Q&A: Holiday Nutrition

Every Sunday, Cancer Services publishes a Cancer Q&A in the Health Section of The Advocate.


Q: What are some things to consider when preparing for holiday meals during my cancer treatment?

A: One of the best ideas is to do just what you are doing now: Plan ahead. Consider the side effects you’re experiencing and what foods can help alleviate them, or what foods you should avoid. If you are hosting the dinner yourself you will be able to control what you cook. If other people are creating part of the meal, there is a good chance they will ask you if you have any specific dietary restrictions. If they don’t, make sure that you create your own items so you know that you have some food you can eat. If you are unsure of what is best for you, consult a registered dietician or ask your doctor or nurse to provide a consultation. Additionally, the library at Cancer Services of Greater Baton Rouge has cookbooks and materials on nutrition available to anyone to check out.

It is also smart to make healthy replacements. Focus on using spices for flavor instead of just depending on salt and use low sodium broth when possible. Eat a roasted turkey instead of a fried version. Try wild rice instead of a traditional stuffing. Have fresh fruit for dessert or make healthy substitutions during baking, such as egg whites or applesauce instead of oil. Avoid alcohol, instead opting for water or a club soda.

Perhaps one of the best suggestions is simply to focus on family and friends instead of food. Take time to talk with those you might not see often and make plans for other activities outside of eating. Volunteer at a charity event or take time to make holiday decorations or presents as a group. And a post-dinner walk instead of a post-dinner nap is a great opportunity to continue conversations and to get exercise.

For more information contact Courtney Britton, librarian at Cancer Services of Greater Baton Rouge at 225-927-2273 or visit the Resource Center at 550 Lobdell Avenue.

Q&A: Cancer Vaccines

Every Sunday, Cancer Services publishes a Cancer Q&A in the Health Section of The Advocate.

Q: What are cancer vaccines?

A: In order to understand vaccines, it is important to know about the immune system. A person’s immune system, from birth, knows to protect the body from foreign substances like bacteria and viruses and then remembers it in order to fight it off if the foreign substance tries to attack again. A vaccine is a type of medicine that helps the body prepare to fight disease and infection. A weakened version of the virus or bacteria is introduced into the body so that the immune system learns how to fight it.

There are two types of vaccines: preventative and treatment. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved three preventative vaccines, Gardasil®, Cervarix®, and a vaccine for the hepatitis B virus (HBV). Gardasil® and Cervarix®, protect against two types of HPV (types 16 and 18) that are responsible for 70% of cervical cancer cases. The HBV vaccine is important because it prevents hepatitis B infections, which can lead to liver cancer. Most children receive this vaccine shortly after birth.

The first treatment vaccine for cancer was approved in April 2010. Provenge® is approved for use in some men with metastatic prostate cancer. It is designed to stimulate an immune response to prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP), an antigen that is found on most prostate cancer cells. In a clinical trial, sipuleucel-T increased the survival of men with a certain type of metastatic prostate cancer by about 4 months.

Other treatment vaccines are still in the development phase, being tested to see if they can prevent a cancer from growing, keep a cancer from recurring, shrink tumors, or kill cancer cells left by other treatments.

For more information contact Courtney Britton, librarian at Cancer Services of Greater Baton Rouge at (225) 927-2273, cbritton@cancerservices.org or visit the Resource Center at 550 Lobdell Avenue.

Teal Toes!

Did you know that September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month? Inspired by Teal Toes, Inc., the (female) staff at Cancer Services painted our toenails various shades of teal, the ovarian cancer color.

To learn more about this unique endeavor to spread awareness about the "whispering killer," check out Teal Toes, Inc.

Reiki: The Japanese practice and its role at Cancer Services

Cancer Services began offering Reiki to our clients a year ago. It started with one volunteer practitioner and a few clients twice a month. Now three Reiki practitioners see 7-9 clients each week. But what exactly is Reiki? Even Martha Novoa, a Reiki master who sees clients at Cancer Services, has trouble explaining it, citing that “it is a different process and experience for each person.”

Reiki (pronounced “raykey”) means “universal life energy.” The word is made of two Japanese words - Rei which means “God’s Wisdom or the Higher Power” and Ki which is “life force energy.” So, Reiki is actually “spiritually guided life force energy.” Though it is spiritual in nature, it not a subscribed part of any religion or dogma. The practice bases itself on belief that energy is channeled through a Reiki practitioner to help a person through correcting their energy balance. A practitioner places their hands on or directly above the person who may be experiencing pain or in need of relaxation. Clients leave their sessions feeling relaxed, and one Cancer Services client even reported being able to drop her five different pain medications because, with Reiki, she didn’t need them anymore. Even after 14 years of practicing Reiki, Novoa still feels a sense of awe when a client describes how, thanks to Reiki, their pain is no longer there. She explains: “Everyone has energy in their bodies and when something good happens your body produces good energy but when something bad happens, your body responds with negative energy. It is my job to get out of its way and simply direct the energy where the person needs it.”

Reiki has been practiced in the US since 1937 and has recently gained popularity. The medical community is still studying its true efficacy, but many of our clients swear by Reiki and its effects. Karen Farris, who was diagnosed with CML leukemia, appreciates how Reiki relaxes both your brain and your body. She shared, “Once Reiki is done, I leave with a sense of confidence that I can respond appropriately to any situation I may encounter.” Though she admits it can “sound a little voodoo-like,” Karen found that Reiki “helps me relax in a way that I would not at home.” As a cancer survivor, she finds that Reiki can play a special part in her treatment and recovery. “When you get diagnosed you can have a mindset of, ‘get it done’ or it ‘doesn’t matter.’ But Reiki helps me ‘be’ and accept, with hope, where I am in my treatment process.” Karen encourages other cancer survivors to give it a try before dismissing it.

Cancer Services is fortunate to have three volunteer Reiki practitioners: Martha Novoa, Dee Dee Poullard and June Berry. For more information about Reiki and its role in cancer treatment, or if you are a cancer survivor and interested in having a free Reiki session, call us at 225-927-2273.

from the American Cancer Society:


American Cancer Society Report Finds Signs that Cancer Progress Could Stall
"An annual report from the American Cancer Society finds that despite recent declines in cancer death rates, there are worrisome signs that progress could stall."

Many Women Undertreated for Ovarian Cancer
"The study of hospital data from nine states found that women who were over 70, of African American or Hispanic race, or insured by Medicaid, were at greatest risk for undertreatment."


from National Public Radio:

Podcast from Journalist, Leroy Shievers, entitled My Cancer
"Leroy Sievers has spent a long career as a journalist covering war, genocide and natural disasters. Now after decades of observing other people's deaths, he is forced to contemplate his own. He's fighting cancer."