The Blood Cancer Experience

The term, “palliative approach to care” refers to a person-centered, holistic approach including emotional, spiritual, social and psychological care, offered by a larger team of healthcare professionals (beyond doctors and nurses) and introduced earlier in a cancer experience for full integration into an individual’s care plan.

Valerie Fiset, director of the Champlain Hospice Palliative Care Program at the St-Vincent Hospital in Ottawa hopes individuals and their families shift their perspective on palliative care "from being afraid they’re coming to the end of life, and start to feel that palliative care is going to support their well-being and quality of life."

Mayra Husic shares her experience with Follicular Lymphoma.

Dr. Philip Kuruvilla, hematologist-oncologist at the William Osler Health Centre at the Brampton Civic Hospital in Brampton, Ontario talks about chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL): Current treatment options, potential side effects and how to manage those side effects.

CLL is the most common type of leukemia in adults. For more information about CLL, visit:

https://www.bloodcancers.ca/I-Have-a-blood-cancer/Leukemia/chronic-lymphocytic-leukemia

Dr. Tobias Berg, an associate professor and researcher from McMaster University explains maintenance therapy as a treatment option for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and the factors that influence the decision to start this type of treatment.

Maintenance therapy is treatment given after the first (primary) therapy used to manage your cancer, or to stop it from coming back. Some people may use maintenance therapy for a long time. This type of therapy can include drugs, vaccines, antibodies, or hormones.

Maintenance therapy can be used after a stem cell transplant for a blood cancer or after your first therapy if a stem cell transplant is not an option or not recommended for you. Maintenance therapy is often given at a low intensity, but over a long period of time. The goal is to help keep you in remission and to prevent relapse (also known as cancer recurrence).

Maintenance therapy has a role to play in some types of blood cancers such as multiple myeloma and acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Acute means the disease progresses quickly. AML is the most common acute leukemia in adults.

Learn more about AML at:

https://www.bloodcancers.ca/i-have-blood-cancer/leukemia/acute-myeloid-leukemia-aml

What started as a normal trip to the cottage ended up leading Tom to take a trip to the hospital- where he was diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome. Tom shares his blood cancer experience and how learning about his diagnosis, staying positive, and staying active are what helped him through the difficult times of treatment.

Rachel Sutherland is an Indigenous Patient Navigator at the London Regional Cancer Program and Dr. Samantha Boshart is a Family Physician who is also the Regional Indigenous Cancer Lead for the Southwest Regional Cancer Program. In this podcast, both experts discuss the unique challenges experienced by the Indigenous Community in Cancer Care and the efforts that our hospitals are taking to ensure that they receive equitable care in their cancer experience.  

Alyssa Brandone was 11 years old when she was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia. In this podcast episode, Alyssa shares her experience with a pediatric blood cancer and how the support of her family and friends helped her overcome the challenges of integrating back into “normal” life after treatment.  

In this episode of our AYA podcast series, Sukant Sharma shares his experience balancing work, side effects, and his personal life after being diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.

After being diagnosed with leukemia at 21 years old, Shae-Lynn Way shares her experience with shifting her mindset while preparing for a second stem cell transplant after her leukemia returned.

Originally thought to be a locked muscle from exercise, Michelle Burleigh shockingly discovered that she had a rare form of Acute Leukemia. In this podcast, Michelle recounts her experience being diagnosed with APL, revealing how her sudden diagnosis taught her about finding perspective, slowing down, and making the most of each day despite living with uncertainty.

Blood cancer survivor Meredith, 26, talks about her love life after stage 2 Hodgkin's lymphoma. She was diagnosed at age 18 and in university.

A love life can be positively or negatively affected if one of the partners is diagnosed with cancer. Meeting a new partner following the disease could also cause several concerns. How to discuss changes in the relationship with your partner? How to deal with possible sexuality and fertility problems? Should someone tell a new date that they had cancer? If so how and when?

Eric Pesarchuk, 36, survivor of B-cell lymphoma diagnosed in 2021 who underwent 2 spinal surgeries, 11 rounds of radiation and 5 months of chemotherapy. He had to learn to walk again - and today is in remission. He lives with wife, their 5 year old daughter, in British Columbia.

Being affected by cancer at the beginning of the adult life often forces to put various projects on hold. The impacts of the disease are numerous, and they sometimes affect the identity of the person. Once the remission is pronounced, how is it possible to go back to a normal life?

Jacqueline Galica an oncology-certified Registered Nurse with over 20 years of experience in oncology. She is currently an Assistant Professor at the Queen’s University School of Nursing, where her research program focuses on the psychosocial concerns – including fears of cancer recurrence - of post-treatment cancer survivors.

It was a surgery for a rare congenital heart defect that lead Grace's doctors to shockingly discovered her stage II Hodgkin's Lymphoma. In this episode of the AYA podcast series, Grace discuss the realities of isolation and survivor's guilt that come with achieving remission after a blood cancer diagnosis as a young adult.

Join Charlotte Hall-Coates and Natasha Sani as they discuss the role of a Community Services Lead in providing personalized support to those in the blood cancer community. In this podcast, Charlotte and Natasha highlight the individualized support available to you through the Community Services Lead in your region and how they can help you through each step of your blood cancer experience.

It was an ordinary bump on the elbow that wouldn't heal that led Lindsay Thompson to her doctor. The eventual diagnosis of chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) came as a complete surprise. Lindsay shares how she found strength in support from her family and coworkers to help her through her diagnosis and treatment.

In this podcast you'll meet two members of the McMaster SynBio team, a student-led research team that hopes their research will improve treatments for B-cell lymphoma. The team is working on a method that they hope will ultimately kill the cells responsible for B-cell lymphoma while leaving healthy cells intact.

The team gathers passionate undergraduate students from across scientific disciplines to participate synthetic biology projects. What is synthetic biology? It is the engineering and redesign of biological systems that do not already exist in nature.

When Al Pritchard learned that he had anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL), he told himself that cancer was not going to take anything from him. Taking control meant not only sharing his diagnosis with family and friends, but also with his work community. The support he received showed him that he was not alone and this is something he would say to anyone that is newly diagnosed. "You are not alone. Reach out to organizations and ask for support even when you don't know what to ask for."

When Ron Ternoway was diagnosed with a rare blood cancer called Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia (WM), he did what he has always done when faced with an unfamiliar topic. He tracked down as much information as he could so he could be a full partner is his treatment. "My way of freaking out when I got the big 'C' diagnosis was to learn as much as I could."

Ron is also generous with his knowledge, sharing it through a local support group and as a First Connection volunteer. Ron continues to live with WM and in this episode, he shares how he has coped physically and mentally.

It's not at all surprising that when Eric Pitters was diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) he told his doctor, "I've got a cancer and I want it treated now." However, his doctor explained that it would be best to use an approach called Watch & Wait.  Several studies have shown that early treatment does not have benefits for low-risk blood cancers and does not lengthen your life.

While he trusted his doctor's expertise, Eric admits that it was difficult to deal with knowing the cancer was not being immediately treated. Eric explains what watch & wait has meant for his cancer and how he has coped.

In the last 10 years, there have been many advancements in the treatment of MPNs. In combination with a better overall understanding of its causes and what contributes to its progression, Dr. Dawn Maze says it is a very "exciting" time in the treatment of MPNs.

In this episode, Dr. Maze, a hematologist at Toronto's Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, explains what MPNs are, how they are treated and the challenges those diagnosed with an MPN might face.

When she was a first-year resident, Dr. Mary-Margaret Keating's grandfather was diagnosed with a fast-growing lymphoma. At the time, she was unable to answer many questions from her family. It made her more interested in trying to understand the disease and was one of the factors that influenced her to specialize in treating lymphomas. Dr. Keating, a hematologist in Halifax, continues to be motivated by the treatment advancements which help those who are very sick get better. She also values the many long-term relationships she has formed with those affected by lymphoma and their families.

When Darren Bessette was re-diagnosed with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) in 2019, it was more difficult to treat. Darren says he was fortunate to get access to a "revolutionary" new treatment through a clinical trial. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy is a way to get immune cells called T cells to fight cancer by changing them in the lab so they can find and destroy cancer cells. In this episode, Darren shares his experience and how it led to his efforts to help others with a blood cancer.

When she was diagnosed with Philadelphia positive acute ALL (PH+ ALL) in 2007, Jeanette Castillo leaned heavily on her healthcare background to cope. Having seen many people go through their own health challenges with a hopeful perspective, she adopted a similar attitude. Now 14 years post-stem cell transplant, Jeanette admits is was a long a scary road, but she says, "It's okay to be  afraid. You can't be brave or courageous without fear."

The lifting of many COVID restrictions across Canada may leave people living with a blood cancer feeling anxious and uncertain. However, Dr. Gerard Farrel, a GP from Newfoundland, says the best approach is to keep doing what you've been doing for the past 2 years for at least the next 2 months. In this episode, Dr. Farrel offers advice on what those living with a blood cancer can do to stay safe.

Ever since he was diagnosed with myelofibrosis 20 years ago, Doug Chisolm has tried to live every day to the fullest, even spending all his retirement savings and having to start saving again. In this episode, Doug speaks about the ups and downs of his blood cancer experience, why he thinks it's crucial to have a strong support system and what he shares as a First Connection peer volunteer.

Gail Whiteford returned from a 2014 hiking trip in Japan and Australia, visited her doctor for her annual physical, and was shocked to, soon after, be diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). In this episode, Gail shares her treatment experience and some of the important lessons she has learned, maybe the most important one being, "I learned it is not weak to ask for help."

Andy Friedman returned to Ontario from BC’s Gabriola Island with a plan to spend more time with his grandchildren. What he did not plan on was a chronic lymphocytic leukemia diagnosis. In this episode, Andy talks about the good and bad of his post-diagnosis life, including his experience with watch and wait. He also shares two important pieces of advice for others with a blood cancer: don’t ever look at Google and lean on your social supports.

When Lois Lewis was diagnosed with AML in 2010, she had just retired from a career filled with music - as a music therapist, music teacher and leader of an intergenerational choir. Lois shares her cancer experience, which, not surprisingly, included the Gaelic version of the song Auld Lang Syne.

Just a few days before Christmas in 2010, Patrick Alexander, an LLSC First Connection volunteer from Vancouver, was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma. He talks to us about his experience with his diagnosis, treatment and how it changed his view on life.

Dr. Ismail Sharif, an assistant professor at Dalhousie University and with the department of hematology, provides an overview of Myeloma: its causes, current treatment options and what the future holds for Myeloma treatments.

This podcast is for parents of children with blood cancer, as well as teenagers and young adults affected by this type of cancer. During and after cancer, physical activity is essential for young people. It can speed up their recovery, improve their overall health and help them cope with treatment side effects such as fatigue. In this podcast, Gabrielle Duhamel, kinesiologist and doctoral student in physical activity sciences, explains how physical activity can be safely integrated into daily life from the moment a person receives a diagnosis, as well as during and after treatments.

Joanne was diagnosed with Polycythemia vera in 2012. She shares her experience with her diagnosis, the support she received from local groups and how it has changed her life.

In this episode, Max Parrot, professional Canadian snowboarder, an Olympic silver medalist and an eight-time X Games champion, speaks candidly about his blood cancer experience and its impact on his life and career. Max explains why he felt like "a lion in a cage" throughout treatment, and lets listeners in on what it took to get his health and mindset back on track.

In this special AYA episode, Montana Skurka and NHL survivor Cynthia Ghosen discuss the power of positive thinking, staying optimistic, and how goal setting can help you through treatment. Cynthia also shares how family and friends played a key role in her recovery and how her cancer experience has shaped her current career.

In this special AYA episode, guest host Montana Skurka connects with Amanda Saunders, who 13 months after having a heart transplant was diagnosed with post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD). The two discuss what life is like living with a rare blood cancer while completing university and living through a pandemic.

In this special AYA episode, guest host Montana Skurka connects with Cole Myers. When Cole was 16 he went from competing in triathlons to being diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma. The two discuss diagnosis, relapse, and the silver-lining that come from their experiences.

In this special episode, guest host Montana Skurka connects with AML survivor Michael Wark. Together they explore topics of blogging and sharing a cancer experience, the importance of support networks, the power of spiritualty, and how his cancer experience has changed his life.

Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL) survivor Samantha Redsky discuss the all things relationships - how a cancer experience can change the relationship you have with yourself, with your loved ones, and even with your own body.

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a cancer of the bone marrow and the blood. In this episode, Dr. Aly Karsan provides an overview of AML, talks about his research and shares a message of hope for the future of AML treatments.

Dr. Karsan is Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at UBC, and Distinguished Scientist at Canada's Michael Smith Genome Sciences Centre at BC Cancer.

Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a cancer of the bone marrow and blood. In this episode, Dr. Kareem Jamani provides us with an overview of CML, talks about the advances in treatment options over the years, explores potential barriers to research and imparts messages to those diagnosed with CML.

Dr. Jamani is a hematologist at the Tom Baker Cancer Center in Calgary, Alberta.

Todd Winsor is CML and prostate cancer survivor. In this podcast, Todd speaks about his experiences and about some myths and facts of living with a chronic blood cancer.

Veronica Vardy is mother to 5 year old Amelia who is a survivor of acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL). Veronica discusses the impact that cancer has had on her daughter, her family, and what her role as caregiver to Amelia has been like.