Amy Comander:

We know that many individuals going through cancer treatment really have a poor appetite, often don’t feel like eating, and this can be due to a multitude of factors. Maybe it’s due to nausea from the medication, or other side effects from the chemotherapy agents or other medications that a patient’s taking. So this can really be a challenge. And I encourage a patient to really talk to his or her doctor about these concerns if really poor appetite is a major problem because, yeah, actually sometimes there’s strategies we can think about, sometimes there’s medications that can be helpful to boost the appetite, or sometimes it’s really thinking about introducing certain foods that may perhaps be appealing, such as making a smoothie.

Sometimes maybe you weren’t a smoothie person before going through cancer treatment, but now that might be a great way to get in some calories. Obviously you can put a lot of healthy things into a smoothie. So this is one strategy that some of my patients employ. But I certainly encourage someone listening to this to kind of talk to their doctor about this, if it’s a real problem like not being able to eat.

In terms of hydration, we know that is so important. Many of our treatments get metabolized by the liver or cleared by the kidneys. So it’s really important to stay well hydrated, especially in the summer months, if it’s really hot outside. So I always encourage my patients to have a trusty water bottle by their side at all times.

There’s so many fun water bottles out there, so I’m like, “Get one that you like. If it has to be pink, that’s great, whatever it is,” but have a water bottle with you at all times. Certainly think about water, other drinks with electrolytes, some people like Gatorade, whatever that might be, but it’s really important to be drinking throughout the day to stay hydrated, to keep yourself healthy as you’re going through cancer treatment.

Lisa Hatfield:

Okay, thank you. Dr. Comander, what strategies do you recommend for cancer patients to maintain adequate nutrition when experiencing treatment side effects such as nausea or taste changes? And additionally, are there specific foods or supplements that can help alleviate these side effects?

Dr. Amy Comander:

Right, so many patients when they’re going through chemotherapy, or receiving other treatments for their cancer, really note nausea, changes in taste, and have a really tough time finding what they want to eat during this time. And I will say, obviously, sometimes it’s playing around with the diet to find what things work and what things don’t work. And often that’s the first thing we might try. But if nausea is the primary issue, I will say we now have such an amazing array of anti-nausea medications that we can use for our patients going through chemotherapy.

And these are really game changers in the field of oncology. I can just see it even over my career how some of the newer medications we have, such as olanzapine(Zyprexa), to use for nausea, are really beneficial. So I think if you’re going through chemo and having a real hard time with nausea and that’s preventing you from eating, talk to your doctor. “What other anti-nausea medication can I consider taking so I can get nutrition into my body?”

Taste changes, it really is something that can evolve often during active chemotherapy treatment. Patients may experience that. It tends to get much better when you’re done with some of these drugs, such as cisplatin, for example, that can cause a lot of changes in taste. So that’s usually something that’s hopefully more of a short-term thing and will get better with time. In terms of specific foods or supplements, I really very much advocate that my patients get nutrition from whole foods with a focus on fruits and vegetables and whole grains. I’m not a big supplement person.

In fact, organizations such as the American Institute of Cancer Research really counsel patients not to focus on supplements as a major way to get nutrition into their body. Of course, there are some instances where supplements are needed. For example, a patient with anemia could have deficiency in iron or vitamin B12. Those are supplements that may be necessary to help boost those red blood cells. Or one of my patients, for example, a diagnosis of breast cancer, an aromatase inhibitor, where she may be experiencing a decline in bone density, she may need a vitamin D supplement because she lives in New England and doesn’t get enough sun exposure, which is how we get vitamin D.

So vitamin D, iron, B12, things like that sometimes are necessary, but there are a lot of supplements out there that people are encouraged to buy and spend a lot of money on, and I really would encourage you to shy away from that. That would be my recommendation.

Lisa Hatfield:

Okay, thank you. And a quick question for those patients who are on the flip side of the decrease in appetite. Sometimes patients going through cancer treatment are on high dose steroids, and they have the increase in appetite and they have certain cravings. Do you have any suggestions or recommendations for those patients?

Dr. Amy Comander:

Yes, we know that we use steroids a lot in oncology to help our patients manage nausea or other side effects related to their treatment. And you’re absolutely right, being on steroids can sometimes really rev up the appetite, make it hard to sleep at night, cause a whole wide array of other side effects. So certainly with my patients who have this problem, sometimes I try to cut down the steroids a little bit, see if we can get away with that to kind of minimize those adverse side effects from the steroids themselves.

But if someone really is having cravings, usually the steroids are used around chemo for just a few days. So I usually encourage them like, again, if you’re craving carbs, try to focus on some healthy carbs, again, focus on whole grains, try to avoid some of the potato chips and other stuff, which we know are not so good for us, but usually it’s a short-term thing, but maybe cutting down the steroids a little bit might be the first step if possible in collaboration with your oncology team.

 

Lisa Hatfield: Okay, thank you. You heard it here from Dr. Amy Comander. Thanks for joining this RESTORE Program. I’m your host, Lisa Hatfield.

How Does Cancer Treatment Impact Nutrition?

 

What are the impacts of cancer treatment on nutrition? Expert Dr. Amy Comander from Massachusetts General Hospital discusses the impact of chemotherapy and nutrition advice for overcoming the impacts of cancer treatment.

Download Resource Guide

See More from RESTORE

Related Resources:

How Do Wellness Practices Impact Cancer Care Outcomes?

What Is Whole Person Care Exactly?

How Can Wellness Interventions Aid Patients During and After Treatment? 

Transcript:

Lisa Hatfield:

As a patient living with cancer, I’m always thinking about how my treatments might impact my nutrition or vice versa in some cases. Do I need to increase or decrease anything? Should I change my dietary patterns? I’m getting to the bottom of it with a respected oncologist in this Patient Empowerment Network RESTORE Program. 

Dr. Comander, can you give us a general overview of cancer treatment and its impact on nutrition?

Dr. Amy Comander:

Cancer treatment certainly has an impact on nutrition. And as I think about that, it kind of really depends where the patient is along his or her treatment journey. When we think about nutrition, certainly we know if an individual is going through active chemotherapy, often the taste buds change and things that used to be delicious don’t taste as good, and things that maybe a person didn’t like to eat all the time is the only thing he or she can tolerate, like a bagel. Nothing wrong with a bagel, but some of my patients tell me, “That’s all I can eat.”

But in general, when we think about a healthy approach to nutrition, I really counsel my patients on the benefits of a whole foods plant-predominant diet. Note I use the term plant-predominant. That just means it is so beneficial to consume a wide variety of fruits and vegetables and whole grains. Of course, it’s okay to incorporate a protein and maybe that’s a plant-based protein or maybe that’s fish or chicken, okay? But just thinking about the concept of half of the plate being full of fruits and vegetables is so important. And you might say, why is that so important?

Fruits and vegetables, the beautiful colors of various fruits and vegetables really reflect all those beneficial nutrients in the food that are also good for our gut microbiome, which is a term a lot of us hear now in the news, this term gut microbiome. And what does that really mean? Really refers to those microorganisms in our GI tract, gastrointestinal tract. And what’s really interesting is emerging research in some cancers is demonstrating that a healthy gut microbiome is really associated with how well certain treatments for cancer work.

So again, eating fruits and vegetables makes our gut microbiome healthy. And so this is so important for our health. Whole grains as well. Limiting red meat, limiting processed foods, limiting sugar-sweetened beverages. These are all the tips and tricks that I talk about with my patients. And if you want to really look this up and read about it and have a good understanding, again, the American Institute of Cancer Research and World Cancer Research Fund, on their website, they kind of have bullet points illustrating each of these points in terms of how we can approach a healthy diet after a cancer diagnosis.

Lisa Hatfield:

Okay, thank you so much for that information. A little shout out to a multiple myeloma doctor that I watch a lot, because that’s the type of cancer I have, her name is Dr. Urvi Shah, and she has done some research on that and recommends getting 30 different plant-based foods per week, not servings, but just the variety helps your gut microbiome. She’s done some research on that that I won’t go into here but, and it’s not that hard because we get to count all different kinds of lettuce in my salad, if I have romaine, spinach, and iceberg, there’s three right there. So thank you for those comments.

Dr. Amy Comander:

Yes, it’s a great tip to think about how can I get 30 different types of fruits and vegetables into my diet in a given week? And actually it’s kind of a fun challenge. So I love incorporating different types of lettuces into my salad. By the way, herbs count. So parsley, cilantro, things like that, those are plants. So it’s a fun game and it’s really a great way to make your gut microbiome happy and healthy.

Lisa Hatfield:

Okay, thank you. Dr. Comander, what are some key nutritional guidelines for cancer patients during and after treatment?

Dr. Amy Comander:

It’s so important to think about guidelines for nutrition because we know out there on the internet, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, there’s all kinds of people giving nutrition information. And for a cancer patient, it is very confusing and very overwhelming. That’s why I like to stick to the basics. What do research organizations such as the American Cancer Society, American Society of Clinical Oncology, AICR, American Institute of Cancer Research, what are we recommending?

And again, it’s thinking about a healthy diet pattern which includes an emphasis on whole foods, with fruits and vegetables and whole grains, limiting red meats, avoiding processed meats, limiting sugar-sweetened beverages, avoiding processed foods. If you go to the grocery store and you pick up something and it has 35 ingredients and you don’t understand what most of them are, you probably shouldn’t be eating it, okay?

So these are all some of the general themes that we think about when it comes to nutrition. I know it can be very scary and overwhelming, but just if you, again, think of your plate and if half of it is comprised of fruits and vegetables, a quarter is some type of whole grain, when I say whole grain, think about brown rice, whole wheat pasta, and some grains out there like quinoa and farro that maybe you’ve never tried but are really delicious and good for us.

And then a quarter of that plate, some type of protein source, whether that’s a plant-based protein or perhaps fish or chicken or something like that. But that’s really a great approach to thinking about nutrition. Another point I really need to emphasize is limiting alcohol. So, many people don’t really think much of having a glass of wine or two with their dinner each night, but unfortunately we know that for an individual with a diagnosis of cancer, especially if you’re on new medications or going through chemotherapy, in the best case scenario, alcohol really should be avoided or limited really to special occasions. 

Lisa Hatfield:

You heard it here from Dr. Amy Comander. Thanks for joining this RESTORE Program. I’m your host, Lisa Hatfield.

How Can Wellness Interventions Aid Patients During and After Treatment?

How can wellness interventions aid cancer patients during and after treatment? Experts Dr. Amy Comander from Massachusetts General Hospital and Nicole Normandin Rueda, LMSW from PEN discuss benefits of different wellness practices, practical wellness strategies, and support resources.

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Related Resources:

How Do Wellness Practices Impact Cancer Care Outcomes?

What Is Whole Person Care Exactly?

Why Is It Important to Address Whole Person Care?

Why Is It Important to Address Whole Person Care?

Transcript:

Lisa Hatfield:

How can wellness interventions help patients during and after cancer treatment? And what specific practices might help? I have many questions. I’m getting to the bottom of it in this Patient Empowerment Network RESTORE program.

Dr. Comander, how can wellness interventions help folks like myself during and after treatment? And while there seems to be only pros here, can you also speak to any risks of certain wellness practices during cancer treatment? And how can patients mitigate these risks?

Dr. Amy Comander:

Such an excellent question. And I do think it’s really important for us to focus on things that a patient can do after his or her diagnosis to take control of one’s health. We know there’s nothing scarier than getting a diagnosis of cancer and going through treatment for cancer. So we want to think about practical strategies that people can employ to feel better, tolerate their treatments better, and ultimately improve their health.

So let’s pick one of my favorites, which is exercise. I know for some people that word exercise sounds intimidating, scary. Maybe they’re not someone who ever really practiced exercise on a regular basis and so when their doctor or nurse practitioner or social worker is talking to them about this, they feel kind of intimidated. Well, I will say a new field emerging is actually called exercise oncology. It’s really fascinating. And we’re really learning about what is actually happening in the body when an individual exercises, what is going on at the cellular level that may actually be fighting the cancer.

And this is really interesting and exciting. And I love reading these scientific papers. But we’re not going to get into that right now. Let’s just talk about, when you talk about practical strategies, if you’re someone who really has not been active, just walking to the mailbox to get the mail. Try to do that each day. Maybe taking a walk in your dining room, a few laps around the dining room table, if you have one, just something basic like that, walking your dog, walking a friend’s dog. Like everyone has to start somewhere.

So when we talk to our patients about exercise, we just meet them where they are and help them get started with something. And I know this sounds very intimidating, but organizations such as the American Cancer Society, American College of Sports Medicine, and my organization, American Society of Clinical Oncology, strongly recommend that individuals going through cancer treatment engage in exercise. And so you just have to start somewhere. So why is this important? Exercise has been shown to help patients tolerate their treatment better, reduce side effects, reduce the need for dose reductions, improve the fatigue that is often associated with cancer, and in many cases, reduce risk of recurrence and improve the outcome. So there are so many reasons to do it.

You also ask about risks. And I can understand that many people are fearful of starting an exercise program if this is not something they’ve been doing on a regular basis. So I would encourage patients to talk to their doctor just to address any particular concerns. Certainly, let’s say an individual has cancer involving their bone and they’re worried that they might be at risk for a fall and a fracture. That’s something they should certainly talk about with their doctor.

As a breast oncologist, I care for many women who are concerned about risk for lymphedema. Lymphedema is swelling of the arm, perhaps on the side of the surgery. And my patients are often worried, will that get worse if she starts a strength training program? Actually, it will not, but that’s a good question for her doctor or her physical therapist. So I think it’s really important to think about exercise as the number one wellness intervention that we want to address. 

Lisa Hatfield:

Okay, thank you. And over to you, Nicole, what are some common wellness practices that cancer patients can adopt during treatment? And how can patients be empowered to take an active role in their wellness during and after cancer treatments?

Nicole Normandin Rueda:

Great question. So just like Dr. Comander said, so physical activity, starting somewhere is going to be of the utmost importance. Nutrition, balanced diet, making sure you’re hydrated, you are following all the recommendations from your medical team regarding what you consume, avoiding anything that you probably shouldn’t be consuming. Stress reduction techniques are all, mindfulness, meditation, deep breathing, the things that help you kind of get back to calm is really critical. We want to make sure patients are aware of their sleep. So the sleep cycle is one of those things that people often complain about, but aren’t really informed on how important it is to your actual overall well-being.

And so if that is an issue, we want to make sure that we are referring them to the appropriate specialist in order to help get that resolved. Social connections, again, huge. We want to make sure people understand that there are organizations and people out there that are here to just serve and help as much as we can. Maintaining the relationships, not just with their immediate family and friends, but also making new connections and new relationships with people that are going to support them throughout this journey is important.

For me as a social worker, empowering patients is what I do…it’s why I’m here. We want patients to have an active role in their wellness, both during and after treatment, because we know, as trained individuals, we know that that is going to overall have a positive impact in their quality of life, in their family’s experience throughout the cancer journey. And that’s important. This is a stressful time for a lot of people. So in order to do that, we always want to make sure we’re providing education and that is first and foremost going to come from the medical providers. Follow up to that would then be everything else, all the ancillary services.

So you have organizations, Patient Empowerment Network. We are very focused on providing evidence-based information in an easy to understand way. And so that is one of those organizations that, as a social worker, I would refer everybody to. But there are others that are doing fantastic things providing education on all sorts of topics, anything that you could possibly want. There are organizations that are doing it well. Now that’s the thing, we want to make sure that we are referring patients to get evidence-based, research-backed information for them to consume and digest at their own pace. Next would be advocacy. If you don’t have a strong advocate in your corner, or if you are not comfortable speaking up or asking questions, this is one of those things that is so incredibly important when it comes to empowering patients to really be involved in their care.

And I can tell you firsthand, my mom was my dad’s biggest advocate. It was kind of embarrassing at times, but in hindsight, thank goodness, because had she not been so ferocious and asked so many questions, there’s a lot of things that we wouldn’t have known as a family going through a cancer diagnosis. So that’s really important. And I know working with medical teams, they want somebody to ask questions, they want to be able to provide as much information as they can. That’s a good backbone for people to understand, that their medical teams are going to want to make sure that they walk out of the room feeling like they have the information they need. 

And so we want to make sure that we are providing as much information, as many resources as we can. And then it is up to the patient and their care partners or their family members to then take that and run with it. But we want to be able to make sure that we’re giving them what they need in order to ask the right questions at the right time to the right people. And if they have the resources that they need to go and make it happen.

Lisa Hatfield:

Okay, thank you so much, Nicole. You heard it here directly from the experts. Thanks for joining this RESTORE Program. I’m your host, Lisa Hatfield.

Maintaining a Health Diet During Cancer Treatment with Know AML

Editor’s Note: This was originally published by Know AML on April 20, 2022 here.


 
 

 

For the AML World Awareness Day, Know AML was pleased to speak with Katie Walker, King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK. They asked, “Why is it important to maintain a healthy diet during treatment?”

Walker begins by explaining the content of a balanced diet in the context of different food groups. She discusses meat and dairy alternatives, as well as specific recommendations within food groups such as opting for wholemeal carbohydrates to increase fiber. Finally, she touches on supplements, weight maintenance, and reduction of appetite.

Disclaimer: This video is for informational or educational purposes only, and does not substitute professional medical advice or consultations with healthcare professionals.

Nutrition Essentials for Cancer Patients: Optimizing Health During and After Treatment with Savor Health® and Ina®

Proper nutrition plays a pivotal role in supporting cancer patients both during and after treatment. Throughout treatment, understanding which foods to eat/avoid, managing symptoms, and preventing unintended weight loss are paramount. During treatment, patients may experience low blood counts. Food safety precautions can protect against infection from bacteria on food. While adhering to this regimen, wash all fruits and vegetables well and avoid deli meats and unpasteurized dairy foods. Also, cook all meat, fish, and eggs thoroughly. 

Treatment frequently accompanies adverse side effects like fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, and taste alterations. Mitigating these symptoms can be achieved through consuming small, frequent meals, prioritizing eating during periods of feeling well, and incorporating ginger tea to alleviate nausea. For those experiencing symptoms like vomiting, nausea or diarrhea, maintaining hydration levels is particularly important, alongside consuming easy to digest foods like plain toast, yogurt, or bananas. For taste changes, altering the flavors of food by using different fats, acids, salts or sweets can help. Avoid metal utensils if you experience a metallic taste. 

After-treatment, maintaining a balanced diet remains crucial. Reducing consumption of red meat, alcohol, and added sugars is advisable, as well as avoiding processed meats. Substituting with plant-based proteins such as nuts, seeds, whole soy foods, beans and legumes can provide plant-based protein and fiber, which lower cancer risk. Hydration and regular physical activity, aiming for at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise daily, are vital components of the survivorship phase. Monitoring symptoms and maintaining open communication with healthcare providers ensures ongoing support and adjustments as needed. 

Savor Health® and Patient Empowerment Network partner to offer access to Ina®, a Dietitian-on-Demand. Ina® provides personalized clinically and contextually appropriate nutrition and symptom management interventions 24/7 “on demand” via SMS text. This helps patients with complex chronic conditions stay on treatment, prevent and manage side effects, and optimize treatment outcomes. Text Ina® from your cell phone and she’ll respond with personalized nutrition tips, recipes and answers to your questions—no phone calls or appointments necessary. It is safe (HIPPA compliant), free and accessible 24/7 “on demand” through our partnership. Register for Ina® here: https://adpen.savorhealth.com/portal/ 

Navigating Anxiety and Stress Following Follicular Lymphoma Treatment

Navigating Anxiety and Stress Following Follicular Lymphoma Treatment from Patient Empowerment Network on Vimeo.

What are some ways for follicular lymphoma patients to cope with emotions after treatment? Cancer patient Lisa Hatfied shares coping methods and health lifestyle advice for dealing with stress and anxiety.

See More from START HERE Follicular Lymphoma

Related Resources:

What Are the Signs It Is Time to Treat Follicular Lymphoma

How Can I Manage Anxiety After Follicular Lymphoma Diagnosis

What To Do When Newly Diagnosed With Follicular Lymphoma


Transcript:

Lisa Hatfield:

After you are done with your follicular lymphoma treatment (including stopping any maintenance therapy), you may feel anxiety or stress and ask yourself “Well now what?” This range of emotions is normal. One woman  shared, “After a year in remission, dealing with the aftermath of follicular lymphoma has been tough. Initially, the news of remission brought euphoria and excitement that lasted the whole day. However, soon after, I found myself feeling numb—and then grappling with guilt for feeling that way.

You may feel similar to this woman or you may feel like the other shoe is about to drop (i.e. concerned about recurrence in the future). Here are some tips to help manage this stress and anxiety: 

  • Manage your expectations. Give yourself a break and set realistic expectations. After you stop maintenance therapy, you may not feel 100% back to normal right away so give yourself grace 
  • Research has shown that fear of recurrence can be reduced when your healthcare team is able to give people statistics about curability or remission length. Ask your healthcare team if you find comfort in statistics. 
  • Talk to a counselor and seek antidepressant or anti-anxiety medications
  • Exercise and relaxation techniques like meditation and mindfulness may also help
  • Continue healthy lifestyle factors, just like you did during treatment, including good diet/nutrition, getting enough sleep, etc. 
  • Join a support group designed to help people who have completed treatment. It can be helpful to hear what other people do to manage their anxiety/stress and know you are not alone in feeling this way. 

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How Can I Manage Anxiety After Follicular Lymphoma Diagnosis?

How Can I Manage Anxiety After Follicular Lymphoma Diagnosis? from Patient Empowerment Network on Vimeo.

How can follicular lymphoma patients manage anxiety after diagnosis? Cancer patient Lisa Hatfield and expert Dr. Tycel Phillips from City of Hope discuss the experience of watch and wait and advice for coping with anxiety and being proactive in your care. 

See More from START HERE Follicular Lymphoma

Related Resources:

What Are the Signs It Is Time to Treat Follicular Lymphoma

What To Do When Newly Diagnosed With Follicular Lymphoma

Navigating Anxiety and Stress Following Follicular Lymphoma Treatment


Transcript:

Dr. Tycel Philllips:

It’s really about some patients are very uncomfortable being watched with an active cancer. And so, in that situation, that’s probably the biggest discrepancy we have nowadays. Because of the anxiety of the watch and wait approach. Some patients would like treatment right away, irrespective of whether they need it or not. So, you’ll sometimes get discrepancies with our patients about that.

Lisa Hatfield:

The clip you just heard was Dr. Tycel Phillips from the University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center, who explained  how if follicular lymphoma patients are feeling anxious about being in the watch and wait period (aka not starting treatment), they may go seek a second opinion, which is perfectly fine and even encouraged by physicians.

However, even during the watch and wait period,  there are still things you can do to improve your health and well-being. Taking control of what you can control may help you feel less anxious. Here are some tips: 

  • Learn as much as you can about your diagnosis. Know the signs or symptoms that may mean it’s time to start treatment and stay up to date about the latest treatment advancements.
  • Establish a relationship with a hematologist-oncologist specializing in your diagnosis. Proactively becoming a patient under their care ensures that, if treatment becomes necessary, you’ll already have a healthcare professional familiar with your case andis  updated on the newest available treatments. This specialist does not need to be the same doctor overseeing you in watch and watch.
  • Attend all doctor appointments, even if you are feeling well. Some patients may stay stable for years before symptoms or disease progression makes treatment necessary. If you notice changes at any time, don’t wait to reach out to your healthcare team.
  • Maintain health insurance coverage, if at all possible. If you do need to begin treatment, you will need health insurance to help cover the cost. Even during watch and wait, regular appointments and testing can add up without health insurance coverage.
  • Improve your overall well-being with nutrition, exercise, and other good health practices, such as not smoking and moderating your alcohol intake. This approach positions you to tolerate treatment more effectively when the time comes, minimizing the risk of serious treatment complications.
  • Prioritize your mental health. Consider joining a support group or talk with a fellow watch and wait patient to help you work through your feelings and answer questions. If feelings of anxiety or depression begin to interfere with your daily activities, ask your healthcare team for a referral to a mental health professional.

These tips can be useful to you during the watch and wait period as they allow you to keep moving forward and be proactive!

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Dr. Jun Gong: Why Is It Important for You to Empower Patients?

Dr. Jun Gong: Why Is It Important for You to Empower Patients? from Patient Empowerment Network on Vimeo

Why is it important to empower patients? Expert Dr. Jun Gong from Cedar-Sinai Medical Center shares his perspective on how empowering patients impacts them and specific ways he improves his gastric patient care.

See More from Empowering Providers to Empower Patients (EPEP)

Related Resources:

RuthAnn Gordon: Why Is It Important for You to Empower Patients?

Beth Sandy: Why Is It Important for You to Empower Patients?

Dr. Isaac Powell: Why Is It Important for You to Empower Patients?

Dr. Isaac Powell: Why Is It Important for You to Empower Patients?

Transcript:

Dr. Jun Gong: 

So empowering patients is very important because we can only do so much from our side in terms of we have treatments to offer, we have prescriptions to provide, we have diagnostics we can do to work up certain maladies and illnesses. However, I think what we don’t grasp is how much happens at home. The majority of the time is the patient at home with their caregiver, with their family members? And here, I think it’s a very important pillar of treatment where not only is one pillar just from the oncologist side and from the doctor’s and all the healthcare providers’ side, the other pillar is what happens at home.

And this is where I think empowering patients is very important. This is where empowering them to control what foods they eat, what foods have been known to be risk factors for stomach cancer or any kind of cancer.

What foods to focus on, to building nutrition, to be able to tolerate chemotherapy or cancer treatment, to be able to boost your immune system. These are important aspects that are controlled really at the patient level and the family level. The other way to empower patients is activity. We often say it that, mother knows best. If you don’t use it, you’re going to lose it. And so debilitation is a big problem in our cancer patients as well.

So ways to promote activity, whether it’s just a walk, a daily walk outside the neighborhood, or even to more strenuous types of cardiac exercises. And here we actually have newer resources available in our physical rehab colleagues. Our cancer nutritionists are excellent resources as well. And these are just aspects of empowering patients on what they can do at home. Because I often find patients and family members ask, what else could we be doing beyond what we are prescribing in the clinic and what we’re doing in the hospital or the medical care setting?

The other aspect is to empower patients to know that it is appropriate, always appropriate to seek more than another opinion on your treatment plan. And we have a really, really close relationship from both the academic to the community level where we’re more than happy to review clinical trials, provide second opinions. Here is a very important part that we recognize that we are not here to, let’s just say, have patients stay with us for treatment. We envision a relationship where if a trial is not available, our recommendations should be to deliver these recommendations to the community provider so that they can provide day-to-day care because their care is just as excellent and they have just the same access to standard of care. We are here for a mutual relationship and partnership. It is not a one-way street, and it’s not definitely a black hole where if you refer patients to a larger academic center, are you worried that you won’t hear from the patient or from the provider? We always make it a close goal to have timely feedback to our referring partners. And this is just some of the few ways that I believe it’s important to empower your patients.

Factors to Consider When Choosing a Gastric Cancer Treatment Approach

Factors to Consider When Choosing a Gastric Cancer Treatment Approach from Patient Empowerment Network on Vimeo.

What factors should be considered when choosing a gastric cancer treatment approach? Dr. Yelena Janjigian outlines key considerations that help determine the best treatment for an individual patient.

Dr. Yelena Janjigian is Chief of Gastrointestinal Oncology Service at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. 

See More From INSIST! Gastric Cancer

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How Is Gastric Cancer Diagnosed and Staged?

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An Overview of Current Gastric Cancer Treatment Options

How Do Biomarker Test Results Impact Gastric Cancer Treatment Options?

How Do Biomarker Test Results Impact Gastric Cancer Treatment Options?


Transcript:

Katherine:

Are there other decision factors involved in deciding on treatment options? You mentioned age, comorbidities. What else do you look at? 

Dr. Janjigian:

Yeah, the other important factor as I said is nutrition. Being able to stay fit and stay independent is very important. Some of my patients ask me, and then they feel like what they eat is so important that as soon as they get their diagnosis, they restrict their diet. And then they start losing weight. And that’s not good. The number one negative prognostic factor is if you lose more than 10 percent of your body weight within the first few months of the diagnosis – because you get really weak, and then you can’t tolerate the chemotherapy. So, I tell the patients, “Your body will take from you whatever it wants. The cancer will take from you, from your body. So, you need to support yourself nutritionally.” So, if you don’t feel like eating a salad, but you are craving a cookie, it’s okay.  

Have that cookie; just don’t lose weight. And I think that’s the number one. And also, the other factor is how do you communicate your diagnosis and your prognosis to your family and your friends? Because then everybody’s asking and making you in some ways anxious, your job. And what I tell patients is, “It’s on need-to-know basis.” If you find love and support, then you can tell people.

Otherwise, you can just loosely kind of mention that you need some help, and you’re going through treatment without specific details. And the great part about these combination immunotherapies is that a lot of our functional patients actually continue to work through this. And so, we fill out whatever forms they need for their jobs and so forth. But we have lawyers that are continuing to work, teachers, and sometimes even construction workers. So, really, I would say make decisions as they come up.

Don’t run too far ahead and sort of assume that you’re going to not be well. But if you want to take some time off, that’s okay too. And so, I think the treatment paradigm for this disease has evolved so much that there’s a lot of misconceptions. And I think the job of a good oncologist is to let the patient live their life in as normal a fashion as possible.

So, we work the chemo schedules around their schedule. Some of these immunotherapies you can give once a month. So, I have patients who will fly into see me, for example, get the dose, and then go back home. So, I think don’t be afraid to ask for what you need. 

Expert Advice | Strategies for Managing MPN-Related Fatigue

Expert Advice | Strategies for Managing MPN-Related Fatigue from Patient Empowerment Network on Vimeo.

Fatigue related to myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) can be overwhelming and may have an impact on other parts of your life. So, what can be done about it? MPN specialist Dr. Naveen Pemmaraju shares advice for understanding and managing this common symptom, including lifestyle choices that may be beneficial. 

Dr. Naveen Pemmaraju is Director of the Blastic Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cell Neoplasm (BPDCN) Program in the Department of Leukemia at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Learn more about Dr. Pemmaraju

 

Related Programs:

Understanding MPN Treatment Options _ What’s Available for MF, PV, and ET

Understanding MPN Treatment Options | What’s Available for MF, PV, and ET?

MPN Essential Testing | How Results Impact Care & Treatment Options

MPN Essential Testing | How Results Impact Care & Treatment Options

Understanding and Managing Common MPN Symptoms and Side Effects

Understanding and Managing Common MPN Symptoms and Side Effects


Transcript:

Katherine Banwell:

Well, it’s obvious that there’s some symptom overlap along with this.  And so I’m wondering what the strategies are for managing these. Let’s start with fatigue first.  

Dr. Pemmaraju:

Let’s do that.  

Katherine Banwell:

How do you manage that?  

Dr. Pemmaraju:

This is one of the tougher parts of what we do. I’m glad you’re pinning me down to say it, because really this is the majority of what we need to be talking about in the clinic. I’m going to just be honest, you know, with all the scientific breakthroughs and everything, some of these are limited. The fatigue, this is some of the strategies I use and some of the experts in the field. I think one is managing the underlying disease. So, as you mentioned, if you have high-risk, intermediate to high-risk myelofibrosis, one of the great findings of our field is the JAK inhibitor class generally helps to improve symptom burden.  

So, that is the splenomegaly, the fatigue, the pruritus. Maybe not so much the itching, but some of these other things. So, I think treating the underlying disease, that’s okay. Number two is many clinics, onc centers around the country are starting to open up a supportive care or fatigue center clinic. So, I am referring several of my patients there, we’re talking about diet, nutrition, exercise. We used to never talk about these things. Ruben Mesa has found that doing yoga and meditation can genuinely actually help the pathobiology to reduce the cytokine storm and improve the fatigue and quality of life. 

Dr. Angela Fleischman, our colleague at UC Irvine, has done work suggesting that possibly an antioxidant diet such as the Mediterranean diet can help the overall general fatigue, well-being, wellness. And then of course I mentioned earlier, but I’ll mention here too, sometimes fatigue is outside of the MPN. Have you had your TSH or thyroid checked? What about your vitamin D levels? How are you doing on these PCP general checks? Things that may be contributing to the life and the happiness.

And finally, let me make a plug for mental health. I don’t know how much we were emphasizing before the COVID pandemic, but after, the last three or four years have been tough. Healthcare providers, caregivers, patients themselves, mental health checkup, that can also be contributing to fatigue, not getting out of bed, in addition to the organic medical problems. So, let me advocate a multifactorial approach, scientifically summed up as treating what you can with the underlying MPN, fine, treating the side effects and symptoms of the MPN, as you said. 

And then, other, which can be a huge bucket, particularly as we get older, to not forget about that. Again, checking the thyroid level. And then when you’re on these different treatments, you can personalize it. Interferon, obviously, has its own separate set of side effects and then of course the other agents. So, I think that may be the best way to approach it. Maybe a three-bucket approach. The MPN itself, and then the treatment itself, and then the other, something like that.  

Katherine Banwell:

And as you’ve mentioned, it’s all going to be personalized and individualized.  

Dr. Pemmaraju:

Hugely.   

Katherine Banwell:

Right, because what’s going to work for one person is not necessarily going to work for another.  

Dr. Pemmaraju:

Hear, hear, well said to that. You know, you think you make a great diagnosis in the clinic, someone’s having fatigue, they’re on therapy for your MPN. You check the TSH, it’s wildly abnormal. Okay, you refer them to endocrine. Six months later, the thyroid level is completely normal now on thyroid medicine. And yet, the fatigue, brain fog, everything is still not clear.  

The MPN is under good control. What gives? That’s the difficult part of these diseases. So, I really love what you said about the personalization and to keep looking and keep trying. 

Can Mobile Health Apps Lower the Burden of MPN Symptoms?

Can Mobile Health Apps Lower the Burden of MPN Symptoms? from Patient Empowerment Network on Vimeo.

How can the burden of myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN) symptoms be lessened through the use of mobile health apps? Blood cancer patient Lisa Hatfield shares common MPN symptoms that patients experience and explains wellness strategies and mobile app study results that decreased the symptom burden for patients.

Download Resource Guide

See More from MPN TelemEDucation

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How Can MPN Patients Continue to Use Telemedicine and Overcome Barriers

How MPN Providers Want You to Prepare for Telemedicine Visits

How MPN Patients Can Best Prepare for a Telemedicine Visit

How MPN Patients Can Best Prepare for a Telemedicine Visit

Transcript:

Lisa Hatfield:  

As an MPN patient, you might experience symptoms like fatigue, night sweats, difficulty sleeping, abdominal discomfort, bone pain and others. However, early data using integrative approaches for the treatment of MPNs are promising, including aerobic activity, yoga, meditation, and strength training, to reduce the symptom burden and improve inflammation. With the evolution of smartphone technology, mobile apps have been increasingly popular to document wellness strategies. With this in mind, the University of Arizona Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine developed and successfully piloted a global wellness mobile app, My Wellness Coach (MWC), to guide MPN patients on self-management strategies for their symptom burden. 

The app had patients set at least two wellness goals with clear action steps within these seven areas: nutrition, movement, sleep, resilience, environment, relationships and spirituality to work on over the course of 12 weeks. Within the app, there were links to curated resources and tips. Participants were sent 24- to 72-hour interval reminders before and after each action step and a goal deadline to encourage action throughout the intervention. At the end of the study, improvements were observed in inactivity, impaired concentration, dizziness, numbness, sexual dysfunction, night sweats, bone pain, and quality of life. 

If you’d like to implement something similar to what the participants did, try the following: 

  • Reflect on why you want to change your symptom burden so you feel motivated  
  • Determine which of these categories: nutrition, movement, sleep, resilience, environment, relationships, and spirituality would you like to set goals in 
  • Create two goals from those categories and make them SMART- specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound. 
  • Utilize resources available to you through support groups or online tools 
  • Set reminders on your phone or calendar for each step you need to take to complete your SMART goals

Mobile-based apps are another example of how MPN patients can use telemedicine in their day-to-day life and improve care.


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How Can Myeloproliferative Neoplasm Patients Use Integrative Health?

How Can Myeloproliferative Neoplasm Patients Use Integrative Health? from Patient Empowerment Network on Vimeo.

How can myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN) patients benefit from integrative health? Experts Dr. Krisstina Gowin, Dr. AnaMaria Lopez, and patient Lisa Hatfield discuss common symptoms of MPN patients, integrative health techniques, and benefits of including integrative medicine.

Download Resource Guide

See More from MPN TelemEDucation

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Transcript:

Lisa Hatfield: 

So I have multiple myeloma, and, of course, that comes with side effects from the different therapies and symptoms of their own. We have a great integrative health center at our cancer center here locally where I live, and I’ve used it for acupuncture for some of my symptom management. I’ve also watched you on different platforms, through webinars and patient support groups where you describe different integrative health techniques and that type of thing. So I’m wondering…two questions. The first part is, what symptoms do MPN patients face the most? And then how can they use integrative health to do that, particularly as it relates to telemedicine? Are there telemedicine options for integrative health? I suppose things like acupuncture, maybe not, but other types of, of integrative health, and can they get a consult for integrative health? Can they even go as far as getting a consult? So if you can answer those questions, the symptoms they face, how to use integrative health, and if they can get a consult for integrative health, that would be great. We’d appreciate that.

Dr. Krisstina Gowin: 

Yeah. Well, Lisa, I want to take a moment just to validate your journey that you’re going through and to congratulate you for your self-advocacy to go look for those integrative therapies to support yourself. And for MPN patients, I will say that it’s a really unique group, and so all cancer patients experience symptoms. But in myeloproliferative neoplasms, it’s really kind of this heterogeneous what we call a symptom burden. And so most patients will experience fatigue about 80 percent of MPN patients. But then beyond that, there’s really a whole slew of different sequelae that can be associated with the disease, which you may or may not think about when you’re thinking about MPNs, such as psychosocial issues, sleep issues, sexual issues.

And then we have kind of the classical issues that happen with MPNs, such as dizziness, but we talked about the fatigue, bone pain, itching, abdominal discomfort from an enlarged spleen and early satiety, or feeling full quickly. It’s really a huge symptom complex, if you will. And we now have validated measurement tools to better understand those. It’s the MPN symptom assessment form, which has really, I think, revolutionized how we look at MPN. It’s no longer just treating the blood counts. We’re treating the patient as a whole, and even within our NCCN guidelines, kind of how we as oncologists go through the algorithms of how to change therapy and how we look at patients. We now have symptoms in there. So even if blood counts are controlled, we may change therapies or even do a bone marrow based on symptoms alone. So symptoms are a huge thing in MPN. So getting to your second question for integrative health.

So I think that MPN…the patients in the community are really early adopters for digital engagement, which is fantastic. Everyone’s very engaged, and I’ve had the opportunity to work on meditation apps, yoga apps, a wellness-based app here from the University of Arizona, and patients just really accrue fast. Everyone’s so excited. And most of these, though, were very small kind of pilot trials, looking at feasibility, can’t we really do these things? But most of them as well are showing some impacts on depression, anxiety, sleep, and total symptom burden. So I do think that these modalities through digital platforms certainly can make a difference on the symptoms. And we’ve seen that with meditation. We’ve seen it with yoga, and we’ve seen it with a seven domain wellness app. And is it the digital engagement? I don’t think so.

I think it’s likely the integrative therapies that they’re receiving through that platform, right? We know meditation works, we know yoga works, perhaps not so well in MPNs. We need to build that evidence base, but other solid cancers, we know those interventions really work. But it’s wonderful to get that kind of early data, say it not only works, but it also works when you’re doing it at home, when you’re doing it on a digital platform. And so I would encourage all patients listening to this to, yes, look at what’s around you, what are the resources, what are the clinical trials? Looking at these different digital modalities for integrative medicine, but also to go get an integrative consultation.

And as Dr. Lopez already had mentioned, she does all of her integrative medicine via telemedicine now, which is fantastic. And so you, it’s really, it’s that, you know, your fingertips. You now have access to wonderful oncologists like Dr. Lopez to guide you in this journey. And the journey is not only allopathic Western medicine, but it’s treating you as a person, you as a whole symptom complex. And that’s really what integrative medicine aims to support you through. 

Lisa Hatfield: 

And you mentioned that Dr. Lopez also does her integrative health via telemedicine. So I’m going to ask, Dr. Lopez, can you speak to that a little bit more? How do you do that with patients? Do they just contact you and set up an appointment for an integrative health consult or appointment? And do you conduct some of that yourself, or do you send them to particular resources in the community?

Dr. AnaMaria Lopez: 

Sure. So, yes, patients can make an integrative oncology appointment directly. I really like to do the consults through tele simply because I can…as I was mentioning, it’s like a virtual house call to really get a sense of the patient. Often a partner, significant other, caregiver might be present as well, and as we know there’s the survivor and there’s the co-survivor. So including both can be very helpful to some people, and I think the initial intake…again, as Dr. Gowin was saying, it depends so much on what the person wants to do. So the first opportunity for coming together is simply, “Where are you? What are your goals? What’s important to you? And of the panoply of options, which might be the easiest or the one that you are most interested in?”

And so depending on what it is, we might work together, we might also bring in others if the person is really interested in making lifestyle changes, let’s say related to nutrition. The person might work closely with a nutritionist for some period of time and then come back, and we’d come together and reassess. You mentioned the acupuncture, and you can’t do acupuncture at a distance, but you can certainly teach people about the points and consider acupressure for certain points. So there are so many ways to engage and interact, but yes, I think like a lot of medicine, it’s a team-based approach.


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Is Whole Patient Care a Path to Health Equity?

As part of our Patient Empowerment Network (PEN) Path to Empowerment, whole patient support is included in the path for patients. Our advocacy program called Rx for Community Wellness focuses on culturally competent whole person healthcare that treats the whole patient in tandem with existing care while also looking at health equity issues. As we prepare to launch into another series of Wellness Rx Meditation and Wellness Rx Nutrition programs, here’s a look at the programs and resources that are already available. The intention of these resources are to improve cancer care for all patients by providing meaningful mind-body tools that maximize well-being.

Equity Rx Webinars 

Unfortunately, not every patient is starting from the same level in their healthcare. Health equity topics must be addressed to achieve equitable care for all, and the Equity Rx webinar series have provided an opportunity to address some of these issues. In the Equity Rx webinars, we pulled together a panel that included a cancer survivor, a naturopathic doctor, and a public health scientist. The panel members discussed the importance of culturally competent whole person cancer care to work toward improved cancer outcomes for all patients. Some of the topics covered in the Equity Rx webinars include: 

  • Ways that healthcare systems can better work toward whole person care
  • Solutions to help overcome trauma and lack of trust to work toward healing
  • Advice from a cancer survivor on how to work toward optimal patient care
  • The effects of stress, anxiety, and depression on physical health
  • How environmental conditions and personal experiences can impact health
  • Existing barriers to diagnosis and a patient’s experience as a Mexican American
  • Barriers to culturally competent care and how to address barrier issues
  • Factors that whole person care examines and obstacles healthcare systems   pose to patient care

Survey feedback about the Equity Rx and Wellness Rx Meditative and Nutritional Tools have been extremely positive with 90.2% of survey respondents believing this program has given them a better understanding of the need for health equity. As more people become aware of health equity issues, they can also advocate on behalf of others to improve care for all patients. 

In addition, 82.7% of survey respondents agreed they are very likely to share their story with others to raise awareness about the need for equitable care after the Equity Rx program. And through the process of sharing their personal experiences, patients can not only help educate others but may also be able to work through some of the emotional load of their cancer journeys.

One survey respondent also came away from the programs with motivation to add holistic care to part of their care team.

My hematologist is pretty responsive, but I don’t have a holistic doctor, and I’d like to get one. This program definitely raised my awareness of equity issues. Sasha was great explaining her issues. Thank you!

Another survey respondent shared how the programs instilled motivation to take a more active role in their care.

I will make more of an effort to get my team members to read information that has been shared on my tests and progress.

Equity Rx Crowdsourced Resource Guide

PEN recognizes the value of educational resources and in gathering input from a wide selection of people – whether they are patients, care partners, or patient advocates. In the printable and downloadable Equity Rx Crowdsourced Resource Guide, whole person care is described with an explanation of why whole person care is important in improving health outcomes for all patients. Equity Rx survey highlights are also shown in easy-to-read graphics in the resource guide along with crowdsourced solutions for working toward equitable healthcare.

Is Whole Patient Care a Path to Health Equity?

Wellness Rx Meditative and Nutritional Tools

Whole person care is a primary tenet of holistic medicine, and nutrition and meditation practices are two ways to incorporate holistic care. Holistic care is one way that can support patients in maintaining healthy minds and bodies. In the Wellness Rx Meditative and Nutritional Tools, we created educational videos and transcripts to improve knowledge about meditation practices and nutrition to boost patient health. Meditation topics that were covered in the series include breathing, abdominal breath, chest breathing, body parts, body scan, complete breathing, joy, whole body, heart center, and breath counting. While nutrition topics covered in the series include the benefits of vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, fats, protein, and plant-based diets. 

Access to health and wellness options are vital for all patients. We at PEN hope you can take advantage of the Rx for Community Wellness program resources and also share them with others to improve their care. Additional webinars and resources will be coming soon to help patients and care partners move toward improved empowerment, care, and support for their cancer journeys.

Benefits of Minerals

Benefits of Minerals from Patient Empowerment Network on Vimeo.

Minerals are very important elements required in small amounts in the diet that are used in the body to promote various functions and to help form body structures. Watch now.

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Transcript:

Similar to vitamins, minerals are micronutrients that are essential to human health and can be obtained in our diet from different types of food.  

Minerals are inorganic elements from the Earth. Plants extract minerals from the soil they grow in and we humans obtain minerals directly from eating those plants, as well as indirectly from eating animal foods. We also get minerals from the water we drink.

Minerals are classified as either major minerals or trace minerals, depending on the amount needed in the body. Major minerals include sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and sulfur. Calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium help in the building and maintenance of healthy bones. Sulfur contributes to the health of skin, tendons, and ligaments. Sodium, potassium and chloride are important electrolytes that help maintain fluid balance. Sodium and potassium are also important for nervous system function. Trace minerals include iron, copper, zinc, selenium, iodine, chromium, fluoride, manganese, and molybdenum. Iron is required for red blood cell function and therefore oxygen delivery. Copper is important for iron absorption and the production of red blood cells. Zinc is required for healing damaged tissue and supporting a healthy immune system. Selenium and iodine are essential for thyroid function. Selenium is also a powerful antioxidant. Fluoride is protective against tooth decay.

While deficiencies are possible with minerals, consuming a varied diet significantly improves an individual’s ability to meet their nutrient needs to maintain health and wellbeing. 

Thanks for joining this Patient Empowerment Network program. Please remember to ask your healthcare team what may be right for you.