Integrative Oncology Talk

Beena Patel is a cancer survivor, holistic health and wellness coach, Oncology Physician Assistant turned yoga teacher and Reiki Healer. We discuss her inspired journey towards personal healing and transforming the lives of her clients, with stories about healing, attending to our spirits, and empowering people to find their voice and purpose.

Nigeria is an African country with a population of 200 million, yet it has only 90 oncologists, 3-5 radiation machines in service at any given time, and ten cancer-related clinical trials. Furthermore, there is limited cancer screening and little awareness of risk-reduction behaviors. As a result, more than 70% of Nigerians diagnosed with cancer present with late-stage disease; few have access to treatment. However, a group of young Africans is on a mission to change this paradigm. One of them is today’s podcast guest, Mr. Runcie Chidebe, a psychologist, a doctoral student in gerontology, and the founding executive director of Project PINK BLUE, a cancer nonprofit based in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital. In this thought-provoking conversation, Mr. Chidebe talks about cultural and ethnic stigma beliefs and their intersection with gender inequity, the impact of a Western lifestyle on Africans’ cancer risk, and why global health disparities are everyone’s problem. Listeners will leave with innovative and actionable steps to dismantle injustice in their communities and our global society.

Harvey Max Chochinov, Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Manitoba and Senior Scientist at CancerCare Manitoba Research Institute, is widely considered one of the most influential and respected palliative care scholars and researchers in the world today. He has authored over three hundred publications, including several groundbreaking books in medicine. His achievements have been recognized nationally and internationally, including being named an Officer in the Order of Canada and an inductee in the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame. His newest book, Dignity in Care: The Human Side of Medicine, explores why being a patient is such a difficult pill to swallow and what healthcare providers can do to allow patients to retain their humanity, pride, and feelings of personhood. His book contains a distillation of decades of clinical research, experience, and wisdom. It also introduces a method of patient interaction that combats the often cold and de-humanizing structure of institutionalized healthcare systems.

We speak with Drs. Ana Maria Lopez and Eleanor Walker on Health equity, how it can cause gaps in cancer care, and how we can address it with integrative oncology. Dr. Lopez and Dr. Walker both co-chair the Health Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Task Force of the Society for Integrative Oncology. Dr. Ana Maria Lopez is Professor and Vice Chair of Medical Oncology Sidney Kimmel Medical College and Chief of Cancer Services at Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson Health, New Jersey. Dr. Lopez has previously been the President-Emeritus of the American College of Physicians, and the former Chair of the Health Equity Committee at ASCO. Dr. Eleanor Walker is the Director of Breast Services in Radiation Oncology at Henry Ford Cancer Institute. She has received multiple awards including the University of Notre Dame Distinguished Black Exemplar and 1998 Univ of Notre Dame Sorin Award. She was also featured in 2006 as part of the Who’s Who in Black Detroit.