Leap Spring 2015

PM#40020055

SAFETY FIRSTCommon sense and regular exercise can keep you out of the ER

Don’t discount the efficacy of screening and vaccines

PREVENTATIVE MEASURES

PLUS:Rowing Rewards; Combatant Coffee; the Cancer-Reovirus Connection; Bust a Move; and more!

THE MORE MOMENTS ISSUE SPRING 2015

Triple threat Colin Hackett is taking his next triathlon and cancer in stride

Together we’re creating MORE MOMENTS for Albertans facing cancer

albertacancer.ca/moremoments

000Leap-ACF-FP.indd 1 2015-02-10 10:51 AM

Leap_Spring15_p52-01.indd 1 2015-02-19 9:12 AM

Register for The 2015 Enbridge® Ride to Conquer Cancer® benefiting the Alberta Cancer Foundation presented by Evraz and experience a 2-day cycling adventure like no other! This is your opportunity to provide Albertans with access to the best cancer treatment and care.

Don’t miss this opportunity to be part of something epic.

TITLE PARTNER PRESENTED BY

CONQUERCANCER.CA 888 624 BIKE [2453]

EPIC RIDE. EPIC IMPACT.

JOIN THE CONQUEST! REGISTER, DONATE OR VOLUNTEER TODAY!

000Leap-RideConquerCancer-FP.indd 1 2015-02-10 10:56 AM


spring 2015 3

SPRING 2015 • VOL 6 • No. 1CONTENTS

FEATURES30 ROLEREVERSAL

Doctor turned his own diagnosis into a $3 -million endowment for head and neck cancer

33 SAFEANDSOUNDStaying far from the ER is a mat ter of common sense, say the exper ts

35 ALLABOARDNew rowing classes can help you stroke the w ay tow ards bet ter f itness

38 WHYIDONATEPer sonal tr ainer Ike Henr y gives back to breast cancer research in sweat

42 TOPJOBRed Deer nur se view s her role in patients’ end- of-life care a privilege

46 RESEARCHROCKSTARDr. Quincy Chu is commit ted to f inding new drug s that help f ight cancer

DEPARTMENTS4 OURLEAP

A message from the Alber ta Cancer Foundation

6 FOREFRONTCycle Around Alber ta; Cof fee and Melanoma; Most Loving Per son; Shopping Car-Free; Get McHappy; Meat Sug ar and Cancer; Kale Caesar Salad Recipe

11 NEXTGENYoung researcher uses studentship to study cancer-reovirus connection

12 BEYONDCANCERCancer can be a w ake-up call for life

13 SMARTEATSEating healthy meals as a family is digestible

14 ASKTHEEXPERTHow of ten do I need cer vical cancer screening? PLUS: The DASH diet spelled out and running tips from John Stanton

21 PATIENTENGAGEMENTSmar t design and the human connection essential in cancer care

29 CORPORATEGIVINGGlow Juicer y ups its g ame for this year ’s Bust a Move for Breast Health

50 MYLEAPScot t Todd ’s fundr aising Disney r aces are a family af fair

SPRINGSPOTLIGHTGIVING ALBERTANS“MOREMOMENTS”

38

16

46

29

COVER STORY: Triathlete Colin Hacket t isn’t let ting cancer slow him down.

16 POOLINGSTRENGTHA seven-time Ironman triathlete prepares for his big gest obstacle yet

22 ONOUNCEOFPREVENTIONAlber tans are doing their best to be proactive ag ainst cancer

26 ATIMETOLIVENew study gives terminal patients time and helps make the most of it

A l b e r t a C a n c e r F o u n d a t i o n

42

Register for The 2015 Enbridge® Ride to Conquer Cancer® benefiting the Alberta Cancer Foundation presented by Evraz and experience a 2-day cycling adventure like no other! This is your opportunity to provide Albertans with access to the best cancer treatment and care.

Don’t miss this opportunity to be part of something epic.

TITLE PARTNER PRESENTED BY

CONQUERCANCER.CA 888 624 BIKE [2453]

EPIC RIDE. EPIC IMPACT.

JOIN THE CONQUEST! REGISTER, DONATE OR VOLUNTEER TODAY!

000Leap-RideConquerCancer-FP.indd 1 2015-02-10 10:56 AM


4 spring 2015

TRUSTEES

Angela Boehm, Chair Calgary

Gary Bugeaud Calgary

Steven Dyck Lethbridge

Paul Grundy Edmonton (ex-officio)

Jordan Hokanson Edmonton

Katie McLean Calgary

John J. McDonald Edmonton

Andrea McManus Calgary

Brent Saik, Vice Chair Sherwood Park

Sandy Slator Edmonton

Greg Tisdale Calgary

m y l e a p m a g a z i n e . c a

alberta cancer foundationMessage •

Cherish Every MomentWe are now a few months into 2015 and it has certainly been an interesting time for Alberta. Oil prices have placed immense financial pressures on the province, affecting our budget as well as numerous industries across Alberta.

Despite these economically challenging times, we’ve made it clear that cancer doesn’t stop when oil prices drop. That’s why the timing of this issue seems especially poignant right now. The theme is “more moments,” and how important it is to create the moments in people’s lives they look forward to: a child’s graduation, a vacation in the sun or the birth of a grandchild. We do that by making investments that matter – investments that will detect cancer earlier, improve quality of life and provide better treatment options. Every investment we make has a direct line of sight to patients.

You’ll read about how we are making life better for Albertans facing cancer by investing in such research rockstars as Dr. Quincy Chu, who is a clinical trials star in his own right for accruing the highest number of patients to Phase 1 trials at the Cross Cancer Institute.

You will hear from experts in the f ield of prevention and screening and how our researchers are doing their best to be proactive against cancer.

You will also read compelling stories from Albertans who are desper-ate for as many moments as they can have with loved ones. Our cover model, Colin Hackett, is one of our great ambassadors and is taking this

disease head on. There is inspiration to be found in so many places across this province and we are privileged to be part of that journey.

Sometimes when a cancer diagnosis is delivered to patients, doctors know a cure may not always be the goal. You will read how treating those patients to pro-vide them the best possible quality of life so they can

make the best of those moments is just as important.In the midst of these economic challenges, we remain committed to

making life better for Albertans facing cancer. Ongoing investment in research is what will allow us to give every patient that chance. New drugs, new research strategies and new treatment options – that is what is going to drive us forward and give patients a chance for many, many more moments.

Myka Osinchuk, CEO Angela Boehm, ChairAlberta Cancer Foundation Alberta Cancer Foundation

Sometimes when a cancer diagnosis is delivered to patients, doctors know a cure may not always be the goal.


spring 2015 5

SPRING 2015 VOL 6 • No. 1

A l b e r t a C a n c e r F o u n d a t i o n

TOGETHER WE’RE CREATING MORE MOMENTS FOR ALBERTANS FACING CANCER

Donate today at albertacancer.ca

ALBERTA CANCER FOUNDATIONEDITOR: PHOEBE DEY

CALGARY OFFICESuite 300, 1620 - 29 Street NWCalgary, Alberta T2N 4L7

PROVINCIAL OFFICE710, 10123 - 99 Street NWEdmonton, Alberta T5J 3H1Toll-free: 1-866-412-4222Tel: [email protected]

VENTURE PUBLISHING INC.PUBLISHER: RUTH KELLYDIRECTOR OF CUSTOM CONTENT: MIFI PURVISMANAGING EDITORS: LYNDSIE BOURGON, SHELLEY WILLIAMSONART DIRECTOR: CHARLES BURKEASSOCIATE ART DIRECTOR: ANDREA DEBOERGRAPHIC DESIGNER: BEN RUDE PRODUCTION MANAGER: BETTY FENIAK SMITHPRODUCTION TECHNICIANS: BRENT FELZIEN, BRANDON HOOVERWEB & SYSTEMS ARCHITECT: GUNNAR BLODGETTDISTRIBUTION: KAREN REILLY

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Colleen Biondi, Jessica Dollard, Janine Giese-Davis, Michael Hingston, Jen Janzen, Robbie Jeffrey, Jacqueline Louie, Sam Macdonald, Cory Schachtel, Karol Sekulic, Séamus Smyth

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS AND ILLUSTRATORS: Buffy Goodman, Cooper + O’Hara, Heff O’Reilley, Raymond Reid, Constantine Tanasiuk

ABOUT THE ALBERTA CANCER FOUNDATIONThe Alberta Cancer Foundation is Alberta’s own, established to advance cancer research, prevention and care and serve as the charitable foundation for the Cross Cancer Institute, Tom Baker Cancer Centre and Alberta’s 15 other cancer centres. At the Alberta Cancer Foundation, we act on the knowledge that a cancer-free future is achievable. When we get there depends on the focus and energy we put to it today.

Leap is published for the Alberta Cancer Foundation by Venture Publishing Inc., 10259-105 Street, Edmonton, AB T5J 1E3Tel: 780-990-0839, Fax: 780-425-4921, Toll-free: [email protected]

The information in this publication is not meant to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek advice from your physician or other qualified health provider regarding any medical condition or treatment.

Printed in Canada by Transcontinental LGM. Leap is printed on Forest Stewardship Council ® certified paper Publications Agreement #40020055 ISSN #1923-6131Content may not be reprinted or reproduced without permission from Alberta Cancer Foundation.

Leap_Spring15_p04-05.indd 5 2015-02-20 1:07 PM

m y l e a p m a g a z i n e . c a6 spring 2015

Cody and Eva Borek, a couple from Stettler, bought a brand new car in January and with it, received a free week-long trip to Hawaii. But instead of going, the couple decided to start a competition for the trip, saying they’d like to give it to Alberta’s “most loving person.” They narrowed down the field by starting a Facebook page and asking the public to nominate recipients. By January 16 they had received 15,000 nominations, which they narrowed down to 10 finalists.

In the end, they chose the winner by picking a name out of a hat. But they believe that Madena Reimer, from Athabasca, was truly the right choice. Reimer is a transportation coordinator for Road to Hope, a charity that helps cancer patients in rural Alberta get to their appointments. Reimer is a breast cancer survivor, and recently lost her mother to the disease.

“I’m just overwhelmed with gratitude for Cory and Eva, for putting this light out there,” Reimer told the media on the day of the announcement. “It’s such a dark world ... and we need to show people that kind-ness matters.”

Cancer care volunteer designated Alberta’s ‘most loving person’

Kindness Matters

A recent study from University of California researchers, published in a journal called the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, found that a sugar molecule called Neu5Gc (which can be found in meat like pork, lamb and beef) is

linked to an increase in the number of cancerous tumours in mice. After the study was published, the “meat-sugar cancer theory” spread like wildfire, with some thinking it proved a link between red meat and certain cancers in humans.

It’s just one example of how research can take on a life of its own when simplified and shared. Cameron Wells, acting director of nutrition education at the Washington, D.C.-based Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, says the study is actually “very specific and narrow in its scope.”

“It’s tricky, we certainly see a clear association made between diet and high meat consumption being linked to things like obesity, diabetes, cardiovascu-lar disease and some cancers. But with this research, it is a bit more novel because the relevance to humans is still unproven at this point, because it was done on mice,” she says. The research itself was sound, but the conclu-sions that many drew from it – that eating these meats can lead to cancer in humans – hadn’t been proven.

Wells says we should simply go off of a precautionary principle that we should avoid any meat in large quantities. “Stick to the plant-based proteins that we know to be safe and health-promoting, like beans, legumes, whole grains, nuts and seeds,” she says.

The Meat-Sugar Cancer TheoryA new study adds to the research surrounding carnivores and cancer

PH

OTO

CO

UR

TES

Y C

OD

Y B

OR

EK

Forefront • prevent, treat, cure


A l b e r t a C a n c e r F o u n d a t i o n spring 2015 7

Spring Cycles In

EDMONTON RIVER VALLEY: The North Saskatchewan River cuts a prominent form down the middle of Edmonton, and it also provides an ideal locale for a lei-surely (or not-so leisurely) bike ride, depending on how far you want to go. The river valley, itself, acts as a jumping off point for other bike trips around the city. You can choose trips that suit your schedule, skill-level and location. For more information and a map of the city’s various bike paths, visit edmonton.ca/transportation/cycling_walking/bicycle-map

NOSE HILL: Nose Hill Park is in the middle of Calgary, but you sure won’t feel like it once you park and start riding. In the northwest quadrant of the city, Nose Hill features 11 kilometres of walking and biking paths that vary in terrain from super steep to gently sloping. For directions to the park, visit calgary.ca

CALGARY-BRAGG CREEK LOOP: Riding between Calgary and the small town of Bragg Creek just west of the city is a great day trip with varied, but manageable ter-rain. You’ll find a 100-kilometre road that loops through southwest Calgary and along Highway 8 towards Bragg Creek. Once you are out of the city, the highway provides stunning mountain views for almost the entire ride. You can end your trip and circle back once you arrive at the Kamp Kiwanis roundabout, or continue south along Highway 22 towards the town of Bragg Creek.

HIGHWOOD PASS: The Gran Fondo Highwood Pass is a bike tour that winds its way through 135 kilometres of beautiful Rocky Mountain landscape. And while the Gran Fondo, itself, is a bike trip that many train for months to complete, you can tackle this trip on your own and in any increment that you prefer. You start the ride out of Canmore, and ride through Peter Lougheed Park into the Highwood Pass. The ride can be difficult, but can also be easily paced with breaks and rests.

COAL BANKS TRAIL: Cutting a path through Lethbridge’s interesting natural terrain, the 30-kilometre Coal Banks Trail is used for community events as well as walking, cycling, running and dog walking. The trail is an uninterrupted route connecting the city’s west end, river valley and Henderson Park, and was named for the old coal mining town that was once located in the river valley bottom. A map of the trail can be found online at lethbridge.ca

THE BIRCHWOOD TRAILS: The Athabasca region is surrounded by tons of outdoor pursuits, and there is no shortage of easy-to-access adventure from Fort McMurray’s doorstep. The Birchwood Trail system is one good example – located in the Con Creek Valley, the trails also include an “outdoor green gym” and run 130 kilometres throughout the town, connecting various neighbourhoods.

The snow is beginning to melt and it’s a great time to pedal some of Alberta’s best path systems



Hamburger HappinessMcHappy Day helps support Medicine Hat cancer centre

Searching for Answers

After Powel Crosley’s wife Sladjana died of a rare form of ovarian cancer, he went back to school. Now 61 years old, Powel is enrolled as an undergradu-ate student at the University of Alberta, where he has taken introductory class-es in biochemistry and oncology. He recently assembled a research team, now funded by a grant from the Women and Children’s Health Research Institute (WCHRI), to study granulosa cell tumour (GCT) of the ovary, and Powel will spend the next two years working alongside academics and researchers as they investigate novel treatments for GCT, which accounts for about five per cent of ovarian cancer cases.

“We are close to finishing our first set of experiments that investigate the basic question of whether these small-molecule drugs we are testing work to reduce viability of GCT, and if they work more effectively when combined,” he says. The team is also attempting to coordinate with local clinicians to receive patient tissue to include in their research. “As a rare cancer, there are probably only two or three new cases of GCT every year in Edmonton, so getting access to samples is challenging.”

Powel works with photos of his wife on his computer, and he says he has found the process of going back to school challenging and enlightening. “Even after several years of undergraduate coursework to build up my knowledge, the complexity of cancer, in general, and the variety of experiments that need to be done to confidently draw conclusions puts a heavy load on my intellect,” says Powel, who already holds a several degrees in geography. “The enlight-enment comes from seeing first-hand all of the work, most of it unpublicised, the repetition of experiments, regardless of whether they succeed or fail, and the commitment and camaraderie of those who are doing the research. I would be totally without hope if I did not have my fellow lab mates, and technicians to help sort me out when I have questions.”

In the face of challenge, Powel says he remains motivated by Sladjana, who

University of Alberta student goes back to school in memory of his wife

Each year, McHappy Days raises thousands of dollars across the country in a fundraiser for Ronald McDonald House and various local charities. This year, funds raised in Medicine Hat will go towards the Margery E. Yuill Cancer Centre.

“On this one day we bring together our employees, our customers, our sup-pliers and our friends in the community to raise money for families and their sick children across the country,” says Carly Pancotto, owner/operator of Medicine Hat McDonald’s. On May 7, McDonald’s will donate a dollar from select menu items (like the Big Mac, Happy Meal and McCafé beverages) to a Ronald McDonald House and local charities in the Medicine Hat region, and that means the Margery Yuill is included. Some franchises even host fundraising events leading up to McHappy Day.

“McHappy Days is about families – and in particular, supporting those going through a difficult time,” says Pancotto. “This is why we are pleased to be able to provide proceeds from McHappy Day towards the new Margery Yuill Cancer Centre, to assist with furnishing and decorating the pediatric treatment room.”

was a scientist and who believed that the “answer to this pernicious disease was in the lab.” In 2004, she created the Granulosa Cell Tumour Research Foundation to fund research. “My effort to try and find a potential solution now, is my way of keeping her hope and legacy alive,” Powel says. “That goes along with the fact that if she were here now, she would be thrilled to be in the lab, herself, and I know she would be much better at it than I am!”

PH

OTO

: CA

NA

DIA

N P

RES

S



INGREDIENTS:Caesar dressing • 1 clove garlic • 4 anchovy fillets • 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard • Zest and juice of 1 lemon • ½ cup olive oil

Kale salad • 2 Tbsp olive oil, plus more, if needed • 4 thin slices prosciutto, julienned • ½ cup panko crumbs • Maldon salt and black pepper • 2 bunches kale, leaves only, julienned • 1 cup grated Pecorino Romano • 2 soft-boiled eggs, peeled and halved (optional)

DIRECTIONS: Caesar dressing Using a fork, crush garlic and anchovies against the inside of a large bowl. Add mustard, lemon juice and zest and olive oil and whisk until well emulsified. Pour the dressing into a glass jar and set aside.

Kale salad Line a plate with paper towels. Heat olive oil in a medium frying pan on high. Add prosciutto and pan-fry until crispy, about five minutes. Transfer to the paper towel-lined plate and set aside. Reduce the heat to low.

Add panko crumbs to the pan, adding a little oil if required, and toast until golden, about two minutes. Scrape the panko into a small bowl, season to taste

Kale Caesar SaladMakes four servings.

Source: Calgary Cooks: Recipes from the City’s Top Chefs, Figure 1 Publishing, 2014

Staying Active to Avoid Cancer

A new study from an Albertan researcher has found that more than 12,000 Canadians develop cancer each year due to physical inactivity and being overweight. Dr. Darren Brenner, who works with the department of cancer epide-miology and prevention research at Alberta Health Services, says many people tend to forget the role that obesity and low physical activity play as risk factors for developing cancer.

“The evidence is clear that thousands of cancers could be prevented each year if people paid more attention to diet and exercise,” says Brenner, whose research is focused on how physical activity and obesity relate to cancer risk and survival. Brenner’s research also shows a direct relationship between weight and risk of developing cancer – the greater the excess weight, the greater the risk.

The study uses data collected in 2007, which found that 5,771 cancer cases were attributable to excess body weight and 12,885 to physical inactivity. And while there could be some overlap between the two groups, previous research has shown that consuming more calories through food than are burned through activity can cause several different types of cancer.

“It’s shocking how few people are getting enough exercise,” says Brenner, whose study was published in the journal Preventive Medicine. The research notes that only 15 to 20 per cent of people meet the minimum requirements

New research finds links between cancer and physical inactivity

with salt and set aside.Place kale in a large bowl, pour in the dressing

and toss well. Season mix with salt and black pepper. Transfer to a serving bowl and top with Pecorino Romano, toasted panko and crispy prosciutto. Serve with the boiled eggs, if desired.

This kale salad is a much-loved dish from the Calgary restaurant Una.

for physical activity. “It’s good to be proactive in your own cancer prevention strategies,” he adds. “Small changes in lifestyle and preventive behaviours can make a difference in the long term. All it takes is 30 minutes of activity a day, and it doesn’t even have to be intense activity.”


Coffee and Cancer

Ditch the CarCarry your groceries home on foot• Usemorebagsandkeepthemlight.Thiswillreducethe chanceofabagbreakingonceyou’rehalfwayhome.• Considerusingagrocerygrip,whicharelikesmall carabineersthatmakeiteasiertocarrymultiplebagsat once.Youcanhookthesetoabackpacktotakealoadoff yourarms.• Ingoodweather,strapyourgroceriesontothebackof yourbike.

New research from Yale University may make you rethink skipping that second cup of joe

A study published on January 20 in the Journal of the National Cancer Instituterevealsthatcoffeedrinkerswerelesslikelytosufferfrommalig-nantmelanoma,aformofskincancer–andthatwitheverycuptheydrank,theriskdecreasessomewhat.

YaleUniversitySchoolofPublicHealthresearchersgathereddatafromastudyrunbytheU.S.NationalInstitutesofHealthandAARP.Afoodquestionnairewassentto3.5millionpeoplelivinginsixstates:California, Florida, Louisiana, New Jersey, North Carolina andPennsylvania;aswellastwocities,AtlantaandDetroit.

Thequestionnaireyieldedcoffeedrinkingdetailsfornearly447,400whiteseniorsin1995and1996,andresearchersfollowedupwiththeparticipantsforaboutadecade.Participantswereallcancer-freewhentheyfilledoutthesurvey,andresearchersadjustedforotherfactorsthatcouldinfluencemelanomarisk.Thosefactorsincluded:ultravioletradia-tionexposure,bodymassindex,age,sex,physicalactivity,alcoholintakeandsmokinghistory.

Theyfoundpeoplewhodrankthemostcoffeeeverydayshowedalowerriskofmelanoma,comparedwithnon-coffeedrinkersorthosewhodrankverylittle.



It might contravene a stereotype of university student behaviour but science undergrad Asha Lal pre-fers to spend her free time toiling away in the lab than, well, pretty much anything else.

So when the opportunity for the 2014 Mark Ariss Summer Studentship came up, working alongside mentor Dr. Maya Shmulevitz, assistant professor in medical microbiology and immunology at the University of Alberta, the second-year psych major jumped at it. No stranger to beating out fierce competi-tion, Lal had previously sported a white coat as a Grade 11 student under Shmulevitz, as part of the Heritage Youth Researcher Summer Program, funded in part by the Alberta Cancer Foundation.

Selected from hundreds of applicants for a HYRS studentship in 2012, Lal took that challenge in stride. And Shmulevitz, who’s also the chair in molecular virol-ogy and oncotherapy, couldn’t be more pleased with the young researcher’s efforts and attitude – both then and now. “In the lab, she’s very mature,” says Shmulevitz. “As a human she’s very thoughtful, she’s quite smart and capable, yet she’s very thankful for others, so she’s humble, which allowed her to learn a lot. Every opportu-nity that came up, Asha was very interested in discussing it and learning. She also takes advice very well.”

In terms of experiments, Lal’s ambitions, like her work ethic, are well beyond her years. “It’s really hard to get summer studentships in your first year,” says Shmulevitz. “There’s so much competition, so it’s quite a statement that she got it.”

She’s proven her worth with an incredibly strong commitment to her project’s focus: the reovirus as a potential attacker of c a n c e r c e l l s , w h i c h Shmulevitz admits sur-p a s s e s t h e av e r a g e undergrad’s scope or skill. “Asha’s project was to try to start looking at cancer cells that let the virus grow really well and can-cer cells that didn’t,” she explains. “She started to look at the details of what the virus does, and she found that there are certain steps of the virus replication cycle that are stopped in cancer cells that are not permissive. The idea is that, if we can understand that better, we may be able to predict which cancers might be better or worse for therapy and be able to manipulate that virus to over-come it. She was really dedicated to it.”

Far from a nine-to-five job, Lal’s four-month student-

ship last summer (made possible through targeted funding from donor Mark Ariss via the Alberta Cancer Foundation) often saw her toiling into the wee hours studying and logging data. “The virus I was working with has a 24-hour replication cycle, so sometimes I would have to stay until midnight doing 12-hour time frames. Trying to manoeuvre my life around the nature of the project, that was a really good chal-lenge,” says Lal.

Ariss, a geologist by trade who volunteers at the Alberta Children’s Hospital, says he’s delighted Lal was the first to receive his namesake endowment after witnessing her dili-gence in Shmulevitz’s lab. The stipulation with his donation, which will support summer students like Lal for five summers, was that it fund pediatric oncology study. “I was looking for something to do with pediatric cancer and this specific research

project came up, so the money was earmarked for Asha to look at the reovirus,” says Ariss, who has two older children of his own. “It seemed to be a nice fit. Working with kids at the hospital, I see a potential need there, and this certainly could have very good ramifications for the general public if they do find something that can use virus-es to attack the cancer cells.”

The once-in-a-lifetime experience was not lost on Lal, who’s considering both a medical degree and a doctorate. “Especially working with students at such a high level, it pushes you to do your best. I think that’s so important for students to not wait until they are doing a master’s degree to learn how to properly execute a research project. These are skills that I can apply to my everyday life.”

BY SHELLEY WILLIAMSON

GOING VIRALMark Ariss Summer Studentship recipient considers the reovirus as a potential cancer combatant

CELL SHOCKER: U of A undergrad Asha Lal spent last summer studying how lung cancer cells react to the reovirus.

“Trying to manoeuvre my life around the nature of the project, that was a really good challenge,”

says Asha Lal.

supporting young mindsNext Gen •


Cancer treatment has been successful at extending many survivors’ lives well beyond what would have been expected a decade ago. However, most people still find themselves asking, “Now what?” as they end their treatment course. They want to know how to re-integrate into their lives, or how to find a “new normal” after a life-changing cancer diagnosis and treatment.

For many who have “more moments” in their lives due to better treatments for cancer, re-prioritizing what matters to them becomes central. Facing your own mortality can re-focus attention on family, friend-ships and travel, and can help when figuring out what is most important to you. It can also highlight changes you want to make to bring about balance. For some, it might inspire giving back to other cancer patients, so that the lessons you have learned along the way can be useful for someone else. Even for people who go on to live a normal life after cancer and never die of the disease, they often refer to their cancer diagnosis as a “wake-up call.”

Researchers studying this existential wake-up call have found that for some survivors, making sense of how to fit the cancer experience into their day-to-day lives involves a deeper search for meaning. For many people, this involves finding benefits in a cancer ex-perience, even though you wish you had never had to go through it. The benefit might come through finally changing things you had long wished to but couldn’t seem to get to, or from telling people around you how you really feel about them. For some, this has meant leaving negative relationships and finding people who truly validate and support positive goals, or changing careers, jobs or where they live in order to make the most of remaining time. Changing lifestyle behaviors in accordance with your oncologist’s advice can be one concrete place to start to make changes.

The following are some exciting tools to help you develop deeper understanding of your experience, develop a new purpose and strengthen your sense of meaning in life:• Begin or re-commit to keeping a journal of your

thoughts and feelings as a way to track the changes you are undergoing as a cancer survivor.

• Make use of the healing arts classes offered through

your cancer centre. This can help you tap into deeper aspects of what is meaningful to you. This might include many creative activities including drawing and painting, dance, music and telling your story in ways that others can benefit from.

• Finding ways to give back to others through volunteer work can deepen a sense of purpose. There are many ways for people to volunteer, for instance through Alberta Health Services’ Patient Engagement (sitting on professional committees that rec-ommend changes to health-care teams), at Wellspring and informally to others in your friendship networks as they experience cancer in their own lives.

• Think about taking part in a research study, because whether it is biological sam-ples, questionnaires or interviews, it is a way for your experience to make things better for future cancer survivors.

• Talk with other survivors to help you to consider different perspectives and expand your horizons.

• Contact a local spiritual care team or clergy member, who can also play an import-ant role in helping you to find meaning in your life after cancer.

These suggestions are only a few of the things others have documented that can help answer the “What now?” questions that inevitably arise once cancer treatment has ended and you are creating the rest of your life. Victor Frankl, a Holocaust sur-vivor and author of Man’s Search for Meaning, talked a lot about the importance of finding meaning in life as a way to rise above even the direst of life-threatening cir-cumstances. Here are two of his most famous quotes:

- “Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms – to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.”

- “Those who have a ‘why’ to live can bear with almost any ‘how.’”


Now What?

BY JANINE GIESE-DAVIS

Cancer can be a wake-up call that spurs living life’s “more moments” to the fullest

stories of survivorshipBeyond Cancer •


When life is busy and time is tight, it can be hard to make healthy eating a priority, let alone eating meals with others. Multiple appointments, conflicting schedules, family members who are too busy and long work days can be additional barriers to eating together as a family.

If you move healthy eating closer to the top of your priority list, you will be taking an important step toward good health. There are additional nutritional benefits to eating family meals, such as an increased intake of vegetables, fruit and calcium- rich foods, and decreased intake of soft drinks, espe-cially for youth. This can lower the risk for becoming overweight, and eating together may also offer some protection against family members developing an eating disorder.

Here are some tips for healthy eating:• Stock your pantry and fridge with basic healthy food,

including:Vegetables and Fruit

- Grain Products- Canned or frozen vegetables and fruit

(choose ones without added salt and sugar)Whole grain bread, rolls or crackers

- Brown rice, oats, millet or quinoa- Canned or jarred pasta sauces

(look for low-sodium versions)Meat and Alternatives

- Canned salmon, tuna- Low-sodium canned beans or lentils- Nut butters, nuts, seeds- Plain, un-breaded frozen meat, poultry or fish

Milk and Alternatives- Low-fat milk and low-fat cheese- Low-fat yogurt- Unsweetened fortified soy beverage

• Assemble a healthy meal using these three steps to get you started. Each column below has healthy foods from each of the four food groups in Canada’s Food Guide.

1. Pick an item from three or four of the Guide’s columns.2. Combine for a healthy meal.3. If possible, enjoy your meal with others (friends

or family).Karol Sekulic is a registered dietitian with Alberta Health Services who has expertise and interest in the areas of weight management and nutrition communications.

MEAT AND ALTERNATIVES

GRAIN PRODUCTS

VEGETABLES AND FRUIT

MILK AND ALTERNATIVES

Heat brown beans, kidney beans, or navy beans

Put in a whole-grain tortilla

Serve with low- sodium salsa and sliced bell pepper

Grate low-fat cheese on the tortilla

Open a can of low-sodium canned salmon

Add to whole grain noodles in broth

Stir in frozen vegetables

Serve low-fat yogurt for dessert

Drain a can of lentils and mix with canola oil and Dijon mustard

Add cooked brown rice or barley

Serve on lettuce Serve low-fat yogurt for dessert

Grill or bake chicken breasts with herbs and spices

Serve with cooked whole grain noodles

Add cooked frozen green or yellow beans

Serve low-fat milk to drink

Scramble eggs Serve with whole grain toast, pita or tortilla

Add vegetables like mushrooms and spinach to eggs and then pan fry together

Top with grated low-fat cheese

Here are some more time-saving ideas to help you have healthy meals at home:• Choose a day of the week to prepare and assemble meal items which can be

quickly put in a slow cooker in the morning, and you will have your meal ready when you get home.

• Cook larger quantities of food when choosing quinoa, brown rice or vegetables, for example, so you will have them for other lunch or dinner meals

• Try a grocery delivery service• Look for businesses in your community where you can assemble meals and take

them home to cook at a later date.Consider starting a cooking circle or cooking club with friends. These are groups of

people who get together on a regular basis to cook. It can be a great way to develop skills and prepare healthy and affordable meals.

For more healthy meal ideas and recipes, visit healthyeatingstartshere.ca


BY KAROL SEKULIC

Breaking Bread Eating healthy meals as a family is a more digestible idea than you may think

food for lifeSmart Eats •



Karol Sekulic, a registered dietician with Alberta Health Services, breaks down the DASH diet and its ability to take off the pounds: “DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. The DASH diet is a pattern of eating that’s designed to reduce blood pressure,” she explains, adding it is generally used to lower blood pres-sure, and can also reduce the risk of developing high blood pressure. In addition to being higher in vegetables, fruit, whole grains, low-fat milk products and poultry, the DASH diet requires a reduction in sodium or salt intake.

The DASH diet provides two levels of sodium reduction – to 2,300 milligrams or less than 1,500 milligrams per day, the lower amount pro-viding the greater reduction in blood pressure, Sekulic says. In terms of food choice, she notes that reducing one’s sodium intake requires selecting minimal quantities of processed food, such as deli meats, convenience foods and condiments.

As for weight loss, the DASH diet is considered a healthy approach, says Sekulic. “The DASH is a very healthy eating pattern and it may help with weight management, if it is combined with a lower-calorie pattern of eating,” she says. Like many health experts, she suggests investing in a combination of diet and exercise for the best results. “Exercise is an important part of a healthy lifestyle – and can also help people reduce blood pressure, as well as keeping weight off,” she says. “And a higher intake of vegetables and fruit can help you get more fibre and help with fullness.”

DASH, like any diet, won’t work if you don’t keep up with it, so try to choose one that you feel you can stick to, advises Sekulic. For more information about how to maintain healthy eating habits, visit healthyeatingstartshere.ca.

I have heard a lot about the DASH diet. What is it, and is it a healthy way to lose weight?

IN THE KNOWScreening for cervical cancer, what the DASH diet stands for and group versus solo running – the experts explain it

BY LYNDSIE BOURGON AND SHELLEY WILLIAMSON

a resource for youAsk the Expert •



Leap asks Gordon Kliewer, implementation special ist with the Alberta Cervical Cancer Screening Program, for his advice for women of all ages about Pap tests, the HPV virus and cervical cancer screening.

“We really encourage women to start their Pap testing at 21 and we do that all the way to age 69 for various reasons,” Kliewer says, emphasizing that hav-ing regular tests is the best form of prevention. “The reliability of a Pap goes up by following through and doing it once every year until reaching three negative results, and then once every three years. The reliabil-ity of this test is in sequential testing. A one-time test doesn’t tell us much,” he explains.

HPV immunizations, now offered to both girls and boys in Grades 5 and 9 in Alberta, will lessen the prevalence of the virus, which can cause cervical and other cancers if left untreated. In fact, nearly all cervical cancers are caused by HPV. “We are going to see fewer women infected with HPV (the human papilloma virus) as we continue to immunize,” says Kliewer. “We have higher than 70 per cent of women being immunized in our schools since 2008, so we are anticipating that we’ll see lower and lower rates of HPV.”

But since women’s cervical cells change as they age, most females over the age of 69 won’t mind hearing they don’t need to revisit the Pap annually or even every three years. “The Pap is really designed to look at cells and epithelial (cervical) cells,” says Kliewer. “And for women over 69, that ability is really not that great. You can have false negatives. We would rather you rely on symptomology.”

One myth is that a Pap also tests for cancer. “The Pap test is really testing for pre-cancerous cells, and you generally have three to five years before cancer ensues,” Kliewer explains. “So there’s no ambulance required for any of this; this is really about prevention.”

In addition to a Pap, there is also an HPV screen-ing test in Alberta, he says. “One thing that some-times confuses people is we now do have the ability to look for the HPV virus, 15 strains – so the top strains that cause cancer, we are now able to test for specifically,” says Kliewer. “For women who are over 30, if they have a low-grade test result, we will then test for HPV, just to make sure. It may be a false low-grade; so we test it for HPV and if it’s not there, then they are good. We are one of the few provinces that does this.”

I am a woman in my 30s. How often should I get screened for cervical cancer?

We turned to John Stanton, founder and CEO of The Running Room to answer this one. “What appeals to many people about living in our online world that you can run alone, at any pace and let your mind wander or focus on problem solving,” he says. “There is no pressure to run at a particular pace or distance, it’s just you and the open road.”

But that doesn’t mean solo is the only way to go, and he notes that running offers a great way to unplug and fosters direct human interactions that we all crave. “It helps to be in a clinic or in a group, particularly during the cold winter months,” says Stanton. “The positive peer pressure of the group makes you accountable to others, as well as yourself.”

And you shouldn’t be worried that it will be competitive, he adds. “Running in a group changes a workout into a safe and supportive team sport. The commit-ment to the group gets you out on days when you’re not full of energy and will leave you feeling refreshed and energized.”

Most running groups meet once or twice a week and become a positive and motivating ritual. For Stanton, group running is a great way to get both a positive mental and physical workout.

Is it better to run alone, or with a group?

Ask our experts questions about general health, cancer prevention and treatment. Please submit them via email to [email protected]. Remember, this advice is never a substitute for talking directly to your family doctor.



MAN OF STEEL: Colin Hackett is a seven-time Ironman triathlete who also happens to be living with stage four colorectal cancer.

MORE moments

PoolingStrength



A seven-time Ironman triathlete prepares for his biggest obstacle yet – a cancer diagnosis

WBY ROBBIE JEFFREY / PHOTOGRAPHY BY COOPER & O’HARA

hile vacationing in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, in December 2007, Colin Hackett wouldn’t go to the pool because he didn’t want to take

his shirt off. He was staying at a resort with his wife, Kim, trying to enjoy some well-deserved respite from teaching high school in Edmonton, but he was preoccupied with his weight, which had climbed since his college football days. He made a New Year’s resolution to join a fitness group and he started training as soon as he got home. He joined a boot camp and a men’s hockey league weighing 324 pounds. By 2010, he had dropped almost 40 pounds, and by November 2013, he was down to a healthy 250.

Hackett says he “fell into” competitive triathlons. This isn’t a metaphor – an ankle injury from a fall during a hockey game compelled him to take up swimming. Already a runner, he figured he was two-thirds of the way there. By June 2013, three months after completing Ironman Los Cabos in Mexico, he was writing a blog documenting his triathlons and his weight loss, called Trials of a Big Triathlete, with the self-deprecating address of trifattytri.blogspot.ca. Five months later, he raced in Ironman Arizona.

Pooling



transferred to another hospital, where they tried to open his colon with a stent. When the procedure failed, an ambulance took him back to the Sturgeon for bowel surgery. He awoke to find he’d had a colon resection and they had biopsied a

spot on his liver. He had a tube in one nostril and two in the other. The biopsy results came in.

It was debilitating. “I was 10 days away from doing my eighth Ironman,” Hackett says. “I was still training 100 per cent and I had this huge,

stage four tumour going.” His youngest daughter was just two weeks old. His oldest was five years old.

Hackett already had a bit of a history with cancer. During Ironman Canada in 2010, he met the Cops for Cancer triathlon team, a fundraising group for cancer research, and he joined in 2011. He started fundraising at the high school he worked at then, Centre High. “It seemed like a really great place to focus my efforts,” he says. “I lost my grandfather to prostate cancer when I was seven years old. He didn’t get to see me grow up and play football.”

For the uninitiated, Ironman includes a four-kilometre swim, a 180-kilometre bike ride and a 42-kilometre run. It’s a gruelling feat of endurance, and it wrings its participants through the kind of physical agony typically reserved for famine, combat or pandemics. For many, completing that first Ironman means getting the iconic red Ironman logo tattooed on you the next day. Luckily you don’t need one for every race you finish thereafter, because Hackett would be pockmarked like the hood of a stock car. He’s finished seven Ironmans to date, at just 33 years old.

“The plan was to write a book about going from being a fat guy to being at the Ironman World Championship in Hawaii,” Hackett says. But on November 10, 2014, the plan changed, and suddenly the blog was about more than just his weight loss. On New Year’s Eve 2014, exactly seven years since the resolution that turned his life around, Hackett started his first round of chemotherapy. He had stage four colorectal cancer, and it was incurable.

At 4 a.m. on November 6, 2014, Hackett was complaining about bad gas. After a trip to emergency at the Sturgeon Community Hospital, he went home, only to return later for a CT scan that found his bowels were blocked. The doctor gave him morphine and he stayed the night. The next morning, he was

“The plan was to write a book about going from being a fat guy to being at the Ironman World Champion-ship in Hawaii,” Hackett says. But on November 10, 2014, the plan changed, and suddenly the blog was

about more than just his weight loss.

MORE moments



Hackett’s also a dedicated ambassador for the Alberta Cancer Foundation, having raised money through more than one triathlon for the foundation, and he is signed up for the Enbridge Ride to Conquer Cancer and was a volunteer ref in the Word’s Longest Hockey Game.

When I first spoke to him, Hackett was a few days away from his initial consultation at the Cross Cancer Institute. “I feel fantastic, honestly,” he said. Over the phone, he communicated enthusiasm and confidence. Already concerned about his diet, he didn’t need a drastic overhaul to his lifestyle. He wanted to train right through his treatment; he was planning for Ironman Coeur d’Alene in June.

Hackett is on an aggressive form of chemotherapy, a regimen called FOLIRI, whose name represents three different drugs. His oncologist, Dr. Michael Sawyer, combines the regimen with a relatively new drug called bevacizumab that attacks the growth of new blood vessels. Hackett tolerates it well. “He told me he biked 20 or 30 kilometres the day before I saw him,” Sawyer

says. He also ran a five-kilometre race just four hours after he finished his first round of chemotherapy.

The exercise might have something to do with it. “There are many studies, both in curative chemotherapy (to remove cancer completely) and chemotherapy to prolong people’s lives, where it appears that people who exercise do better than people who do not,” says Sawyer. And there are “hints” that exercise can decrease naturally occurring hormones and chemicals in our body that the cancer uses for its own benefits, he says. It’s not immediately evident why exercise can have these benefits, but it at least appears that it does. And Hackett thrives on this fact.

Meanwhile, the median survival of colon cancer patients increases with each passing year, thanks mainly to new and stronger drugs. “When I was a medical student, the expected survival was somewhere between six and nine months,” Sawyer says. Two or three years ago, the median survival for patients was about two years; today it’s pushing 30 months. Sawyer makes no qualms about saying Hackett will have cancer for the rest of his life, but he also can’t help but highlight all the reasons why Hackett shouldn’t slow down.

Speaking to Hackett again, I ask how his consultation went. “It wasn’t great news,” he responds. “But the oncologist stressed that we don’t know how these things work – you don’t have a stamp on your foot that says when your time is up.”

MOVING AHEAD: Doctors say exercise helps people who are undergoing chemotherapy, like Colin Hackett, do better than those who are not active throughout their treatment.



Tamara Gignac is a Calgary reporter who was diagnosed with stage four colorectal cancer in June 2014. She wrote this moving account of her diagnosis, which we’re reprinting here in full.

I was 40 when I learnt I had cancer. The diagnosis was devastating: I had between six months and a year to live. But today, I choose to live like I will live on, beyond that. Yet if I no longer have an uncountable number of days ahead, then I choose to make the most of every tiny moment. The small, the everyday and the moments we all take for granted that I no longer can.

It’s the day I walk my son to his first day at kindergarten, the sound of my little girl’s voice in her Christmas pageant. It is the soft smell of my children’s breath as they jump into my arms, skin gentle and sweet after their bath. It’s the crunch of snow under my boots, the sunshine on my shoulders and the sand beneath my toes. It’s decorating the Christmas tree and wrapping toys with the hope of another year. It is learning how to love fiercely, live honestly and never let go.

Living with cancer makes every minute and every moment meaningful. That is what I live for – more moments.

Help create more moments for people like Tamara and invest in the Alberta Cancer Foundation at albertacancer.ca.

FAMILY FIRST: When not training for his next triathlon, Colin Hackett is making the most of his time by spending as much time as he can with his wife, Kim, and their four children.

When the Diagnosis isn’t gooD

MORE moments

He’s grateful that, because he’s young, he can take full doses rather than half-doses. And he’s already excited about returning to work as a teacher. “It’s who I am and how I make a difference in this world,” he says. “I don’t think there’s an hour that goes by that I don’t think about the cancer, but being off work is the worst thing for me. It’s a constant reminder that it’s not me anymore.” He quotes Stuart Scott, the late ESPN anchor who died after his third bout with cancer – just two days prior to our conversation. “He said that you don’t lose to cancer by dying; you defeat cancer by living.”

Kim, however, worries for the father of her four children, the man with whom she travelled on their journey to good health, only to arrive somewhere entirely foreign. When he was first diagnosed, “my world came crumbling in around me,” she says. “I’ve just had to rebuild it from there.”

She wants to be there for her husband in every capacity, keeping him well enough to maintain his health and willpower. “I wouldn’t have picked this for myself,” she says. “But there are people out there who try for years and can’t have a baby, and that’s what they want more than anything. And there are people who spend their whole lives looking for their knight in shining armour. And I’ve got all that.” She is now going back to university – besides the two degrees she already has, she’s pursuing an education degree so she can have a schedule closer to her children’s.

As it turned out, Hackett’s fundraising efforts meant a sizeable karmic deposit was waiting for him when he needed it. Brett Babkirk, who has refereed hockey with Hackett for 15 years, imagined a fundraiser for Hackett while on a trip to a hockey game in Camrose. With the help of his wife, he brought together more than 300

people at the Polish Veterans Hall in Edmonton for an auction and entertainment, where he raised more than $21,000.

Hackett is training every day, spending time with his family and updating his blog. A recent post reads, “Cancer. There, I said it. This seems to be one of the most powerful words in the English language.”

And before we finish our conversation, he says, “If people talked about the fact that they have cancer, we’d all know more survivors,” he says. “If everybody talked about it, we could see how many people have done so well for so long. Nobody knows these amazing survivor stories that are out there.”



Tamara Gignac is a Calgary reporter who was diagnosed with stage four colorectal cancer in June 2014. She wrote this moving account of her diagnosis, which we’re reprinting here in full.

I was 40 when I learnt I had cancer. The diagnosis was devastating: I had between six months and a year to live. But today, I choose to live like I will live on, beyond that. Yet if I no longer have an uncountable number of days ahead, then I choose to make the most of every tiny moment. The small, the everyday and the moments we all take for granted that I no longer can.

It’s the day I walk my son to his first day at kindergarten, the sound of my little girl’s voice in her Christmas pageant. It is the soft smell of my children’s breath as they jump into my arms, skin gentle and sweet after their bath. It’s the crunch of snow under my boots, the sunshine on my shoulders and the sand beneath my toes. It’s decorating the Christmas tree and wrapping toys with the hope of another year. It is learning how to love fiercely, live honestly and never let go.

Living with cancer makes every minute and every moment meaningful. That is what I live for – more moments.

Help create more moments for people like Tamara and invest in the Alberta Cancer Foundation at albertacancer.ca.

FAMILY FIRST: When not training for his next triathlon, Colin Hackett is making the most of his time by spending as much time as he can with his wife, Kim, and their four children.

When the Diagnosis isn’t gooD

MORE moments

He’s grateful that, because he’s young, he can take full doses rather than half-doses. And he’s already excited about returning to work as a teacher. “It’s who I am and how I make a difference in this world,” he says. “I don’t think there’s an hour that goes by that I don’t think about the cancer, but being off work is the worst thing for me. It’s a constant reminder that it’s not me anymore.” He quotes Stuart Scott, the late ESPN anchor who died after his third bout with cancer – just two days prior to our conversation. “He said that you don’t lose to cancer by dying; you defeat cancer by living.”

Kim, however, worries for the father of her four children, the man with whom she travelled on their journey to good health, only to arrive somewhere entirely foreign. When he was first diagnosed, “my world came crumbling in around me,” she says. “I’ve just had to rebuild it from there.”

She wants to be there for her husband in every capacity, keeping him well enough to maintain his health and willpower. “I wouldn’t have picked this for myself,” she says. “But there are people out there who try for years and can’t have a baby, and that’s what they want more than anything. And there are people who spend their whole lives looking for their knight in shining armour. And I’ve got all that.” She is now going back to university – besides the two degrees she already has, she’s pursuing an education degree so she can have a schedule closer to her children’s.

As it turned out, Hackett’s fundraising efforts meant a sizeable karmic deposit was waiting for him when he needed it. Brett Babkirk, who has refereed hockey with Hackett for 15 years, imagined a fundraiser for Hackett while on a trip to a hockey game in Camrose. With the help of his wife, he brought together more than 300

people at the Polish Veterans Hall in Edmonton for an auction and entertainment, where he raised more than $21,000.

Hackett is training every day, spending time with his family and updating his blog. A recent post reads, “Cancer. There, I said it. This seems to be one of the most powerful words in the English language.”

And before we finish our conversation, he says, “If people talked about the fact that they have cancer, we’d all know more survivors,” he says. “If everybody talked about it, we could see how many people have done so well for so long. Nobody knows these amazing survivor stories that are out there.”


Since July 2014, patient and family advisors have been engaged in conversations about how to create a healing environment in cancer care. These talks have been inspirational, and the good news is that accord-ing to our patients and families there is room for im-provement when it comes to the current cancer care experience.

Our parents taught us that first impressions matter, and this holds true when it comes to creating a heal-ing experience. Ultimately, when it comes to cancer care, we want our first impression to be: “You will be cared for here and you’re in good hands.” Since we know that’s what our patients and families need to hear most, how can we clearly communicate it? The answer requires a perfect synergy between smart space design and the human connection.

Last fall during a meeting led by exhibit devel-oper and artist Kris Kelly-Frére, the advisors shared their thoughts on healing environments by using sticky notes in a four-part matrix using the words: “I like…”, “I wish…”, “What if?” and “Aha!” Not surpris-ingly, their comments highlighted the importance of making positive first impressions at the Tom Baker Cancer Centre.

As advisors considered what they liked and wished for, one suggested that the lobby of the Alberta Children’s Hospital provides an example of positive experience, noting: “Adults need colour, too!” Fol-lowing the lead of the suggestion, the advisors rec-ommended the ideal space have a comfortable en-trance featuring plants, natural light, calming works of art, use of natural materials such as wood, a feeling of spaciousness, big comfy chairs, places of respite, a view of the surrounding natural environment and spots to sit and have coffee. Beyond removing the clutter and chaos of a beyond-capacity cancer centre, the advisors expressed a longing for a welcoming and inviting environment to meet patients during one of the most stressful and scary moments of their lives.

A beautiful environment would only partially impact patient experience – it also needs a human connection to support it. Among the most powerful recommendations was to “Help us with finding our humanity.” I spent some time with this comment, and it hit me personally and pretty hard. Not only does it provide insight into how lost and fearful cancer

patients can feel, but it is also an invitation to help reconnect patients with their physical, mental, spiritual and emotional selves. All of that is lost (for a time) when facing cancer. With their suggestions, the advisors reminded us that the first faces patients often see at a cancer centre are strangers who will tell them that they have cancer. These first faces are tasked with not only being knowledgeable and friend-ly, but also with a responsibility to begin the patient’s healing process.

As you’ve guessed, I’m not a fan of waiting around for resources to create a per-fect healing environment. I believe that staff empowerment and personal account-ability are two keys toward creating an overall healing experience.

When I walk through the cancer centre’s entrance and hallways to get to a meet-ing, I often stop to help if I see someone who looks lost or confused. Truth be told, there is always someone fitting this description. Now the words, “Help me with finding my humanity,” regularly play in my head as I ask them if I can be of help. With the current absence of comfy chairs and a café, the responsibility belongs to every person who works in cancer care to create a more healing environment. No matter what his or her role or title is, everyone is a caregiver. This mindset is the beginning of a deeply healing environment.

Jessica Dollard is the patient-centred experience advisor on the Calgary Cancer Project. As a consultant in engagement and patient experience, as well as an actor, film and theatre producer, programmer, medical skills trainer and executive certified coach, she brings a creative background to this work.

giving patients a voiceEngagement •

A Healing Environment

BY JESSICA DOLLARD

Smart design and the human connection are potent prescriptions for cancer care facilities




MORE moments



Through screening programs, healthy living and some genetic learning, Albertans are doing their best to be proactive against cancer

TBY COLLEEN BIONDI / ILLUSTRATION BY HEFF O’REILLEY

An Ounce of

o hedge their bets against developing cancer, Albertans are doing their due diligence. They are eating well, staying active, avoiding environmental tox-ins and learning about their genetic vulnerabilities. In addition, many are par-

ticipating in two effective provincial initiatives – screening programs for breast, cer-vical and colorectal cancers, and the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine campaign.

Alberta’s provincial breast cancer screening program has been in operation since 2004, says Dr. Huiming Yang, medical director of Alberta Health Services’ (AHS) screening programs. It is recommended that women have mammograms every two years, between the ages of 50 and 74. Regular breast cancer screening finds tumours early, when they are small and more treatment options are available. As a result, it is estimated that breast cancer screening can reduce deaths by 20 per cent. Breast self-examinations are no longer recommended, as they have not proven to be helpful in reducing breast cancer deaths and can result in unnecessary anxiety for concerned women and more unnecessary doctors’ visits and invasive tests. “They are not effec-tive, can actually cause harm and should be discontinued,” says Yang.

The Alberta cervical cancer screening program was established in 2000, and it is recommended that women between the ages of 21 and 69 undergo one Pap test every three years. This screening tool is highly effective in detecting pre-cancerous cells at very early stages, and can prevent 90 per cent of invasive cervical cancers. Even if you have been given the HPV vaccine, says Yang, you should still have regular cervical can-cer screening, as the vaccine accommodates only four strains of the virus and is not 100 per cent effective in preventing cervical cancer.

Colorectal cancer screening is targeted at people between the ages of 50 and 74. Since November 2013, a new fecal immunochemical test (FIT) has been recommend-ed for average-risk Albertans. This stool test is done at home (no dietary restric-tions are needed) every one to two years, and then brought to the lab for analysis. For those at high risk of colorectal cancer, a screening colonoscopy is still recom-mended, with frequency depending on the results each time – if pre-cancerous polyps are discovered and removed, more frequent screening may be recommended. For people at average risk (which includes most people between the ages of 50 and 74), “regular screening with the FIT is as effective as more invasive colonoscopy over the long term” to prevent colorectal cancer deaths, Yang says.

Prevention



Despite the benefits these screening tests bring, Alberta’s participation rate is still relatively low. From 2012 to 2013, compliance with the breast cancer screening rec-ommendation was 57 per cent (the target rate is 70 per cent). There is a 63 per cent par-ticipation rate for cervical screening (the target is 80 per cent) and it is estimated that only 50 per cent of the target population is following screening recommendations for colorectal cancer.

Yang says there are a number of reasons these rates are low. For one, many people may not get screened because they feel well and don’t understand the importance of cancer screening. They may live in remote areas or in small, rural towns and not know how to access the tests. They may be put off by the “ick” factor, and for some people the tests can be uncomfortable to experience. Vulnerable populations (immigrants, First Nations peoples and the economically disadvantaged) may be particularly at risk due to language barriers, cultural norms or being overwhelmed with day-to-day duties and responsibilities. People may also be wary of the risks associated with screenings. The mammogram, for example, may result in a false positive or negative result, and there is exposure to low-dose radiation with the X-rays. Still, the risks are small relative to the benefit incurred, says Yang.

There are initiatives being developed to bump up the partic-ipation rates for cancer screening programs in Alberta. To improve access to cancer screening, two mobile units travel to rural and remote communities to provide services. By bringing screening services closer to home, these mobile units funded by Alberta Cancer Foundation also provide women with an opportunity to undergo both a Pap test and mammogram during one visit. Centralized screening clinics located in Calgary and Edmonton provide blitz screening weekends, and even arrange for transportation for people who cannot easily get to the location. To help inform Albertans about screening programs, interactive risk assessment tools can be found on the program website (www.screeningforlife.ca). In addition to these tools, a range of print and online materials about the significance of screening are now cus-tomized for specific populations and are translated into six different languages (French, Arabic, Punjabi, Chinese, Vietnamese and Spanish).

But there is still more work to be done to reach the targets. Research into new and improved cancer screening tests, as well as innovative approaches to support enhanced access to cancer screening, is ongoing, and AHS screening programs are also looking at ways to improve wider-system operations so the entire process is smoother and less unwieldy. Some examples of this include encouraging primary health-care physicians to speak to their clients about the benefits of screening and recommend regular screen-ings, being able to book appointments quickly and easily and getting in touch with peo-ple whose results are abnormal in a speedy fashion. Researchers are also exploring the viability of developing screening programs on other cancer fronts. For example, a pilot program in Alberta, funded by the Alberta Cancer Foundation, is currently testing a group of high-risk people for lung cancer. The evidence suggests targeted lung cancer screening could reduce deaths by 20 per cent.

Getting more people to benefit from these programs is an important project, accord-ing to Yang. “Quite simply, cancer screening saves lives,” he says.

So will the HPV vaccine, says Dr. Corinne Doll, a Calgary-based radiation oncol-ogist. Gardasil, which is being offered to girls and boys in Grade 5 in Alberta (with a catch-up opportunity in Grade 9), has been a “huge victory” in the movement to erad-icate HPV-associated cancers. If one is already exposed to the virus (prevalence is estimated to be about 70 per cent among young adults, although the virus frequent-ly clears itself within one or two years), the vaccine is not effective, so it is import-ant to vaccinate early on. At the campaign’s outset, the participation rate was fairly low, but recent data in the Calgary public school system reports uptake of 70 per cent.

HPV is the most common sexually transmitted disease in the world, and is typically contracted through skin-to-skin genital contact (intercourse is not neces-

sary). It is not only associated with cervical cancer (in 90 per cent of cases), but also with anal cancer (in 80 per cent of cases) and with a certain subset of head and neck cancer – related to the tonsils, the back of the throat and the base of the tongue – called oropha-ryngeal cancer (in up to 70 per cent of cases). Over the last few decades, there has been a remarkable increase in the diagnosis of anal cancers among young women (the number has doubled in Alberta between 1975 and 2009) and oropharyngeal cancers in young men. Research is still ongoing regarding the rationale for these new increases, but Doll is unfortunately seeing the statistics “coming to life” in her clinic.

Because there are no screening programs for anal cancer or oropharyngeal cancer, by the time symptoms present them-selves, they can be locally advanced and debilitating, requiring a long course of therapies. “We have done well with cervical cancer (due to screening protocols),” says Doll. “But we need to get a better handle on anal and oropharyngeal cancers. They are an increasing clinical con-

cern in a relatively young patient group.”The HPV vaccine is not a magic bullet. It only

protects against four of 100 specific strains of the virus – strains 6, 11, 16 and 18 – but clinical trials have shown “a significant reduction in the development of pre-invasive lesions” for those who have been administered the vaccine. More time will be needed to generate data related to risk reduction for devel-opment of specific cancers, but so far the results are promising.

In the meantime, it is critical for people to be alerted to symptoms related to anal and oropharyn-geal cancers. For example, if you have a prolonged sore throat or neck lumps, or pain eliminating or bloody stools, see your doctor. With early detection, effective treatment (surgery or radiation and chemo-therapy) is possible and can be curative.

Research related to HPV will continue. “We are looking at whether HPV-related cancers should be treated differently,” says Doll. They hope to explore the incidence of certain HPV sub-types, what their molecular differences are and how they respond dif-ferently to treatment.

There is much potential with cancer screening and vaccination. In some cases, increased compliance means preventing cancer completely. In others, it means finding it early and offering more choices and less intervention regarding treatment. In most cases, it means increased quality of life and more treasured moments for individuals to seek and to cherish.

And that’s a goal worth pursuing, say Yang and Doll, who remain optimistic about reducing mortal-ity rates associated with cancer. “We have impressive data so far,” says Doll. “It is a very satisfying time.”

MORE moments

There are initiatives being developed to bump up the participation rates for cancer screening programs in Alberta. To improve access to cancer screening,

two mobile units travel to rural and remote communities to provide services.



MORE moments



MORE moments



New study gives terminal patients time, and helps those with cancer make the most of it

WBY CORY SCHACHTEL / ILLUSTRATION BY RAYMOND REID

To some degree, cancer is an anomaly among medical ailments. No one likes hearing their health is declining for any reason, but receiving a cancer diagno-sis hits with extra heaviness, especially since age and lifestyle are largely irrelevant. A healthy and happy middle-aged parent with growing children can be just as easily afflicted as a senior with other health issues. Cancer doesn’t care. There’s a reason people call it “the C-word.”

Within the world of cancers, a brain tumour stands further apart from the rest. Given that we hardly know how our most complex organ even works, curing some-thing as fast-acting and indiscriminate as glioblastoma is something for a future generation to achieve. For now, treating patients, giving them as much time as possible and helping them make the most of it, is the focus. Thanks to the Cross Cancer Institute in Edmonton and its sister site, the Tom Baker Cancer Centre in Calgary, patients with malignant brain tumours are now living longer and better than ever before.

Dr. Samir Patel is a radiation oncologist at the Cross Cancer Institute, and the principal investigator on a study looking to lessen the length of time during which patients receive post-surgery radiation treatments, literally giving them more time free of radiation side-effects. “Normally patients come in and have surgery, followed by six weeks of radiation and chemo,” Patel says.



remaining. “It boils down to priorities,” Pelletier says. “I advise people to recognize their main support people – friends, family, their spouses and children – and to focus on those relationships. If you want to make the best of the moment, it behooves you to get closer to the people you love.”

Of course, relationships aren’t easy. Fences need mending, roles need re-evaluating and, with the help of someone like Pelletier, conflicts need resolving. “We hear of cases where cancer brings people together, but the scientific literature says, and

I’ve observed clinically, that it’s because the fundamentals of the relationships were already set. If there’s a fracture point, you can guarantee cancer will make it wider.”

Then there are the children who must deal with their mother or father being sick. The worst thing, Pelletier says, is to lie or pre-tend nothing is wrong, especially with a brain tumour. “It becomes very obvious to the child that mom or dad is not well, so lying is a waste of

time,” he says. “We say very clearly that it’s not their job to make mom or dad better, it’s the doctor’s job. Once that’s established, it becomes: how do we maintain the structure?” Ensuring kids are going to school, maintaining friendships, eating properly and doing their chores – the continuation of stable parenting, to the extent it’s possible, is the best way to help a child cope, he says. “Routine is very important to all people, but particularly to children.”

What’s clear is that cancer is not just a physical affliction. The mental and emotional aspects seem, at times, the worse pain, one most of us are lucky to not have to feel, until we do. “And it’s not just the patients,” Patel says. “It’s the spousal caregivers, who dedicate themselves despite all the exhausting demands, and the children of any age who show a great deal of courage. I’ve seen a lot of good people die in 23 years. That’s the reality and I knew that when I started. But to help these people at the end of life has been an honour for me. I see it as a privilege. I’ve learned what it means to be human, and to live a life.”

“And these patients are only expected to live a median length of time of 14.6 months. The goal is to shorten the radiation duration to four weeks, and improve their com-fort and convenience,” he adds.

Based on similar studies that found condensed radiation treatments are tolerable for otherwise healthy people, Patel’s team has, since September 2014, ap-proached all new patients diagnosed with glio-blastoma (between 18 and 70 years old) about taking part. Those who enrol will provide data that could determine future radiation prac-tices. A landmark study out of the University of Toronto similarly randomized breast cancer patients between three-and-a-half and five weeks of therapy. The results proved equivalent, and the shortened sched-ule is now standard. “Two weeks may not seem like much,” Patel says, “but an extra half-month free of chemotherapy, when you only have 14 months, means a lot.”

The qualitative aspect of those moments is where Dr. Guy Pelletier, clinical psychologist at the Tom Baker Cancer Centre, comes in. His main clinical assignment for the past 23 years has been to patients with brain tumours, and while success stories of multi-year survivals exist, the harsh reality remains that glioblastoma is eventually ter-minal. That doesn’t mean his patients’ lives are over, but it does force them to look at how they want to live the time

MORE moments

“We hear of cases where cancer brings people together, but the scientific liter-ature says, and I’ve observed clinically,

that it’s because the fundamentals of the relationships were already set,”

says clinical psychologist Guy Pelletier.



remaining. “It boils down to priorities,” Pelletier says. “I advise people to recognize their main support people – friends, family, their spouses and children – and to focus on those relationships. If you want to make the best of the moment, it behooves you to get closer to the people you love.”

Of course, relationships aren’t easy. Fences need mending, roles need re-evaluating and, with the help of someone like Pelletier, conflicts need resolving. “We hear of cases where cancer brings people together, but the scientific literature says, and

I’ve observed clinically, that it’s because the fundamentals of the relationships were already set. If there’s a fracture point, you can guarantee cancer will make it wider.”

Then there are the children who must deal with their mother or father being sick. The worst thing, Pelletier says, is to lie or pre-tend nothing is wrong, especially with a brain tumour. “It becomes very obvious to the child that mom or dad is not well, so lying is a waste of

time,” he says. “We say very clearly that it’s not their job to make mom or dad better, it’s the doctor’s job. Once that’s established, it becomes: how do we maintain the structure?” Ensuring kids are going to school, maintaining friendships, eating properly and doing their chores – the continuation of stable parenting, to the extent it’s possible, is the best way to help a child cope, he says. “Routine is very important to all people, but particularly to children.”

What’s clear is that cancer is not just a physical affliction. The mental and emotional aspects seem, at times, the worse pain, one most of us are lucky to not have to feel, until we do. “And it’s not just the patients,” Patel says. “It’s the spousal caregivers, who dedicate themselves despite all the exhausting demands, and the children of any age who show a great deal of courage. I’ve seen a lot of good people die in 23 years. That’s the reality and I knew that when I started. But to help these people at the end of life has been an honour for me. I see it as a privilege. I’ve learned what it means to be human, and to live a life.”

“And these patients are only expected to live a median length of time of 14.6 months. The goal is to shorten the radiation duration to four weeks, and improve their com-fort and convenience,” he adds.

Based on similar studies that found condensed radiation treatments are tolerable for otherwise healthy people, Patel’s team has, since September 2014, ap-proached all new patients diagnosed with glio-blastoma (between 18 and 70 years old) about taking part. Those who enrol will provide data that could determine future radiation prac-tices. A landmark study out of the University of Toronto similarly randomized breast cancer patients between three-and-a-half and five weeks of therapy. The results proved equivalent, and the shortened sched-ule is now standard. “Two weeks may not seem like much,” Patel says, “but an extra half-month free of chemotherapy, when you only have 14 months, means a lot.”

The qualitative aspect of those moments is where Dr. Guy Pelletier, clinical psychologist at the Tom Baker Cancer Centre, comes in. His main clinical assignment for the past 23 years has been to patients with brain tumours, and while success stories of multi-year survivals exist, the harsh reality remains that glioblastoma is eventually ter-minal. That doesn’t mean his patients’ lives are over, but it does force them to look at how they want to live the time

MORE moments

“We hear of cases where cancer brings people together, but the scientific liter-ature says, and I’ve observed clinically,

that it’s because the fundamentals of the relationships were already set,”

says clinical psychologist Guy Pelletier.



Glow Juicery ups its game for this year’s Bust a Move for Breast Health campaign

SHAKE IT UP

When Marnie Ashcroft first set foot in the Edmonton EXPO Centre at Northlands during the 2014 Bust a Move for Breast Health fundraiser, she was blown away with what she saw. Ashcroft, the founder of a chain of juice bars located across Edmonton (and one soon to open in Kelowna, B.C.), says she was inspired by the “lev-els of engagement Bust a Move attracts from corporate sponsors and individuals. It’s a really amazing awareness opportunity, and it’s something that we want to be a part of,” she says. “It’s in alignment with many parts of the Glow vision and values.”

This year, she knew that she wanted to up Glow’s par-ticipation level in the event. The company has registered a team of 16 participants, and they hope to raise between $16,000 and $20,000 in donations for the event. They’ll also be working with various instructors and vendors to provide juice and support, during the fundraiser.

Glow Juicery offers a variety of juicing options for cli-ents that want everything from a quick pick-me-up to a full juice cleanse experience. There are three levels of juice cleanses offered through the business, from a begin-ner’s pack to a regular monthly option that delivers juic-ing options to a customer’s front door. The company was founded in 2012 under the auspices of “food is medicine.” Ashcroft was inspired by Kris Carr, an American author and wellness activist who made a documentary called Crazy Sexy Cancer after being diagnosed with stage four liver cancer in in 2003, at the age of 31. Karr has gone on to write various books about her cancer experience, and is an advocate for clean eating and a healthy diet.

“I thought, if juice could have that im-pact on someone in a critical care situation, what could it do for the average person?” says Ashcroft. “I want people to think of it as a tool in a tool kit.”

When she started the company, Ashcroft’s goal was to,“shake up the food landscape a bit and create a way for people to connect with raw nutrition.” The response has been incredible. Glow Juicery now has locations across Alberta and has partnered with 13 other businesses which sell their juice in-house. “We have people coming in and

saying they have felt a real impact on their life. There are moments when I’m brought to tears, it keeps me going and really excited,” says Ashcroft.

In 2014, Glow Juicery was a vendor at Bust a Move, and they donated juice to all the volunteers at the day-long event. But Ashcroft made a note that for this year, she wanted to show up, “in a big way. Part of what support looks like is getting people excited

about it beforehand, through marketing and social media engagement and attending the different events leading up to it,” she says. “I’m one of those people who just wants everyone to come and party, and we do everything we can to share our excitement about that.” She says the company feels a strong tie the fundraiser because of its overall focus and spirit. “It’s fitness-focused. We believe that a combination of nutrition and fitness are critical to health.”

BY MARTIN DOVER

working for a causeCorporate Giving •

IN THE MIX: Marnie Ashcroft’s Glow Juicery helps BaM participants re-hydrate during the event.

“I thought, if juice could have that impact on someone in a critical care situation,

what could it do for the average person?” says Marnie Ashcroft. “I want people to

think of it as a tool in a tool kit.”



FACE TIME: Drs. Martin Osswald, left, and Hadi Sekaly are both behind two new research projects which seek to improve the quality of life for patients with head and neck cancers.


Doctor turned his own diagnosis into a $3-million endowment for head and neck cancer research

REVERSAL


Every cancer diagnosis comes as something of a shock. But when Dr. Murray Mickleborough received his, in 2010, it came with an added layer of surprise: Mickleborough, a long-time maxillofacial surgeon, had cancer in his throat, one of the very same areas in which he specialized.

Suddenly, the doctor had become the patient.As Mickleborough’s cancer spread to his mandible, he decided he wanted to give back

to one of the institutions that had been instrumental in treating him. But even execu-tives at the Institute for Reconstructive Sciences in Medicine (iRSM) in Edmonton were staggered by what Mickleborough had in mind: a $1-million donation that would help find ways to improve quality-of-life outcomes for patients battling head and neck cancer.

“He was enamoured with the work they were doing [at iRSM],” says Ross Porter, Mickleborough’s son-in-law, “and he felt that some additional resources could take things to the next level.” That next level became even more reachable thanks to a matching $1-million donation from the Alberta Cancer Foundation, and an additional $500,000 gift from the Caritas Hospital Foundation. In all, some $3 million was gathered to fulfill the goal that Mickleborough (who passed away in June of 2011) had envisioned.

The question remained, however: what was the best way to go forward? Originally, the plan was to create a dedicated research chair position, in Mickleborough’s name, at the faculty of engineering at the University of Alberta, which would then work in tandem with iRSM. But, Porter says, recruiting for such a position takes time, and when the hiring com-mittee wasn’t able to find a suitable candidate in their initial search, they decided to change course.

Instead, what they decided on was a project-based collaboration. Researchers from across the U of A were invited to submit proposals that had the potential to “substan-tially impact” treatment for patients with defects of the head and neck, as a result of cancer, in any of five different areas. A special emphasis was placed on improving pa-tients’ overall quality of life.

Now, the first two projects to be funded by the Dr. Murray E. Mickleborough

Interfacial Biomechanics Research Program have been announced. Each will receive a total of $150,000 for a two-year period of research. The first, led by Dr. Martin Osswald, is a ground-breaking bench study that will help scientists generate a specific type of nasal cartilage that frequently needs to be removed following cancer treatment.

In order to reconstruct a nose, “the cartilage must be harvested from elsewhere in the body of that patient,” says Osswald, a maxillofacial prosthodontist and assistant professor in the U of A’s department of surgery. “That’s an extra surgical procedure. You basically have to remove tissue from another part of the body, risking many asso-

ciated complications,” he says. “We got to thinking: if we could generate this cartilage without having to access these other sites, we’d really be helping our patients get back to normal much quicker.”

Osswald and his team (including co-investiga-

tors Dr. Adetola Adesida and Dr. Kal Ansari, and their collaborator Dr. Nils Petersen) hope to instead grow this cartilage in the lab, using the patient’s existing stem cells as well as special scaffolding that has been 3D printed for the occasion. In addition to saving pa-tients another surgery, Osswald says that this way, the tissue can be precisely customized ahead of time according to the individual patient’s needs. That’s especially important when dealing with an area as

“We got to thinking: if we could generate this cartilage without having to access these other sites, we’d really

be helping our patients get back to normal much quicker,” says

Dr. Martin Osswald.

Role

BY MICHAEL HINGSTON / PHOTO BY BUFFY GOODMAN



sensitive – and as visible to the public – as a person’s nose. “They’re particularly vulnerable, these patients,” Osswald says. “Cancers of the head and neck are very ob-vious. You can’t hide them.”

The ultimate goal with the Mickleborough funding will be to determine whether this process can be done on a mass scale – in other words, whether every head and neck cancer patient in Alberta can one day have a replacement custom made without having to go back under the knife.

Another faculty member at the U of A’s departments of surgery and oncology, Dr. Hadi Seikaly, has heard sim-ilar concerns about quality of life from his patients who struggle with head and neck cancer. While the focus is always initially on survival, eventually, he says, “Patients start asking, ‘Well, what am I going to look like? How am I going to function? Am I going to be able to go out for dinner with my family?’ Function has become extremely important in these situations.”

The problem, says Seikaly, who is a professor of sur-gery and the divisional director and zone section head for otolaryngology head and neck surgery, is a lack of data from which to make reliable predictions about a patient’s outcome after treatment. That’s why, in 2008, he helped found the Head and Neck Research Network (HNRN), an international collaboration between three centres: the iRSM in Edmonton, where the network is headquartered, the Beth Israel Medical Centre in New York City and Finland’s University of Turku. Together, these centres created a shared database that allows doc-tors to better track the outcomes from various methods of treatment, which in turn gives patients the ability to choose between them with more certainty.

After several years of important research, how-ever, funding for the network ran out – until, that is, the Mickleborough research program came along. “It’s given us a new lease on life,” Seikaly says. “The funding will help us establish and solidify an inter-national network for functional outcomes, and an international resource for information, both for patients and doctors.”

One recently completed study, for instance, looked at functional outcomes for patients who have had parts of their tongues removed as part of treat-ment for cancer. Another, which is ongoing, looks at the overall costs for different types of treatment. And a third is designed to improve the way that physicians measure outcomes in the first place. Taken together, the HNRN has the potential to make significant improve-ments for doctors and patients alike.

Despite the international stature of the network, Sei-kaly is quick to add that the funding it receives from the Mickleborough program will largely remain in Alberta. HNRN plans to hire its new coordinator position here, and because the research network is based out of Ed-monton and iRSM, that’s where all funding decisions

will be made. “Edmonton has been, historically, very strong in functional outcomes,” Seikaly says. “We have a strong research base.”

Credentials aside, Seikaly has an added personal connection to the Mickleborough program: he knew him briefly, when Seikaly was a resident years ago, and he later became Mickleborough’s surgeon when he was receiving treatment for his cancer. “Mickleborough’s passion has always been about how to make people function bet-ter and feel better,” Seikaly says. “Talking to him before he passed away, I think this is exactly what he wanted the money to be used for.” In the interest of full disclosure, Porter points out that the committee that chose the successful research projects only

learned that Seikaly and Mickleborough knew one an-other after the adjudication process was complete.

For Porter and the rest of the Mickleborough family, any progress is good news. After nearly four years of un-certainty about whether (and how) the money would be invested, they’re thrilled about the possibilities of what this first round of research turns up – both for the scien-tific benefits, and for fulfilling the memory and spirit of Porter’s father-in-law. “Murray was about making things happen, in his professional life and his personal life,” says Porter. “We’re really excited that stuff is happening,

and that there’s an opportunity to make an impact in patients’ lives through the re-search that Drs. Seikaly and Osswald will be undertaking.”

As for the future of the Mickleborough research program, it remains secure, thanks to that $3-million endowment. Its exact shape, however, is still to be determined. De-pending on what happens over the next two years, Porter says the committee may de-cide to put out another call for research proposals, or they may reconsider a perma-nent chair position.

Either way, the goal remains to honour Mickleborough’s vision. “[Murray] had a strong bias for action, he was innovative and creative, and I think he would celebrate doing something that is not typical,” Porter says. In the end, “it’s all about trying to accelerate results, and make things happen, and figuring out the best way to do that.”

ON THE NOSE: To reconstruct a nose, cartilage currently has to be harvested from elsewhere in a patient’s body, but researchers are hoping to change that.

“[Mickleborough’s] passion has always been about how to make

people function better and feel better. Talking to him before he passed away, I think this is exactly what he wanted

the money to be used for,” says Dr. Hadi Seikaly.

PH

OTO

CO

UR

TES

Y iR

SM



Common sense is often not-so-common when it comes to preventable “accidents” around the house

BY SHELLEY WILLIAMSON

SAFE AND SOUNDe’ve all heard the age-old saying that there are no

such things as accidents. In a bid to see if the adage is true, Leap sat down with an Edmonton ER doctor and a Calgary

EMS spokesman to learn about the preventable circumstances that land people in their care, especially during winter and spring months.

A slippery slope: “Most of the injuries we see in and around the home in the winter are slips and falls,” says Dr. Darren Nichols, an emergency room physician at the University of Alberta Hospital and associate professor at the U of A. “Especially if there’s freezing rain, don’t underestimate it. We had 21 people with broken wrists in emergency in the evening two weeks ago when we had freezing rain – and that was just in one hospital.”

Nichols says when the mercury plunges, avoidable slips and falls are most prevalent among an age group old enough to know better: seniors. “If you are older and have the possibility for some thin bones, remember the real ba-sic stuff – like watch for the new skiff of snow on top of the old stuff. We see a lot of people going out to clear their walk, or to salt or sand it, who end up going down.”

W



Don’t try this at home: Ladders present some of the most dangerous circumstances, especially when using one alone or on a snowy or wet surface. Nichols sees people in the emergency room who’ve been doing maintenance around the house and using ladders incorrectly. “We see people who’ve been on a ladder putting up or taking down the Christmas lights,” he says. “They’re doing it the same way they would in the summer, where they assume that the ground is grippy, and they don’t bother to have someone with them. They assume that the ladder steps are not slippery.” Regardless of the season, he says, “the common sense thing would be to have someone out there with you.”

Stuart Brideaux, public education officer with Calgary EMS, agrees with Nich-ols. His team sees home maintenance injuries, and he says your house is not worth your health. “There was a snowfall – a man was attempting to push snow off the roof. He sustained high-fall injuries, resulting in fractures and head inju-ries,” Brideaux says. “It’s not that he was being purposely unsafe, but perhaps he might have planned it better. Property can be expensive to maintain, but when you’re working with your own life and body, the risk becomes severe.”

Nichols advises asking yourself stop-and-check questions, such as “Would I do this on a jobsite? Does that seem safe? What safety equipment would a contractor use?” He says that it’s not just the rank amateur at risk. “A contractor we saw last week fell off the roof, and I asked him if he had his safety gear on. He said, ‘Well, I was working on my own place. At work I wouldn’t have done that.’”

(Don’t) put your back into it: With snow comes the never-ending need to shovel walks, steps and driveways. Throw in some overnight freezing rain and the injuries mount. While Nichols doesn’t see loads of people in the ER who’ve thrown their backs out shovelling, it does happen. “The common sense advice around back health is to lift with your legs and not your back,” says Nichols. “There’s probably some evidence for ergonomic shovels,” he says, “but the worst thing for the back is the bend and twist. The same is true for lifting the kid out of the back seat, pulling groceries out of the car, or heaving the snow.”

Not-so-fancy footwork: Unless you want the trouble of an ambulance ride, Brideaux suggests dressing for success this winter, starting with proper shoes. “One of the things that people aren’t careful about – and I see this in downtown

Calgary – is heels,” Brideaux says. “People in high heels end up falling and breaking an ankle, and the consequences can last weeks or months.” An injury like that can impact your job, your ability to drive and your ability to care for your family, he says. Avoid the problem: wear your winter boots and change into heels once you’re inside.

Don’t cut corners: Any time equipment with moving parts is introduced, like snow blowers or lawn mowers, the potential for danger spikes, Brideaux says. It just takes an ill-fated moment to lose a limb or life. “We attended a call where a man got one of his hands caught in the flywheel of a snowmobile, and it almost cost him three fingers on his hand because he was trying to free the hopper without stopping the machine. In that split second, for literally nothing other than clearing snow, this man almost lost three fingers.”

He advises “making safe” the equipment first, be-fore any maintenance or manipulation of parts. “Just stop for a second and decide how badly you need to do that limb-threatening or ending activity.”

Weights and balance: The New Year brings well-intended resolutions to embrace exercise. It’s a great idea, but take it slow, Nichols advises. “Start gently. If you’ve put on weight, or those muscles haven’t been used a lot, and you go put a whole lot of stress against a knee for example – it will hurt.” Instead of

launching from being sedentary into a heavy game of squash or a double black diamond run on the ski hill, Nichols advises starting with just a half-hour of easy exercise a day. It will help you build a routine, and you can increase the duration or intensity by increments from there. “The prescription for health is to get moving, and the dose is about 30 minutes a day. Don’t overdo it, but you need to keep active and fit,” he says. “It’s much more dangerous to sit on your butt than it is to be active.”

Crash course in driving: Driving is probably the most dangerous thing you’ll do today. “Injuries and accidents also go way up when the weather changes,” says Brideaux. He advises considering how important a trip is before heading out on winter roads.

Nichols agrees. “If you are unsure about your own driving due to the weather, you might even consider having someone else drive you,” Nichols says. “There are driving services if you are older, like Driving Miss Daisy in Edmonton or others that will get you to your medical appointments. Cabs are expensive, but there are other services available.”

“The common sense advice around back health and heavy lifting is just

lift with your legs and not your back,” says Dr. Darren Nichols.



New rowing classes can help you stroke (… stroke ... stroke ...) towards better fitness

ALLABOARD

BY LYNDSIE BOURGON



New rowing classes can help you stroke (… stroke ... stroke ...) towards better fitness

ALLABOARD

BY LYNDSIE BOURGON



ou may have noticed that old rowing machine in the corner of your gym. There are never many, and often they are covered in dust. But in recent years, new technology and a committed group of rowing evange-lists have brought rowing workouts to the brink of comeback. Now, there

are updated rowing machines hitting the market, and soon you may just have to fight other gym patrons for a turn.

Or you could sign-up to start rowing as part of a fitness class. When Jane Tallick opened her BodyRock Fitness gym in Calgary’s Bridgeland neighbourhood, she found herself in limbo, waiting for her coveted spin class equipment to arrive. But what she could get her hands on right away were rowing machines. “So I thought, ‘how about a full-on rowing class?’ ” she asks. “I looked into it, and found out there were studios that were doing that, and it was working well.”

Tallick’s gym is now home to the only certified rowing class instructors (there are six Indoor Rowing Concept 2 instructors at BodyRock) in the province. The classes that they teach at BodyRock are attended by dozens of people, all packed in for an hour’s worth of time on the rowing machine and floor exercises.

Just because rowing might turn your thoughts immediately to water doesn’t mean you can’t row from your home on the Prairies. There are slight differences though, between rowing in a class and rowing on a lake. For one, rowing on water is typically

“Everyone gets on the rowing machine at the gym, but they often don’t know if they’re doing it correctly,

and classes can help them learn how to do that,” says Kat Storwick, instructor at BodyRock Fitness.

done over a much shorter time period – rowers on the water work very hard for less than two minutes. “There is some technique that’s different on the machine, like with the handles,” adds Tallick. “But those are little things.”

With rowing, your body gets both an aerobic and an-aerobic workout. “The other great thing is you actually work every major muscle group in the body,” says Tal-lick. “Throw in some push-ups and it’s a whole-body workout.” It’s a highly-effective workout, and she says her clients have embraced the burn. “They were hesi-tant at first,” Tallick notes, “but I have some hardcore serious rowers now.” Rowers at the gym are given a journal to record their workouts and to keep track of the rowing machine’s performance monitor, so they can track and improve their stroke rate, distance and progress. When you are a rower, you are only competing against yourself. The computer on the machine will let you know how many calories you’re burning, as well.

Kat Storwick is one of the instructors at BodyRock. Storwick first began rowing when she went to universi-ty in Washington State. She rowed with a team for two years, on boats that could seat about eight rowers, and in 2009 she competed at the Canada Summer Games, in the Woman’s Eight Competition. But after an injury, she was forced to take a break. “I really wanted to get

Y



If you’re looking to give rowing a shot, there are a few gyms in Alberta offering classes and train-ing regimens for you to try: • Tallick’s Calgary-based FitRepublic is located at 989 McPherson Road, NE. Contact them at 403-991-6468, and check out the schedule online at fitrepublic.ca• MetaFitness, located at 46 Boulder Blvd. in Stony Plain, offers an indoor rowing class. Contact them at 780-915-6132 or meta-fitness.com• Offering a variety of training programs, Edmonton’s FarmStrong Athletics has offered rowing fitness regimes. For more information, visit farmstrong.ca

Row YouR Boat

back into it in Calgary, and there wasn’t really anyone doing anything with it,” she says. She began teaching rowing classes on the water at the Glenbow Reservoir, and then a friend put her in touch with Tallick. She has been teaching at BodyRock since last September. “I love it,” she says. “The whole point is to get participants ener-gized and excited about rowing.”

Storwick has been developing classes to music, to guide the rowing, like a spin class. “It’s harder to find music with appropriate beats, but we’re trying to get some good playlists in,” she says. Right now, Storwick’s classes include a rowing warm-up, some time off the machine doing other exercises (squats, lunges, kettle ball work-outs and push-ups) and then hopping back on the rowing machine. When partici-pants are back on the rowing machine, for 500- and 1,000-metre sprints, they work all-out. She has also led classes structured more intensely – 40 minutes straight spent on the rowing machine, then 15 focusing on core or strength workouts. Some-times, BodyRock will combine its rowing classes with a TRX class. “There is some technique involved,” says Tallick. “It’s not as hard as people think, but also really hard at the same time.” Storwick’s classes usually include around eight participants,

but everyone works at their own pace. At times they have arranged classes for 16 or more people and two instruc-tors. “It keeps a good energy going,” she says.

Storwick thinks the public interest in rowing will increase throughout 2015 and 2016. “It’s fun, it’s not a treadmill,” she says. “Everyone gets on the rowing machine at the gym, but they often don’t know if they’re doing it correctly, and classes can help them learn how to do that.”

In fitness circles, some have said the rise of the rowing machine would be a death knell for the spinning class; that rowing is the newest fad exercise and that classes will be full. And while it doesn’t look that way yet, Tal-lick thinks that what draws participants is the desire to try something new. “Don’t be afraid of it,” she says. “Just about anybody can do it and get results quickly.”

ROWING MOVEMENT

The Catch The Drive (part 1) The Drive (part 2) The Finish



Personal trainer Ike Henry gives back to breast cancer research the best way he knows – in sweat

BY SÉAMUS SMYTH

ZUMBA OR BUST

The rush of competition, the feeling of sweat dripping off his forehead and the surge of ev-ery muscle pulsating towards a common goal is how Ike Henry connects to who he is

and what he stands for. Since he was in high school, Henry, a personal trainer

and sports massage therapist, has engaged in as many physical activities as possible. Whether it was cricket, rugby, long-distance running, volleyball or dance, Henry yearned for the natural rush of endorphins that only ex-ercise can deliver. To this day, the thought of being physi-cally active remains an irresistible pull.

Henry, originally from Kent, England, will play a ma-jor role in the Bust a Move for Breast Health fundraiser this March, as he returns to reprise his popular Zumba sessions. Bust a Move is fundraising to help fast-track in-novative research ideas and projects from the laboratory directly to the health-care system.

Henry’s work is based out of Any Body Fitness, where he encourages people of all ages to find ways to remain active in their everyday lives. He notes that physical activity is in decline, and that society has opted for the quick fix option rather than pursuing a difficult but en-riching fitness objective. For him, too many men and women use age as an excuse to no longer push them-selves to new fitness levels – a justification that he is tired of hearing.

“It is important that people know and understand that the body is like a machine. If you don’t keep it in shape at all times, then trouble begins,” he says. “Every year

stories of givingWhy I Donate •



ZUMBA OR BUST

PH

OTO

S C

OU

RTE

SY

ALB

ERTA

CA

NC

ER F

OU

ND

ATIO

N



“It is important that people know and understand that the body is like

a machine. If you don’t keep it in shape at all times, then trouble

begins,” says personal trainer and BaM Zumba instructor Ike Henry.

people add a limit to what they can do, instead of saying ‘I can do more because I have been taking care of myself to this moment.’ ”

Henry is all for progression. He encourages clients and class participants to push themselves and see what the body is capable of doing, making him an ideal instructor for the BaM initiative.

Bust a Move originally began in Halifax, but the annual fundraiser now travels across Cana-da and even dips into Australia It was first held in Edmonton in 2012, when Henry was asked to deliver the opening session before the guest presenter of the weekend, the iconic Richard Simmons. Although he admits he felt nervous to open the event before one of the pioneers of the fitness movement, Henry took on the chal-lenge with the tenacity that has made him the successful instructor he is today, and the experience made him even more motivated to help with the BaM campaign.

The event is six hours long, and participants need not prepare before taking it on as three levels of participation are presented. Henry recommends BaM participants pace themselves, but he assures that, with mini-entertainment slated for in between work-outs and refreshment stands everywhere, it’s six hours that are sure to be unforgettable.

Zumba is a fitness program that fuses Latin dance with aerobics, creating a dance-heavy workout. Becoming a Zumba instructor was never a planned career move for Hen-ry, but his enthusiasm and enlightened mind fit well with the course.

He spent 15 years dancing ballet before slowly made the transition to the Zumba move-ment. “I became involved with Zumba because I wanted to add a little bit more repertoire to my fitness ability,” he says. He was also enticed by the freedom and “height” that one can reach in this athletic dance. “We do 150 squats in one session – participants are having fun and giggling, and they don’t realize that they are working out,” he explains.

Henry relishes the post-workout atmosphere in the studio, when many participants believe that anything is possible if they push themselves hard enough. “Not knowing what you just did can elevate your spirit and take your body to a new stage and your mind is just continually active and getting stronger as well,” he says.

Recently, Henry became certified to train cancer pa-tients and survivors by completing a six-month course and grueling three-hour exam. He was drawn to help-ing cancer patients because of the immense toll disease

takes on a person, not just physically, but emotionally as well.

Henry has taken it upon himself to persuade those with cancer that physical ac-tivity is vital to their survival. “Staying active will improve their chances of surviving. And creating new blood cells,

or making the blood cells stronger, helps fight cancer,” he explains.

He says many people begin to shy away from exercise during chemotherapy because their strength begins to drastically decline. “This is where I come in – to provide that motivation and that physical component to keep them going,” he says.

It’s all unchartered territory, but Henry is interested in exploring it. Jumping jacks and push-ups are great options for people with a clean bill of health, but what about those with severe spinal injuries or crippling ar-thritis? Henry says too many people are sent to a doctor only to find that there are limited ways for them to fulfill their urge to sufficiently exercise.

“It’s about making progress and having goals and creating an understanding that we can assist those who are suffering from specific diseases and injuries in their lives,” he says.

stories of givingWhy I Donate •


JUNE 27 2015 SPRINT TRIATHLONAND DUATHLONGet inspired. Register now.

albertacancer.ca/joesteam

Bust Out YOur Gear

This year’s Alberta Cancer Foundation Bust a Move for Breast Health is slated for March 21 at the Edmonton EXPO Centre, and there’s still time to grab your runners, call a few bosom besties and join in. The six-hour fitness extravaganza will see participants sweat it out with pros like Ike Henry, the Blitz Conditioning team, Carrie Robinson, Philip Ndugga, Joe Lomnicki, Megan Clark, and wind down with some meditation with Sheena Mason. All required equipment, such as yoga mats, are provided!

BaMers must raise $1,000 to participate in the 8 a.m. through 3:30 p.m. event, with all proceeds going to research and clinical trials the Cross Cancer Institute. Bust a Move for Breast Health started in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 2010 and has since spread to seven other participating cities. For more information about how to participate in the Edmonton iteration, with all proceeds going to the Clinical Trials Unit at the Cross Cancer Institute. Visit albertacancer.ca/bamedmonton2015


m y l e a p m a g a z i n e . c a42 spring 2015 m y l e a p m a g a z i n e . c a

MULTI-TASKER: Nurse Lisa Bailey has 20 years of experience in the palliative care field, and says she has learned to prioritize her patients’ needs and always be on her toes.

Top Job



BY JACQUELINE LOUIE / PHOTOGRAPHY BY COOPER AND O’HARA

This Red Deer Regional nurse views her instrumental role in patients’ end-of-life care to be a privilege

CARINGPalliative

Lisa Bailey is “absolutely passionate” about her work in palliative care, nursing and education. A regis-tered nurse specializing in oncology and palliative care at Red Deer Regional Hospital, Bailey’s job is to help guide

patients and their families through a challenging time. “It is such a difficult time, and to have that opportunity to connect with them and care for their loved one is probably the best part of it,” she says. “It is a privilege to be in their lives at this time.”

For nearly a decade, Bailey has worked as a staff nurse at the Red Deer Regional, which has 20 oncology beds and 10 palliative care beds on Unit 32, the oncology palliative care unit. In addition to her regular nursing duties, she is also a unit coach, helping with staff education and orientation.

A typical day for Bailey looks like this: Nurses are a part of the multi-disciplinary palliative care team, which is made up of physi-cians, nurses, pharmacists, social workers, recreation therapists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, a dietitian and a chap-lain. She works a combination of day and evening shifts as part of the nursing team, which “is the link between the multi-disciplinary team the patient and their family,” she says. Each shift encompasses all aspects of patient and family care including assessments, care implementation and measuring a patient’s psycho-social, physical and spiritual needs.


Top Job

m y l e a p m a g a z i n e . c a44 spring 2015 m y l e a p m a g a z i n e . c a

She says there are many things to consider when implementing palliative care. “We take into account our assessment, lab values, diagnostic exams and all of the other disciplines’ assessments and opinions. We ensure the doctors are up to date with any events or changes that occur when they are not there, and we also ensure that the doctor’s orders are checked and implemented.”

Bailey, 42, has been a nurse for the past 20 years and has worked in palliative care since the start of her career. After graduating from the Foothills Hospital nursing program in 1994 she worked on the acute spinal cord injury unit at the Vancouver General Hos-pital, while also holding down a

second job doing palliative home care. “It was amazing to be there, not only for the patients, but also for the families,” she says. “It abso-lutely embodies what nursing is all about.”

She praises educational opportunities that are available to pal-liative care workers. “Palliative care has lots of components. It’s a very complicated part of medicine and has so many opportunities for growth and learning,” she says, noting that networking with other people who are equally passionate about palliative care is re-warding in itself.

During her shifts, Bailey receives a report on the patients she will be looking after and starts on her rounds, going into each room and introducing herself to the patients. She conducts assessments of each patient and determines whether there is anything urgent to deal with, then looks at the medications she needs to adminis-ter. She is there to care for a patient’s various needs, handling ev-erything from administering medications, to changing dressings, drawing or transfusing blood, washing up and helping them eat – whatever each patient requires.

Bailey says a key aspect of her work is always being on her toes. “The day is ever-changing and you must be flexible and able to prioritize what needs to be done now, and what can wait until later,” she says. “It is very in-volved and can change very quickly.”

And if a patient needs to talk about something, she’s there to lis-ten. “Often, it’s not just physical pain – it can be psychological or spiritual pain as well,” she says. “The key to good end-of-life care and nursing is communication and collaboration,” she says. “We are responsible for providing patient-centred care, which involves so many different aspects, but it all revolves around our ongoing assessments of the patient and their family.”

CONNECTED: Lisa Bailey, who is certified in hospice palliative care nursing, keeps motivated through the connections she makes with her patients and their families.

“Palliative care has lots of components. It’s a very complicated part of medicine

and has so many opportunities for growth and learning,” says Lisa Bailey.



“When that happens, there are feelings that maybe we could have done better,” she says. But what keeps her motivated is the connec-tion she feels with her patients and their families. She values being present for this time in their lives, and providing patients what they need in terms of holistic care. “Just the idea you can make it a little

bit better for the patient and family is quite incredible,” she says.

A huge part of her job revolves around patient education. “We do lots of teaching about their diagnosis and symptoms. We are always keep-ing patients informed of what is going on,” she says. “Often they’ve got lots

of questions about dying, and what dying is going to look like. We are available to the family and patient, and if they do want us there at the end we are there with them. We don’t like to see anyone die alone, so if there isn’t someone there with them and death is imminent, then we will take that time and try and be there when they are dying.”

Afterward, she focuses her care on family members: sometimes sitting with them, and at other times listening as they talk about their loved one. Even years afterward, she’ll run into families who will thank her and tell her they couldn’t have gone through the ex-perience without her.

Bailey, who expects she’ll continue working in palliative care for the rest of her nursing career, is planning to earn a master’s degree in nursing and become a nurse practitioner in palliative care.

“We don’t like to see anyone die alone, so if there isn’t someone there with them and death is imminent, then we will take that time and try and be there when they

are dying.”

In 2012, she took a sabbatical to enhance her education in the field, enrolling in the MacEwan University certificate program in hospice palliative care. In 2013, Bailey became certified in hospice palliative care nursing through the Canadian Nurses Association. And in 2013 she received the Dr. Solomon Levin Memorial Award, which promotes palliative care professional education, knowl-edge and skills for Alberta Health Services employees working in cancer care.

The award was established in 2007 by the Alberta Cancer Foundation, in partnership with the Department of Symptom Control and Palliative Care at the Cross Cancer Institute in memory of Dr. Solomon Levin. The ini-tial fund was created through the generosity of Dianne and Irving Kipnes, in support of the award as well as additional funds received in memory of Dr. Levin. The award is managed by the Alberta Can-cer Foundation and Alberta Health Services’ CancerControl Alber-ta. Bailey used the award to attend a week-long course, Psychoso-cial Care of the Dying and Bereaved, held by the Victoria Hospice in Victoria, B.C. “It was amazing,” she says. “It covered so much ma-terial. Meeting other people at the conference was really incredible as well, and hearing their stories and networking.”

The most challenging part of Bailey’s job is when a patient’s symptoms at the end of his or her life are difficult to control.



Dr. Quincy Chu is committed to finding new drugs that help fight cancer

Research Rockstar

Expect Unexpected

hen bringing in a new drug for clinical testing, Dr. Quincy Chu says there’s one overriding rule: expect the unexpected.

“Sometimes the unexpected is very severe side effects,” he says, listing nausea and fatigue as two common reactions. But he adds that, every once in a while, the unexpected result is discovering that a new drug causes the patient’s tumour to shrink dramatically. “You have to approach it with an open mind.”

Chu is an investigator with the Cross Cancer Institute’s New Drug Development Program, which compiles data with other clinics across Canada to help usher in new cancer treatments.

Phase One studies are the first step to getting a new drug approved. When a medication has reached Phase One, it’s been tested on animals, but not on people – Chu’s job is to find patients who are eligible for the treatments and perform extensive monitoring and follow-ups to make sure the side effects are tolerable, and to follow any progress.

At first, only a few patients are on the new treatment, but once side effects and dosage levels are tracked and guidelines established – all the while working alongside other clinics in Canada who are also testing the same drug – it can be opened up for more testing with more patients.

“We’re trying to find out early who will benefit from these drugs the most, and then figure out who else might benefit,” says Chu. “It’s very stimulating work, and if you bring one of these drugs forward and it’s successful, that’s very rewarding.”

Chu never intended to pursue a career in oncology. He enrolled into the biochemistry pro-gram at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ont., planning to keep on trucking through the world of biochemistry until he earned his PhD. But in his third year of the program, he found himself drawn to medical school and the idea of directly working with patients. In his second year of med school, while he was doing a summer project that involved both lab work and seeing patients twice a week, he decided to specialize in oncology. Why? Because it meant he would always be learning. “As an oncologist, you’re continually having to apply other areas of medicine,” Chu explains. “A patient with cancer can have heart disease or kidney disease. You need to be well-equipped with knowledge.”

W

the

BY JEN JANZEN / PHOTOS BY CONSTANTINE TANASIUK



Unexpected

MEDICINE MAN: Dr. Quincy Chu’s role as investigator with the New Drug Development Program sees him at the helm of clinical trials at the Cross Cancer Institute for new potential cancer drugs.



Unexpected

MEDICINE MAN: Dr. Quincy Chu’s role as investigator with the New Drug Development Program sees him at the helm of clinical trials at the Cross Cancer Institute for new potential cancer drugs.



Research Rockstar

In 2002, Chu entered a clinical research fellow-ship at the Institute for Drug Development in San Antonio, Texas, where he studied the development of anti-cancer drugs. This training gave him the experi-ence to spearhead, alongside fellow Cross oncologist Dr. Michael Sawyer, the Cross’ formal New Drug Devel-opment Program.

You could say that becoming an oncologist heavily

involved in research was a natural compromise between his interest in biochemis-try (which is, essentially, studying the makeup of living things) and the medical field. And he finds the constantly changing treatment landscape to be invigorating. In the early 2000s, he explains, a drug company might have one or two new drugs a year. Now, there are 10-15 new drugs each year from each drug company. “I knew the devel-opment would be fast, but I didn’t imagine it would be this fast,” he says. “Every three or four months one of the cancer types will change practice.”

Chu specializes in thoracic (lung) and soft tissue cancers, and explains that



all Cross oncologists choose one to three types of cancer to focus on. “We can’t treat everything,” he says. “The amount of new knowledge in each type of cancer is exploding so fast. If you can read everything you want to read in a month, you’re pretty lucky.” Specialization allows the doctors to keep on top of their chosen field.

At the Cross, Chu has put the most patients on Phase One trials. His reasoning for this is simple: “The way I think, there are standard treatments available, but there is always room for improvement. It’s very im-portant to keep the momentum going, to find new and better treatments.”

The ultimate goal? To turn incurable cancer into a chronic disease rather than a death sentence. To have cancer be regarded just like high blood pressure: dan-gerous but, with the right medication, a chronic dis-ease that can be managed with limited quality of life changes. Of course, not every drug that’s tested will turn out to be a breakthrough treatment, and that’s where an open mind comes in. “Magical discoveries don’t happen every day,” Chu says. “If it happens once every two to three years, I’ll be absolutely happy.”

To be eligible to go on a Phase One drug, a patient must meet the eligibility criteria, which is a checklist of about 30 items. Patients need to have normal organ functions and be healthy enough to look after them-selves. Many trials require that patients do their own shopping and driving. Dr. Chu says many people as-sume incurable cancer automatically translates into being house- or hospital-bound, but he says just over half of patients are fairly active and, other than their cancer, are in good health.

If a patient meets the criteria, there’s still another test they must pass in order to proceed to the Phase One testing: their gene abnormality must match the abnormality that the drug seeks to treat. This narrows down the patient choice, with somewhere between two and seven per cent of patients able to meet all the criteria depending on how the trial is designed. But Chu says it increases the chance that the test will be effective. Most Phase One trials require patients who have exhausted all other treatment options. Right now, Chu is treating an American woman who came to Can-ada for treatment because the drug wasn’t yet available in the United States. Although she’s not cured, Chu says she’s going on six years with the trial drug. Anoth-er patient he’s treating has been taking their trial drug for five years.

In many cases, the definition of a successful treat-ment is stabilization rather than elimination. “Many tumours shrink but aren’t completely gone,” Chu ex-plains. “But after it shrinks, to a certain extent the can-cer stabilizes.” The two patients who have been on the trial drugs for several years, he says, “are doing every-thing that they wish to in life.”

And this, says Chu, is what keeps him going. Al-though the outcomes are not always successful, he knows he’s making a difference in patients’ lives. “Whether or not the outcome is good, the patient is

very grateful,” he says, “and that gives meaning to your job.” Chu’s mother once asked him if he regretted his career choice, if he wished that

he was doing something a little happier than treating incurable cancer. His response? A very emphatic “no.”

Once he chose to go into medicine, and especially oncology, he knew he would be dealing with unhappy situations, but Chu points out that there are bleak places in every area of medicine. “I’m in an area that’s traditionally considered as a very bad disease to have, but we’ve made a lot of gains.

“Riding the wave of a new drug to see if it will let people live longer compared to the standard treatment is a very exciting situation,” he says. “The responsibility is huge, but the stimulation and knowledge you gain, you can’t beat that. I have no regrets.”

We asked Dr. Quincy Chu to finish our sentences.

I WILL RETIRE: I don’t even know when I can retire. I look at my family history and I have family members still travelling the world in their late 80s, early 90s. I have quite a lot of outside interests, I like to travel. I like to go to the places that don’t make sense to visit for two weeks, you have to go for a month. THE LAST TIME I USED A PAYPHONE: It has to be over 10 years ago. I’ve had a cellphone since 2000, the ones that would give you a concussion. MY MOTTO IS: Expect the unexpected. I STRUGGLE WITH: Time management. I’m trying to start learning to say no. RIGHT NOW, I’M READING: A novel by Peter Robinson. I tend to like detective stories. MY JOB HAS TAUGHT ME: That cancer sucks, but we can help. WHAT I MIGHT DO IF NOT MEDICINE: Merchandising, shopping for other people. Ask [executive assistant Chantal Carriere] about my shoe collection.

My favourite things:

FAVOURITE PIECE OF CLOTHING: Shoes. FAVOURITE FOOD: Rustic flavourful food that is not frou-frou: Italian food, Spanish food and Southern French food. Very dainty Parisian food is not my thing. FAVOURITE DRINK: Single-malt scotch. FAVOURITE CITY: Amsterdam

Asked And Answered



Running with the Magic Kingdom

Scott Todd is no stranger to running, especially in the name of cancer research.Todd began his marathon career in 2011, after he was diagnosed with Hodgkins lym-

phoma. His goal was to complete the Disney World Half Marathon after treatment. Inspired by the runDisney events, he began his “Coast to Coast Challenge,” which cul-minated in running a marathon on the east and west U.S. coasts.

Eventually, Todd completed both the 2012 Disney World Half Marathon and the 2012 Disneyland Half Marathon. He was hooked, and seeing the success of his first two runs, moved on to complete the 2013 Disney World Tower of Terror 10 Mile night run when he was in remission. The proceeds from each marathon went to support the Cross through the Alberta Cancer Foundation.

The third round of his fundraiser, which he dubbed “Help Me Help Others Like Me: Scott’s Running Away From Cancer,” raised $4,000. Funds raised for the first three runs totalled almost $15,000.

As if one person in the family with cancer weren’t enough, with his wife Kristy’s diagnosis of the rare Merkel cell carcinoma in December 2013, Todd “couldn’t pass up another opportunity” to run again. After Kristy received “phenomenal treatment” from the Cross Cancer Institute and University of Alberta Hospital, the entire family ran the 2014 Disneyland Half Marathon. Just out of treatment, Kristy hit the ground running – participating in the 10-kilometre event, while their daughter ran in the kids’ race. The Todd family goal was to raise $4,800, which they exceeded. His latest fund-raiser brought in $9,180, elevating Todd’s total raised to almost $25,000.

He admits that there were struggles, especial-ly in 2012, when he was still in treatment. “At first I was tired just from taking walks,” Todd says. “It was frustrating having such physical challenges in train-ing when I hadn’t had them when I trained for my

first run in 2011.” Gradually, Todd worked his way up from walks to short runs.

Looking back, he doesn’t regret any of it. “After going through diagnosis and treat-ment myself, I had seen how

strong my wife was through the whole thing. I knew that when we received her diagnosis, I could be noth-ing but the same for her,” he says. “The runs have provided a goal to work towards. The generosity and motivation from the donations has also helped push me to complete all the runs. Without the donations, none of it would have been possible.”

Todd says donations go towards great research, medical advancement and improving patient care. “Kristy and I have sat in the chairs and beds that many have, and unfortunately many more will,” he says.

Husband and wife cancer survivors give back through fitness

inspiring individualMy Leap •

DISNEY FANS: Kristy and Scott Todd, shown with their daughter after participating in one of their runDisney events, exceeded the amount they were shooting to raise for the Cross Cancer Institute, where both have received care after being diagnosed with cancer.

By Sam Macdonald

“The runs have provided a goal to work towards. The generosity and motivation from the donations has also helped push me to complete all the runs,” says Scott Todd.

PH

OTO

CO

UR

TES

Y S

CO

TT T

OD

D

Leap_Spring15_p50-51.indd 50 2015-02-19 9:59 AM Leap_Spring15_p50-51.indd 51 2015-02-19 9:59 AM

THE MORE MOMENTS ISSUE

Together we’re creating MORE MOMENTS for Albertans facing cancer

albertacancer.ca/moremoments

000Leap-ACF-FP.indd 1 2015-02-10 10:51 AM


Leap Spring 2015

Documents

Transcript of Leap Spring 2015