As it is the beginning of a new year, I will take the opportunity to re-introduce our readers to what exactly it is that we do here at the IHC Cancer Care Centre.

Our team provides an incredible breadth of services for those of you hoping to start a cancer screening program. Let’s start with one of the most important medical interventions possible, that is really no longer being offered in the medical system as we know it, a complete annual physical examination. Yes, this includes a head to toe examination including cancer screening specifics such as pap smears, digital rectal, breast, and full skin examinations. In addition to this, we refer our patients for mammograms, ultrasounds, MRI’s, thermal imaging, and other imaging techniques. With accounts with over 80 laboratories from around the world, we make available essentially every laboratory test in the marketplace.

When we see patients with a strong family history of cancers, or simply when a patient prioritizes a cancer prevention plan, we help our patients navigate the historical and evidence-informed cancer prevention strategies. From lifestyle management, mind-body work, nutrition, exercise, nutraceuticals and in some cases, pharmaceuticals – we help tailor patient-specific cancer and chronic disease prevention plans.

For those patients that come to us with a cancer worry, we assist in the work-up towards a definitive diagnosis, including in some cases, a biopsy. For those that come with a diagnosis, we assist with preparation for treatment, co-management, to side effect management. We focus our efforts on improving our patients’ quality of life, as well as overall survival.

Lastly, for those patients that have been through a cancer diagnosis and its required treatments, we assist in picking up the pieces, designing regular, thorough and appropriate surveillance plans. All the while, working towards physical, mental, and emotional recovery from this often traumatic experience. Having walked this path with thousands and thousands of people living with cancer, we can provide light where the path seems uncertain. We provide knowledge and understanding when you feel uncertain. We provide the information required to make informed decisions. Partner with our doctors and learn how best to manage your cancer journey within a supportive and integrative model.

As always, in addition to all of this fundamental care we provide our cancer patients, we have many new and exciting things on the go here at the IHC CCC. We have our 4^th naturopathic oncology resident Dr. Sarah Denotter, ND with us. We are working on publishing our 10-year data on 10 different cancer types, with the glioblastoma multiforme paper being first in line. We are also putting together a complete course on naturopathic and integrative palliative care in which we review the best practices and management of the 26 most common symptoms and side effects in the oncology setting. Lastly, Sarah Denotter is assisting me with the early stages of writing the Second Edition of the Textbook of Naturopathic Oncology: A Desktop Guide of Integrative Cancer Care. The first edition has now sold thousands of copies across every continent (except Antarctica sadly), and has quickly become the go-to reference textbook in the fields of naturopathic and integrative oncology.

We look forward to another great year of working with the most incredibly brave and inspirational people living with cancer. We also hope to continue to see more and more who want to engage in screening and prevention plans. Thank you all for entrusting us with your healthcare.