How do you track the progress of integrative cancer treatments at your center? What tests and measurements do you follow?
The primary tests that we use the standard medical assessments including, but not limited to, tumor markers, CT scans, PET-CT Scans and monitoring of physical symptoms. These are absolutely necessary to make sure your treatment plan is favorably impacting your disease. We also provide some more innovative testing not generally part of a conventional workup. These are laboratory tests that assess your biochemical terrain by analyzing a number of terrain factors, such as inflammation, oxidation, glycemia, immunity, blood coagulation and stress hormones. The results provide our physicians and dietitians the information needed to individualize and personalize both a diet and supplement program to help create a cancer inhibitory environment. Terrain factors are reevaluated 2-3 times per year for patients with active cancers and recommendations are modified as needed.
We also provide an integrative lifestyle assessment. This is a series of questionnaires and in-office tests that evaluate lifestyle, diet, overall distress, body composition and parameters of physical activity, such as cardiac endurance, flexibility and strength. These assessments are regularly reviewed to provide support and counsel on an ongoing basis. Additionally, we perform comprehensive molecular tumor tissue analysis. Since cancer is a function of multiple gene related defects, this testing allows us the ability to select pharmaceutical and nutritional strategies to more precisely impact tumor targets affecting your disease.
For more information on The Block Center for Integrative Cancer Treatment, call (847) 230-9107 or visit BlockMD.com.
Dear Dr. Block,
My local onc/doc was rather derisive about measuring insulin, and was not open to having discussion with me. I know little about the results, and attempted to share with him my read-outs. He said he would like to speak with you about why you choose to measure the various aspects of my panels.
He was in research at a Maryland center, and was pleased to report to us he was published in some studies. I left pretty frustrated, and very angry at his attitude, since I am a survivor against their odds; and they say it is most likely the drugs, though they did not give me much hope 3 years ago, and none of them have wanted to enter discussion about my alternative treatments. Dr. Tummala’s main point is that they can not be standardized across individuals/settings, therefore, they can not be implemented for treatment in settings such as the oncology center where he practices.
His name is Mohan K. Tummala, and he currently practices at Mercy Hospital, Springfield, MO.
Can you tell us the name of the biochemical terrain laboratory tests so that we can have our local oncologist order them?