HOLLYWOOD, Fla. – While global cancer rates are rising more people are survival the disease, reaching and surpassing the critical five-year milestone.
Even so, many patients continue to face emotional and psychological issues long after treatment is over and now specialists in integrative medicine are addressing this concern.
Sharon Jorge’s cancer journey began in 2020 when a suspicious lump showed up on a mammogram.
“I didn’t even feel it, my doctor, my oncologist didn’t even feel it either. It was there we did not know,” Jorge said.
The diagnosis of breast cancer took its toll physically and emotionally, both during, and even after treatment.
In fact data has shown that one in three people with cancer experience mental or emotional distress.
“So the sooner we can engage with patients to address these symptoms of anxiety and depression the better they do overall,” said Dr. Ashwin Mehta, an Integrative Medicine Specialist with Memorial Healthcare.
He helped develop new set of national guidelines recommending that cancer patients use mind-body techniques to ease anxiety and depression.
“When patients are being diagnosed with cancer they feel like they’ve lost control and our integrative medicine program here at memorial is to empower patients with the latest in lifestyle, science, and integrative medicine in order to really coach them what types of things they can do day to day, week to week, month to month, to improve their quality of life and their state of mind,” Mehta said.
A variety of mind-body practices and therapies are included in the Memorial Cancer Institute’s Integrative Cancer Survivorship program.
Jorge said there’s no doubt that the services and support she received through the program have changed her outlook.
“You just look at everything differently I look at the sky differently I look at the sunset differently. I just have a whole different view on life,” she said.
Studies into integrative cancer care have shown impressive outcomes.
One study involving breast cancer patients showed participants in mind-body programs had a 45 percent lower risk of their cancer coming back and a 56 percent lower risk of dying from breast cancer.