From the Medical Director
“You’ve got cancer” might be the three words that people never want to hear. Dealing with this diagnosis and its effects on the whole person and their entire family requires an equally broad toolbox to address these needs. It is my mission here to make sure that people who come to the Simms/Mann -- UCLA Center for Integrative Oncology have what they need to become active participants in their own wellness.
Patients tell me how overwhelmed they feel trying to make all the decisions treatment requires while also responding to the well meaning recommendations of friends and family. Often, they are often uncertain about what practical steps they can take in their personal lives to help with treatment. How much should their diet change, what about supplements, what kind of other therapies could help? What is a good source of reliable information about complementary cancer care? How do any of these therapies affect their basic cancer treatment?
At the Simms/Mann -- UCLA Center for Integrative Oncology we have gathered together a unique set of resources to give people the information and support they need to make good choices and feel like they are taking steps to do everything they can to get well and stay well. It is my job to help guide you towards choices that allow you to make the most of your conventional cancer care. I don’t think that alternative medicine is the best treatment for cancer, but I do think that natural therapies, chosen wisely, decrease the side effects of conventional cancer care. They can help you to optimize your wellness and feel empowered in the process.
I hope you will let us help and support you. Having good information makes it possible to make good choices. Being an active participant in your care is good for you- body, mind and spirit!
Mary Hardy, M.D.
Medical Director