Leap Spring 2011

SUPPORT GROUPS MAXIMIZE YOUR MEALS
DO THEY REALLY LEARN TO LOVE

HELP? YOUR GRUB
t SPRING 2011
er-free movemen
into Alberta’s canc
What Brett Wilson

learned about life,
and himself,
after cancer
A DATE WITH
DESTINY
Childhood cancer turned
Dr. Nigel Brockton into
THE SCARE a research rock star
DOWN THERE
Talking frankly about
testicular cancer
CANADIAN PUBLICATIONS MAIL PRODUCT AGREEMENT #40020055 Non-deliverable mail should be directed to: 10259 105 Street, Edmonton, AB T5J 1E3
to the 39 incredible men and one amazing woman
who set a new record for the World’s Longest
Hockey Game, raising money for a new Linear
Accelerator at the Cross Cancer Institute.
To read more about this inspiring feat,

visit albertacancer.ca/worldslongestgame
CONTENTS SPRING 2011 • VOL 1 • No. 4
ON THE COVER: Brett Wilson

PHOTO: Colin Way, ILLUSTRATIONS: Lisa Turner
SPRING SPOTLIGHT
35 MEN & CANCER:
The Challenge of a Lifetime
22
16 THE UNCOMMON MAN

Men get breast cancer too
19 THE POWER OF PARTNERSHIP

Three health organizations, one prostate cancer
initiative
26 22 THE SCARE DOWN THERE

It takes balls to talk about testicular cancer
DEPARTMENTS 25 TOBACCO TALK

Spark up a chat about cigarettes and chewing tobacco
4 OUR LEAP
A message from the Alberta Cancer Foundation 26 CANCER GRADUATE
Business leader Brett Wilson proves there’s nothing
6 FOREFRONT textbook about prostate cancer
Beautiful berries; What’s an advanced-practice
nurse?; Five ways to raise funds; Fish oil for health; 43 AN ATHLETE’S MIND
31 Resistance is futile (or, let your wife make you a How to keep the competitive flame burning during
doctor’s appointment); The antiperspirant go- treatment
ahead; TELUS goes pink. And more!
12 BODYMIND FEATURES
Can support groups boost your health?
31 RESEARCH ROCKSTAR
13 SMART EATS Nigel Brockton studies the role of inflammation
Maximize your mealtime in cancer
14 ASK THE EXPERTS 34 TRIAL AND SUCCESS

Why do they ask me to number my pain? What’s a clinical trial and should you participate?
PLUS: Tamoxifen, cancer and cataracts
39 38 TOP JOB
48 CORPORATE GIVING Nurse practitioner brings new skills to Red Deer
The generosity of Edmonton’s civic employees cancer care
50 MY LEAP 41 WHY I DONATE

Cycling for cancer inspires A young Alberta man honours his dad and drives progress
a local artist
44 CRACK A SMILE
A good belly laugh is good for you
46 MR. CANCER, MAN ABOUT TOWN

Bruce Horak becomes a lumpy guy named ‘Cancer’
44 at the Fringe Festival
34
Alber ta’s cancer-free movement spring 2011 3

message / ALBERTA CANCER FOUNDATION
A Journey Forward
Each year, nearly 16,000 Albertans embark on a journey they didn’t plan
when they’re told, “you have cancer.” For 11 years, I have been privileged to
lead the Alberta Cancer Foundation in supporting them on this journey.
I began with an understanding of what it is to love someone with cancer.
My daughter survived leukemia and my beloved sister succumbed to
breast cancer.
But when I joined the Alberta Cancer Foundation, I learned that cancer
is a powerful collective journey. For me, this journey included more than a
Linda Mickelson, CEO few blisters gained walking with thousands of participants in our Weekend
Alberta Cancer Foundation to End Women’s Cancers. And bruises and scrapes acquired when
I learned to ride a road bike—clipped into the pedals!—for our Enbridge
Ride to Conquer Cancer. The journey included the odd silly moment, like
trotting through the streets of Edmonton and Calgary in the questionable
TRUSTEES pink boxer shorts I sewed as my costume for our Underwear Affairs.
Thousands of you were with me. You’ve hosted events, you’ve
Leslie Beard, extended your generosity, and you’ve invited friends and family to join
Edmonton our movement.
More than once, our common journey has brought me to tears as we
Angela Boehm, shared losses, triumphs and progress.
Calgary April 30, 2011 will mark my last day as CEO of the Alberta Cancer
Foundation. And while May 1st marks the first day of my retirement, it will
Greg Cameron, be a retirement that includes walking with you this summer, cheering you
Edmonton on as you ride, and celebrating every milestone we reach together.
I look forward to continuing the journey, firm in the knowledge that we
Heather Culbert, can and will achieve a future free from cancer.
Calgary
Steven Dyck,
Lethbridge
Tony Fields,
An Inspiring Legacy
Edmonton It’s difficult to say goodbye to a leader, especially one who has achieved
as much as Linda Mickelson has.
Dianne Kipnes, When Linda became its CEO in 2000, the Alberta Cancer Foundation
Edmonton invested just $3.5 million in cancer research and programs. In 2010/11,
that number is expected to reach $32 million.
John J. McDonald, Linda’s vision and energy made it possible to establish and sustain
Edmonton a vibrant cancer research community in Alberta. This community now
contributes to the global cancer effort and ensures patients here are
Brent Saik, John Osler, Chair among the first to benefit from discoveries.
Sherwood Park Alberta Cancer Foundation Linda has inspired more than 200,000 donors to participate and donate.
This has made it possible for screening programs to travel province-wide,
Prem Singhmar, for patients in need to get financial assistance and psychological and
Sherwood Park spiritual support along with the highest standard of treatment.
We are deeply indebted to Linda. The Alberta Cancer Foundation is a
Heather Watt, powerful movement for cancer-free lives. She’s pointed us in the right
Edmonton direction and given us the right tools. In the years ahead, we will honour
her legacy and remain true to our shared commitment: For those facing
Vern Yu, cancer today, in honour of those lost to cancer, and for generations to
Calgary come, we promise progress.
4 spring 2011 myleapmagazine.ca

SPRING VOL 1 • No. 4
ALBERTA CANCER FOUNDATION

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF AND PUBLISHER: LEE ELLIOTT
ASSOCIATE EDITOR: PHOEBE DEY
EDITORIAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE

DR. TONY FIELDS
Vice-President, Cancer Care
Alberta Health Services
DR. HEATHER BRYANT
Vice-President, Cancer Control
Canadian Partnership Against Cancer
DR. STEVE ROBBINS
Director, Southern Alberta Cancer Research Institute
Associate Director, Research, Alberta Health Services,
Cancer Care
CHRISTINE MCIVER
CEO, Kids Cancer Care Foundation of Alberta
VENTURE PUBLISHING INC.

PUBLISHER: RUTH KELLY
ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER: JOYCE BYRNE
EDITOR: MIFI PURVIS
ART DIRECTOR: CHARLES BURKE
ASSOCIATE ART DIRECTOR: COLIN SPENCE
PRODUCTION COORDINATOR: BETTY-LOU SMITH
DISTRIBUTION: NICK JAMISON
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Linda Carlson, Sandra Christianson,

Caitlin Crawshaw, Liz Crompton, Marcello Di Cinto, Annalise Klingbeil,
Scaachi Koul, Jesse Lipscombe, Craille Maguire Gilles, David Parker,
Janice Paskey, Mifi Purvis, Tricia Radison The Alberta Cancer Foundation
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS AND ILLUSTRATORS: is more than a charity—it’s a
Brian Bookstrucker, Trudi Lee, Heff O’Reilly, Kelly Redinger,
Raymond Reid, Chris Tait, Colin Way movement for cancer-free lives,
ABOUT THE ALBERTA CANCER FOUNDATION today, tomorrow and forever.
The Alberta Cancer Foundation is Alberta’s own, established
to advance cancer research, prevention and care and serve It’s a movement of those who know a cancer-free
as the charitable foundation for the Cross Cancer Institute, future is possible and who won’t settle for “some day.”
Tom Baker Cancer Centre and Alberta’s 15 other cancer centres.
At the Alberta Cancer Foundation, we believe a cancer-free future It’s a movement of Albertans who stand with those
is possible. When we get there depends on the focus and energy who have no choice but to stand up to cancer.
we put to it today.
It’s a movement of those who know something
can be done and are willing to do it.
For those facing cancer today, in honour of those

lost to cancer, and for generations to come,
Leap is published for the Alberta Cancer Foundation by we promise progress.
Venture Publishing Inc., 10259-105 Street, Edmonton, AB T5J 1E3
Tel: 780-990-0839, Fax: 780-425-4921, Toll-free: 1-866-227-4276
circulation@venturepublishing.ca
The information in this publication is not meant to be a substitute for professional

medical advice. Always seek advice from your physician or other qualified health
provider regarding any medical condition or treatment.
Printed in Canada by Transcontinental LGM.

Leap is printed on Forest Stewardship Certified
paper. Publications Agreement #40020055 • Cert no. SW-COC-000952
ISSN #1923-6131
Content may not be reprinted or reproduced without permission from Alberta Cancer Foundation.
w w w. a l b e r t a c a n c e r. c a
Alber ta’s cancer-free movement

000LP.Manifest_1-2V_nBL.indd 1
spring 2011 5
6/21/10 2:13:29 PM
forefront / PREVENT, TREAT, CURE BY MIFI PURVIS
Advanced Care
TELUS Goes Pink Oncology Nurse
The Alberta Cancer Foundation is the recipient of a $500,000 corporate
donation. TELUS’ Go Pink campaign raised the money to help the foundation
purchase digital mammography equipment. Nationally, the Go Pink campaign
has raised more than $2.45 million in support of women’s breast health.
Some of that money was raised through the sale of pink Blackberry
devices. The company donated $25 for each unit sold in Canada, equipping
regional hospitals with new digital mammography machines. Employee and
corporate donations also supported the Go Pink initiative.
“Our friends at TELUS have helped us complete our $11 million commitment
to purchase digital mammography equipment for fixed screening centres in
Edmonton and Calgary as well as two complete mobile screening clinics,” said
Linda Mickelson, CEO of the Alberta Cancer Foundation.
She added that mammography is still the most effective tool for
diagnosing breast cancer at its earliest, most treatable stage. “This gift has
an impact across the province,” she says. “The mobile units will visit 100
communities each year making it possible for 25,000 women to have access
to this life-saving test and new technology close to home. The TELUS gift
provides a final boost to thousands of walkers in our Weekend to End
Women’s Cancers over six years, who raised money for this project.”
The state-of-the-art digital machines replace older
analog mammography machines and
can detect cancers when they are
smaller. Tests are clearer and
prevent the need for some
retesting and waiting for new tests.
TELUS has been a long-time
supporter of charities that
advance cancer research,
awareness and detection. Since Specialized nursing is critical, and nurse
2000, TELUS, its team members practitioners are becoming integral to some
and retirees have contributed oncology teams. According to NPCanada.ca, a
$12.4 million towards finding a site for advanced practice nursing and nurse
cure for cancer, and continue to practitioners, in the last 10 years legislation has
raise funds and awareness for allowed nurses who have a high level of
early detection. education (Masters of Nursing in Advanced
Practice) to become nurse practitioners in a
variety of settings. Nurse practitioners are able
to diagnose and manage many conditions,
prescribe medications, order tests and refer
patients to specialists.
In the cancer continuum, they are involved at all
points, from prevention to care. For example, an NP
could be involved in cancer screening or healthy
lifestyle prevention efforts, or she might be
involved in end-of-life care, working in concert
with an oncologist to order tests and administer
advanced treatment. An NP can have
responsibilities for improving the delivery of cancer
care through education, research, patient
management and case leadership. As cancer care
becomes more complicated and patients more
numerous, many people in the health care field
expect the role of the NP in cancer care to grow.

5 Fundraising Finds
A Flesh Wound? For some people, writing a cheque is the 4. Start a pool that
most expedient way to support the Alberta predicts the warmest day of
4
Remember the scene from the British comedy Cancer Foundation. Others might not have summer or the coldest day
Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975), where the cash, or they might want to cast the net of winter. Winner keeps
King Arthur encounters the Black Knight, famed wider, sometimes honouring a loved one. half, the remaining cash is
for his toughness? The two draw swords and Here are a few ideas. donated.
1
King Arthur bests the Black Knight. Not
admitting that he’s been beaten, the Black
Knight, mortally wounded and unable to move,
comes up with the famous line: “Come on then, 1. Start a Friday 50-50 pool at your office.
it’s only a flesh wound.” Everyone chips in a few bucks, then you draw
Anyone who has tried to convince a stubborn a winner who keeps half the money and
loved one to see the doctor has a basic donates the other half.
understanding of what it might be like to square
off with the Black Knight. And the folks at the
2
British Columbia Men’s Health Initiative would
be the first to tell you that if anyone is 2. Two bucks to guess the number of jelly
minimizing a health concern, it’s likely to be the beans in a jar. The winner keeps the candy
man of the house. and the money goes to donation.
5. Team up with a local

service provider. You
sell the tickets, the service
5
is donated and the
proceeds go to the Alberta
3
Cancer Foundation. Ideas:
a lawn maintenance
company could offer a
3. Stage a pre-holiday silent auction. spring yard cleanup, a
Everyone brings an item or offers a service. salon could offer a free cut
People bid on the offerings and the cash goes or yoga studio could offer
to charity. free passes.
Put the Stink on Cancer

Breast cancer treatment is difficult Baker Centre in Calgary decided to
An interdisciplinary project aimed at on a number of counts, not the least of look into it further.
bettering men’s health outcomes, the Men’s which is nausea, appetite-and-weight She led a study that concluded in
Health Initiative is, in part, a response to that change, fatigue and hair loss. Well, at 2010, monitoring nearly 200 breast
attitude. Phase one of the project is an least it can smell a little sweeter now. cancer patients undergoing radiation
interactive website meant to educate the public Breast cancer patients have long therapy – half used antiperspirant
and also the practitioners who care for men. been instructed to avoid antiperspi- and nurses monitoring their skin
If you know a man who knows more about rant, the wisdom being it could found no difference between the two
hockey stats than he does about his health, this increase damage to the skin caused groups.
website is a good place to start on the road to by radiation therapy. Donna Gies, a It’s a study that’s strong enough for
taking charge of their health: www.aboutmen.ca. radiation oncology nurse at the Tom a man.
Sometimes it’s more than a flesh wound.

Sweet Berries,
Strong Medicine
Berries, strictly speaking, are not medicine. But
their dewy, plump sweetness belies the fact that they
pack a hefty nutritional punch. Berry season is
coming, so think about grabbing the sunscreen and a
water bottle and hitting a U-pick farm. It’s a great way
to get a little exercise, and you come home with a pail
of field-fresh goodness.
Most people are familiar with the fact that berries
are chock full of vitamin C and are a good source of
fibre. But the wonders only increase.
Berries, with their royal red, blue and purple
colours, are packed with polyphenols, notably Get to know your favourites a little better:
anthocyanidin, ellagic acid and proanthocyanidin.
The role of antioxidants in cancer development and STRAWBERRIES: With a pulp rich in ellagic
suppression is not well understood, but antioxidants acid, strawberry extracts have been able to
can remove damage-causing free radicals from the counter the growth of tumour cells in a lab.
body. Polyphenols also have other tumour-fighting
properties, possibly derived from their ability to BLUEBERRIES: Their high in anthocyanidin
thwart angiogenesis, meaning the ability of cancer count – they have more than any other fruit or
cells to build a network of blood vessels that veg – is what may give blueberries their
encourage tumour development. Other studies antioxidant potential.
suggest that some polyphenols can help synthesize
hormones, preventing the elevated levels that could CRANBERRIES: Aside from chocolate and
encourage hormone-sensitive tumours to grow. cinnamon, cranberries and blueberries among
Basically, all berries are good for you and they are the foods most densely packed with
about as versatile as they are tasty. Freeze berries of proanthocyanidins, another potent antioxidant
any kind to have them on hand for a multitude of and anti-angiogenic. But eat them – dried is fine –
culinary reasons. Toss some blackberries on a leafy rather than reaching for the juice. The benefits
green salad with a crisp vinaigrette. Nothing beats are largely lost in juice form.
strawberries over vanilla ice cream. Saskatoons make
a great addition to muffi ns or in a sauce for meat. SOURCE: FOODS THAT FIGHT CANCER: PREVENTING CANCER THROUGH DIET
Car-free
Donations
You have a new car and your old baby, while
it runs OK, is just taking up space. It wasn’t
worth the trade-in and putting it on Kijiji
seems like more effort than it’s worth. Now
you can invest it in a great cause, the Alberta
Cancer Foundation, with just a click of a
mouse. Visit Donate a Car Canada www.
donatecar.ca and fill out the online form,
selecting the Alberta Cancer Foundation as
the beneficiary of your generosity. Pretty
soon, someone will take the car off your
hands and issue you a tax-deductible receipt.

Research Spotlight
Top 10 Men’s Maladies
Dr. Catherine Field, professor of nutrition at the
University of Alberta Institute for Human Nutrition,
has been looking at an oily solution to tumour growth:
long-chain DHA, an essential fatty acid found in cold-
water fish, such as Arctic char, herring and salmon. Her The new website of the B.C. Men’s Health Initiative,
team has been studying how DHA affects tumours at www.aboutmen.ca,lets men navigate their health by age.
the cellular level. It also declares these maladies, some of them preventable,
In the lab, DHA has been shown to slow the growth to be the top 10 lifetime health risks for men.
of tumours from a human breast cancer cell line, while
it has no effect on a healthy human cell line. “There are
many possible mechanisms,” Field says. First, DHA 1.Heart attack and cardiac arrest
may discourage inflammation at the cellular level,
preventing tumour growth. Second, the fatty acids 2.High blood pressure
may penetrate the cancer cells’ walls, encouraging
cancer cell death, unbridled growth being key to 3.High cholesterol
tumour development.
“We are looking at treatment with DHA 4.Stroke
supplements as an adjunct to chemotherapy,” Field
says. “Our research is aimed at synergy, improving the 5.Diabetes
efficiency of cancer treatment.”
6.Lung cancer
7.Colorectal cancer
8.Prostate disease and cancer
9.Testicular disease and cancer
10.Depression
ady
Elma Sp
Elma’s friends gathered with her
again just three months later as
she died of pancreatic cancer.
But her ability to push through
challenges continues. Elma funds
cancer research with her legacy.
She knew that if one small woman
can build a boat, together, we
In September of 2005, Elma can build a future without cancer.
Spady and 30 friends celebrated To learn more about leaving a legacy to a
a tugboat launch in Pigeon cancer-free future, please contact: Derek Michael,
Lake Alberta. 780 643 4662, 1 866 412 4222 or email
derek.michael @ albertacancerfoundation.ca
The day celebrated friendship and
the vibrancy of 63-year-old Elma,
a lawyer, who had built the replica
of New York Harbour tugs by hand
in her garage.
7 Days, 7 Ways to Better Health
Forget making resolutions or pledging yourself to a wholesale lifestyle
change. Instead, make small improvements to your health week-by-
week. Make one small change every day and build from there.
MONDAY. Incorporate some exercise. Set your clock 15

minutes early, go about your usual morning routine, but
take a 15-minute walk before you head to work. At lunch,
walk the stairs for 15 minutes. Before dinner, add another
15-minute walk. It’s easier than trying to find 45 minutes at
a stretch.
TUESDAY. Eat an amazing breakfast. Toast some
whole-wheat bread and make a fast fruit salad of oranges
and bananas. Top it with salt-free cashews, a teaspoon
of flaxseed and a dollop of yoghurt. Toss a bag of nuts
and dried fruit in your briefcase to get you through your
morning meeting. Chickpea Stew
WEDNESDAY. Take your kids to the pool or meet a pal 1 tbsp canola oil ½ tsp ground cumin
there. You don’t have to swim lengths to benefit. 1 tsp ground coriander
1 large onion, diced
THURSDAY. It’s veggie night. For dinner, serve an easy 2-3 large tomatoes, diced 1 tsp ground turmeric
chickpea stew with rice. (See recipe.) Include a leafy green 2 cans (475-ml or 15-oz) chickpeas,
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
salad on the side. strained and rinsed
1 tsp fresh ginger, minced
FRIDAY. Repeat your Monday walking routine. Add 1 cup water, veggie stock or tomato juice
2 whole cloves
another of Tuesday’s amazing breakfasts.
½ tsp ground cinnamon ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
SATURDAY. Meeting friends for brunch? Don a helmet
and jump on your bike to get there. Directions
Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium heat, and fry onions until tender.
SUNDAY. Spend 25 minutes walking, skating or shooting
Stir in tomatoes, garlic, ginger, cloves, cinnamon, cumin, coriander and
hoops. Or try 25 minutes on a one-minute, two-minute run/
turmeric. Cook for 5 minutes over medium heat, stirring constantly.
walk. Before you go shopping, make a list of healthy foods.
Add chickpeas. Turn burner to low and cook for 15 minutes, stirring
Include: apples, oranges, legumes, green leafy veggies,
broccoli, tomatoes, onion, garlic, ginger, sweet potatoes, occasionally, adding water, stock or juice a little at a time if mixture
whole-wheat products, turmeric, nuts and berries. gets too dry. Discard cloves, garnish with cilantro, serve with rice.
cott
Wayne S
supporting cancer research chairs at
the Tom Baker Cancer Centre.
What positive can we take away

and learn from this experience?
To learn more about leaving a legacy to a
cancer-free future, please contact: Derek Michael,
780 643 4662, 1 866 412 4222 or email
derek.michael @ albertacancerfoundation.ca
In 2007, when Wayne Scott
told his family he had cancer,
he asked, “What positive can
we take away and learn from
this experience?”
Although he died in January 2010,

today, he’s building a cancer-free
future with a gift from his estate
n d e r w e ar A
e U n ce rs Below th ff
a
h ht Ca e Wa i
i s
T
g
r
®
Fi
t
10K RUN 5K WALK
Bring Awareness to Down There-ness

Get caught with your pants down at the Alberta Cancer Foundation’s Underwear Affair and help
uncover the cure for critical below-the-waist cancers like prostate, colorectal, bladder and ovarian.
Come undressed to impress as you compete for placement in the time-chipped 10K Run, or enjoy
a fun 5K Walk with family and friends.
Awards for Best Times, Costumes and Fundraisers // Awesome After Par ty // 2011 Finisher Tees
Register Today
uncoverthecure.org
Calgary June 4, 2011 403/269/3337
Edmonton June 18, 2011 780/423/2220
Alber ta’s cancer-free movement
bodymind / MAKING POSITIVE CONNECTIONS
The Power of
Support Groups
BY LINDA E. CARLSON
Support groups for people going through cancer

are so commonplace these days it may be hard to
imagine a time when they weren’t available. But it
wasn’t always that way, and it turns out that social
support affects not only mood and quality of life, but
potentially also cancer survival.
Support groups are accepted as a helpful part of
treatment for a number of reasons. First, you can
meet other people who understand what it’s like to go
through a cancer diagnosis and treatment. Second,
you can learn how people managed the difficulties you
may now be encountering. Third, it’s a safe place to talk
openly about the things that your family and friends
might be tired of hearing or are too scared to discuss.
But rewind 25 years and support groups were rare.
When Dr. David Spiegel, a psychiatrist from Stanford can help you “detoxify” fears of death and dying and address the frightening parts
University, spearheaded a study of Supportive- of the disease head-on, with caring and support from the therapist as well as other
Expressive Group Therapy for women with advanced group members.
breast cancer, many people considered him quite Women have been historically more open to attending support groups, but men
misguided, if not completely crazy. In these groups also benefit from the opportunity to connect with peers. For example, the Prostate
people with metastatic cancer got together weekly to Cancer Canada Network Calgary (www.pccncalgary.org) meets monthly and uses
express their feelings and thoughts. Inevitably some a discussion and informational format to introduce issues of concern to these
would fall ill and die – how could patients, such as side-effects of treatment, family issues and work
that be helpful, people asked, to As it turns out, having problems. They host speakers and have a peer support format
see your close friends dying from a safe place to express that opens the floor to discussion. Similar professionally-led
the same disease you have? groups exist in Alberta for survivors of leukemia and lymphoma
Wouldn’t it just be too traumatic?
your feelings, the dark to give patients, survivors and families a forum where information
It turns out that having a safe ones and the sunny and emotions can be shared in a caring environment.
place to express your feelings, ones, is immensely Some problems can’t be fixed, but people can be healed
the dark ones and the sunny beneficial. psychologically even if their disease is not cured. More than
ones, is beneficial. People in anything else, that’s what groups offer. A chance for some
these groups fared better in a number of ways than healing. The possibility of a peaceful death, if that’s the outcome. Or the chance to
their counterparts who didn’t attend groups. The most live a more genuine life in accordance with your own deepest values.
well-publicized was that they not only felt better, but
they lived longer. This finding is controversial and Dr. Linda Carlson is the Enbridge Chair in Psychosocial Oncology at the Tom Baker
several replication studies have found conflicting Cancer Centre, a professor and a clinical psychologist at the University of Calgary
results, but the bottom line is this: Professionally-led and co-author of Mindfulness-Based Cancer Recovery: A Mbsr Approach to Help You
support groups do more good than harm. Cope With Treatment and Reclaim Your Life. Learn more at lindacarlson.ca.
This is great news, as what could be easier than
getting a bunch of people who are all living through a
cancer diagnosis together to talk about it all? True, but CONTACT: Find out about support groups by calling the
if the discussion isn’t directed by a skilled professional Department of Psychosocial Resources. In Calgary, call the Tom Baker
counsellor with experience in oncology, the benefits Cancer Centre at 403-355-3207. In Edmonton, try the Cross Cancer
aren’t as strong. It’s not enough simply to express Institute at 780-643-4303. In other communities in the province,
emotions, but also to process them and make sense of call your local Community Cancer Centre.
the disease in the context of your own life. A therapist

cookingsmart / FOOD FOR LIFE
A Bit Peckish
BY SANDRA CHRISTIANSEN Tips to help with
Is there anything you should avoid when changes in taste
and smell during
you’re trying to maximize meals? cancer treatment:
What’s bugging your taste buds? Try these tips
There is a trend in research to identify foods that may
impact cancer while a person has the disease. One Add something sour to your food such as lemon
area of research is the effect of dietary soy on breast juice or vinegar
Food tastes Add instant coffee, nutmeg, cinnamon or cocoa
cancer. Natural compounds in soy called isoflavones
too sweet powder to sweet foods such as pudding, nutrition
behave like estrogen. About two-thirds of women with
supplement drinks or canned fruit
breast cancer are known to have these estrogen-sensi-
Dilute drinks that are too sweet
tive tumours and, in theory, these isoflavones could
pose a risk to women with breast cancer. Animal Cook without salt or salty seasonings. Try herbs and
studies show that these compounds may stimulate the spices such as basil, rosemary, mint, lemon and
growth of estrogen-sensitive breast tumours. As well, black pepper
Food tastes
genistein, one type of isoflavone in soy, may reduce the Look for sodium-reduced products too salty
effectiveness of Tamoxifen, a drug used in breast Rinse canned food to decrease salt content
cancer treatment.
Some studies seem to show that soy is protective, Marinate meat in sweet-and-sour or barbecue sauce,
while others demonstrate harmful effects. More wine or vinegar
Food tastes
research is needed, but the data suggest that isofla- too bitter
Cook foods to help reduce the bitter taste
vone intake in amounts similar to that of a typical Asian Add cream, oil, margarine or butter
diet likely does not result in harmful effects on breast
tissue. This amount is equivalent to up to three serv- Include a variety of textures at each meal
ings per day of soy foods, such as tofu and soy milk. Food tastes
Take alternating bites of different foods
The American Cancer Society recommends that it may too bland
be wise to “avoid high doses of soy and soy isoflavones Increase the flavour by adding herbs, spices, fresh
garlic, marinades, sauces
that are provided by more concentrated sources such
as soy powders and isoflavone supplements.” Research Use glass pans for cooking
on avoiding other foods or food isolates in relation to Metallic taste Mix meats into casseroles and stews to lessen
other cancers is limited. in mouth their taste
If you’re in doubt, check with your doctor or dietitian. Try serving meat with sauces or marinades
Likewise, if your appetite is very poor or you are very
nauseated, be sure to mention it. There may be Eat cold or room-temperature foods
medication or strategies that can help. Choose foods that don’t require cooking, such Smells are
as sandwiches bothersome
Sandra Christiansen is a dietitian Drink beverages out of a straw or use a cup with a lid
with Alberta Health Services.
She works in Nutrition Super Pudding
Education Resources.
1 package instant pudding
(choose a flavour that you enjoy)
2 cups (500 ml) evaporated milk
2 tbsp (30 ml) oil
2 tbsp (30 ml) skim milk powder
Blend all ingredients. Refrigerate until set. Makes

four ½ cup (125 mL) servings. Each serving has 250
calories and 8 grams of protein.

asktheexpert / A RESOURCE FOR YOU
YOU’VE GOT QUESTIONS

If you have been treated for cancer or know someone who has, you may
have asked or heard these questions.
Ask the Expert is an opportunity to have

your questions regarding cancer prevention
and treatment answered. We’ll answer
different reader-submitted questions in
each issue of Leap; please submit them via
email to letters@myleapmagazine.ca.
I have metastatic breast cancer and every time I see my
Remember, the advice below is never a
doctor or nurse they ask me to rate my pain on a scale of
substitute for talking directly to your
one to 10. I get so sick of this question. Why do they
family doctor.
ask me to number my pain?
Cancer care professionals ask patients to ascribe a

number between one and 10 to their pain: one being the most severe pain
they can imagine
very little pain, 10 being the most severe pain they
can imagine. This question is right up there with
“have you passed gas today?” and “when was your ten
last bowel movement?” at the top of the list for
questions that cancer patients don’t like. People nine
who have been dealing with cancer for a long time
have been answering that question for just as long – eight
they’re sick of it.
Nurse practitioner Krista Rawson at the Central
Alberta Community Cancer Centre in Red Deer says seven
that answers to this one, and all the tiresome and
embarrassing questions, can give cancer care team six
members useful knowledge. A rise in the patient’s
self-reported pain level can indicate a progression five
of the cancer. “It’s a very annoying question for
chronic pain sufferers,” Rawson agrees. “But I tell four
patients I’m going on a fishing trip for information.”
A change in the location of the pain can also indi-
cate a progression of the disease. “Generally, I am three
hoping for stability in pain,” she says. “Nothing new
is a good sign.” two
Increased self-reported pain can also be a sign
that the pain killers are not working well anymore.
This can sometimes happen if a patient has been on one very little pain
a painkiller for long periods. In this case the pain can

be dealt with through medication or dosage chang-
es. “Either way, we need to address increases in
pain,” says Rawson, noting that quality of life suffers
as pain increases.

I am taking a five-year course of Tamoxifen in hopes
my breast cancer won’t come back. But I have heard
it can cause other cancers and eye problems.
Is this true?
“Regular Pap testing can

help prevent up to 90 per
“I often get these questions,” says Rawson. In fact, cent of cervical cancer.”
the risk of either uterine cancer or the development
of cataracts is very small. “I tell patients to weigh
these risks against the chance of a recurrence of their
breast cancer,” she says. “That is the biggest risk to
their health.”
The risk of uterine cancer occurring in post-meno-
pausal women who have never been treated with
Tamoxifen is about half of one percent. The risk for
post menopausal women who have used Tamoxifen?
Higher, but still less than one per cent. The increased
risk is so small that most health professionals don’t
recommend routine scanning for uterine cancer in
Tamoxifen users. “Studies have shown that it’s not
particularly useful,” says Rawson. Instead she advises
post menopausal women, especially former
Tamoxifen users, to see their doctors right away if
they have unexplained vaginal spotting or bleeding.
Women, who want to avoid uterine (and other) can-
cers, whether or not they have been treated for breast
cancer, should concentrate on maintaining a lean
body weight and if they smoke they should stop.
The reference to eye problems is likely a legacy
issue from the early days of Tamoxifen treatment.
“There was a link to cataract development when
doses of Tamoxifen were much higher,” Rawson says.
“Now patients generally take about 20 milligrams a
day.” The risk of cataract development is so rare that nal dryness and changes to sexuality, which could be a combination of physical
clinicians seldom even bring it up. “There are rare and psychological responses to breast cancer treatment. “Women often com-
cases of acceleration of cataracts,” Rawson says. “We plain that their sex drive is suppressed and that intercourse can be painful due to
don’t fully understand the relationship, but if a vaginal dryness.” When that happens, she recommends a lubricant such as
woman has already been diagnosed with cataracts, Replens.
we would discuss this as a potential side effect.” Another menopause-like symptom that Tamoxifen (and menopause) brings is
Luckily, having cataracts does not disqualify you from pain. “I call it the travelling aches and pains,” Rawson says. Mainly involving mus-
Tamoxifen treatment. Cataracts are generally easily cles and joints, as many as a quarter of women being treated will experience it.
dealt with surgically. “One day it’s your shoulder, the next it’s your back,” she says. For the most part,
Instead of these relatively rare possible side this kind of pain is not severe or serious. Still, it’s important to report this and all
effects, Rawson concentrates on preparing patients pain to your cancer care provider. A new pain, especially one that doesn’t go away,
for the likelihood of the far more common ones. could be a sign of something more serious, such as a recurrence of cancer or a
Patients new to the drug can experience nausea and blood clot.
headaches, which usually resolve over time. Then “The risk of developing a clot increases slightly,” Rawson says. Women using
there are the sweats. Tamoxifen have a one to two per cent risk of developing a clot. This could present
“The symptoms of menopause are the ones we as a deep vein thrombosis (in the leg), a pulmonary embolism (in the lung) or a
most typically see,” she says. Tamoxifen lowers stroke (in the head). “I tell patients that if there are 100 women in a room, one or
estrogens in the body as a defence against hormone- two of them might suffer from a clot,” says
sensitive tumours, increasing the likelihood of meno- Rawson. “Again, you have to weigh that
pause-like symptoms. While a comprehensive list of against the possibility of a recurrence of Got a question? Submit it to:
menopause symptoms might number more than 100 cancer, which is your most pressing letters@myleapmagazine.ca
items, the biggies are hot flashes, night sweats, vagi- health concern.”

Men & Cancer: the challenge of a lifetime

Male breast cancer is notably rare.
In 2010, 180 men in Canada had the
disease: meet one of them
By MarcÉllo Di Cinto / illustration by raymond reid
T his year, 50 men in Canada will die of breast cancer. Brian Crookes hopes he won’t be one of them.
Crookes first noticed a small bulge in his breast in 2002. The lump pushed out his nipple and rubbed against his shirt. It was uncomfortable,
but his doctor told him not to worry. Crookes didn’t even mention the lump to his wife until two years and three physicals later, when he finally
decided to have a biopsy performed and the lump removed. “I thought that was the end of it all,” he said. “Then two weeks later, I get a phone call
from the plastic surgeon who told me I have Stage 2 invasive duct carcinoma.” Crookes was shocked. He didn’t know men could get breast cancer.
Few men ever do. The most recent statistics (2007) showed 15 Alberta men diagnosed with breast cancer
compared with 1,994 women the same year. This is why breast cancer diagnoses in men, just as in Crookes’ case,
are often delayed. People simply aren’t considering the possibility.
Surgeons performed a mastectomy on Crookes that carved a line through to his armpit – the cancer had
migrated to the lymph node under his arm. Crookes’ mother and an aunt had both had breast cancer, and
his doctor advised removing his other breast as a preventive measure. (Later, genetic testing, which is done
if the patient has a close relative who has been diagnosed with breast cancer, indicated Crookes carried no
heredity risk.) His surgeries left Crookes without nipples but with significant scars. He decided against
reconstructive surgery; the scars simply did not matter much to him. When people see him shirtless – at the
pool, say, or in the locker room at the gym – their eyes widen. If they ask, Crookes jokes that
he was bitten by a shark. “Besides,” he says, “having a scar reminds you that you are still alive.
It is kind of a good thing.”
Crookes believes that a mastectomy is a far more distressing experience for a
woman. “It is not a big deal for a man to remove a breast. It is not as traumatic,” he says.
“I don’t know what it would be like to have breasts as a woman and then
not have them.” Still, many male patients suffer unique emotional
difficulties in relation to their cancer. They feel their surgery-ravaged
chests demean their sense of toughness
and masculinity.

Men & Cancer: the challenge of a lifetime
According to a 2004 study conducted by nurse practitioner Edith position. He rarely does public events anymore. “I’m so sick and tired of
Pituskin at Edmonton’s Cross Cancer Institute, some male breast cancer being The Cancer Guy. I’m known as ‘that guy with breast cancer.’ It is not
patients feel reluctant to disclose their condition at all. They feel the the identity that I want.” After years of being a spokesman, Crookes cannot
stigma of having what the general population considers a “woman’s help but feel bitter that the cancer he thought was cured will eventually claim
disease.” Crookes never felt this way. “You can’t say it’s a female disease him. “I was a success,” Crookes says. “I helped raise lots of money and I spent
because I have it,” he says. However, he understands that breast cancer lots of time on it. Now, I suddenly realize that nothing I did can help me
treatment is based entirely on research done with female patients. There personally.” There is a certain irony.
is very little breast cancer information specific to men. After his surgery, a Crookes still wants his story told, to continue to “stir the pot and wave the
physiotherapist handed him a stack of brochures on post-operative care. flag.” His experience illustrates the importance of detecting cancer early.
Every single pamphlet was pink. Lumps cannot be discounted just because male breast cancer appears so
After his mastectomy, and the chemotherapy that followed, Crookes rarely. A simple biopsy can get a diagnosis that leads to earlier treatment, or
appeared to be cancer-free. Now a “survivor,” Crookes found himself in rule out cancer altogether.
demand as a public spokesperson for the cause. He retired from his job in the Crookes speaks matter-of-factly about his cancer, but tears come when he
energy tubular goods business and committed himself to raising awareness speaks of his two daughters, aged 16 and 20. The elder has taken time off from
of breast cancer in general. He joined national and local organizations, her university studies to be with her father. “My daughters look at me and
volunteered for fundraising activities and spoke about the disease in front of say ‘You are doing good today,’ and that’s good.” And it’s hard to reconcile
crowds. “I wanted to give back,” he said. “People are tired of hearing about Crookes’ prognosis; he still appears fit and handsome. Once a week he pilots
breast cancer. But when they hear a man has it, they suddenly pay more his Cessna 340 into Calgary’s sky and, often, flies the plane over the Rocky
attention. It stirs the pot again. A man standing there in a pink shirt is an Mountains to the Okanagan Valley. Crookes knows the reality of his disease,
awful lot different than a woman.” but he is hardly the type for self-pity. “You have to live every day,” he says.
In 2010, Crookes began to suffer intense nausea and stomach problems. “You have to survive every day.”
He worried his cancer had returned. But his doctor and others said that
when breast cancer cells metastasize elsewhere in the body, the cancer
usually presents as tumours in the lungs, brain, bones or liver. Not the
stomach. “It didn’t make any sense,” Crookes said of his symptoms. Then,
Breast Cancer Mans Up
his stomach pains grew so intense that he wound up in a Calgary emergency As a graduate student in 2004, Edith Pituskin conducted
ward. A CT scan revealed the tumours covering his stomach. His doctor a study about how men experience breast cancer. At the
suggested he might have 18 months to live. The last time he’d left his doctor’s time, there were 125 Albertan men living with breast cancer
office was after his mastectomy when he thought he was cured. as identified by Alberta’s Cancer Registry. Twenty of them
Crookes discovered that there was little formal support for male breast were involved in her study.
cancer patients. One support group paired him with a man Now PhD Candidate in the Faculty of Rehabilitation
whose cancer was diagnosed early and whose successful mastectomy Medicine at the University of Alberta, Pituskin’s study found
rendered him cancer-free. He wasn’t living with the disease and Crookes that men’s experiences ran the gamut. Some didn’t want to
could barely relate to him. So, Crookes began to attend women’s breast tell anyone about their diagnosis; others, like Brian Crookes,
cancer support groups. Crookes tried to use his sense of humour to were inspired to become advocates.
endear himself to his co-afflicted – “saying, ‘Come on ladies, I’ll show you Pituskin’s study helped draw attention to the possibility
mine if you show me yours.’” – but he never felt like he belonged. “I was a of male breast cancer, alerting men, their wives and health
novelty.” care practitioners.
In the wake of his prognosis, Crookes left his cancer spokesperson
OHV
)UHG&R
through the bequest he left to
the fellowship program at the
Tom Baker Cancer Centre.
And as in life, others follow his

lead. Every year, family and friends
boost Fred’s legacy with the
proceeds from a golf tournament
held in his honour.
Fred Coles was a community
builder and industry titan in To learn more about leaving a legacy to a
Calgary. He was also a leader cancer-free future, please contact Derek Michael,
780 643 440 0, 1 866 412 4222 or email
in building support for the derek.michael @ albertacancerfoundation.ca
Alberta Cancer Foundation.
Fred died in May of 2008, but

his leadership continues. Today,
he’s training the next generation
of cancer researchers and doctors
Men & Cancer: THE CHALLENGE OF A LIFETIME
PARTNERING
for
Prostate
HEALTH
BY CAITLIN CRAWSHAW
Edmonton’s three largest health-based

charities are teaming up to improve the health
of Alberta men. Meet one of the initiative’s
biggest supporters
T
hough it often flies under the radar, prostate health centre and research initiative; to date, they’ve raised
cancer affects more men than any other cancer. $24 million.
One in seven Alberta men will be diagnosed in their Sojonky’s focus is prostate cancer research in particular
lifetime. The good news is that it’s a highly curable and so far, he’s raised millions for the Alberta Cancer
disease if it’s detected early. Foundation. It all began on New Year’s Eve six years ago
For prostate cancer survivor Frank Sojonky, the only thing when Sojonky found himself writing a $1,000 cheque to the
more shocking than these statistics was discovering the lack Cross Cancer Institute out of appreciation for the care he’d
of research in Alberta. “I couldn’t believe the richest province received there.
in Canada didn’t have a formal prostate cancer research pro- As he put pen to paper, it dawned on him that with his
gram,” he says. business acumen and connections, he could do even more.
Diagnosed 22 years ago in Vancouver, Sojonky moved to So, he contacted the Alberta Cancer Foundation directly to
Edmonton a decade ago and continued his treatment at ask what they needed. “I found out there was a new 3-D
Edmonton’s Cross Cancer Institute. He didn’t set out to ultrasound machine that had just been invented in
become an advocate for prostate cancer research, but now Montreal,” he says. “It was specific for prostate cancer and
he’s one of six members of the leadership team for the the Cross didn’t have one.”
Campaign for Prostate Health, which includes Irving Kipnes, The $275,000 price tag was no deterrent for Sojonky. He
John Day, Bob Bentley, C.J. Woods, and Ron Hodgson. The figured he could raise the funds by selling a piece of land
campaign combines the efforts of three Edmonton founda- he’d invested in with several other business people. All but
tions: the Alberta Cancer Foundation, the University Hospital one of the investors agreed to donate their profits, helping
Foundation and the Royal Alexandra Hospital Foundation. Sojonky raise $400,000.
The three organizations aim to raise $30 million for a prostate After this success, Sojonky was inspired to keep going.

He asked his oncologist, Dr. Peter Venner, what he could do eight months for surgery, explains Day.
to advance prostate cancer research. “The suggestion was Organizers are hopeful that the campaign will increase pub-
to endow a prostate cancer research chair at the Cross lic focus on prostate health – and prostate cancer – in Alberta.
Cancer Institute, in association with the University of “The fact that we’ve united these three organizations under
Alberta,” he says. one banner will raise the profile,” says Day. He’s hopeful that
having better resources, such as the new clinic, will
Together with the Alberta Cancer encourage men to keep their prostate health top
of mind.
Foundation, the University of Alberta Although the statistics about prostate cancer
Hospital Foundation and the Royal aren’t positive, Sojonky is. He’s confident that a cure
Alexandra Hospital Foundation aim to for prostate cancer is around the corner. In the
raise $30 million. meantime, he’s delighted to have had a hand in
improving the health of Alberta men. “If you’re lucky
So, with some help from a few friends (nick-named “The to save or positively affect a person’s life – that’s more than one
Bird Dogs” after their shared love of hunting), Sojonky set person could ever hope for.”
forth on a new fundraising quest. This time, he gave lunch-
hour presentations about prostate cancer and managed to
raise $3 million by December 2008, nearly a year after writ-
ing that $1,000 cheque. PROSTATE CANCER BY THE NUMBERS
The Alberta Cancer Foundation matched his efforts to
establish a $5 million endowment but Sojonky didn’t stop 2,715 Number of men who will be diagnosed with prostate
there. When he learned that additional funds would be cancer in Alberta this year
needed to cover the chair’s research expenses, he went a
little further, committing to raise an additional $3 million 420 Number of men expected to die of the disease this year
to equip the chair with ample research funds. The result of
his efforts is the Frank and Carla Sojonky Chair in Prostate ONE IN SEVEN Number of Albertan men who will be diagnosed with the
Cancer Research and funding to launch a prostate cancer disease in their lifetime
research program in Edmonton.
MORE THAN 90 Percentage of prostate cancer cases considered curable
Though he’s finally taking a bit of a breather from fund- if detected and treated early
raising – Sojonky is 82 – he still continues to volunteer for
the Campaign for Prostate Health. The initiative focuses ZERO The number of symptoms many men experience at the
on four main areas: The Alberta Prostate Cancer Research earliest, most curable stage of the disease
Initiative (including the research chair Sojonky helped cre-
ate), robotic surgery facilities at the University of Alberta 4,568 The number of British men who participated in a study
Hospital and Royal Alexandra Hospital, the Innovation and whose results suggest the length of a man’s index finger
Research Fund to support continued advancements in in relation to his ring finger may be a marker of his
research and prostate care and a new prostate health clinic, prostate cancer risk.
dedicated to diagnosing and treatment of prostate health.
50 The age at which men should start having yearly digital
This will be the first of its kind in Edmonton. rectal exams and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) tests.
“We decided to really pool our resources and join forces
to make it a unified campaign,” explains campaign co-chair 40 The age at which men should discuss prostate cancer
John Day, a spokesperson for the Royal Alexandra Hospital risk their doctors. Doctors may suggest men with a
Foundation. “It allows us to accomplish more.” relative who has had the disease should begin yearly
All of the campaign’s projects complement each other screening at 40.
and will have tangible benefits for patients. State-of-the-art
robotic surgical equipment at both hospitals will provide
the latest evolution in surgical treatment – an alternative to
more invasive surgeries, explains Joyce Mallman Law, TAKEAWAY:
president of the University Hospital Foundation. Robotic The $30 million Campaign for Prostate Health focuses on four main areas:
surgery involves smaller incisions than traditional surgery, 1. The Alberta Prostate Cancer Research Initiative (including the $5 million
which decreases risk of infection, minimizes blood loss and research chair Sojonky helped create.) Goal: $10 million
scarring. Patients may recover faster and thereby spend 2. The Innovation and Research Fund to ensure that the Royal Alexandra
less time in hospital. Hospital and the University of Alberta Hospital have the necessary
The $10-million Rapid Access Prostate Health Clinic resources to attract and retain world-class health professionals to support
will be located in the Urology Centre of the Edmonton advancements in prostate research and patient care. Goal: $6 million
Clinic, a soon-to-open facility at the University of Alberta 3. Robotic surgery facilities at both the University of Alberta and Royal
Hospital site, one that’s expected to transform the delivery Alexandra Hospitals. Goal: $4 million
of health services and health science learning in the prov- 4. A new prostate health clinic, dedicated to diagnosing and treating
ince. The Prostate Clinic will help patients receive care prostate health issues, the first of its kind in Edmonton. Goal $10 million
immediately. At the moment, people can wait as long as


The
Down
BY ANNALISE KLINGBEIL / ILLUSTRATION BY HEFF O’REILLY
Young men don’t want to hear about it,

even if there’s something wrong down south.
But talking about testicular cancer takes balls
B y the time Mike Metcalfe was diagnosed with testicular cancer at age 24, he was
in extreme pain and could barely walk five feet. “At work they threatened to fire me,
jokingly, if I didn’t go to emergency. I went to emergency and they took two days to
diagnosis me with the most advanced form of testicular cancer,” says Metcalfe.
What the athletic Metcalfe thought was a pulled abdominal muscle turned out to be a
pinhead-sized tumour on his testicle that had spread into his abdominal region. Metcalfe’s
testicle was removed and he underwent aggressive treatment that included more than 500
hours of chemotherapy in seven months, a stem cell transplant and a rare procedure to
remove abdominal lymph nodes, known as a retroperitoneal lymph node dissection.
Now 32, Metcalfe is cancer-free.
When Metcalfe’s brother was diagnosed with testicular cancer two years later, his testicle
was removed but, unlike Metcalfe, he didn’t need difficult chemotherapy. “He said his
left testicle felt a little weird” and he went to his doctor right away, says Metcalfe. “He did not
have to have chemo because he was proactive.”
Testicular cancer is the most common cancer in men aged 15 to 35 and, if caught early, it
can be cured with surgery alone. “It usually presents as a lump in the testicles, the patient
goes for an ultrasound, it’s confirmed and then we take it out with surgery,” says Dr. Daniel
Heng, a medical oncologist and co-director of the testicular cancer clinic at the Tom Baker
Cancer Centre in Calgary.
“With one testicle, people can function completely normally,” says Heng. The testicles
produce testosterone (and other hormones) as well as sperm. One testicle alone will still
produce sperm and testosterone. Testicular cancer can, however, have an impact on fertility.
Heng says even if patients don’t have chemotherapy, the chance they will be infertile is 50 per
cent. (Some patients opt to bank sperm before surgery in case their fertility is negatively
affected by treatment.)
In some cases, the cancer has metastasized to other organs and chemotherapy is used as a
treatment. “We have noted that testicular cancer is very chemotherapy-sensitive, so, even if

it has spread to other organs, chemotherapy Metcalfe’s brother avoided chemo by is still a pair. It’s not for
can wipe out the testicular cancer in most sit- everyone.
uations,” says Heng. It’s the situations where
being proactive. Testicular cancer is the Baker says when he found
chemotherapy doesn’t eradicate the cancer most common cancer in men aged 15 out a prosthesis was an option
that Heng says need further research. to 35 and, if caught early, it can be he “laughed and said ‘they
“There’s a gap we need to fill in with research cured with surgery alone. make those?’” He estimates he
to find better treatment.” spends “.001 per cent” of his
Jason Baker is an advocate and fundraiser for testicular time thinking about the fact he has one testicle. “For me, there are no psychological
cancer research. He aims to educate young men and promote impacts associated at all with having one testicle,” he says.He plays a lot of hockey
early diagnosis of this disease. Dr. Heng works closely on and, if he gets a questioning look in the dressing room, he takes it as an opportunity to
Baker’s fundraising initiative as his medical director. They aim share his story and teach the importance of checking oneself for the disease.
to raise $1 million over the next five years. Through speaking out and fundraising initiatives, Baker and Metcalfe are getting
Baker was diagnosed with testicular cancer at age 29, in fall men to talk about testicular cancer. While still undergoing treatment, Metcalfe’s friends
2008. Baker’s testicle was removed and he was cancer-free for and teammates started a soccer marathon in his honour. In seven years, the annual
almost a year before finding out the cancer had spread. He event has raised more than $350,000 toward the purchase of cancer-related diagnostic
underwent chemotherapy while his wife was eight months and treatment equipment.
pregnant with their first child. “We were a circus together. She Metcalfe, 32, is open about his story and encourages others to be proactive if they
was a pregnant little ball and I was bald and white and we notice something amiss. “Make sure when you’re in the shower, check yourself, look for
definitely looked pretty alarming to people,” says Baker. little pinhead-sized abnormalities. It doesn’t have to be huge. A lot of people think your
Baker’s chemotherapy was ultimately successful and today ball grows to the size of a grapefruit and that’s how you know and that’s not the case
he delivers presentations about his experience to medical stu- every time.”
dents, oncologists and high school students. “I didn’t think that Metcalfe says his mindset at age 24 was to write everything off to an athletic injury
cancer could affect somebody as young and healthy as I was,” and avoid the doctor at all costs. “When it came down to the symptoms of cancer, I
says Baker. ignored it. You feel like you’re young, you’re going to heal.”
Age is a consideration for testicular cancer: “If you are Today Metcalfe encourages males to be proactive like his brother was, to not procras-
between the ages of 15 and 35, that’s the biggest risk factor,” says tinate, and to visit their doctor. “You never know what it’s going to be so make sure you
Heng. Other risk factors include having a family history of testic- get yourself checked.”
ular cancer and having an undescended testicle (known as crypt-
orchidism). But it can strike any male and Heng says there’s
never an age where men can stop worrying about the disease. WHAT’S WITH THE COUGH?
Testicular cancer affects a young population on a part of the
Asking questions during a routine check-up can be embarrassing for guys, especial-
body with which a young guy just doesn’t want anything going
ly when those questions have to do with their junk. Many young men don’t know
wrong. It makes an open discussion of the disease rare. “These
what their doctor is looking for when he holds their testicles and tells them to
are young people,” says Heng, “and usually young people don’t
cough. This is actually a simple test used to check for hernias, not testicular cancer.
like to talk about illness, so this advocacy group is small.”
“When we do a testicular exam, we don’t ask patients to cough,” explains Dr.
Clothed, even in a swimsuit, it would be hard to tell if a
Daniel Heng of the Tom Baker Cancer Centre in Calgary. To check for testicular
man were missing one testicle. But if the guy were naked and
cancer, doctors will put on gloves and hold and feel around the testicle. They want
an observer were looking in the right spot, it would be to make sure each testicle is still smooth and there are no lumps, bumps or masses
noticeable. For patients who have had one removed, there is around it. If a patient notices discomfort, a lump, pain, hardness or aches in one or
an option for a cosmetic prosthetic – a small, silicone filled both of their testicles, he should consult his doctor right away.
sac can be surgically implanted to make it look like there
mountaintop ceremony – pushed forward

after a grim prognosis – Deanna created
a fund in his memory instead.
Jim continues to fund cancer research

with donations made in his honour,
building a cancer-free future for
Deanna and her daughter.
Jim and Deanna Henderson To learn more about making a memorial
planned to donate half the donation towards a cancer-free future,
please contact Kristin Houle, 780-643-4400,
money they received from their 1866 412 4222 or email
wedding to the Alberta Cancer Kristin.houle@albertacancerfoundation.ca
Foundation and use the other half
on a honeymoon.
But when Jim died of colorectal

cancer four days after their
WeddingAd.indd 1 2/23/11 10:31:34 AM

Whack the
Tobacco It’s never a great idea to replace
your smokes with chewing tobacco.
You’re still going to have to kick
the habit eventually
BY SCAACHI KOUL
T here’s no easy way to quit smoking. While the rate of Canadians

who still smoke is on the decline, men between the ages of 25 and 29
have the highest prevalence of smoking out of any sample group.
For some, nicotine patches or inhalers are helping curb their nicotine
addiction, but for others, chewing tobacco is their new crutch.
Smokeless tobacco should never be used as a replacement for ciga-
rettes under the delusion that it’s better for your body. “It’s a strategy
used in some other countries, but it’s substituting one harmful substance
with another,” says Dr. Butts. He says that more education is needed to
prevent future chewers from starting. “The message has to be consistent
“There is no safe form of tobacco,” says Dr. Charles Butts, a senior that it’s not a safe tobacco,” he says. “We’ve still got a long way to go.”
medical oncologist at the Cross Cancer Institute in Edmonton. “Smoking
has a lot of cardiovascular issues related to it, such as lung cancer, but
chewing tobacco has some significant problems too. There’s some per-
ception that chewing is less harmful.” They are both addictive and both WHAT’S WITH THE PATCH?
can cause disease.
Many tobacco users have turned to medicinal products to quit
One of the biggest differences between the two forms of tobacco may
smoking or chewing. Brands such as Nicorette offer consumers
be public awareness. While the federal government has recently
patches, inhalers and gums to help curb their addictions. These
revamped cigarette packaging to cover 75 per cent of the package with pic-
products replace the nicotine that the body and brain have been
tures and captions of people harmed by smoking, there’s little advertising
getting from tobacco, while gradually reducing those levels until
regulation when it comes to chewing tobacco. the consumer no longer needs it. This method of nicotine uptake is
Another difference is who uses it. Few women chew tobacco. “And slower and longer than tobacco, and allows your body to adjust to
smokeless tobacco tends to be more culturally related,” says Dr. Butts. the levels it gives. It also reduces symptoms of withdrawal after
He says that chewing tobacco has cultural links to First Nations, where quitting, and the gum offers an oral gratification that helps replace
tobacco has long been used in traditional ceremonies. But there’s a differ- the ritual of smoking.
ence between the ceremonial use of tobacco, and the habitual, daily use. But is it possible to be dependent on these products for too long?
Chewing tobacco is called “smokeless tobacco.” While it doesn’t have “Those delivery agents are relatively pure nicotine so they don’t
the exact same physical effects that cigarettes have, chewing can cause have the associated carcinogens that tobacco has,” says Dr. Butts.
myriad health problems for the user. Most people think of mouth cancer “They only deliver nicotine.” Tobacco replacement agents programs
when it comes to chewing tobacco, but users can also develop other can help break the habit.
cancers of the head and neck, heart disease, and major dental changes, Still, it doesn’t mean spending years on these products is good
gum disease, and tooth wear and decay. for you. Their purpose is to wean you off of your reliance on the ciga-
“All forms of tobacco have chemicals that are considered cancer-caus- rettes or chewing tobacco. “It’s been relatively successful for smok-
ing agents or potential carcinogens,” says Dr. Butts. He says that one in ing,” he says. “You want to reduce the dependence on the nicotine.”
nine smokers will get cancer. But in 2005 alone, there were 1,050 deaths Talk to your doctor about using these or other prescription products
from oral cancer due to smokeless tobacco. Nearly a third of all oral to help you ditch the weed.
cancer cases are fatal. TOP TIP: Don’t forget that most experts also advise changing your
Strategies for quitting smokeless tobacco are as varied as those for behaviour to encourage success. Avoid the usual triggers. Go for a
cigarettes, and depend on the smoker. “The strategy should be individual- walk at coffee break or after dinner. Keep a stock of crunchy veggies,
ized,” says Dr. Butts. Some people can taper off, others find cold turkey pretzels and gum (nicotine or otherwise) on hand. Get more exer-
more effective. As with smokers, tobacco chewers typically make a few cise and drink lots of water.
attempts at quitting before they meet with success.


The
Entrepreneur,
philanthropist,
father, TV personality.
Brett Wilson is all of these.
But it’s the role of cancer
graduate that unleashed
the rollicking oil patch
prince toward a new
spirit of advocacy
BY JANICE PASKEY / PHOTOGRAPHED BY COLIN WAY
ou’re spending a lot of time there,” Brett Wilson

said over his shoulder to his doctor. After all, Wilson was a
man who lived like he was late for a bus or, more appropriately, a
runaway Mercedes. And rectal exams to check for prostate cancer
are something most men want over with much sooner than later.
Wilson is one of Calgary’s best known entrepreneurs. By age 44,
he’d made a stunning amount of money as an investment banker
doing energy deals. He ran with a similar crowd. He and a group of
his Calgary buddies were at Scripps Center for Executive Health
in San Diego getting CT scans, blood work and prostate checks.

It was Friday afternoon; the group was anxious to fly to Phoenix – they had Since then, he’s helped finance the Southern
planned a round of golf at one of Arizona’s famous courses. Wilson was the Alberta Institute for Urology Centre in
last to give blood for a PSA (prostate-specific antigen) test, a key indica- Calgary with Daryl “Doc” Seaman, fel-
tor of prostate cancer. After the blood test was the physical exam, “Suddenly low Calgarian and part-owner of
which included a rectal exam. It’s the kind of examination most
men dread. Wilson thought the doctor was taking longer than
my health, my the Calgary Flames. Each man
contributed $5 million. (Also a
normal, and called him on it. The other guys already had their relationships with prostate cancer patient,
blood work back – all normal. Last on the list, Wilson’s results family and my Seaman died in 2009 at age 86.)
wouldn’t come until Monday. And Wilson has advocated for
By Monday, Wilson was back in Calgary after 18 holes in the
relationships early screening for men in their
Arizona sun. His doctor called from San Diego: “Brett, I want you with friends became 40s. (“PSA tests cost $30, if you
to have a biopsy immediately.” Wilson’s PSA was up from .7 to 7.6, priorities.” don’t have the money, I’ll chip
and the doctor felt a lot of smooth tissue around the prostate – Brett Wilson in half,” he declares. It’s a fre-
gland: not good. Brett Wilson – newly divorced, 12 kilograms over- quent refrain, but he says that, to
weight, and master of his universe – had cancer. Worse, it was late date, no one has taken him up on it.)
stage, and had spread to the outside of the gland. And he’s done more priority setting.
“Whereas deals, and money and travel, and
“You’ve met Brett?” asks Peter Denhamer, friend and board member for the art and new cars were priorities, suddenly my health,
Calgary Prostate Network. “Then you know he’s larger than life.” Wilson’s reaction to my relationships with family, and my relationships with
that cancer diagnosis nine years ago was “absolute shock,” Denhamer says. “His late friends became priorities.”
stage detection scared him tremendously.” Cancer, observes Peter Denhamer, seems to have
When Wilson comes in for a photo shoot today, he arrives with another moniker. “I galvanized Wilson as an advocate for dozens of charities.
don’t call myself a cancer survivor; I call myself a cancer graduate. If you don’t graduate “He leads with his wallet.” And he expects others to do
you’re dead.” the same. Find a beautiful wreath on your door? It’s from
Ah, that candor. He is now 52, and shows the photographer three shirts he’s brought Wilson with an envelope asking for a donation for the
for the shoot. They decide on the bright orange one. The photographer points to a Calgary Urban Project Society. Go to one of his fancy
washroom where Wilson can change. “I can change here,” he says. He strips off the red- parties? It’s all free, but be prepared to donate to the
striped shirt with embroidered cars for the intricate orange paisley one; he turns up the cause of the night. It’s not an approach that everybody
cuffs, royal blue. favours, but Wilson is a man unleashed. And he’s out
The stripping down – part unnerving, part refreshing – reflects the unabashed way there. Literally.
Wilson dealt with cancer. “Cancer gave me the right to say eff-you to everybody. I was Denhamer recounts the time his daughter Julie looked
working in a work world where you have clients, you have partners, you have family, out the window of her Calgary food shop last November
and there’s demands on your time from everybody, but all of a sudden cancer comes to see Wilson entering a clothing store across the street
into your life and you can say ‘no.’” in nothing but his boxers for an event to raise awareness
His three kids came first. “The opportunity came to reprioritize time with my chil- and money for prostate cancer: The clothing store owner
dren. I let them know I was indeed their father. Before, I could go weeks without spend- dressed Wilson and friends, and each man donated the
ing any meaningful time with them, because the demands of the office.” His divorce cost of the clothing money to charity.
meant he had the kids “50-50 instead of 98-2.” Now, he had to marshal three children to He does a lot of behind the scenes handholding, too.
three different schools. And his kids were with him the week of his diagnosis. First he So when Denhamer was diagnosed with early-stage pros-
made his funeral plan, and then he drove the kids to their B.C. country place where he tate cancer in his 40s (“My wife asked me three times a
began his research. It was July 1, his 44th birthday. Importantly, he also wrote down a day: have you been tested?” he says.) Wilson was there.
new plan for living. “He gave me an ear; he was very private, and he set the
And he called his dad. Wilson’s father was a prostate cancer graduate: He’d had sur- tracks for me in terms of my options and maintaining a
gery nearly 10 years earlier at age 67. Now Brett had to choose his own treatment. positive attitude.” And he’s done that for strangers, as
“Prostate cancer is a disease that, if caught early, has many treatment options,” Wilson well. Wilson replies to a post on a cancer support blog:
says. “If it’s not caught early it’s an incredibly challenging disease.” His was the chal- “Contact me so we can discuss our mutual challenges.”
lenging type. That smooth tissue that his physician had felt during the rectal exam was
actually the surface of tumours that had grown outwards and together. (Earlier-stage After the photo shoot, Wilson sits on a white canvas
prostate cancer can feel bumpy to a physician.) Wilson went to the Dattoli Medical couch to talk about his life post-cancer. After cancer is
Center in Florida and underwent external beam radiation therapy and brachytheraphy, when he started his holding company, Prairie Merchant.
a process in which radiation therapists place seeds of radioactive material internally at It’s also when he famously beat out several hundred
the tumour site to kill the cancer. It was no picnic. others for a spot on Dragons’ Den, the CBC show where
Five years later, Wilson experienced some serious side effects from the radiation: average Canadians pitch ideas to investors. (“Dragons’
bleeding from his intestines and bladder, but he’s come through, and has been cancer- Den is a small part of what I’ve done, but a big part of how
free for nine years. I’m perceived.”)

He also supports various cancer foundations and
organizations through donations and time. Bob Shiell,
the Calgary-based vice-president of one such
organization, says, “He’s been very generous to our sup-
port group, so he’s enhanced our support group, but
even more important, in being open about his own
journey, Brett has raised the profile of prostate cancer
tremendously.
“Men don’t like to talk about anything below the belt,”
Shiell continues. “But the more men will go out and TO CATCH A KILLER
get themselves tested, the better.”
Dr. Don Morris has been working hard to infect prostate
In a startlingly candid presentation to a cancer sup-
cancer cells with a reovirus that, while it has no impact on
port group, Brett Wilson is filmed talking to men with
healthy tissues, is killing cancer cells.
prostate cancer in Calgary. He begins with talking about
Morris’s work builds on that of Dr. Patrick Lee, who first
the layman’s challenge to understanding treatment
published the encouraging results of his Calgary lab’s work
options.
with cancer and reoviruses in Nature magazine 12 years ago.
One section didn’t make the recording, he says, since
“Since then, there’s been a world of oncolytic virus work
the videographers were changing a tape. “There’s a room
occurring in labs,” Morris says.
full of guys, most of them in their 60s and 70s, most of Other labs have been using a variety of viruses, such
them with their spouses. I decided to just be open and as polio and measles, against cancer. These killer viruses
walk through my journey, this is my journey, if you learn have to be manipulated in the lab to render them harmless
something from it, great. to people. Reoviruses need no such treatment as they
“And I said: ‘Let’s have a conversation about erectile produce no clinical symptoms in the humans they infect.
function’….then I said, ‘OK, everyone can look up now,’ “But they have high activity against cancer cells,” Morris
because their heads just fell. And I offered, ‘Let’s be says.
blunt. It doesn’t work very well after you get treated, it First, they undertook a small trial of six men. “We
doesn’t matter what your treatment protocol is. So let’s examined the prostate gland after prostatectomy. Against
just get that out there, it’s not going to work as well.’ their prostate cancer, we saw a robust immune response
Then I talked about the fact that with patience, time and [that killed cancer cells] where we had injected reovirus into
some drugs, things can get better.” a cancer lesion three weeks earlier,” he says. The limitation:
The fear of cancer’s reprise doesn’t daunt him. “The “Other lesions on the same gland were not affected due to
small-c is kind of up over my shoulder looking at me, but the body’s immune response.”
I don’t look back at it at all. Some people who have been To get around the conundrum, Morris and his team
treated still die of prostate cancer, but I can’t live worry- developed a way to use t-cells to trick the immune system
ing about it. I could be hit by a bus before the cancer into recognizing the virus attached to a cancer cell, killing
comes back.” the cell at the same time as clearing the virus. The team
And then it’s time to go. Brett Wilson grabs his suit |has seen some good results in animal models and Morris
bag, shakes the hands of the photo crew, strides out. is submitting his latest research for review in Cancer
He’s heading to Toronto for meetings, and then jetting Research magazine.
off to the Caribbean.

Research Rockstar
30 spring 2011 alber tacancer foundation.ca

A
DateWith
DESTINY
Dr. Nigel Brockton looks at how much control
we have over whether cancer spreads
BY TRICIA RADISON / PHOTOS BY BRIAN BOOKSTRUCKER
T o what extent can cancer patients be in

charge of their own destiny? That’s the big
question that tugs at Dr. Nigel Brockton, a
research scientist in cancer epidemiology in the
Population Health Research department of Alberta
colorectal cancer. Studies are also showing that people
who take anti-inflammatory drugs like Aspirin and
ibuprofen are showing increased rates of survival after a
cancer diagnosis.
In fact, eating well, exercising and maintaining a
Health Services – Cancer Care. healthy body weight may help cancer prevention in that
Brockton is heading up studies that are trying to it keeps the level of inflammation in the body down.
identify what patients can do to increase their chances of Obesity is a low-grade inflammatory state.
survival after a cancer diagnosis. In particular, he’s “We know that inflammatory syndromes of all sorts
interested in whether reducing inflammation in the body increase the risk of cancer,” says Brockton. He adds that
through lifestyle and medication can prevent cancer understanding the role of inflammation in cancer could
from spreading. increase the understanding of “all of the big chronic
“It’s metastasis that kills the vast majority of cancer diseases.”
patients,” says Brockton. “If we could intervene in the “I’m interested in things that patients can do that are
spread of cancer, we would have a much better chance of not part of their treatment – exercise, vitamin D, anti-
impacting the burden of cancer.” inflammatory drugs, having a healthy body weight – all
Inflammation is known to play a role in increasing the things that could impact inflammation and might reduce
risk of getting some types of cancer, particularly the risk of the spread of cancer,” says Brockton.
alber tacancer foundation.ca spring 2011 31

Brockton’s boss, Dr. Christine Friedenreich, explains
that the research Brockton is conducting is a step beyond
what’s been done in the past in both breadth and scope.
“He is one of two molecular cancer epidemiologists that
we recruited to Alberta in 2007. Since his arrival, he has
created large multidisciplinary teams of researchers
working collaboratively on breast, colon and head-and-
neck cancers,” she says.
Brockton’s interest in cancer research began after a
Ewing’s sarcoma (a cancer of the bone that typically
strikes children and adolescents) that originally
developed when he was a teenager recurred while he was
in his third year of university. At that time, he was
pursuing his childhood dream of becoming a marine
biologist. Interested in finding out more about what was
happening to him, Brockton found himself in the
university library – this was before the Internet – poring
over textbooks.
“If we could intervene in the

spread of cancer, we have a much
better chance of impacting the
burden of cancer.”
Q&A WITH
DR. NIGEL BROCKTON
Q: What do you like about living in Alberta?
A: Just about everything! But particularly the
mountains, the “family-friendliness” and the
opportunities for research.
Q: Who inspires you?
A: Many ordinary people doing extraordinary
things.
Q: You’re 40 years old now. Why are you
getting back into ski racing?
A: Mostly because I can. I’ve been training
and I’m in good shape. I wanted to do it
again before all the guys I raced with leave
the sport.
Q: What’s the last book you read?
A: Something to my children – they’re 2 and 4.
Otherwise, all of my reading is scientific.
Q: What’s the best advice you’ve ever
received?
A: “Everything in moderation.” This is advice
given by Dr. J. Duffus, a toxicology lecturer, but
it’s relevant to life in general, I think.

“We know how to reduce about 40 per
cent of cancers,” he says, citing the usual
don’t smoke, drink less alcohol, get active
and eat healthfully. “But look around. A lot
of people don’t follow those guidelines.
Whereas when someone is diagnosed with
cancer, they are pretty receptive to what
they can do as an individual to increase
their chances.”
The prospective studies are long-term.
Colorectal cancer patients will be followed
for five to six years and breast cancer
patients will be followed for seven to eight
years.
In the meantime, Brockton is conducting
retrospective studies, looking at Albertans
who have been diagnosed and treated in
the last 10 years.
“We know their outcomes. We’re asking
if there are any characteristics of their
tumours that might have predicted their
outcome. And from those characteristics, we
hope to be able to predict the disease course
of patients diagnosed now and to work out
whether there are any targets that are
amenable to any kind of therapeutic
intervention.”
“Even when I graduated I thought I would do marine

biology related to cancer. But that meant collecting
marine organisms and mushing them up and pouring
them on cells, and that didn’t seem that interesting a life
OLD DRUG, NEW TRICKS
for me,” he says with a laugh. Dr. Nigel Brockton and his colleagues found that some head-and-neck
Instead, Brockton took three years off to, as he puts it, tumours responded well to traditional therapy, others not so much. They
“go skiing.” In fact, he broke the British record for speed went looking for the reason why. They found that the tumours that were
skiing twice and won an FIS World Cup Race. related to infection with HPV (about 40 per cent) were the ones that
Eventually, Brockton decided to head back to higher responded well to standard treatment. So they looked for other differences
learning and undertake his Ph.D. He applied for between the two tumour groups.
everything he could find related to cancer research. “I They found that the non-HPV-related tumours often featured a protein
realized I was in the position to contribute,” he says, “and called carbonic anhydrase IX, or CAIX. It keeps the acidity inside a cancer cell
that became important.” But he never gave up skiing. at a manageable level by pumping the acid out of the cell. This acidifies the
After 17 years of racing, Brockton sat out for three seasons environment outside of the cell, which leads to the membranes dissolving
when he moved to Canada in 2007. In March of this year and the tumour spreading.
he’ll be back at it, racing for the British team (he’s not a “We found that if you have a high level of this CAIX, you have a poorer
Canadian citizen yet) in the World Cup at Sun Peaks in prognosis,” says Brockton. But it turns out there is an old class of drugs,
British Columbia. CAIX inhibitors that have been used as diuretics and as treatment for alti-
Now settled in Calgary, Brockton and two colleagues tude sickness. “They could potentially be used with existing treatments
are conducting two prospective studies, one on breast to stop the tumour from spreading.”
cancer and one on colorectal cancer. The researchers Information like this could lead to more targeted treatment
will follow hundreds of patients in each group in an regimens depending on the characteristics of the tumour.
attempt to discover if there are specific factors that Ultimately, says Brockton, doctors might be able to tell from the
impact whether the cancer spreads. biopsy at diagnosis whether a full neck dissection is necessary or
Brockton is excited about the potential benefits of the whether just the primary tumour needs to be excised.
research. Discovering what patients can do after they’ve
been diagnosed to improve outcomes could save more
lives, in the short term, than discovering what they can
do to prevent getting cancer in the first place.
alber tacancer foundation.ca spring 2011 33

ATime
TOTry
Clinical trials offer the chance to test
out new treatments. Find out if a trial
is right for you
BY CRAILLE MAGUIRE GILLIES / ILLUSTRATION BY COLIN SPENCE
I n November 2008, Barrie Callaway and his wife, Coralie, headed to the
Tom Baker Cancer Centre. Once there, he weighed in and went through a battery of
tests – CT scans, bone scans, blood tests, the usual. At the end, his doctor gave him
a prescription for a new drug – abiraterone – and sent him home.
Callaway, a retired teacher, had already lived with prostate cancer since 1998 and had
been through numerous treatments. His first course of treatment was supposed to be a
prostatectomy. But doctors discovered on the operating table that the cancer had spread
to his lymph nodes. “In those days,” Callaway recalls, “they didn’t remove the prostate
gland if they found that the cancer had spread.” So they stitched him up and in the
intervening years he went through surgery, radiation and various types of hormone
therapy and chemotherapy. His treatments in the past decade had suppressed the cancer
for a few months at a time – even a couple years – but now his oncologist, Dr. Bernie Eigl,
had little more to offer. Abiraterone was one of his last options.
Though people with prostate cancer can, like Callaway, live with the disease for years, in
2008 his PSA levels were doubling every six weeks, signalling advancing cancer. Prostate-
specific antigen is a marker in the blood that helps doctors detect and monitor the cancer.
PSA increases with age, but for a healthy 45-year-old, it’s generally below three and for a 75-
year-old, below seven. Before he’d gone on the new drug regimen, Callaway’s PSA had
rocketed to an alarming 39.7 points.
“I was scared,” Callaway says. “I was thinking, ‘What am I going to do? I’ve tried these
hormone treatments and nothing’s working.’”
A month after starting abiraterone, he went back to the clinic for follow-up tests. “When
I phoned up for results,” he recalls, “the nurse said that my PSA was 3.86.” He was pleasantly

stunned with the new results: “I thought she’d missed a “Trials are a vitally important part of improving care,
decimal point.” survival and the quality of life for people with cancer.”
There’s another story here. When Barrie Callaway Dr. Eigl says. “Prostate cancer is undergoing an exciting
checked into the Tom Baker Cancer Centre that phase. We’re learning more about what pathways drive
November day two years ago, he was also checking in on the cancer, and new drugs that have been designed to
his first day as a participant in a Phase III clinical trial. target those pathways are now in the late stages of
Discovered at the Institute of Cancer Research in London, clinical trial development.” There are new options for a
England, the new drug abiraterone blocks an enzyme that disease that once had very few.
plays a key role in producing testosterone, which drives Trials can test the efficacy of hormone therapy,
the growth of prostate tumours. chemotherapy and immunotherapy, look at
The drug had gone through Phase I of clinical testing combinations of treatments and test new methods of
(when a handful of subjects try it to determine if there is surgery that are less invasive. They can take months or
clinical efficacy), and Phase II (when researchers study years and, if the trial is successful, patients sometimes
the effectiveness, dosage and safety of the drug on a continue on the therapy.
particular form of cancer in a larger group). Now the drug Such patient-based research is one of the most
was ready for Phase III, in which hundreds or possibly important areas of investigation into how to treat forms
thousands of people would take the drug, with researchers of cancer, and to learn how cancer progresses. In the
comparing outcomes against those of standard treatment, abiraterone trial, for instance, scrutiny of the disease
process meant doctors discovered that the cancer was
mutating in a way they hadn’t seen before. This multi-
“Trials are a vitally important level approach can lead to understanding how an illness
functions and, hopefully, to lowering mortality rates.
part of improving care, Before each trial, researchers assess a patient to see if
survival and the quality of life he or she qualifies. Health problems, such as other cancers
or diseases, might disqualify a potential participant.
for people with cancer.” For patients, the next step is reviewing the risks. Dr.
Eigl sent Callaway home with a lengthy contract to
review. Patients are warned of the possibility that drug
looking also at side effects and costs. This is the last phase won’t work or that it will have side effects. For example,
of the study before a drug can be produced and marketed. one man on Callaway’s study had an allergic reaction to
In Alberta, there are currently more than 550 clinical the drug and had to withdraw. “It doesn’t matter to me if
trials for cancer treatment. Of that number, roughly 100 you choose the trial,” says Dr. Eigl, “but that I have
are open to accrual, which means that new patients can treatment options to offer you.” Most trials offer some
join after the study has started. “Clinical trials have of the participants the trial drugs, while others receive
become a standard of care, especially in oncology,” says standard therapy, which amounts to the current best
Dr. Bernie Eigl, medical director of the Alberta Clinical standard of clinical care for their disease.
Cancer Research Unit, funded by the Alberta Cancer There are other benefits to participation. Trial subjects
Foundation. are tracked closely, and receive numerous and frequent
DEBUNKING THE MYTHS ABOUT CLINICAL TRIALS

Trials are difficult to find. Placebos are rarely used.
FALSE. In Alberta, there are more than 150 studies TRUE. Randomized trials often give half the study
recruiting subjects. Alberta Health Services’ subjects their old treatments and half the new
www.alberta.canadiancancertrials.ca lets you search treatments.
for potential trials based on factors such as the type
of cancer and location of the trial. (You can sign up There are many kinds of trials.
for email alerts about the latest trials). Find trials in TRUE. There are trials using everything from gene
other parts of Canada at www.canadiancancertrials.ca. therapy (manipulating a gene to encourage the
body to mount a defence against the cancer cells)
Patients on trials get a better quality of care. to angiogenesis inhibitors (a drug that blocks the
FALSE. “I often have patients who are sad because creation of new blood vessels to the tumour, effec-
they didn’t qualify for a trial or we didn’t have a trial tively starving it).
to offer them,” says Dr. Bernie Eigl. “It’s important
for them to remember that a trial is unproven. They Once a trial has started, it won’t take new patients.
could have derived no benefit or they could have FALSE. Many trials are open to accrual, meaning
been harmed by participating.” they are still accumulating data and adding subjects.

blood tests, CTs and bone scans to see if and “Cancer mutates over time,” Dr. Eigl says. “At stop working and his PSA levels will creep up.
where cancer is spreading. Progression of the each stage the timeline shortens. It’s like a “When abiraterone stops working for me,” he
cancer might be noticed earlier. For others, snowball rolling down a hill. The farther down says, “I hope there’ll be another trial.”
however, a trial will produce no benefit and may it rolls, the faster it gets.” In the meantime, he’s getting ready to go
harm, Dr. Eigl says. “The only person who will Chipper and friendly, Callaway is a glass-half- on another cruise: the Caribbean this time.
benefit from a trial for sure,” he says, “is the full kind of guy who has approached his diagnosis He’ll head to the Tom Baker Cancer Centre
person who has cancer down the road.” and treatment with a positive attitude. He for meds that will last him all 25 days of the
A trial can also buy time as researchers attends meetings for people with prostate trip. Life, he would tell you, goes on. In fact,
develop new treatments. The clinical trial of cancer, and continues to enjoy retirement. he says that he and Coralie recently
this new drug has slowed the progression of “About five years ago it hit me: you know, there’s celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary.
Callaway’s prostate cancer and his PSA levels no cure for prostate cancer. You might go into In the background, his wife corrects him: it
today are 1.1 – a fraction of what they were two remission for a long time, but there’s no cure.” was their 45th. “Oops. Well, I’m hoping to be
years ago. But patient and doctor are realistic. He knows that someday the abiraterone will around for the 50th anniversary.”
READY FOR A TRIAL?

1. TALK IT UP. Ask your
doctor which studies
might be right for you,
and about risks and
benefits. If you’re in the
pre-symptom stage
of cancer, standard
treatment might be
your first course.
2. LOOK AROUND.
Make your search easier
with online trial finders.
Search www.alberta.
canadiancancertrials.ca
for potential trials based
on factors such as the 5. PLAN YOUR TIME. Studies
type of cancer and frequently last several months
location of the trial. Find and include monthly or bi-
trials in other parts of monthly visits to the clinic for CT
Canada at www. and bone scans and other tests.
canadiancancertrials.ca. Each study has a pre-determined
schedule. A plus is that this
means closer monitoring of your
3. KNOW THYSELF. What level of risk are you willing cancer. On the flip: you might
to take? A Phase I study, for instance, may have limited feel like slave to the schedule.
impact on your outcome, though it helps the research
process. In some trials, two patients will receive the new
drug and one will receive a placebo or traditional
therapy. Studies have data safety monitoring boards 6. EVERYTHING ENDS. The study
and patients are closely monitored, but studies are is over, now what? Some trials, like
inherently experimental. those for prostate cancer, track
patients for years and, if the drug is
successful, trial subjects may
4. READ THE FINE PRINT. Once you’ve found continue on the treatment as long
and qualified for a trial, take the consent form as it’s beneficial. If that treatment
home to review. Ask the trial doctors questions. someday stops working, you can
investigate other trials.

Top Job
Nurse practitioner Krista Rawson brings energy

and enthusiasm to every race, helping patients
navigate their own course
BY STACEY CAREFOOT / PHOTOS BY KELLY REDINGER
W
hen Krista Rawson runs a marathon she experiences a plethora
of emotions. “There are moments in the race that are fantastic and moments
that are painful, times that are hard and times where you just need to keep
moving forward.” But as she describes it, “In the end you usually get to
celebrate your own hard work and energy.” She’s recounting her experience as an ultra-
marathon runner (an ultra has a distance longer than the usual 42 kilometres that marks a
marathon). But she could easily be talking about her job as a nurse practitioner at the
Central Alberta Cancer Centre in Red Deer.
In November 2009, Rawson became the centre’s first nurse practitioner since the centre
opened its doors in 1982. (It has been at its current location, adjoining the Red Deer Regional
Hospital, since 2005.) The bustling 887-square-metre facility, complete with 10 treatment
chairs, five treatment beds and four examining rooms has a catchment population of more
than 285,000 from across central Alberta and it provides an growing number of services.
An innovator in her field, Rawson came to the centre with an abundance of knowledge
cultivated through her experience at the Cross Cancer Institute in Edmonton, where she
began her career as an RN. In 2003, after completing her master’s degree in nursing,

Rawson became the Institute’s first nurse practitioner. Rawson after having already gone through a portion of her journey with breast cancer.
When she began working with her new designation, Rawson “My first appointment in Red Deer was with Dr. Graham and Krista,” says Vanson.
says that staff working with patients who had breast and “From that appointment on, it was Krista who helped me navigate the many twisty turns
gastrointestinal cancers expressed the most interest in of chemo treatment. I’ve been extraordinarily blessed with wonderful health professionals
adding a nurse practitioner to their teams. She added lung all throughout this journey and she is my shining star.”
cancers to her portfolio in Red Deer. After four months under the care of Rawson and the team at the Central Alberta Cancer
“I have always believed that nurse practitioners would Centre, Vanson has completed her chemotherapy treatments. She calls Rawson her
be beneficial in cancer care,” says Rawson when recounting Obi-Wan Kenobi, comparing her to the fictional Star Wars hero. “She knew my file right
her decision to pursue her master’s degree and continue from the start,” says Vanson, “and was able to foresee my questions. Her answers were
working at the Cross. “It was like, ‘leap and the net will compassionate but forthright, kind but not patronizing.”
appear,’” she continues. Just over a year and a half ago, A day on the job for Rawson is a marathon in itself. She walks or rides her bike from home,
Rawson took another leap when she moved to Red Deer arriving at work early in the morning. Her commitment to fitness has made her coworkers
and began working at the Central Alberta Cancer Centre. more conscious of their own fitness needs. They see her walking to work in the morning
Edmonton’s loss quickly became Red Deer’s gain. when it’s 30-below or biking in the rain and are inspired to ramp up their own fitness rou-
“Krista’s arrival at the centre was like winning money tines. Once she’s at work, she hits the ground running.
on a scratch ticket,” says Rawson’s coworker and office- Like most nurse practitioners, Rawson works autonomously in a clinic setting for a por-
mate Pat Gramlich who has worked at the Red Deer tion of her day. “Prescribing and diagnosis is part of my job,” says Rawson, “but I like to
centre for more than 14 years. Others there agree, includ- think of each person as having unique circumstances and stories.”
ing nurse manager Myrna Kelley. “Krista has been a valu- It’s those stories that connect her to the patients and help her guide them through their
able resource to both patients and staff,” says Kelley who treatment process. “There are so many layers to dealing with cancer and I try to touch on all
adds that patients and families are thrilled with the time of them,” says Rawson, who uses her buoyant conversational aptitude to learn about the
and attention Rawson devotes to their care plans. “She lives of her patients. “I ask them about their hobbies and the things they like to do, I can read
goes above and beyond to tap into all resources that are about their health issues, I want to get to know them.” No mean feat, given that she sees as
available,” says Kelley. many as 25 patients in a day.
Red Deer patient Rena Vanson was introduced to She wouldn’t trade a thing: “I have the greatest job in the world.”
MARATHON EFFORT: Red Deer Nurse

practitioner Krista Rawson’s day includes as
many as 25 patients, such as Larry Wilton,
but she takes time to learn their stories.

whyIdonate / STORIES OF GIVING
The
MOTIVATOR
What started as a sports pool
amongst friends became
a fundraiser after the
death of a dad FATHER’S DAY: David Bouckhout wishes that his
young son could have grown up with grandfather
Leo Bouckhout in his life. But the loss of his
father motivates David to give.
BY DAVID PARKER / PHOTO BY CHRIS TAIT

whyIdonate / STORIES OF GIVING
L eo and David Bouckhout were as close as any

father and son could hope to be. So when Leo died of
melanoma (a cancer of the skin) on March 16,
2008, David was devastated. He went through a long peri-
od of mourning and questioning. Grief and mourning are
extended family to donate to the Alberta Cancer Foundation in memory of Leo.
A thank-you note from the foundation made David realize that a small group of donors
could raise a significant amount of money. He wondered if he could organize
further support.
His wedding to Kelly gave him another opportunity. The couple placed tent cards on
typical after a loved one dies. Perhaps less typical is that it
each table at the reception. They noted that – in celebration of their joyous day and in
created in David a strong desire to do what he could to remembrance of Leo, who would have loved to have been there – they had made a dona-
prevent others from going through the same experience. tion to the Alberta Cancer Foundation. And they invited others to do the same.
He wanted to try, in some meaningful way, to help find a David Bouckhout didn’t stop there.
cure for cancer while encouraging people to pay attention A commodity strategist for TD Securities, covering both hard and soft commodities,
to the warning signs. David specializes in the energy sector. Generating research and strategy on a variety of
Leo was a successful businessman in the oil and gas commodities for both internal and external clients requires deep concentration and the
sector; his consulting and training assignments took him ability to work intently on risk analytics, marketing and trading, all with a focus on
to more than 20 countries on five continents. Despite energy derivatives. But he also has a lighter, creative side.
living a healthy life, the removal and biopsy of a mole in As a young man, David performed with the Calgary Fiddlers and today plays several
the early 1990s confirmed melanoma. Follow-up tests instruments, including the bass guitar he plays with a hard rock band. He is also a sports
suggested the cancer hadn’t spread to his organs or lymph enthusiast and had, for a number of years, organized a small pool of friends and fellow
nodes – that he was in the clear. Life went on and after the sports lovers to bet on the winners of the NCAA March Madness tournament. (In this
five-year mark post cancer had passed, the brush with the tournament, nearly 70 American college basketball teams compete for a spot in the
disease seemed distant. semi-finals. It’s hugely popular among sports fans, and the subject of many pools.) The
In 2007 Leo discovered a lump under his arm, another winner of David’s pool typically took home a nice cash prize and he wondered if he could
test confirmed it was melanoma. Leo took treatment promote his annual event as a charity fundraiser, with the winner donating a percentage
of the prize to the Alberta Cancer Foundation.
The pool was typically held around the same time as the anni-
The ordeal of losing a father who was also versary of Leo’s death, so it was an easy sell and David’s friends
a close friend also caused David to do some received the idea enthusiastically. It began with the 2009 tourna-
ment, the happy winner taking 50 per cent of the prize money
serious thinking about cancer and how and donating the other half to the Alberta Cancer Foundation for
he could support research and public a tax receipt.
awareness about melanoma in particular. Last year the pool’s enrolment increased dramatically as
family and friends and fellow workers at his TD Securities office
got caught up in David’s passion to raise funds for cancer
with interferon, which interferes with the growth and research. The fact that the event was fun helped the cause, and also honoured Leo’s
spread of melanoma. He was full of confidence again. memory.
But after a vacation, he developed a bad chest infec- More than 100 people participated and this year people are already emailing don’t-
tion, was admitted to Calgary’s Foothills Hospital where forget-me pleas to ensure they are included. Requests are coming from out of province
doctors discovered the cancer had metastasized to his and from the United States.
lungs. He died four short weeks later – a shock for the David has set a goal of doubling the entries and raising $5,000 for the Alberta Cancer
close-knit family. And a wake-up call for son David, who Foundation this year.
now has an annual visit with a dermatologist. David’s enthusiasm in supporting the Alberta Cancer Foundation has him thinking
The ordeal of losing a father who was also a close friend daily of the blessings he received in sharing his life with his father Leo. Since the birth of
also caused David to do some serious thinking about David’s son, he hopes to ensure other little boys have grandfathers in the picture.
cancer and how he could support research and public
awareness about melanoma in particular.
Other cancers are better-known, he says, “and we need
to make people aware that melanoma is much more preva-
A METHOD TO HIS MADNESS
lent than they think.” David Bouckhout’s March Madness basketball pool fundraiser started
Like many other Albertans, David and his family have small. Although it’s still a very personal campaign, it has become a lot of
donated to a number of deserving charities. “They come work to administer. He says that if the pool gets much bigger he’ll need
to the door and it’s hard to pick and choose,” he says. He help organizing the event. He speculates that an online software tool
still contributes to several causes, but he felt it important might facilitate the growing demand.
to direct his donations to a charity that concentrates on Right now he’s also looking for other ways to raise money for the Alberta
research and patient care, as well as raising awareness Cancer Foundation. He says that one idea he’d love to try is a Battle of the
for the cause. Bands benefit concert. The key is to keep the fun in fundraising. He
Not surprising, he chose the Alberta Cancer encourages others to take up the cause by planning personal or corporate
Foundation. fundraising events, no matter how small they might be as starters (see
At Leo’s Celebration of Life at Calgary’s First Alliance page 7 for Five Fundraising Finds), or visit albertacancer.ca to get started.
Church, his family encouraged friends, colleagues and

THE JOURNEY BACK
Keep the competitive flame burning as you
travel from wellness to fitness to sport
BY JESSE LIPSCOMBE
Trauma and disaster blindside you when they strike, and you’re left to realize that the Patience. Scaling back is not regression or failure; it’s an
journey back is longer and harder than you could imagine. You have to accept where you awareness of where you are and it gives your body the
are and take the appropriate steps to progress. chance to catch up. Your head might be in the game before
My name is Jesse Lipscombe. I’m a former professional track and field athlete turned your body is ready.
health professional. I own Phat Training Inc. in Edmonton and it’s my goal to facilitate I worked with an athlete once who was battling back after
active and healthy lifestyles. I’ve seen athletes brought to their knees with illness or injury a severe ankle injury. He managed to rehab his body back to
and subsequently rise to their former level of health. Alternately, there are people who about 80 per cent, but then he’d increase the intensity of his
are stuck feeling like a shadow of the athlete they once were. To them I say: Reflect on the workouts and re-injure the ankle. Before we began our
qualities that drew you to sport, the hurdles you had to leap and the naysayers you had to program we had the “patience talk.”
silence. Harness your athletic focus and use it to your advantage. We scaled back and worked on aspects of his sport that
At some point in your recovery, it’ll stop being rehab and will start being exercise and athletes often ignore. As we focused on things such as
sport. No matter where you are on that continuum, you need to have the mindset of a flexibility, ankle and foot stretching and balance, we gave
champion. With the mind of a champion, you’ll take progressive steps. As you journey the injury the needed time to heal. But I also noticed that his
back to health, there’ll be pain, doubt and confusion, so focus on the small victories. mood and general well-being changed. Buckets of positivity
Consider it a game of snakes and ladders: three steps forward, two steps back, but always exuded from him. In the end, he healed and performed at a
progression. higher level than ever.
Whether your victories come from deciding that today is better than yesterday, or that
you’ll have the ability to do that extra work to get you podium side, you’ll have to lead with Motion. Athletes often overlook the feel-good endorphins
your mind before your body can follow. Anyone can approach the way back to health and that are released by exercise. But, as illness or injury force
fitness with the mind of an athlete. I can offer these tips to others trying to get back to you to slow down, the will to even get out of bed can dimin-
health, fitness and sport. ish. To get the “feel-good emotion” back, move as much as
you can within your limits.
When my clients first get rolling on a rehab or workout
program, nothing can stop them. Many clients have lost
loads of weight and felt great. However, as time passes, that
burning flame to work as hard as they did can sputter. It’s
important to remember that the workout isn’t that hard;
standing up and getting started is. The secret is just move
every day.
Meditation. Take the time each day to appreciate where

you are. Don’t lament the struggles that lie ahead.
Just be.
Somebody brought meditation to my attention a few
years back when I was “money chasing.” I was a professional
high jumper attempting to make as much money as I could
in as short a time as possible. I’d fly from country to coun-
try – sometimes four competitions a week – to compete and
cash in as much as possible.This person taught me to take
stock of the present and appreciate where I am.
I began to learn meditation, enjoying the positive effect it
had on my game and my health. So each day, take a few
minutes to sit still, and “be” on the journey back to health.
TRACK A MEETING: You’re never too young or Jesse Lipscombe is president and founder of Phat Training.
too old to talk motivation and physical activity.
Check out videos of his recommended exercises to get you
started at unlimitedmagazine.com, search “deskercise.”

Crack a
SMILE
How laughter can help heal the
body as well as brighten the spirit
BY LIZ CROMPTON
W hen Pam Barnaby filed into the auditorium

at the Cross Cancer Institute in Edmonton
with some 300 colleagues one Friday afternoon
for what was billed as a stress-reduction seminar, she
didn’t have any expectations. But something happened
while she was there. “I could feel energy in my hands, and
I could feel it radiating into me. I felt lighter, energized,”
she recalls. And it wasn’t just her: “I could feel the energy
build in the room.”
The seminar leader was Billy Strean, author, University
of Alberta professor in the Faculty of Physical Education
and Recreation, professional speaker – and certified
laughter leader. (Seriously. The World Laughter Tour
organization offers a program to train people to help oth-
ers tap into their own wellspring of happiness.) “Laughing
is a self-reinforcing behaviour,” says Strean. “It feels
good, which encourages you to do it some more.”
The question is: how good? We all know laughing
makes us feel better psychologically, but does it also have
healing effects on our physical selves? Is laughter really
the best medicine, even for those facing critical illnesses?
Scientists began to research the connection between
the state of the mind and the state of the body after such
people as Dr. Hunter “Patch” Adams, who brought
humour to the hospital, and Norman Cousins shone a
spotlight on the possibilities in the 1970s. Cousins, a
political activist and journalist afflicted with various ill-
nesses throughout his life, believed in the power of laugh-
ter to cure, prescribing himself a regimen of comedy
films. Ten minutes of belly laughter, he said, brought him
at least two hours of pain-free sleep.
Studies since then by various medical researchers, pre-
dominantly Dr. William Fry and Loma Linda University’s
HIDDEN TREASURE: Geocachers use a
hand-held GPS to hide, and locate, items all Dr. Lee Berk and Stanley Tan in California, would seem to
around the world. back that up. The studies indicate that laughing reduces
stress hormones, lowers blood pressure, increases heart
rate and oxygen flow, boosts the immune system, and
triggers the release of endorphins – natural painkillers.
And there’s a significant bonus, as Strean points out: all

HEALTH LOOKS FUNNY: Maybe Groucho Marx
was onto something when he quipped: “A clown
is like aspirin, only he works twice as fast.”(Billy
Strean is in the happy-face T-shirt)
this comes free of cost, free of drugs, and, for the vast majority of people, free of negative Barnaby, too, is hoping to help cancer patients at the
side effects. Cross Cancer Institute feel better within the next few
A Ph.D. with a background in sport psychology, Strean considers laughter an exercise, months. She’d led a laughter session with about 100 staff
where frequency, intensity and duration all count towards good health. And he thinks and she saw the transformation, as with other groups she’s
laughing in groups is more beneficial than doing so alone. “In a group, you have laughter, worked with: “That look of almost defensiveness is gone,
you have joy, you have connection,” says Strean, who outlines his approach in his book and it’s replaced by one of almost pure joy,” she recalls.
The HoHo Dojo: Lighten Up and Love Life Laughing. “Without fail, they feel better, rejuvenated, happier.”
He notes that a person deal- And who, no matter their health situation, can frown
ing with a critical illness can upon feeling better?
Having a genuine, belly-shaking view it one of two ways: With
laugh is an obvious place to start
feeling more positive.
feelings of anger, betrayal,
denial and/or grief, or with a LAUGH IT UP
positive outlook, which some Billy Strean runs laughter sessions throughout
science would seem to show Edmonton, both in regular programs, such as
taps into the body’s healing the laughter club at the University of Alberta,
powers. And having a genuine, belly-shaking laugh is an obvious place to start feeling and at the invitation of organizations. For
more positive. “Laughter is the ambassador to all the positive emotions,” Strean says, up-to-date information on current and upcoming
paraphrasing Cousins. sessions, and for more information in general,
Lana Shepherd, an occupational therapist, has been a laughter yoga leader in visit http://billystrean.com/
Edmonton for the past year. (Dr. Madan Kataria, an Indian physician, founded the laugh-
ter yoga club movement in 1995; in these, laughter is built through a series of exercises, To find out more about laughter yoga, visit the
not by reaction to humour.) Shepherd says she’s witnessed some positive results in the site of the founder, Dr. Madan Kataria:
two places she leads regularly: The Sturgeon Hospital program for adults and the Good www.laughteryoga.org
Samaritan Society Millwoods Care Centre, a long-term residence where most of the
participants are in wheelchairs and some are also on oxygen. That doesn’t get in the way To learn more about laughter clubs or to
of a good laugh, says Shepherd. find ones in Alberta, see
The participants’ reviews are positive. “They’ve given me feedback about how much www.laughterclubs.com
better they feel after a session of laughter yoga.”

Bruce Horak’s character “Cancer” is part
Cat in the Hat, part Charlie Chaplin’s
Great Dictator. He’s scary, but it helps
to point and laugh
BY MIFI PURVIS / PHOTOS BY TRUDI LEE PHOTOGRAPHY

I
n his five-star performance of This Is Cancer at Rebecca Northan came to get me backstage and said “Uh, Bruce, you’d better
the 2010 Edmonton International Fringe Festival in come out. That lady is still here and she’s crying.” I sat down with her and she
August, former Calgarian Bruce Horak donned Joker- thanked me – hugged me – told me it was the first time she’d laughed at can-
like makeup and a bow-tie to become a guy named cer. Then this guy walks over and punches me in the head, saying, “I have
Cancer and woo the sold-out crowd. It turns out that cancer and that wasn’t funny.” But the lady said to me afterwards, “That man
Cancer loves us. It’s a toxic love, for sure, but he really cares was the one who needed to hit you with a noodle.” She was right; it becomes
for us – and he’s an attention junkie. the effigy that’s important.
LEAP: What led to the development of Cancer, the LEAP: Does the fact that you had bilateral retinoblastoma, a kind of
character? cancer of the eye, as a baby give you some cred to play Cancer?
Horak: I had a bouffon clown character, a kind of Horak: I think so; it lets the audience be more responsive. I had one eye
grotesque anti-clown, called “Foof.” He was a demon and I removed and I have about nine per cent vision in my other eye. The addition
played him at cabarets, trying to convince audience mem- of the voice recordings of my mother and father to the show help, too. I made
bers to let him drag one of them to hell. I showed up at the tape of my father when we were writing his obituary in Calgary shortly
Toronto’s Lunacy Cabaret one night and I was approached before he died in 2003. He had had retinoblastoma in one eye as a child, too,
by another performer who felt my character’s name was and he later developed oesophageal cancer.
too similar to hers, which had a much longer history. That
day I played much the same show, only I called myself LEAP: Does the higher incidence of second cancers in people who’ve
“Cancer” and tried to convince audience members to take had retinoblastoma as children scare you?
me home. The change was electric. Later we developed a
75-minute show. Horak: My mentor [and fellow clown], Mike Kennard, taught me that you
have to go where the fear is, to shine a flashlight on what scares you. We’re all
LEAP: In your show, you regularly engage audience dying – I just hope that I could handle it as gracefully as my dad did. I talked to
members. At one point in your Edmonton show, you a woman once who had Stage IV cancer. She told me that if I’d called her up for
singled out a guy and announced that you – Cancer – a noodle fight, she would have danced with me instead, because that was her
were going home with him. He said later that, at that experience with cancer – it was a dance.
moment, he went cold. Then you challenged him to a
fight with foam pool noodles, so he could “beat Cancer.”
Does everyone find Cancer funny? LAUGH AT THE EFFIGY
Horak: Once I excerpted that part of the show for a bur- Bruce Horak’s award-winning stage show, This Is Cancer,
lesque night. I had this tipsy 21-year-old tottering in high returns to the Edmonton International Fringe Festival in 2011.
heels on stage, swatting at me with the noodle. Then a lady If you’d like your chance to wallop Cancer, or at least to
runs up, grabs the noodle from the girl and everyone’s won- point at him, hurl insults and laugh, Horak and partner
dering why. She pulls off her wig and screams, “You know Rebecca Northan, visit www.thisiscancer.com for a listing of
why? That’s why, you son of a bitch!” and starts hitting me upcoming performances.
as hard as she can. After the show, co-creator and director

HELP FROM HOME
A forward-thinking Charitable
Assistance Fund, paid for by City
of Edmonton employees, fund
home-grown, cutting-edge science
BY MIFI PURVIS
A strategic manager with the City of Edmonton, Brenda Waluk

also brings her expertise to her volunteer position as Chair of the
Board of The Edmonton Civic Employees Charitable Assistance
Fund. There, she and volunteers from nine local unions repre-
senting nearly 10,000 employees (including firefighters, transit
worker and others) administer a fund whose mandate includes
promoting healthy communities in the Edmonton area.
The Charitable Assistance Fund became involved with the
Alberta Cancer Foundation in 2000, when it donated $50,000
towards IGAR (image-guided adaptive radiotherapy), a program
led by Dr. Gino Fallone, director of medical physics at the Cross
Cancer Institute. IGAR uses a combination of CT scanning, MRI,
and PET imaging to map a patient’s cancer as accurately as pos-
10,000-PEOPLE STRONG
sible. Radiologists then design a therapy, using a helical tomo- The Edmonton Civic Employees Charitable Assistance
therapy unit to deliver radiation that follows the tumour edges Fund represents 10,000 people in and around Edmonton.
accurately, leaving healthy tissue undamaged. The Fund’s generous support for Dr. Fallone’s work means
Building on the success of the IGAR, Dr. Fallone and the that their families, their neighbours and community
Alberta Cancer Foundation made another presentation to the members benefit from a higher level of cancer care.
Charitable Assistance Fund. “They approached us in 2007 or The Fund represents employees in the following unions:
2008,” says Waluk. “That’s when we started supporting the • Amalgamated Transit Union #569
LINAC program.” The LINAC-MR program is a prototype being • CUPE Local #30
developed by Dr. Fallone, building on his previous work. “Dr. • Edmonton Firefighters Union #209
Fallone explained it to us,” Waluk says. “The new machine will • City of Edmonton Management Association
deliver accurate doses of radiation and it’s much easier on the • International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers #1007
patient. It might be able to do in two or three doses what is cur- • United Nurses of Alberta Local #196
rently done in 10 or 12.” The Charitable Assistance Fund awarded • Communication, Energy and Paper Workers Local #829
the project $485,000. • Association of Managers and Non-Union Affiliates -
“We are so proud to be associated with this project,” she says. Alberta Health Services
“We have these amazing scientists right here in Alberta, doing • Edmonton Police Service Sr. Officers Association
cutting-edge things. We have to support them.”

Find more health in apple magazine
More health More wellness
apple offers you and your

family everyday health and
More Alberta wellness information.
Look for apple at 1,500+ locations across Alberta.
Visit apple.mag for more details and exclusive stories.
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details and exclusive stories.
P
More insight yourick up
todacopy
y!
More family
000LP.Apple_1-2H.indd 1 2/22/11 4:15:27 PM
Follow us on twitter:
@albertacancer
and on Facebook:
facebook.com/albertacancerfoundation
myleap / INSPIRING INDIVIDUALS
MOVING PICTURES: Painter Liz

Sullivan with a selection of her work,
inspired by her ride.
To find out more about Liz Sullivan’s paintings, see

http://lizsullivanart.com. For more about the 2011
Enbridge Ride to Conquer Cancer (held this year
on June 25-26), visit www.conquercancer.ca.
Landscape in Motion
The summer sun warmed the asphalt in front of Liz Sullivan and her husband, perseverance, an uphill climb and strength in
Richard Smith, as they pedalled out of Spruce Meadows, south of Calgary numbers,” she says. She was especially moved
towards the foothills last June. Water at the ready, the pair could feel their by how many cyclists on the race sported yellow
muscles working overtime. Enthusiastic recreational cyclists, they had never flags, indicating their status as people who had
before opted to ride a distance such as this. By the time they finished, they had faced cancer.
logged 200-plus kilometres in support of the 2010 Enbridge Ride to Conquer Sullivan anticipates as many as 25 paintings in
Cancer, benefiting the Alberta Cancer Foundation. the group by the time she’s done. She’s looking
“The energy of the event was so moving,” says Sullivan, a Calgary artist who for opportunities to show the series. “Of the
has worked out of her Inglewood studio for 10 years. Cyclists rode all day, then paintings that sell in a non-gallery space,” she
stopped to camp at Chain Lakes Provincial Park to enjoy some evening enter- says, “I’ll donate 50 per cent of the profits to the
tainment and food before a night’s rest. “I couldn’t believe it,” Sullivan recalls. Alberta Cancer Foundation.”
“We were actually keen to get back on the bikes on the second morning.” Her Proceeds from the Enbridge Ride to Conquer
team of five, the Old Spokes, raised more than $20,000 over the weekend. Cancer support the Tom Baker Cancer Centre in
“The ride was amazing and inspirational,” she says. “So much so that I’m Calgary, the Cross Cancer Institute in Edmonton,
sharing the experience of the colour and feeling through paint on canvas.” She and 15 other community cancer centres across
has started a series of her iconic paintings based on her experience with the the province. The money is used to support top-
Ride. Known for her landscapes, Sullivan’s new series is shot through with level cancer research and scholarship as well as
motion. Images depict a single cyclist making it through an arduous stretch, a front-line patient care.
tough climb and vista with dozens of cyclists. “I wanted to explore ideas like – Mifi Purvis

“To see all the people
out there supporting
research that saved my
life―it’s truly amazing.
I could never be more
thankful.”
Lorna Mutzbauer, Weekend Walker
Make this
Weekend
matter!
Register to Walk endcancer.ca
877.394.WALK (9255)
Make this a weekend you’ll never forget. A Weekend to remember those we have lost,
and celebrating the lives we are saving each day. A Weekend creating hope for the
future as we journey together towards the ultimate goal: a cure for all women’s cancers.
This is the Shoppers Drug Mart Weekend to End Women’s Cancers™ benefiting the
®
Alberta Cancer Foundation. Be part of our groundbreaking movement in the quest to

end breast and gynecologic cancers.
Join this amazing journey today!

The Weekend to End Women’s Cancers is a trademark of Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation, used under license; Shoppers Drug Mart/PHARMAPRIX is a registered trademark of 911979 Alberta Ltd., used under license.
EPIC RIDE. EPIC IMPACT.
Gear up for The Ride of a lifetime!

Join The Enbridge Ride to Conquer Cancer
NATIONAL TITLE SPONSOR
benefiting the Alberta Cancer Foundation, a
fully-supported, 2-day cycling adventure along
the majestic Rockies. Thousands of Riders of all
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conquer cancer – a disease that affects 1 in 2 Albertans. CONQUERCANCER.CA
Space is limited, so be sure to secure your spot in [888] 624-BIKE [2453]
history TODAY!

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SUPPORT GROUPS MAXIMIZE YOUR MEALS

DO THEY REALLY LEARN TO LOVE

What Brett Wilson

To read more about this inspiring feat,

ON THE COVER: Brett Wilson

16 THE UNCOMMON MAN

19 THE POWER OF PARTNERSHIP

26 22 THE SCARE DOWN THERE

DEPARTMENTS 25 TOBACCO TALK

14 ASK THE EXPERTS 34 TRIAL AND SUCCESS

50 MY LEAP 41 WHY I DONATE

46 MR. CANCER, MAN ABOUT TOWN

Alber ta’s cancer-free movement spring 2011 3

4 spring 2011 myleapmagazine.ca

ALBERTA CANCER FOUNDATION

EDITORIAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE

VENTURE PUBLISHING INC.

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Linda Carlson, Sandra Christianson,

For those facing cancer today, in honour of those

The information in this publication is not meant to be a substitute for professional

Printed in Canada by Transcontinental LGM.

Alber ta’s cancer-free movement

6 spring 2011 myleapmagazine.ca

5. Team up with a local

Put the Stink on Cancer

Alber ta’s cancer-free movement spring 2011 7

8 spring 2011 myleapmagazine.ca

8.Prostate disease and cancer

9.Testicular disease and cancer

MONDAY. Incorporate some exercise. Set your clock 15

What positive can we take away

Although he died in January 2010,

Bring Awareness to Down There-ness

Support groups for people going through cancer

12 spring 2011 myleapmagazine.ca

Blend all ingredients. Refrigerate until set. Makes

Alber ta’s cancer-free movement spring 2011 13

YOU’VE GOT QUESTIONS

Ask the Expert is an opportunity to have

Cancer care professionals ask patients to ascribe a

a painkiller for long periods. In this case the pain can

14 spring 2011 myleapmagazine.ca

“Regular Pap testing can

Alber ta’s cancer-free movement spring 2011 15

16 spring 2011 myleapmagazine.ca

By MarcÉllo Di Cinto / illustration by raymond reid

Alber ta’s cancer-free movement spring 2011 17

And as in life, others follow his

Fred died in May of 2008, but

Edmonton’s three largest health-based

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BY ANNALISE KLINGBEIL / ILLUSTRATION BY HEFF O’REILLY

Young men don’t want to hear about it,

Alber ta’s cancer-free movement spring 2011 23

mountaintop ceremony – pushed forward

Jim continues to fund cancer research

But when Jim died of colorectal

WeddingAd.indd 1 2/23/11 10:31:34 AM

T here’s no easy way to quit smoking. While the rate of Canadians

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26 spring 2011 myleapmagazine.ca