According to the National Cancer Institute, it is estimated that nearly one third of cancer deaths can be attributed to a wasting syndrome called “cachexia.” Cachexia can peel away one’s visible muscle (somatic muscle), and one’s invisible muscle, (the visceral proteins in your gut and elsewhere, responsible in great part for your immune functioning). A … Continued

According to the National Cancer Institute, there are nearly 17 million cancer survivors in the US today. And that number is expected to grow, as the population ages, treatments improve, and tests find the disease earlier. Cancer survivors face a myriad of health challenges, not to mention the daunting fear the cancer will return. However, … Continued

I had 3 relatives who died of cancer when I was growing up. My uncle died when I was 8 years old, my grandfather when I was 12, and my grandmother had a breast cancer recurrence when I was 14 years old. I remember going to the hospital to visit her with my parents. She … Continued

According to the National Cancer Institute, there are nearly 17 million cancer survivors in the US today. And that number is expected to grow, as the population ages, treatments improve, and tests find the disease earlier. Cancer survivors face a myriad of health challenges, not to mention the daunting fear the cancer will return. However, … Continued

Most of us are familiar with this scenario: someone we know has just been given the life-altering news that they’re facing a cancer diagnosis, and before they’ve had time to begin to process what this means for their future – and for their life – they’re being scheduled for their first treatment. Though this rush-to-treatment … Continued

Over the last few years, several of our patients have come to us with questions about the Paleo diet, having heard or read about its presumed health benefits. In fact, many of these patients were considering trying this diet or had, in fact, already started it, under the mistaken belief that it’s consistent with the … Continued

For some time now, wheat has been characterized as a dietary villain, blamed as the cause for one malaise after another, including acne, chronic fatigue, and depression. Some opponents of wheat have even coined the phrase “wheat belly,” pointing a finger at wheat as the cause of excess belly fat. But in fact, wheat has … Continued

For people touched by cancer, the term “hope” can mean different things. At a basic level, of course you hope to get rid of your cancer and then stay free of the disease. In this context, hope is simply a form of wish fulfillment: You desire, and to some degree, expect, a full-fledged recovery. Implicit … Continued

One of the most common sources of distress after a diagnosis of cancer is being told that you have “X” number of months or years to live. This is often presented in the form of a risk-based percentage, such as “a 30 percent chance of surviving one year.” For anyone on the receiving end of … Continued

Back in the early nineties, I was looking for methods to help my patients better tolerate some of the more invasive cancer treatments, including chemotherapy. So, when I came across some of the research of Dr. Bill Hrushevsky, clearly the pioneer in the field of chronomodulated chemotherapy, it was a “light-bulb” moment for me. Dr. … Continued