Cancer Care Ontario has built a cancer risk assessment tool called My CancerIQ, which helps us explore where our personal risk lies and preventive actions we can take to reduce our cancer risk. We’ve included links below for 5 different types of cancer.
We’d like to extend our congratulations to Dr. Naghmeh Mirhosseini ND on her recently published review on Multiple Myeloma, in Current Oncology!
Multiple Myeloma (MM) is a cancer that starts in plasma cells, which are a type of white blood cell that makes antibodies to help our body fight infection. These plasma cells are found mainly in bone marrow, which is the soft, spongy tissue inside most bones where many types of blood cells are made. Cancer forms when abnormal plasma cells begin to divide uncontrollably and make more abnormal plasma cells. This makes it hard for other blood cells in the bone marrow to develop and work normally, which might cause anemia and fatigue because there are fewer red blood cells.
The myeloma cells (cancer cells) make a substance that leads to bone damage and high levels of calcium in the blood. Myeloma cells also make abnormal proteins that can affect other organs such as the kidneys. Patients usually come with bone pain and osteoporosis, recurrent infections, anemia and fatigue, headache, kidney dysfunction and hypercalcemia.
MM is an incurable cancer and is usually treated with a combination of a proteasome inhibitor, an immunomodulatory agent, and dexamethasone. This combination is associated with a median progression-free survival of 41 months. Our recently published scoping review has shown that Vitamin D deficiency is very prevalent among these patients. Vitamin D supplementation and obtaining a consistent level of vitamin D in the blood might increase survival rate and quality of life, as well as reduce disease progression. So, vitamin D deficiency screening and proper supplementation is highly recommend for the patients diagnosed with MM.
Mirhosseini N, Psihogios A, McLaren MD, Seely D. Vitamin D and Multiple Myeloma: A Scoping Review. Curr Oncol. 2023 Mar 11;30(3):3263-3276. doi: 10.3390/curroncol30030248. PMID: 36975461; PMCID: PMC10047650.
Cancer diagnosis can change the course of one’s life due to the huge uncertainties brought about by the course of the disease, the treatment, the prognosis, as well as debilitating complications of treatment. Consequently, patients might experience difficulties in many important areas, such as their social relationships, personal and professional performance, and their mental health.
About 4 of every 10 cancer cases can be prevented through healthy living and cancer prevention programs that protect the health of Canadians. Although genetic predisposition is a factor in some cases, the vast majority of cancer cases occur because of dietary and lifestyle factors.
If you are undergoing treatment for cancer, you may have noticed a change in your appetite and desire to eat. There are many cancer treatments that can lower your appetite, even cancer itself can cause a loss in appetite for various reasons. A loss of appetite, called anorexia, can lead to weight loss and make you feel weak and tired, which affects your quality of life and response to cancer treatments.
