It's hardly a surprise that air pollution has been shown to increase one's risk of developing lung cancer. However, it now appears that living in cities with more polluted air also correlates with a greater risk of dying from breast ... [Read More]
Sleep Your Way To Less Cancer
Not getting adequate sleep (particularly, at night) is now recognized as a risk factor for cancer. It seems that the preponderance of studies suggest that getting at least 6-7 hours of night time sleep is protective against cancer (as well as ... [Read More]
How To Reduce Your Risk of Bone Fracture During and After Cancer Treatment
Bone loss and bone fractures are a significant concern during and after many different types of cancer treatment. Appropriate screening, lifestyle modifications and therapies to increase or maintain bone density are essential. I decided to write ... [Read More]
Reduce Your Risk Of Blood Clots Without A Prescription
This article has been updated, November 2019 (link here) One of the the facts I emphasize during my integrative oncology talks is that the majority of patients with cancer do not die from their cancer, but instead from a side effect or ... [Read More]
Pesticides, Herbicides and Cancer: The Link Is Getting Clearer
The March/April 2013 issue of CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians published a review by the U.S. National Cancer Institute and others reporting the widespread recognition that exposure (through our food, water, skin and air) to MANY different ... [Read More]
Is There Any Other Anti-Cancer Botanical Compound As Exciting As Curcumin?
Curcumin is one of the hottest plant polyphenol extracts being researched, today. Until recently, I was unaware of the extensive history of curcumin research...dating back over 170 years! In the last 10-years, alone, there have been over 4,600 ... [Read More]
Proton Beam Therapy: The Rolls Royce of Radiation Oncology
Have you heard of "proton beam therapy" (PBT)? Simply put, PBT is the most advanced radiation therapy technique available. This star wars-like technology has been used in the treatment of malignant and benign tumors since the 1950's. As of 2011, ... [Read More]
Hey Doc, Can I Take Antioxidants During Chemo and Radiation?
This is one of the most common questions asked by our patients in the oncology clinic, and for most oncologists their knee jerk answer is "NO, It's NOT safe to take antioxidants during chemotherapy and radiation therapy." What's The Claim? When I ... [Read More]
One Baby Aspirin Per Day Cuts Cancer Development, Metastases and Death!
Do you take an aspirin a day for aches and pains or other health reasons? It seems that many people do, and they might be inadvertently protecting themselves from cancer. A Willow Tree Gave Us Aspirin: The ancient Egyptians used the bark of the ... [Read More]
Fight Cancer: Chew (or Juice) Brassicas!
I was no fan of broccoli when I was a kid. My mom used to have to serve it to me with melted cheese just so that I would eat it (pssst, don't tell my mom, but I used to feed it to our family dog under the table before the cheese ... [Read More]
Use Glutamine To Reduce The Severity Of Mucositis And Neuropathy (During Chemotherapy Or Radiation Therapy)
If you are about to start a course of chemotherapy that can cause mucositis (i.e. of the mouth, throat or esophagus) or peripheral neuropathy (i.e. hands and feet), ask your oncologist if you can use glutamine to help reduce the severity of these ... [Read More]
Get Metformin-Like AntiCancer Activity Without A Prescription (Berberine)
What Is Berberine? Berberine is one of the active alkaloid extracts, derived from a variety of plants (i.e. Oregon grape, barberry, tree turmeric, goldenseal, Amor cork tree, Chinese goldthread or "huanglian" or "Coptis chinensis", etc.), that have ... [Read More]
Fight & Prevent Breast Fibrosis After Radiation Therapy
I wrote a previous blog post in which I hypothesized that by using a combination of vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) and pentoxifylline (PTX), patients undergoing breast or chest wall radiation therapy for breast cancer might be able to reduce their risk ... [Read More]
Metformin Supplementation and Cancer Treatment
The Oncology Association of Naturopathic Physicians (OncANP) annual conference was chock-full of excellent talks on the use of a variety of supplements that may be useful in helping to reduce the risk of cancer development, progression and ... [Read More]
Just Got Back From A Great Naturopathic Cancer Conference (OncANP): Update on Melatonin and Cancer Treatment
The Oncology Association of Naturopathic Physicians (OncANP) just held their 2nd annual conference, in Phoenix, and it was great! This was the first Naturopathic conference I have attended, and I was VERY impressed with the quality of the ... [Read More]
Keep Your Hair With Scalp Cooling (“Cold Cap Therapy”) During Chemotherapy
If you want to try to keep your hair during chemotherapy read this article. I wish more oncologists would tell their patients about this incredibly simple hair saving technique, but unfortunately many are either unaware of how effective it is or are ... [Read More]
Read About the Numerous Anti-Cancer and Protective Effects of Milk Thistle Extract (Silymarin)
Milk thistle seeds contain a powerful phytonutrient called, silymarin, which is increasingly being recognized for its' wide-range of anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative and protective effects against various drugs and toxins. Most studies ... [Read More]
Physical Activity Monitoring Devices Can Play A Role In Integrative Oncology
Most Americans are lazy when it comes to walking. We walk about 30-40 minutes less every day compared with the Swiss, Australians and the Japanese (from a 2003 study.) Based on number of steps per day, Americans barely walk more than than the ... [Read More]
Loneliness and Cancer: Is There A Link?
Increased inflammation and diminished immune function can both drive cancer growth and progression. Loneliness, sadness, depression have all been linked with these cancer-promoting physiologic conditions. It is certainly not a far stretch to believe ... [Read More]
Flavonoid Polyphenols and Cancer
What are Flavonoids? Flavonoids are plant-made chemicals (phytochemicals) in the “polyphenol” family of molecules. They are widely found in fruits, vegetables, cereals, herbs, spices, stems and flowers, teas, red wine, beer, beans, cocoa, and many ... [Read More]
Penile “Rehab” During and After Prostate Cancer Treatment
One of the most common complications of radiation therapy and surgery (prostatectomy) for prostate cancer is erectile dysfunction (ED.) Studies report rates as high as 30-60% of men who undergo these treatments will develop ED as a result of ... [Read More]
Alzheimer’s Drug Reduces Memory Loss and Cognitive Decline After Brain Radiation
Brain radiation is one of the most effective treatments for stopping or slowing the growth of brain tumors and cancers that have spread to the brain. Unfortunately, this treatment can lead to varying degrees of cognitive and memory deficits ... [Read More]
A Medicinal Mushroom Warning (Cordyceps Sinensis)…Buyer Beware!
I recently discovered a very alarming issue surrounding one of the most commonly used medicinal mushrooms, Cordyceps sinensis (CS.) It has been marketed and prescribed for years for its’ immune-stimulating effects (as well as, anti-cancer, ... [Read More]
Mucositis of the Mouth and Throat: An Integrative Oncology Approach to Management
Mucositis is one of the most common side effects of cancer treatment, and one that can cause a great amount of distress when not addressed both preventatively and therapeutically. Dr. Lise Alschuler, ND (an internationally known naturopathic ... [Read More]
Can Coping With Anxiety, Depression and Stress Increase Remission and Survival? What Every Cancer Patient Needs to Know
In this blog, you will learn: (1) about the experience of anxiety, depression and stress among cancer patients and survivors; (2) how cancer patients describe those emotions in response to diagnosis, treatment, or long-term care; (3) how these ... [Read More]
Dr. Lawenda’s Interview on Integrative Radiation Oncology: Today and The Future
Listen to my interview with host, Karolyn Gazella, of Five To Thrive Live (on 11/12/12) We discussed a variety of topics including: What is integrative oncology Why and how I chose to become an integrative radiation oncologist I discuss what ... [Read More]
Inflammation 101: The Fuel That Feeds Cancer
I think most of us typically think of inflammation as our body’s protective response to injury and infection. Without it, we’d be in serious trouble (unless we lived in a sealed bubble.) If it were only that simple… Inflammation comes in two ... [Read More]
What If Living An Anti-Cancer Lifestyle Only Reduces Cancer By 1%?
Try this on for size. If there was a mere 1% reduction in the incidence of U.S. cancer mortality (e.g. lung, colon, breast, leukemia, pancreatic, brain), researchers estimate that this would save between $230-$308 BILLION dollars each year due to ... [Read More]
Physical limitations after cancer treatment: a silent killer
In a recent study, investigators reported their findings on a group of 2202 women with breast cancer who were followed for up to 11-years after their initial treatment. During the study, the authors prospectively assessed the patients' physical ... [Read More]
Anti-Cancer Nutrition: Dietary Fats 101
By Conner Middelmann-Whitney and Brian Lawenda M.D. Fats are the most controversial and misunderstood macronutrients in the human diet. Vilified for the past four decades as “artery-clogging”, fattening and inflammatory, fat has become a pariah ... [Read More]