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SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — Sanford Health recently launched a clinical trial using a genetically engineered virus that aims to destroy therapy-resistant tumors. The Phase I immunotherapy trial is for those ages 18 and older with metastatic solid tumors that have not responded to standard treatments. The treatment injects an oncolytic (cancer-destroying) virus — vesicular stomatitis […]

Eat your vegetables! Do you remember hearing that as a child? Yes, your mother was right. No single food or food component can protect you against cancer itself, but there is strong evidence that a diet filled with a variety of plant foods such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains and beans helps lower risk for […]

Tips for patients being treated for head and neck cancers

Oncologists make decisions regarding the best treatment for your cancer based on scientific evidence. Still, you may wonder how these determinations about which drugs are best to treat your individual cancer were made. Does the oncologist go back to a drug used previously? One with a catchy name? What is the rationale for the decisions […]

The American Cancer Society recommends moving toward a plant based diet and I have discovered a new favorite food that fits right in. It’s called “Polenta.” Polenta dates back to the 1700’s when it was made popular in Italy. It was considered a peasant food because it was plentiful and cheap. Polenta is corn meal […]

Arts naturally lend themselves to the word “community” and phrase “community development.” What does that mean? To me, it means the arts bring us together. Whether it’s because we can all look at a visual art piece and take some personal meaning away from it; we can all listen to a piece of music and feel […]

Spice has potential health benefits but may affect chemo and radiation

What did you inherit from your parents? Was it eye color, height, body build or hair color? Often, we may hear, “I inherited my eyes from my mother” or “I got my height from my father.” A combination of traits developed from each parent is visible, but the genetics inherited from our parents runs far […]

Everyone has been tired more than a time or two, so when cancer patients talk about fatigue caused from treatment, people might think they can empathize. But this kind of fatigue is unlike anything else. The lethargy I experienced with treatment took me by surprise, despite prior warning. It happened in streaks at first but […]

Tomatoes are an excellent source… Much of the research being done on diet and cancer has found that a diet high in fruits, vegetables and whole grains may protect against cancer. There are many ways to add plant-based foods to your diet and this soup is one example of an easy way to use more […]