In this episode of Empowering Oncologist, on #OncoDaily, host Dr. Jasmine Kamboj is joined by Dr. Amy Comander, Breast oncologist and Director of Lifestyle Medicine, Mass General Brigham Cancer Institute, Co-author for “Paving Your Path through Breast Cancer and Beyond” and Dr. Michelle Tollefson, Obstetrician-Gynecologist and Professor at MSU Denver, Co-author for “Paving Your Path through Breast Cancer and Beyond”.
The discussion is focused on the real-world challenges of #oncology practice and sustainable solutions, leading to a thoughtful conversation on the growing importance of cancer survivorship and lifestyle medicine. Together, they share their professional journeys and personal motivations and talk about survivorship care and lifestyle medicine.
This episode highlights the rapidly expanding population of cancer survivors, with projections reaching over 22 million in the United States by 2035. The discussion explores how survivorship care is evolving beyond disease management to include quality of life, long-term wellness, and patient empowerment.
The episode covers:
The integration of lifestyle medicine into oncology care, including nutrition, physical activity, sleep, stress management, and social connection.
The development and impact of #survivorship programs such as “Paving the Path to Wellness”.
The importance of addressing the “post-treatment” phase, where many patients face unexpected emotional and physical challenges.
Insights into menopause, midlife health, and their intersection with cancer survivorship.
Practical considerations such as reimbursement, group medical visits, and scaling survivorship programs.
Through both clinical expertise and personal experience, the speakers emphasize shifting the narrative from simply surviving cancer to truly thriving beyond it. The conversation reinforces the importance of treating the whole person, not just the disease and integrating compassionate, evidence-based wellness strategies into routine cancer care.