Survivorship/Survivorsh*t! Episodes

Chemo brain, brain farts, brain fog, cancer-related cognitive impairment (CRCI)… no matter what you call it, it is a debilitating side effect that may persist for months or years after treatment ends. CRCI is more than just forgetting why you walked into a room or where you left your keys. Tina and Leah review the possible causes of CRCI and discuss ways that you can improve brain function.

Fracture risk increases with age as our bones thin, but throw some cancer treatment into the mix and bone thinning can happen sooner and more rapidly. Loss of bone mineral density (known as osteopenia or osteoporosis) increases fracture risk. This is not only true for older cancer patients but young ones too. And bone loss may be late-onset, not showing up until decades following treatment.

Cancer-related fatigue (CrF) is common, both during treatment for cancer and afterward. Studies show up to 30% of cancer survivors experience fatigue for years following diagnosis. In this episode, Tina and Leah review the official contributing factors to CrF, and a few causes that aren’t found on the official list.

Sleep disturbances may affect 40% of cancer survivors up to five years post treatment. In the second part of the sleep pods, Tina and Leah review integrative approaches to sleep management, including herbs and supplements that address anxiety and pain.

A good night's sleep supports our immune system, our mood, and so much more. It helps our body and mind heal. Anxiety, depression, and pain are only a few common causes of sleep disruption. In the first of this two-part episode, Tina and Leah talk about sleep disturbances, sleep hygiene, and some basic approaches to managing insomnia.

Mouth sores and taste changes can greatly affect quality of life when going through treatment for cancer. Tina and Leah discuss causes and both pharmaceutical and integrative approaches to managing these side effects.

In this third part of our Hot Flashes series, we cover common and not-so-common nutritional supplements that we've used with our patients and some we have only heard about.

This is a hot topic, don't you think? In this episode, we start to talk about ways to address hot flashes, including the pros and cons of some of the most popular drugs and phytoestrogens, and how they may or may not interact with commonly prescribed medications like tamoxifen.

Hot flashes are a common side effect of cancer treatments, especially hormonal cancers like breast and prostate. In this episode, Tina and Leah discuss some common, and not so common, triggers of hot flashes and their take on what you can be done about it.