Welcome to the spring edition of Thrive! This edition is dedicated to awareness, resources and upcoming events. We’re also highlighting special topics including alcohol and cancer, and the benefits of exercise for older cancer survivors.
If you haven’t already, we hope you’ll click here to sign-up for future editions. This edition has a special focus on head and neck cancer awareness and survivorship. If you have any questions on our content, or ideas for articles in upcoming editions, please contact Amy Litterini at amy.litterini@mainehealth.org.
Daffodil Days
Several of our teams received a special delivery of daffodils for survivors from the American Cancer Society on a snowy March 24th! At left, our care team at Brunswick Cancer Care.
At left, our GYN Oncology care team with their special delivery in Scarborough.
Other teams receiving deliveries for patients included Cancer Care of South Portland, Cancer Care of Sanford, and Radiation Oncology, Thoracic Oncology and the Breast Care Center in Scarborough.
Turning the Tide Ovarian Cancer Retreats
Spring Cancer Awareness Months
We take a moment to recognize our survivors and increase awareness for prevention and screening. Click the boxes for more information
Surgeon General’s Alcohol Advisory
In January, the US Surgeon General released a new advisory report regarding alcohol consumption and cancer risk. The goal of these advisories is to bring attention and awareness to public health concerns and offer guidance. This publication identified alcohol consumption as the third leading preventable cause of cancer in the United States, after tobacco and obesity. It outlines the mechanism of how alcohol impacts cancer risk and tissues of the body (see right), and describes how much alcohol one consumes influences their risk of seven types of cancer. Lastly, it advises awareness of the relationship of alcohol to cancer risk and for the public to use helpful tools to learn more and get support if needed.
The Benefits of Exercise for Older Cancer Survivors
By Amy Litterini, PT, DPT
As the world’s population of older adults continues to increase, how active we are will make a difference in reducing the risk of disease and disability. As the largest group of cancer survivors in the US (67%) is age 65 and older, knowing the benefits of exercise and physical activity as we age is key to enhancing our health and function. Knowing the benefits of exercise across multiple medical conditions (see graphic below), including cancer, is also important. An international team of esteemed exercise researchers recently published a report entitled: “Global Consensus on Optimal Exercise Recommendations for Enhancing Healthy Longevity in Older Adults.” Talk to your care team about ways to be, and stay, physically active!
RT = resistance training
Opportunities to Go Smoke & Vape Free!
The Balancing Work and Cancer Webinar series offers
a targeted lineup of sessions on topics critical to patients, survivors, and their care teams with no cost to join. We hope you will join us for one, or all, of these conversations!
Wednesday, May 6th, 6 PM ET/3 PM PT
First Impressions: Resumes and LinkedIn Wednesday, June 4th, 6 PM ET/3 PM PT
Career Shifting: Tips, Tools & Techniques
Wednesday, July 9th, 6 PM ET/3 PM PT
Balancing Work & Cancer
Wednesday, August 6th, 6 PM ET/3 PM PT
Communicating Effectively: Part 1 Wednesday, September 10th, 1PM ET/10 AM PT
Communicating Effectively: Part 2
Wednesday, October 8th, 1PM ET/10 AM PT
Balancing Work & Caregiving
Wednesday, November 5th, 6 PM ET/3 PM PT
Self-Care: Practical Approaches at Work and Beyond Wednesday, December 3rd, 1 PM ET/10 AM PT
You’ve been diagnosed with cancer. Is there anything that
YOU can do?
NUTRITION
Support the immune system and decrease inflammation in the body.
1. Eat more antioxidant-rich foods. Examples: Carrots, sweet potatoes, spinach, tomatoes, grapefruit, blueberries, peanuts, sunflower seeds, mushrooms, cantaloupe, kiwi, mango, and almonds (most fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds are antioxidant rich foods).
2. Eat fewer pro-inflammatory foods. Examples: Candy bars, cookies, chips, crackers, steaks, ground beef, sausages, salami, lunch meats, sugar-sweetened beverages (soda, Gatorade, juice etc.), and other highly processed foods.
3. Eat more foods prepared with moist cooking methods (boiled, steamed) and fewer foods prepared using dry heat cooking methods (grilled, fried).
4. Increase fiber to 40-45 grams/day. To do so, eat mostly unprocessed, whole plant foods like these examples as a resource to gauge your fiber intake:
Breakfast: One serving of oatmeal (5 grams of fiber), topped with banana and raisins (3 grams of fiber) and almond milk.
Morning snack: One modest handful of almonds (4 grams of fiber) mixed with two chopped dates (2 grams of fiber)
Lunch: Hummus pesto pita sandwich with one pita (4 grams of fiber), ½ cup of hummus with pesto (2 grams of fiber), 8 cherry tomatoes (1 gram of fiber), 1 cup spinach (4 grams of fiber), 6 baby carrots (1 gram of fiber) and a dessert of two clementine oranges (3 grams of fiber).
Afternoon snack: Avocado on whole-grain toast with sriracha (5 grams of fiber).
Dinner: Veggie noodle soup with broccoli, onions, spinach, whole wheat noodles grams of fiber in one 2-cup serving) and one wheat dinner roll (2 grams of fiber).
dinner treat: 3 cups air-popped popcorn small amount of coconut oil and various on top (3 grams of fiber).
SLEEP
Recharge your batteries so you start the day at full power.
1. Ensure 7-9 hours per night, or longer as needed.
2. Use your bed for sleep and sex only.
3. Limit or avoid screen time 90 minutes prior to sleep.
4. Avoid drinking alcohol within 3 hours of sleep.
5. Increase daytime exposure to sunlight.
6. Keep a consistent sleep/ wake schedule.
ACTIVITY
You will see benefits with ANY amount of physical activity!
The more the better, but the goal is at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity per week.
1. Strength training (2x per week on non-consecutive days).
2. Work movement into your daily life: Use physical transportation (walk, bike, etc.) instead of driving.
If sitting for a while, take a standing break every hour, get up and go for a short walk. Take the stairs whenever possible.
AVOIDANCE OF RISKY SUBSTANCES
Maximize your body’s ability to recover. Use of substances such as tobacco or alcohol may interfere with the healing process.
1. For tobacco, seek information about smoking cessation support from your primary care provider.
Quitting smoking means breaking the cycle of addiction and essentially rewiring the brain to stop craving nicotine.
The benefits of quitting smoking begin in as little as 1 hour after the last cigarette.
The sooner a smoker quits, the faster they will reduce their risk of cancer, heart and lung disease, and other conditions related to smoking.
2. For alcohol, seek information about alcohol use/abuse support from your primary care provider.
CONNECTEDNESS
species; we are together!
1. The single most important predictor of happiness and longevity is having strong and positive social connections.
2. Talk to your health care provider about local and online support groups or previous patients willing to connect (limit social media to meaningful connections).
3. Consider joining an exercise or other activity group.
4. Embrace your family and friends and allow them to support you.
5. Think outside yourself - see what you can do to help someone else today.
STRESS MANAGEMENT
A little stress in life is good, but if we experience a lot, especially over a long period of time, then we need healthy coping mechanisms.
1. Healthy activities that help reduce/ cope with stress:
Physical activity
Sleep
Exposure to natural light/time in nature
Mindfulness training
Breathing
2. When feeling stressed, stop, relax, observe, and respond.
3. Breathing in for 5 seconds and then out for 5 seconds can help you maintain composure in stressful moments.
4. Helpful apps are available (eg. Headspace, Calm, Tapping Solution, etc.)
Additional Resources: American Institute for Cancer Research. Infographics and Figures. https://www.aicr.org/resources/media-library/
An Opportunity to Focus on Your Health in Survivorship
As a collaboration with Lifestyle Medicine, Oncology, and Cardiac Rehabilitation, our virtual survivorship group medical visits offer education and personalized one-onone health coaching for cancer survivors. Sessions focus on overall health strategies through education on the six pillars of lifestyle medicine, including: nutrition; physical activity; stress management; restorative sleep; social connection; and avoidance of risky substances. The group setting allows for sharing of experience and support, while the breakout sessions allow for individualized goal setting with the providers and health coach. Medical visits are billed to insurance; co-pays may apply.
What We Provide
• A review of health history, labs & vitals
• A nutrition assessment
• Physical activity recommendations
• Focus on mental health and wellness
• Individualized goal setting
• Provider & Health Coach guidance
• Access to patient education
• The option for supervised exercise
Following the provider referral, a one-on-one intake is scheduled at Falmouth Primary Care with the Health & Wellness Coach. Virtual group medical visits then meet on six (6) consecutive Tuesdays from 9:00-10:30AM. A twiceweekly supervised exercise program is also available through our cardio-oncology rehabilitation team in Scarborough.
Options for Six-week Series of Group Medical Visits:
•September 9, 16, 23, 30, October 7, 14
•October 28, November 4, 11, 18, 25, December 2
Discuss a referral with your oncology provider.
Nutrition Education Services Center | Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
In-Person Support at MaineGeneral’s Harold Alfond Center for Cancer Care
Cancer survivors, no matter where they live or where they receive care, have an open door to in-person support at MaineGeneral’s Harold Alfond Center for Cancer Care in Augusta.
Heather Moore, LSW, supervisor of the Center for Hope and Healing at the cancer center, wants survivors to know that wherever they are in their journey, they can find understanding and encouragement available from those – like Heather herself – who have also had cancer. “No one understands what it is like to have cancer better than those living the same experience as you,” said Heather. “Being together with others reduces feelings of isolation and aloneness.”
Currently, there are five in-person support groups available at the Harold Alfond Center for Cancer Care:
• Cancer/Hematology Support Group, held the first and third Thursday of the month, 10–11:30 am
• Breast Cancer Support Group, held the third Wednesday of the month, 5:30–7:30 pm
• Living with Advanced Cancer Support Group, held the second Tuesday of the month, 10–11:30 am
• Prostate Cancer Support Group, held the last Tuesday of the month, 6–8 pm
• Bladder Cancer Support Group, held the third Tuesday of every other month, 5–6 pm
A daytime Breast Cancer Support group will be starting soon, as well. All groups meet in the new conference room off the main entrance of the cancer center once the new addition of the building is open in April. Heather has found immense value in the connections made between survivors at the meetings.
"Our in-person support groups provide an opportunity for people to share their personal experiences with cancer, the good and the bad. The group allows them to express their feelings and share coping strategies with other cancer patients that may have had similar experiences. Some studies show that joining a cancer support group improves both quality of life and survival. Hearing the stories of others who ‘get it’ from the inside out can be validating and reassuring.”
The breast cancer and prostate cancer support groups are open to all, with no need to sign up in advance. To attend the other groups, Heather asks those interested to call her at (207) 626-4850.
To learn more about the support groups and holistic services at the Harold Alfond Center for Cancer Care, go to: www.mainegeneral.org/medicalservices/cancer-care/support-andeducation.
Bladder Cancer Support Group
3rd Tuesday every other month
5:30 - 6:30 pm
100 Campus Drive
Scarborough,ME Conference Rooms 1&2 behind the cafe
Email: nnengland@bcan.org
Please join us for our Bladder Cancer support group. If you are a patient, survivor, caregiver, family member… all are welcome!
May 20th, 2025 July 15th, 2025 September 15th, 2025
When facing breast cancer, connecting with someone who knows what you’re going through can be a crucial form of support. Some challenges can only be understood by someone who has been there. The American Cancer Society Reach To Recovery® program connects you with a trained volunteer who is a breast cancer survivor. Our volunteers provide one-on-one support to help you cope with treatment, side effects, and more. With a convenient mobile app and website, you can connect and chat wherever and whenever.
“Cancer is not just physical, it’s emotional and psychological. You have moments where you wonder if your feelings, thoughts or emotions are normal. Speaking to survivors validates these feelings.”
–
Meagan F., Survivor & volunteer
FIND A MATCH
SIGN UP
Create a profile on reach.cancer.org or our mobile app, ACS Reach.
MATCH
See volunteers who faced a similar diagnosis
CONNECT
Chat, call, or message for one-on-one support
To learn more, visit reach.cancer.org or search for ACS Reach To Recovery on Google Play or the App Store.
Volunteers do not provide medical advice. Reach To Recovery is a free program.
