“If there is one medicine you can recommend that will take care of pain, nausea, appetite, sleep, [and] anxiety instead of writing prescriptions for five different medicines that all might interact with each other or the chemotherapy, or whatever cancer treatment the patient is getting, I think it's a useful drug." -Dr. Donald Abrams, M.D.  Dr. Donald Abrams, M.D. is an integrative oncologist at the UCSF Osher Center for Integrative Medicine, Professor of Clinical Medicine at the University of California San Francisco, and was chief of the Hematology-Oncology Division at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital from 2003-2017. He became a fellow in Hematology-Oncology at the UCSF Cancer Research Institute in 1980 during the time the first cases of AIDS were being diagnosed. He was one of the original clinician/investigators to recognize many of the early AIDS-related conditions. He conducted numerous clinical trials investigating conventional as well as complementary therapies in patients with HIV including therapeutic touch, Traditional Chinese Medicine interventions, medicinal mushrooms, medical marijuana and distant healing. It was his work with these patients that brought Dr. Abrams into the world of using cannabis for medicinal purposes. Since completing a Fellowship in Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona, Dr. Abrams has been providing Integrative Medicine consultation to people living with and beyond cancer at the UCSF Osher Center for Integrative Medicine. He co-edited the textbook Integrative Oncology with Dr. Andrew Weil, M.D. Our discussion includes: Does cannabis cure cancer? Cannabis (also known as Marijuana) key terms and historical context Pros and cons of cannabis for cancer patients and survivors Symptoms cannabis can be used for Optimal methods of consumption Is it bad for you or dangerous? Research and evidence See the show notes and links at www.cancercan.blog 

Cancer Can

Cannabis for Cancer: If, Who, When, Why and How

“The days of when a doctor says we have to do surgery and that’s it…are over…Patients need to be part of the process.” -Dr. Liau   Description: Dr. Linda M. Liau, MD, PhD, MBA is Professor and Chair of the Department of Neurosurgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, and Co-Director of the UCLA Brain Tumor Center. In addition to performing brain surgeries, she works tirelessly in the lab to improve the lives of brain cancer patients, including one of the deadliest cancers: Glioblastoma, the disease that inflicted Senator John McCain, Senator Ted Kennedy, and Major Beau Biden. Dr. Liau is the lead investigator on various novel clinical trials for brain cancer patients, and developed one of the first human applications of a personalized brain tumor vaccine. She is on the editorial boards of several scientific/medical journals and is the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Neuro-Oncology.   Our discussion includes: -How she became a MD, PhD, and MBA -What motivates her -How she thinks of her patients -Second opinions -Choosing a doctor and treatment team -Whether to seek treatment at an academic institution -Immunotherapy and other promising advances -Combination therapies and clinical trial designs -Characteristics of long-term survivors

Touching Minds: A Brain Surgeon & Scientist on Cancer

Destry Ramey is a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, author, and decades long cancer survivor currently charging forward through her 7th battle with cancer. She has authored 4 children’s books (www.thepugs.com) that I read to my own daughters. Our discussion includes:   -What she learned from her career in healthcare that every patient or caregiver should know and apply -What her dad passed on to her that she has used to battle cancer for decades -Her motivations and key tools in surviving breast, cervical, and ovarian cancer -The role dogs continue to play in her journey Check out the show notes and links at www.cancercan.blog 

How to Survive Cancer for Decades: A Survivor's Mindset

An 11-minute introduction to the Cancer Can podcast project.

Cancer Can Introduction

Conversations for cancer patients and survivors. How do I become an A+ patient and survivor? That is, how can I do everything in my control to live as long as I can with the best quality of life? What do I read? Who do I listen to? How do I lose the least from this setback and gain the most from it? How do I make the best treatment decisions and then prepare for and execute each step of that treatment? How do I best mitigate and recover from the physical, emotional, and mental burdens? How should I think about the impact to my lifestyle and adjust it to match a new reality? What are the tips and tricks those who’ve gone before me already know that I don’t know yet? Chris Sis asks and discusses cancer related topics with survivors, doctors, researchers, and others. Visit cancercan.blog for show notes and links. Disclaimer: I’m not a doctor or a medical professional. Even those included in the podcast or blog who are medical professionals or providers are not giving medical advice here and don’t have detailed information for any particular person that they would obviously need to give medical advice. Any medical information discussed should only be used as a starting point for your own individual research and discussion with the best medical providers you can find for your situation. www.cancercan.blog

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Cancer Can

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