By Burton A. Presberg, M.D.

Welcome!
I am very excited about using the technology of the Internet to communicate and dialogue about issues related to living with cancer. Cancer is much more than a biological illness. It affects many, if not all, areas of a person's life, as well as the lives of their family members and loved ones. While modern medicine continues to develop new medical therapies (and some of these, such as immunotherapy and gene therapy are truly exciting), we still need to focus our attention on the health, well-being, and quality of life of persons living with cancer.

There are numerous areas we will address in this column. These include, but are certainly not limited to:

  1. Psychological therapies (individual counseling, support groups, visualization)
  2. The role of mood altering medications (antidepressants, anti-anxiety agents, stimulant medications)
  3. Pain management
  4. Complementary and alternative therapies (meditation, acupuncture, creative arts therapies, yoga, massage, qi gong, and many others).
I'd like to start with answering a few questions I have been asked lately. Remember, talk with your doctor regarding your individual situation. In answering your questions, my goal is to educate and clarify options, not make recommendations. My approach is to get to know the whole person and obviously, from a brief question, it is impossible to understand all the complex medical, psychological, social, and spiritual issues that my affect your individual decisions.

"Since I found out I have cancer, everyone I know has been telling me to talk about my feelings. I've been keeping feelings inside for sixty years; why should I change now?"

Sometimes well-meaning family members or friends inadvertently put a lot of pressure on a person with cancer to do certain things, such as go to counseling or a support group. The bottom line with counseling, groups, and other complementary therapies is that their purpose is to help people live better and feel more relaxed and in control. If the thought of talking with others about your feelings and your illness is not your style, don't do it. That being said, over time you may wish to experiment with talking. Often people are pleasantly surprised with how helpful it can be to say things out loud to others in a caring and supportive environment. Always remember: You make the ultimate decisions about you and your body. There is no "one right answer" that fits everyone.

"I've been hearing a lot about complementary and alternative therapies. What's the scoop? Can any of these things help me live longer?"

Complementary and alternative therapies refer to a number of approaches to health and illness that lie outside conventional western medicine. The array of therapies is vast, including whole systems of medicine such as Chinese Medicine, Indian Ayurveda, and homeopathy, and various techniques such as body therapies (yoga, massage, chiropractic, osteopathy), body/mind therapies (meditation, visualization), and energy therapies (light, aromatherapy, healing touch, acupuncture). Modern medicine is changing and becoming more open to incorporating many of these therapies, while at the same time scientifically studying them to help us understand what helps and what doesn't.

My best advice is to be open-minded, yet skeptical. Stay away from promises of miracle cures; these tend to come from those preying on people in desperate circumstances. Look at complementary therapies as helping you live better and feel better. Use the approaches that feel "right" to you and use them along with conventional medical treatment. Moving your focus from quantity of life to quality of life will help you live the best you can, in the present moment. Ultimately you may or may not live longer, but you can live better.

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