What is Naturopathic Oncology?

The research, understanding, and treatments for cancer are constantly evolving.  

It takes more than just a passing involvement with a cancer case here and there to stay up to date with the most current understanding and best practices of care.  

That’s why it's critical that people with cancer have the ability to identify naturopathic doctors who truly have an in-depth understanding of cancer to integrate into their care team.  

In 2004, the Oncology Association of Naturopathic Physicians (OncANP) was founded with the idea of helping to protect the public.  By 2006, the American Board of Naturopathic Oncology (ABNO) began designating Naturopathic Oncologists as a board-certified specialty. These board-recognized naturopathic physicians are given the title of FABNO - Fellow of the American Board of Naturopathic Oncology.

The OncANP as a specialty organization protects the public by identifying practitioners who really dedicate themselves to the care of people with cancer.  Further, having board-certified naturopathic oncologists to turn to gives people with cancer access to responsible options for their care that leverages the full power of naturopathic medicine blended with the understanding and appreciation for conventional standards of care.

In order to qualify for board certification in naturopathic oncology, a naturopathic doctor must:

• Complete a 2-year naturopathic oncology residency OR

• Must be in practice for at least 5 years with 2400 oncology patient contact hours AND

• Submit cases for review by designated examiners AND

• Must pass a board certification exam.

The advanced training and experience doctors attain as they work to qualify for board certification provides valuable insight into the best ways to integrate naturopathic care into the cancer continuum.

As the Founding President of the OncANP, Dr. Rubin continued to form the values and shape how specialization of naturopathic doctors in oncology looks in the world.  Because of that, FABNO status represents the pinnacle of naturopathic cancer care in America.

We are proud to have three FABNO physicians on staff at Naturopathic Specialists. LLC:

Dan Rubin. ND. FABNO. (Founding President of The OncANP)
Lise Alschuler. ND. FABNO. (Past President of the OncANP)
Melissa Coats. ND. FABNO.

Additionally, we're committed to furthering the ideals of naturopathic cancer care by supporting a residency program.  Dr. Adam Kozin has recently completed his residency with our team.  

Our team at Naturopathic Specialists, LLC continues to build appreciation, and credibility of naturopathic oncology both locally in the Phoenix metropolitan area, nationally in all fifty states, as well as around the world.  

To date, we have worked with patients in 19 different countries around the world.

We're proud to have contributed to the positive perception of naturopathic medicine in both the medical community and in the mind of the public.  

By sharing our own experience, along with clinically supported, and evidence-based information, we've been able to show that naturopathic methodologies are helpful in:

1. Improving the quality of life during cancer treatment.

2. Speeding recovery from intensive conventional protocols.

3. Helping to manage side effects from both the disease and its corresponding treatments.

4. Decreasing traditional treatment breaks, or dose reductions due to side effects.

5. Increasing the effectiveness of conventional treatments.

6. Aiding the body, with a focus on preventing recurrence of the disease.

Conventional cancer treatments can be hard on an already strained body, and before a person can even receive them, their doctor needs to believe that the treatment will do more good than harm.  

Our naturopathic oncologists have the education, and the experience needed to understand and integrate supportive treatments for people with cancer, which may help to maximize their response to conventional treatment.  

Working seamlessly with a conventional medical team is crucial to avoid wasted time and problems where the treatments themselves can reduce or negate the efficacy of certain treatments. Our doctors excel at understanding not only what to recommend to a patient seeking naturopathic options, but also what not to recommend.  

This knowledge has proven highly beneficial for the individuals we serve, as well as to the other medical providers who we comanage patients with.

Some of the cancer centers we have experience working together with:

• Mayo Clinic

• Cancer Treatment Centers of America

• Virginia G Piper Cancer Center

• Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center

• Phoenix Children's Hospital

• Palo Verde Cancer Specialists

• Ironwood Cancer & Research Centers

• AZCCC

• Southwest Oncology Centers

• Many other cancer centers nationwide

The connections we've made have supplied us with a powerhouse of medical professionals whom we both refer to, and who also look to us when their patients want to leverage the power of naturopathic cancer care.

This gives our patients the benefit of not only a naturopathic option but if needed, a well-connected network to some of the most forward thinking and adept minds in the field of conventional oncology care.

At Naturopathic Specialists, we've developed a reputation for integrity, and ethics, along with intelligence of care by holding fast to the principles at the foundation of naturopathic medicine:

First, Do No Harm
The Healing Power of Nature
Identify and Treat the Causes
Doctor as Teacher
Treat the Whole Person
Prevention

These principles have guided our personal philosophy, as you can tell from our motto:

"Personalized Medicine, Personalized Care"

We view each patient as an individual, not as a diagnosis.

When we see our patients, the disease isn't the first thing.  Most important to us, and more important to the healing process is to see them as 'people with cancer' instead of 'cancer patients'.  

It might seem like a small thing, but to us, and to the people we help, the difference is huge.

By taking the emphasis off the disease, seeing a person first instead of just a diagnosis, we're able to approach individual patient care in a unique way.

Cancer develops for a different collection of reasons in each person.  We look for those reasons through the use of targeted testing, as well as our depth of knowledge of the physiology of cancer.  By understanding not just the intricacies of the disease, but also how it's interacting with a person's body, we're able to generate the appropriate treatment plan to decrease the opportunity for cancer to survive in their body.

No approach is as comprehensive in supporting the body, whether in a healthy or a diseased state as naturopathic medicine.  

If you're going through cancer treatment, are in remission from the disease, or want to do all you can to avoid giving cancer a foothold in your life, the best cancer specific naturopathic doctor you can find is a board-certified naturopathic oncologist.

Each person's experience with cancer is different, but we can generally break down our approach to cancer care into four categories:

Your battle with cancer may have left your body depleted, fatigued, surgerized, and changed.  Your sleep cycle, exercise, diet, and even your relationships with people may be different.  You may not feel like yourself in your own skin.

One of the first things to acknowledge as a cancer survivor is that it's okay to not feel great.

That's why aftercare is enormously important; not only to help you recover from the impact of the disease and its treatment but to limit the chance of recurrence.

With the right help, we believe you can not only recover, but you can make positive changes to feel even better than your old self before your battle began.

How we can help:  The first step in any treatment plan is to understand why a person is experiencing their symptoms.  Sometimes this means running specific labs depending on the individual's history and treatment paradigm.  

Some complaints are associated with particular disease types or treatment complications, others could be associated with any type of serious illness.

• Sleep Issues: We understand that restful sleep after cancer treatment can be hard to find. At the same time, sleep is incredibly important in survivorship. It's been estimated that an astounding 90% of our healing happens while we sleep. Our doctors are experts at listening to your body's signals to uncover the reasons your sleep may still be disturbed even after you finish treatment, and maximize your ability to find restful sleep again.
  

• Fatigue: Some cancer treatments can affect your body's ability to produce enough of the energy that it needs to keep you feeling yourself. This kind of fatigue isn't something you can sleep off. You could likely benefit from a physician's targeted advice and treatment plan to restore your body's ability to produce and manage its energy.
  

• Exercise: It's important to keep your body moving. There are several beneficial components to exercise in survivorship, but we want to make sure you're going about it safely, and with your specific case in mind.
  

• Hormonal Issues: Many cancer treatments involve changing the hormones in your body. Modulating the hormones that your body produces may produce significant effects that you'll now have to face in survivorship. We want to make sure you not only understand your treatments while you're going through active cancer care; but what effects your treatments will have both now and in the long-run. Naturopathic interventions can make a huge difference in the support and restoration of your body even after conventional treatment ends.
  

• Intimacy after Cancer: There are several reasons: hormonal, emotional, and physical, that could change the way a person with cancer...or their partner may approach intimacy. This could manifest in changes in both physical intimacies, as well as the relationships with people you've been close with like family or friends. A huge aspect of life after cancer involves the people we spend our lives with. Our doctors can help to address not only the physical changes but also the unseen scars that cancer can leave in peoples lives.
  

• Emotional Health: Our emotions play a huge role in our health and overall prognosis. Our doctors are able to help people understand and accept what happened in their lives, and we're still here to support you and provide encouragement at a time when you likely need it the most. A battle with cancer can seem overwhelming but when that battle is 'won', people can be left feeling more alone and vulnerable than ever before. If you've made it through a battle with cancer, that's awesome! But we appreciate, and we hope you understand, that you need support even now.
  

• Help to Understand Your Situation: One of the most important things about survivorship is trying to understand how to avoid recurrence of the disease. Even after a 'victory' over cancer, people can be left with a constant fear that cancer will come back. Any change in your health now comes with the question: 'Is it cancer coming back?' Our doctors want to ensure that you understand your situation and the landscape of your relationship with the disease. Cancer may be a part of your life for as long as you live, but with the right lifestyle and other naturopathic interventions, we can assist you to do everything you can to help you come out on top.

When a person is diagnosed with cancer, it's important that they're able to identify and rely on people for support.  

Whether you're actively involved in making health care decisions, providing transportation to doctor's appointments, preparing meals, helping with chores, or providing an emotional support for the person with cancer, you're taking the role of a caregiver.

It's important to remember that you need and deserve support as a caregiver.  Ask about our Caregiver Coupon, and be sure to build up your own support community.  We also have support groups that we refer to and other resources we can help you with.  

If you're stepping into a caregiver role, make sure you go in prepared.

Have Questions About Our Office?
 

Tom, Mandy, and Lydia, our front desk staff, are standing by to answer any questions that you may have.  They also schedule appointments with our doctors, so you'll get well acquainted with them.  Feel free to contact us directly, or fill out the contact form by clicking the button below and Tom, Mandy, or Lydia will reach out to you through the information you provide.