Podcast 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.

Knowing whether there is familial hereditary cancer syndrome can influence decision-making for the person with cancer and their family. In this podcast, we discuss who, why and how the testing for hereditary cancer syndromes should be approached. Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer Syndrome, where the BRCA genes are involved,  may be the most commonly known, but there are many others to look for including Lynch syndrome, Li Fraumeni syndrome, and Cowden syndrome.

Doctors' appointments can be overwhelming, especially after a cancer diagnosis. Tina and Leah review some of the questions to bring up at an oncology appointment and offer some tips to help patients, both newly diagnosed and seasoned veterans, about what to bring to appointments.

Whether it's about integrative medicine or questions you might not have thought of, we'll try and cover how to talk to your doctor in this pod.

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.

Tina and Leah kick off this first pod in our side effects series with our nausea and vomiting episode. They cover a number of causes for nausea and vomiting, how different medicines work, and of course, their favorite integrative medicine approaches.

Soy was a conundrum in the nutrition and the integrative medicine realm for many years—is it helping or harming cancer patients? T

Tina and Leah talk about coffee, the good, the bad, the better, as well as that crazy hot dog article that was circulating a few weeks ago. What do hot dogs have to do with coffee? Tune in and find out!