Episodes
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In this deeply insightful episode of our podcast, we explore the often-hidden challenges melanoma patients and survivors face—stress and anxiety. Living with melanoma or surviving it is a testament to strength, but it comes with its own set of emotional hurdles. To shed light on this critical issue and offer some groundbreaking strategies for coping, we are honored to have Dr. Judson Brewer, MD, PhD, a leading expert in mindfulness and stress reduction, and the Director of Research and Innovation at the Mindfulness Center at Brown University.
OUR GUEST
Judson Brewer, MD, PhD
Director of Research and Innovation at the Mindfulness Center, Brown University, School of Public Health
Jud Brewer, MD PhD, is the Director of Research and Innovation at the Mindfulness Center and associate professor in Behavioral and Social Sciences at the School of Public Health and Psychiatry at the Medical School at Brown University. He also is a research affiliate at MIT. A psychiatrist and internationally known expert in mindfulness training for addictions, Brewer has developed and tested novel mindfulness programs for behavior change, including both in-person and app-based treatments for smoking, emotional eating, and anxiety.
He has also studied the underlying neural mechanisms of mindfulness using standard and real-time fMRI, and source-estimated EEG, and is currently translating these findings into clinical use (see www.drjud.com for more information). He has published numerous peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, presented to the US President’s Office of National Drug Control Policy, foreign Parliaments, trained US Olympic athletes and coaches, and foreign government ministers and has been featured on 60 minutes, at TED (4th most viewed talk of 2016 with over 17 Million views), in the New York Times, Time magazine (top 100 new health discoveries of 2013), Forbes, Businessweek, NPR, National Geographic, and the BBC among others. He is the author of The Craving Mind: from cigarettes to smartphones to love, why we get hooked and how we can break bad habits (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2017) and the New York Times best-seller, Unwinding Anxiety: New Science Shows How to Break the Cycles of Worry and Fear to Heal Your Mind (Avery/Penguin Random House, 2021). Follow him on twitter @judbrewer.
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In this episode, we unlock one of the most challenging aspects of the cancer journey — having difficult conversations. Whether you're a caregiver, a patient in the throes of treatment, or a survivor navigating life after cancer, this episode is for you.
Our guest, Bridget Sumser, LCSW, a Clinical Social Worker, offers insights, guidance, and support on how to approach, engage in, and emerge stronger from the conversations that matter most. Our unique angle isn't just about what to say, but how to say it, starting from a place of empathy, compassion, and understanding.
We understand the power of language and its impact on healing, connection, and resilience. We'll guide you in creating a space where difficult dialogues can lead to deeper connections, providing comfort and support when it's needed most.
Whether it's discussing prognosis, treatment options, or simply how the day feels, this episode brings you strategies, perspectives, and the reassurance that you're not alone. Join us as we tackle the tough talk with tenderness, making room for what truly matters in the heart of the cancer experience.
ABOUT our GUEST
Bridget SumserClinical Social Worker, Palliative Care Service
Bridget Sumser is a health educator, her research and academic work centers on palliative care education. This includes implementing courses and strategies that bring together members of various professions as well as studying how different specialists can best integrate palliative care principles and techniques into their practices. She also investigates how palliative care practices — both primary and specialty — are learned by social workers.
Sumser earned her master's degree at the New York University Silver School of Social Work, where she also completed a Zelda Foster fellowship in palliative and end-of-life care. She also completed a palliative care social work fellowship at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in New York.
Sumser is a member of the Social Work Hospice and Palliative Care Network, which honored her at its annual assembly in 2015 as an Emerging Leader in Palliative Social Work.
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Episodes manquant?
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Surviving cancer or finishing treatment often leaves survivors feeling elated, as if they've conquered the world. However, there's also a profound, more vulnerable emotion that many experience: the fear of recurrence, or the dread of cancer returning.
Although it's a common fear among survivors, dealing with this fear can be challenging. It poses a significant obstacle, particularly when all you desire is to progress and live your life.
To learn more about fear of recurrence and how to manage it, we tapped an expert at Banner Health, Dr. Rena Szabo, PsyD as our guest for this episode.
Dr. Szabo works at the intersection of psychology and medicine. Dr. Szabo specializes in exploring the biological, psychological, cultural, societal, spiritual, and environmental factors of life and how each of these affects physical health and quality of life. Her use of evidence-based practices within an integrative oncology setting allows her to provide holistic, person-centered care.
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In today’s episode, we're talking about a profoundly touching topic—caring for someone with melanoma. Today, we're discussing the roles, challenges, and triumphs of those who stand by their loved ones in the fight against melanoma—caregivers. They are the unsung heroes who provide the support and strength needed to face each day anew.
Our guests:
Sue Capozzi: Sue has devotedly served as a caregiver for her husband, John, who, despite his current stability, was diagnosed with Stage III melanoma in 2019, which progressed to Stage IV the following year. Throughout his challenging treatment journey, John has faced numerous hurdles but is currently doing well.
Now retired, Sue and John reside in Little Egg Harbor, New Jersey, a stone's throw away from the beach. They cherish their time sailing, kayaking, and enjoying moments with their dog, always mindful to apply copious amounts of sunscreen. The couple enjoys the company of their married son, a granddaughter, and eagerly await the arrival of another grandchild in the spring of 2024.
Driven by the importance of melanoma education, Sue became a Peer Connect mentor in 2022. In this short span, she has provided guidance to several caregivers, finding deep fulfillment in offering support. Sue hopes to extend the same level of support and understanding she has received, contributing positively to the lives of others on their melanoma journeys.
Nancy Earle: Nancy devoted herself as a caregiver to her son, Will, following his Stage III melanoma diagnosis in 2016, which escalated to Stage IV within the same year. She took a two-year hiatus from her career to support him daily through his illness and treatment. Together, they navigated the complex landscape of medical opinions, trials, and treatment centers. On March 4, 2018, Nancy and her family bid a heartfelt farewell to Will.
Before retiring, Nancy had a dynamic career as a lawyer and event producer. Now, she relishes her retirement in Bellport Village, New York, alongside her husband. They take joy in their three surviving sons, their partners, and their grandchildren. Driven by a desire to honor Will's altruistic spirit, Nancy engages with several organizations. She serves on the advisory board of INTERSOS, a Rome-based international NGO, working to raise awareness of its humanitarian programs. Locally, she contributes to the environmental committee and has begun writing a book chronicling Will's courageous battle over his final two years.
In 2021, Nancy became a Peer Connect mentor, driven by the critical need for melanoma awareness. She supports caregivers, some fortunate to have loved ones in remission and others mourning their loss. Offering a beacon of information and comfort is crucial for caregivers, who often grapple with fear and emotional turmoil. Nancy provides a compassionate ear and guidance to help them take the next step forward.
Contact & Follow Us:
Website: AIMatMelanoma.org Twitter: @AIMatMelanoma Instagram: @AIMatMelanoma Facebook: @AIMatMelanoma Email: [email protected] Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/aimatmelanoma/support -
Ever wondered how animals can make a huge difference in people's lives? 🐶🐱 In this podcast, we delve into the fascinating world of animal-assisted therapy and explore its incredible benefits for both physical and mental well-being. From calming anxiety to promoting social interaction, animals undeniably impact human happiness and healing. 🌟
Join us as we unveil heartwarming stories and scientific insights about the transformative power of furry companions.
About our guest:DR. AUBREY H. FINEDr. Fine received his graduate degree from the University of Cincinnati in 1982 and has been on the faculty at California State Polytechnic University since 1981. His leadership among faculty and teaching excellence earned him the prestigious Wang Award in 2001, given to a distinguished professor within the California State University system (23 Universities), in this instance, for exceptional commitment, dedication, and exemplary contributions within the areas of education and applied sciences. Dr. Fine is a licensed psychologist who opened his practice in Southern California in 1987. His practice specializes in treating children with ADHD, learning disabilities, developmental disorders, and parent-child relations.
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Writing has been medicine for Nancy Slonim Aronie. At nine months old, her son Dan was diagnosed with diabetes. Then, at twenty-two, he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. During the years she and her husband took care of Dan, and when he died at age thirty-eight, Aronie could not find the book she needed. So she wrote her memoir.
In teaching memoir writing, Aronie has found that everyone has a story to tell and that telling it is important. Sharing “this is who I am, these are the things that shaped me, this is where I am now” allows a kind of magic and healing to happen. In this podcast she shares how to write through where YOU have been and experience deep understanding, profound healing, and even unexpected joy.
About Our Guest:
Nancy Slonim Aronie has been a commentator for National Public Radio’s All Things Considered. She was a Visiting Writer at Trinity College in Hartford, CT, wrote a monthly column in McCall’s magazine and was the recipient of the Eye of The Beholder Artist in Residence award at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. Nancy won teacher of the year award for all three years she taught at Harvard University for Robert Coles.
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Join us as we dive deep into the emotional path of survivorship. Dr. Liu sat down with Samantha Siegel, MD, a relapsed/refractory Hodgkin lymphoma patient, to discuss her walk as a physician, caregiver, cancer patient, mom, and wife. This powerful podcast episode explores the highs, lows, and everything in between. Dr. Sam shares her inspiring story of resilience, hope, and healing. This episode is a must-listen for anyone seeking strength and support on their own survivorship path.
Our Guest:
Samantha Siegel, MD, Physician. Cancer/BMT Crusher. Survivorship Advocate and Integrative Medicine Enthusiast. Addressing resilience and burnout in healthcare through storytelling. Primary care doctor, 2X cancer survivor including BMT, survivorship physician, cancer advocate/activist, speaker, connector, student of integrative medicine.
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In 2010, Mary Elizabeth Williams was diagnosed with metastatic melanoma. The following year, she was offered the opportunity to participate in a Phase 1 immunotherapy clinical trial. She wrote about that experience in A Series of Catastrophes and Miracles: A True Story of Love, Science, and Cancer. In this episode, Mary Elizabeth shares her story and insights into her journey as a clinical trial participant. Williams says she was in a place of desperate and deep panic, but she remembers having a conversation with someone who said, "This doesn't have to be your last resort. This can be our first resort for you." That perspective-changing conversation began her belief in the special relationship between hope and science.
About our guest, Mary Elizabeth Williams
Mary Elizabeth Williams is a metastatic melanoma survivor, clinical trial veteran, and the author of "A Series of Catastrophes and Miracles: A True Story of Love, Science, and Cancer." She has written for the LA Times, the Guardian, Health, and other publications. In 2021, her New York Times essay was adapted for the second season of Amazon Prime's "Modern Love." She has spoken for ASCO, PRIM&R, Bristol Meyers Squibb, DIA, and is the 2020 AMWA Walter Alvarez Award winner. She is currently a doctoral student of Medical Humanities at Drew University, where she recently completed her conflict resolution certification.
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While being diagnosed with cancer alone can put a person under tremendous amounts of mental and emotional stress, the additional burden of outrageously expensive medical care only adds to the strain. Cancer treatment requires more than medicine — families need a roof over their heads and food on their tables to survive. The dramatic rise in the cost of cancer treatments has now given rise to what is being called financial toxicity.
On this episode, Liz Geisel, Director of Program Delivery for Family Reach, discusses the psychological stress related to financial toxicity and the role of Financial Navigators who help families discuss their concerns and guide them to community resources.
About our Guest, Elizabeth Geisel, MSW
Elizabeth Geisel, MSW, is the Director of Program Delivery for Family Reach, where she leads trauma-informed trainings and oversees the team responsible for providing financial support to families facing cancer. Elizabeth has dedicated the last twenty years to the field of social work, specializing in healthcare, mental health, and substance abuse. Her clinical approach focuses on trauma-informed practices, harm reduction, and building collaborative partnerships with patients. Before Family Reach, she worked at several leading Boston-based healthcare organizations, including the Sidney Borum Health Center (now part of Fenway Health), the Institute for Health and Recovery, and Boston Medical Center.
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A growing discipline, palliative care medicine remains underutilized. Studies suggest that patients and providers commonly confuse palliative care with end-of-life care.
In this episode, Dr. Liu is joined by Dr. Sunita Puri, Program Director of the Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center & Chan School of Medicine and author of That Good Night: Life and Medicine in the Eleventh Hour. During their discussion, Dr. Puri explains how fears related to misconceptions about palliative care can rob patients of their opportunity to engage in important conversations about living with chronic disease. As in her book, Dr. Puri uses stories to illustrate that palliative medicine moves its focus away from cures – focusing instead on questions regarding quality of life - about symptom management, hope, and what a ‘miracle’ might really mean.
About our Guest, Sunita Puri, M.D.
Dr. Sunita Puri is the Program Director of the Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center & Chan School of Medicine, where she is also an associate professor of clinical medicine. A graduate of Yale University, she completed medical school and residency training in internal medicine at the University of California San Francisco followed by fellowship training in palliative medicine at Stanford. She is the author of That Good Night: Life and Medicine in the Eleventh Hour, a critically acclaimed literary memoir examining her journey to the practice of palliative medicine, and her quest to help patients and families redefine what it means to live and die well in the face of serious illness. She is the recipient of a Rhodes Scholarship and a Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans. Her writing and book have been featured in the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, Slate, JAMA, the Atlantic, NPR, India Today, the Asian Age, the Oncology Times, and, forthcoming, the New Yorker.
In 2019, the Guardian made a mini-documentary of her work in palliative medicine which has been viewed nearly 3 million times. She has been interviewed on the PBS Cristian Amanpour show, at the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco, ZDogg MD’s show, and numerous podcasts. In 2018, she was awarded the Etz Chaim Tree of Life Award from the USC School of Medicine, awarded annually to a member of the faculty who, in the eyes of the campus community, models and provides humanistic and compassionate care. She has taught medical memoir and literary nonfiction to medical students and residents, and has delivered talks about palliative medicine, the centrality of narrative and storytelling in medicine, and physician well-being in forums around the world.
ABOUT THE BOOK
Interweaving evocative stories of Puri’s family and the patients she cares for, That Good Night is a stunning meditation on impermanence and the role of medicine in helping us to live and die well, arming readers with information that will transform how we communicate with our doctors about what matters most to us.
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Last year, over 197,000 Americans were diagnosed with melanoma—and we know they won’t go through that experience alone because there will be a caregiver, usually a family member or close friend, at their side. Becoming a caregiver is often unexpected and life-changing. To talk about the benefits of caregiving, the types of support that are most effective, and essential communication skills for caregivers, Melissa Wilson, PA-C, MPAS, and AIM's Ask a Medical Expert, sits down with Allison J. Applebaum, Ph.D., Director of the Caregivers Clinic at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
Discussion topics include what should a melanoma caregiver expect, how to maximize the potential benefits of caregiving, what types of support are most effective, and communication skills for caregivers.
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Receiving a melanoma diagnosis can be an overwhelming and life-altering experience. The emotional rollercoaster that follows can be intense, as individuals navigate through fear, anxiety, and uncertainty. Coping with these emotions is crucial for maintaining mental well-being during the treatment process.
Fear and anxiety is often the first emotion that arises after a melanoma diagnosis. Fear of the unknown, fear of pain, and fear of death can consume one's thoughts. It is important to acknowledge these fears and seek support from loved ones or professional counselors who can provide reassurance and guidance.
Uncertainty about the future is another common emotion experienced after a melanoma diagnosis. Thoughts about how it will impact relationships, career prospects, and overall quality of life may arise.
In this episode, guest Emily A. Meier, PH.D. talks to Melissa Wilson, PA-C, MPAS about how to deal with the emotional rollercoaster following a melanoma diagnosis—acknowledging fears, managing anxiety through stress-reducing techniques, seeking support from loved ones or professionals when needed, and addressing uncertainties. By actively addressing these emotions head-on, individuals can better cope with their diagnosis while maintaining their mental well-being throughout their treatment journey.
GUEST:
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Emily A. Meier, Ph.D. Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry
Licensed Psychologist PSY25266
Co-Director for Psycho-Oncology Training and Education
Psychiatry & Psychosocial Services
UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center -
The test results are back. You’ve talked to the doctor and learned you have melanoma.
Whether it’s your first or fifth melanoma diagnosis, your reaction to a new melanoma diagnosis often comes down to a single question: What do I do now? To help you navigate your next steps after a new melanoma diagnosis, Melissa Wilson, PA-C, MPAS, and AIM's Ask a Medical Expert sits down with Yana Najjar, MD, a medical oncologist specializing in the treatment of melanoma at UPMC.
About our Guest: Yana Najjar, MD, is an assistant professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine a medical oncologist specializing in the treatment of melanoma. Board-certified in internal medicine and medical oncology and board eligible in both hematology and oncology, she received her medical degree from the American University of Beirut in Lebanon. Dr. Najjar completed her internal medicine residency at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio and her hematology/oncology fellowship at UPMC.
Dr. Najjar's research interests include immunotherapy, translational research, tumor immunology, and remodeling the tumor microenvironment. Specifically, she is interested in immunotherapy in advanced melanoma and its impact on the tumor microenvironment and the peripheral immune system.
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People living with melanoma often benefit from practical help and advice from others who have lived through similar situations. Support groups bring people together and provide a safe forum for exchanging perspectives, sharing concerns, and gaining confidence to face the future. Of course, each of us has to find a way of dealing with a melanoma cancer diagnosis. None will take us back to where we were before, but the key is finding the one that lets you live the best, most positive life today and tomorrow. In this episode, two melanoma survivors who serve as volunteer mentors in AIM's Peer Connect program talk about finding meaning and empowerment while helping others.About our Guests:
Carrie Brophy
Carrie was diagnosed with Stage IA melanoma in 2020 and again in 2021. Over the past couple of years, she has had four early-stage tumors removed and says she has more skin biopsy scars than she can count. Carrie has joined a mole mapping study at Stanford University and is treated at CPMC in San Francisco.
Carrie lives with her husband, Tim, and six children in Sonoma, California, where she works part-time as a pediatric nurse. Carrie and Tim’s children are aged 8 – 20. She tries to be transparent with them about her treatment and uses this journey as an opportunity to teach sun safety.
Carrie’s Peer Connect experience began in early March 2022 when she requested a mentor. She indicated that she felt a lot of guilt from her many years in the sun and was looking for ways to cope and feel comfortable in her skin. Carrie was looking for someone who could genuinely be empathetic and would understand how she felt.
Carrie is a strong believer that by helping others, you will always help yourself!
Bob Polkinghorn
Bob was diagnosed with Stage III melanoma in 2016 and has been treated by Dr. Adil Daud at the University of California, San Francisco. He had all his lymph nodes removed from under one arm and was in a clinical trial testing Keytruda vs. placebo for five years, including one year of infusions.
Bob lives with his wife, Kathy and dog, Lady, in Winters, CA. They are both retired from the University of California and the public school system. Bob and Kathy have five adult children and 17 grandchildren, including two great-grandchildren. Their large family keeps them happy and on the move!
Bob is actively involved in AIM at Melanoma and other support systems for melanoma patients and caregivers. He co-coordinated the 2022 Northern CA Bay Area "Walk Against Melanoma" and plans to do so again in 2023. He is also one of AIM's peer support "mentors" for newly diagnosed melanoma patients. For the past couple years, Bob has served as a "Consumer Reviewer" for the US Department of Defense's "Melanoma Research Program" reviewing cutting-edge grants from scientists nationwide.
Bob is a road cyclist, swimmer, hiker, and meditator. He has been a hospice volunteer for six years at the state prison. He considers it one of his life's most engaging, healing experiences. Bob is also an IRS-certified tax preparer who volunteers as part of a county team to provide free income tax preparation and e-filing to low-income families. Bob also serves as a member of his church's social justice and outreach team that provides a range of support to local families in need.
Bob says melanoma had a profound life-changing experience in the most positive sense. He would never wish melanoma on anyone - ever! But everything he has experienced and everyone he’s met has made his life so much better and more meaningful. He feels blessed.
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“There is nothing wrong with you for dying,” hospice physician B.J. Miller and journalist and caregiver Shoshana Berger write in A Beginner’s Guide to the End. “Our ultimate purpose here isn’t so much to help you die as it is to free up as much life as possible until you do.” An honest, surprising, and detail-oriented guide to the most universal of all experiences, A Beginner’s Guide to the End is “a book that every family should have, the equivalent of Dr. Spock but for this other phase of life” (New York Times bestselling author Dr. Abraham Verghese).
About Our Guest:
Dr. BJ Miller is a longtime hospice and palliative medicine physician and educator. He currently sees patients and families via telehealth through Mettle Health, a company he co-founded with the aim to provide personalized, holistic consultations for any patient or caregiver who needs help navigating the practical, emotional and existential issues that come with serious illness and disability.
BJ has given over 100 talks nationally, and internationally, on the topics of death, dying, palliative care and the intersection of healthcare with design. His 2015 TED Talk: “Not Whether But How” (aka “What Matters Most at the End of Life”), has been viewed over 11 million times and his work has also been the subject of multiple interviews and podcasts, including Oprah Winfrey, PBS, The New York Times, The California Sunday Magazine, GOOP, Krista Tippett, Tim Ferriss and the TED Radio Hour. His book, A Beginner’s Guide to the End, was co-authored with Shoshana Berger and published in 2019.
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Guests Donna Thomson and Dr. Zachary White discuss their book The Unexpected Journey of Caring. Becoming a caregiver is one transformation that comes at us, requiring us to rethink everything we once knew. Everything changes—responsibilities, beliefs, hopes, expectations, and relationships. Caregiving is not just a role reserved for “saints”—eventually, everyone is drafted into the caregiver role. It’s not a role people medically train for; it’s a new type of relationship initiated by a loved one’s need for care. And it’s a role that cannot be quarantined to home because it infuses all aspects of our lives. Start reading The Unexpected Journey of Caring: The Transformation from Loved One to Caregiver now!
About our Guests
Donna Thomson is a caregiver, author, and activist. The mother of two grown children, one who has severe cerebral palsy and medical complexity, she also helped care for her mother who lived with dementia until she passed away in the summer of 2018 at the age of 96.
She is also the author of The Four Walls of My Freedom: Lessons I've Learned from a Life of Caregiving (McArthur and Co., 2010 and The House of Anansi Press, 2014), and blogs regularly at The Caregivers' Living Room. She is a board director of the Kids Brain Health Network and is a leader and instructor in family engagement in health research. She also teaches families how to advocate for care at The Advocacy School and at Huddol.com.
Dr. Zachary White Zachary began living, researching, and exploring the caregiver experience in 2002 during his mother's diagnosis with brain cancer. His research and teaching focus on helping people manage meaning and communicate life experiences amidst high levels of uncertainty and stress. He is the founder of the award-winning blog and resource for caregivers called "The Unprepared Caregiver."
He earned his Ph.D. in communication from Purdue University and is an Associate Professor in the James L. Knight School of Communication at Queens University of Charlotte. He has researched a range of care experiences, including birth (parental NICU experiences), chronic caregiver experiences, and end-of-life caregiving (hospice care). His academic articles have been published in Management Communication Quarterly, Journal of Family Communication, Communication Research Reports, OMEGA: Journal of Death and Dying, Health Communication, and Volunteering and Communication: Studies from Multiple Contexts.
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Our lives are filled with ups and downs, triumphs and tragedies, and success and stress. The question is not whether we will experience difficulty, challenge, or trauma; it is what we will do in response to such events and experiences. In this episode, Dr. Richard Tedeschi joins us to discuss how people can grow in the aftermath of trauma and live great lives — filled with Posttraumatic Growth.
About Richard Glenn Tedeschi, Ph.D.
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Dr. Tedeschi received his B.A. in Psychology from Syracuse University, his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Ohio University, and completed his Clinical Psychology Internship at The University of North Carolina School of Medicine. Dr. Tedeschi is a Licensed Psychologist specializing in bereavement and trauma, is Professor Emeritus of Psychological Science at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, and core faculty for the Health Psychology Ph.D. program. He is currently Distinguished Chair of the Boulder Crest Institute for Posttraumatic Growth, part of the Boulder Crest Foundation in Bluemont VA. He has published several books on posttraumatic growth, an area of research that he developed that examines personal transformations in the aftermath of traumatic life events. His latest books are the Posttraumatic Growth Workbook, and Transformed by Trauma co-authored with Bret Moore, of the US Army’s Warrior Resilience Program. Dr. Tedeschi serves as a consultant to the American Psychological Association on trauma and resilience. He is a recipient of the Mary G. Clarke Award for Distinguished Service to Psychology given by the North Carolina Psychological Association, and is Past President of NCPA. -
In this episode, we welcome Dione Detraz, RD, integrative dietitian nutritionist and author of The Cancer Diet Cookbook: Comforting Recipes for Treatment and Recovery, to talk about cancer nutrition for cancer survivors. A healthy, strong, and balanced immune system is critical in preventing infection and in chronic diseases such as cancer. In this episode, you will learn how to use your diet and lifestyle to support a healthy and balanced immune system when living with melanoma.
Dionne Detraz, RDN, is a Cancer Nutrition Expert and Registered Dietitian Nutritionist. She specializes in helping people navigate cancer treatment with integrative diet and lifestyle strategies so they can have more energy and fewer side effects from treatment.
Dionne’s experience includes over 15 years of working in health education, wellness, and nutrition. Before launching Ground & Root to help cancer survivors fully ground themselves in the healing process, in 2016, she worked for two years at the University of California San Francisco Osher Center for Integrative Medicine. Dionne spent more than 10 years as an outpatient dietitian and health educator at Kaiser Permanente. Her education includes a unique blend of medical nutrition therapy with integrative and functional medicine.
Originally from California, Dionne lives with her husband and their two daughters in France. Last year, she published The Cancer Diet Cookbook: Comforting Recipes for Treatment and Recovery.
Contact Information: https://groundandroot.com/
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Our guest Dr. Mary-Frances O'Connor is a renowned grief expert, author, neuroscientist, and an associate professor of psychology at the University of Arizona, where she directs the Grief, Loss, and Social Stress (GLASS) Lab, which investigates the effects of grief on the brain and the body. In this episode, she discusses groundbreaking discoveries about what happens in our brain when we grieve, providing a new paradigm for understanding love, loss, and learning about the changes that occur in the brain during the grief process, and how we can develop a toolkit to go about restoring a meaningful life while grieving.
In her new book, The Grieving Brain, Mary-Frances O'Connor, PhD, gives us a fascinating new window into one of the hallmark experiences of being human. O'Connor has devoted decades to researching the effects of grief on the brain, and in this book, she makes cutting-edge neuroscience accessible through her contagious enthusiasm, and guides us through how we encode love and grief. With love, our neurons help us form attachments to others; but, with loss, our brain must come to terms with where our loved ones went, or how to imagine a future that encompasses their absence.
Based on O'Connor's own trailblazing neuroimaging work, research in the field, and her real-life stories, The Grieving Brain does what the best popular science books do, combining storytelling, accessible science, and practical knowledge that will help us better understand what happens when we grieve and how to navigate loss with more ease and grace.
Learn more at her website: https://www.maryfrancesoconnor.com/About Mary-Frances O’Connor, PhD is an associate professor of psychology at the University of Arizona, where she directs the Grief, Loss and Social Stress (GLASS) Lab, investigating the effects of grief on the brain and the body. O’Connor earned a PhD in clinical psychology from the University of Arizona in 2004, and completed a post-doctoral fellowship in psychoneuroimmunology at the UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior. Following a faculty appointment at UCLA Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology, she returned to the University of Arizona in 2012. Having grown up in Montana, she now lives in sunny Tucson, Arizona.
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Melissa Wilson, PA-C, MPAS from UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, and Vernon Sondak, MD, Chair, Department of Cutaneous Oncology, Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute in Tampa, Florida, join host Raymond Liu, MD, for a discussion about the future of melanoma in 2023 and beyond.
Treatments combining immunotherapies with targeted therapies, which disable the carcinogenic products of mutated cancer cells, have further increased treatment efficacy and durability. Toxicity and resistance, however, remain critical challenges to the field. During this podcast, our guests review past treatments and novel therapeutic interventions and discuss the term "de-escalation of care" and future directions as well as how to communicate with your healthcare team.
About Our Guests
Dr. Sondak is Chair of the Department of Cutaneous Oncology at the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute in Tampa, Florida. He holds the Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation Distinguished Endowed Chair in Cutaneous Oncology, and is also a Professor in the Departments of Oncologic Sciences and Surgery at the University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine. Since 2004, when he came to Tampa, the Cutaneous Oncology Clinic at Moffitt has grown into one of the largest multidisciplinary treatment centers for pediatric melanoma and related conditions in the world. Dr. Sondak has been a leader in studies of surgical treatment of melanoma and other cutaneous malignancies, particularly in the application of sentinel lymph node biopsy and lymph node dissection to the staging and treatment of melanoma, and has been instrumental in training many surgical oncologists in these techniques over the years. Dr. Sondak also has a strong research background: he served as Principal Investigator of the Moffitt Skin SPORE, a major NCI-funded “team science” grant conducting translational research in melanoma and other cutaneous malignancies. His research interests include surgical treatment of melanoma in adults and children; adjuvant (postoperative) and neoadjuvant (preoperative) therapy of melanoma; and evaluation of new therapies for patients with localized or disseminated melanoma.
Melissa Wilson, PA-C, MPAS, has a wealth of knowledge and experience helping melanoma patients and their families. Melissa is up-to-date about the latest melanoma treatments and research.
A natural trailblazer, Melissa is proud of her collaborative work as an NCCPA-certified physician assistant senior since 2005 with the distinguished melanoma specialist Dr. John Kirkwood at the University of Pittsburgh in the Cancer Institute Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine. Their treatment and research initiatives were so successful that they have been used as a template for other cancer programs throughout the country. Wilson works as a lead physician assistant for the Melanoma Program at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center.
A natural teacher, Melissa has also worked with a multidisciplinary team on patient education and collaboration. She holds appointments at Chatham University Clinical Preceptor, where she is adjunct faculty and is a cancer care module lecturer on melanoma since 2013.
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