CARE AS UNIQUE AS YOU. BlockCenter INTEGRATIVE CANCER TREATMENT

Transcription

1 CARE AS UNIQUE AS YOU BlockCenter INTEGRATIVE CANCER TREATMENT

2 We at Block Center understand that cancer can be a frightening diagnosis. At times you may feel defined by your disease and lose sight of what makes you feel unique. Here, to enhance the effectiveness of your treatment, we help you create a treatment plan based on your individual qualities. As such, we will treat you, the whole person, and not simply your disease. Truth is, conventional cancer treatment alone is often not enough. Our more than 25 years of experience with Integrative Cancer Care enable us to provide you with a personalized protocol. This combines the best state-of-the-art conventional treatments with scientifically based integrative therapies including: TARGETED MOLECULAR THERAPIES PERSONALIZED NUTRITION AND SUPPLEMENTS ACCESS TO CLINICAL TRIALS SUPPORTIVE MIND-BODY STRATEGIES ADV ANCED LABORAT ORY TESTING UNDERSTANDING YOUR INDIVIDUAL QUALITIES Our individualized programs are designed to give you, the patient, the best opportunity to live better. Our treatment environment is designed to improve the overall quality of your life while undergoing treatment by helping: Build up your physical strength and flexibility Reduce harmful side effects of traditional treatments Boost treatment effectiveness Reduce treatment toxicity Avoid recurrences Preserve your dignity and respect your individuality To support your care, our team includes board-certified oncologists and internists, physician assistants, oncology nurses, psychologists, registered dietitians, physical therapists, massage therapists, complementary care specialists, medical researchers and patient care coordinators. As you go through your treatment at Block Center, it is our hope that your body, mind and spirit will experience profound positive changes. CHRONOMODULATED CHEMOTHERAPY PRESCRIPTIVE EXERCISE DIVERSE CHEMOTHERAPIES AND IM M U NOTHERAPIES 1

3 YOUR UNIQUE MOLECULAR ENVIRONMENT A NEW OUTLOOK, A DIFFERENT APPROACH Dr. Block presents a compelling argument for rethinking the biomedical approach to the treatment of cancer. David Spiegel, MD Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine Block Center employs several methods of testing and assessment designed to create the latest, most accurate picture of you right down to the molecular level. Through advanced laboratory testing and physical techniques we can evaluate such factors as: Oxidative damage DNA mutation Immune system functionality Tumor growth factor levels Inflammation Stress chemistry imbalances Nutrient levels Body composition Physical conditioning Psychosocial status Improving these factors through exercise, personalized nutrition, supplements and mind-spirit techniques can help you create a foundation of wellness. This integrative approach enables us to treat your cancer more effectively with fewer side effects. Another facet of our unique treatment is the Cancer Rehabilitation Program. Traditional medicine approaches cancer as a terminal disease while our approach balances the goal of remission and cure with the objective of living with your disease as a manageable condition. Accordingly, Block Center develops a strength, aerobic and Eastern training program to help you break cancer s vicious cycle of inactivity, fatigue and body-mind decline. After only a few weeks of this personalized and integrative regime, many patients find their fatigue subsiding and their vitality renewed. Block Center s Rehabilitation Program works with every stage of your treatment: Prepares you for surgery, chemotherapy and radiation Administers chemotherapy in private rooms Restores your biological integrity through supplements and improved nutrition Builds your physical and emotional stamina through exercise and stress-reducing activities Helps you make healthful choices to improve your body s ability to fight cancer For every person who has ever had, or currently has, or has even considered the possibility of someday having cancer, there can only be a sense of jubilant relief in the realization that such an integrated approach to cancer treatment finally exists. Mark Renneker, MD Assistant Clinical Professor, University of California, San Francisco 2 3

4 CHRONOTHERAPY: OPTIMAL TIMING FOR OPTIMAL RESULTS PERSONALIZED NUTRITION Optimal timing of chemotherapy can quadruple five-year survival rates for advanced Almost every drug a patient receives has an optimal time for administration that is, when it will be least toxic to you and the most effective in fighting cancer cells. With chemotherapy treatment, this biologically-timed chemo administration is called chronomodulated chemotherapy. In 1996, Block Center became the first metastatic ovarian cancer. private cancer clinic in North America to In Vivo, 1999 use portable pumps to effectively deliver chemotherapy by exploiting each individual s sleep/awake cycle. This unique approach times the release of your medications based on three factors: The biological uniqueness of the drug being given The time when specific cancer cells divide and are more vulnerable to cell death The time when healthy cells are at rest, and are least sensitive to toxicity from chemotherapy While chronomodulated chemotherapy is not appropriate for every type of cancer, patients who receive this treatment consistently report that they can tolerate higher, more effective doses of drugs than they can through standard delivery methods. Patients also find that they experience fewer side effects resulting in a better quality of life as well as more effective chemotherapy treatment. And, with this portable pump, you can continue everyday activities while receiving chemotherapy treatment. Many cancer patients die from complications of malnutrition. Teaching patients the importance of eating healthy has been a cornerstone of our successful integrative treatment program. IMPROVE YOUR UNIQUE BIOCHEMISTRY: The heavy consumption of unhealthy fats, refined flours and sugars increases the inflammation generated by a malignancy. This can contribute to a lack of appetite, a weakened immune system and ultimately promote the very disease you are trying to fight. Also, the trauma of surgery, radiation and chemotherapy can deplete stores of your key nutrients. As a crucial part of improving your health, Block Center recommends anti-cancer nutrition based on a low-fat diet rich in health-promoting omega-3 fatty acids, phytonutrients and IV nutrients during chemotherapy. PREVENT RECURRENCES: A diet rich in fiber, complex carbohydrates, fruits, vegetables and plant sources of protein may also help prevent recurrences. Other healthy dietary staples may include foods rich in monounsaturated fats, complex carbohydrates, as well as energy and nutrient dense foods such as avocado, olive oil, soy, seed and nut butters. Dietitians at Block Center work with you and your family to develop and personally tailor this dietary program for optimal results. To support these dietary changes, we provide information you need to integrate healthy foods into your meal planning, including recipes and cooking classes. Cancer may kill, in part, by causing starvation and conventional therapies may actually exacerbate this aspect of the disease. David Katz, MD Associate Professor of Public Health and Director of the Yale Prevention Research Centers 4 5

5 THE POWER OF SUPPLEMENTS USING THE MIND AND SPIRIT TO FIGHT CANCER At Block Center, we use potent and medicinally meaningful supplements to strengthen your body s systemic balance. Too often, standard supplements contain elements that may promote cancer growth, such as copper, folate and high dose B vitamins. At Block Center, we recommend an individualized supplement regimen based on the specifics of your unique biochemistry, your tumor type and your stage of treatment. IMPROVE BASIC HEALTH: When undergoing cancer treatment, your body needs additional micronutrients and phytonutrients to restore health. Even a well-balanced diet is often not enough to cope with appetite-destroying anxiety and traumatic treatments. Block Center supplements help combat your specific cancer while promoting your resistance to disease. REDUCE TREATMENT TOXICITY: Block Center specialists will work with you to develop a supplement program that fosters healing while avoiding dangerous interactions with cancer drugs, tumors and surgery. Our goal in using these supplements is to help lessen the toxic effects of chemotherapy while increasing your body s ability to fight disease. More than half of cancer patients experience emotional distress, anxiety and depression. Many will abandon chemotherapy prematurely due to psychological and physical distress. Moreover, hopelessness and perceived helplessness have been linked to a higher rate of mortality from cancer. To counteract these negative effects, Block Center harnesses the power of your mind to aid in your healing journey. Block Center s mind/spirit program is life affirming and hope inspiring. It centers around four key principles: CALM: Block Center helps you develop a sense of relaxed alertness using meditative techniques matched to your style, rhythm and values. Techniques include interactive guided imagery, biofeedback and other stress care strategies that help combat feelings of anxiety and helplessness. CLARI F Y: Block Center therapists help you to define your personal information style, medical and personal priorities, and also help you to cognitively reframe any self-defeating responses to distressing information. This allows you to gain control over your treatment process. To read about Block s approach to cancer, to see him relate positive coping behavior to immune system activity, is a sign to me that we are making some real progress. Bernie Sigel, MD Author of Love, Medicine and Miracles COPE: Block Center s team assists you in developing strategies for managing treatments with greater ease and in devising a practical support system for cancer care. CONNECT: Block Center therapists work with you to enhance core personal relationships and your sense of spiritual well-being. 6 7

6 INTEGRATIVE TREATMENT PRODUCES RESULTS OUR FOUNDERS We are breaking new ground in integrative cancer treatment that fights cancer, helps prevent recurrences and enriches the quality of your life. Treatment is delivered in a unique setting which includes private chemotherapy rooms. Block Center s approach helps you to become nutritionally, physically and emotionally fit. As part of our commitment to wellness, Block Center supports and participates in ongoing cancer research with universities in the United States and internationally. Block Center s program is optimal if you are newly diagnosed with cancer. However, many patients also come to us with cancer that has spread or metastasized, having undergone a course of chemotherapy that leaves them emotionally and physically depleted. At Block Center, we are here to help you and your caregivers cope with any stage or type of cancer. Previously labeled incurable, many Block Center patients have lived to climb mountains, pursue their careers and raise their children. That s because we at Block Center treat your cancer as a chronic, livable condition not a fatal disease. Keith Block, MD and Penny Block, PhD candidate, founded Block Center for Integrative Cancer Treatment in 1980 with a focus on treating the patient as a whole person, not simply treating the diagnosis. Together, they developed their unique integrative approach to cancer treatment which encompasses traditional and complementary medicine delivered in a caring environment. Block Center s skilled professionals, trained in the Block integrative philosophy, are part of each patient s treatment team. KEITH BLOCK serves as Medical-Scientific Director of Block Center for Integrative Cancer Treatment. He is a member of the National Cancer Institute s PDQ Cancer Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) Editorial Board in Bethesda, MD, and Director of Integrative Medical Education at the College of Medicine at the University of Illinois, Chicago. Dr. Block is also Editor-In-Chief of Integrative Cancer Therapies, a peer reviewed medical journal. He has personally trained all of the physicians at Block Center. PENNY BLOCK is Executive Director of the Block Center for Integrative Cancer Treatment. She is known for her research and publications on complementary care in oncology, including nutrition, psychological support and stress response strategies, therapeutic exercise and physical care. She provides individual and group patient counseling and education in addition to professional training. 8

7 BlockCenter INTEGRATIVE CANCER TREATMENT 1800 Sherman Avenue, Suite 350 Evanston, Illinois Phone: Fax: