Blog

CancerCelebrities Help Raising Awareness for Thyroid Cancer

Celebrities Help Raising Awareness for Thyroid Cancer

Over the past few years, several celebrities have come forward to discuss their diagnoses and treatment for thyroid cancer, most recently South Korean actress, Park So-dam, one of the lead actors in the Oscar-winning film Parasite. Park was diagnosed with papillary thyroid cancer in late 2021, and she publicly shared her diagnosis in an official statement put out by her professional representation. She regularly posts to her social media accounts to update her fans on her progress and provide reassurances about her health.

She is not the only celebrity who has been public about their thyroid cancer diagnosis. Sofia Vergara, well-known for her role on the sitcom Modern Family, first spoke publicly about her diagnosis in an article for Health in 2011. At that time, she commented she did not want any attention around her diagnosis until she had completed her initial surgery and radioactive iodine ablation. Vergara credited early detection for helping her achieve remission. "I was fortunate to have caught it early and to have the support of my doctors and most importantly, my family," Vergara said during a Stand Up To Cancer event in 2021. "I learned a lot during that time, not just about thyroid cancer but I also learned that in times of crisis, we're better together and if we're going to end cancer, it's going to require a team effort." Both actors noted that their thyroid nodules were found on physical examination.

Conversely, in 2017, Shark Tank's Daymond John spoke about his thyroid cancer diagnosis which was made during an "executive physical." In an article in People, he noted, "I just want to share my story to empower people to take control of their health. This is something we all have to be diligent about." Whether thyroid enlargement was noted on physical examination or screening ultrasound is unclear.

Do these public announcements help raise awareness or create an outsize fear of diagnosis of thyroid cancer?

Raising Awareness About Thyroid Cancer
Although most thyroid cancer outcomes are favourable, maintaining awareness of thyroid disease remains important. Approximately 44,280 adults (12,150 men and 32,130 women) were diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 2021, with the lifetime risk of developing thyroid cancer being 1.2%, according to the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results thyroid cancer database. Thyroid cancer is the seventh most common cancer diagnosed in women and accounts for 2.3% of all cancer diagnoses. Localised, well-differentiated thyroid cancer is associated with a 5-year survival rate of almost 100%. The 5-year survival rate for regional papillary thyroid cancer is 99% and decreases to 50% for more advanced cancers.

While most patients are unable to access an "executive physical" such as John's, this publicity does raise concerns in the realm of health equity in medical care. Asymptomatic patients without significant risk factors (ie. childhood exposure to head and neck irradiation, inherited genetic syndrome associated with thyroid cancer, or a first-degree relative with thyroid cancer) should be encouraged to have annual physical examinations with their primary physician and referral for imaging if thyroid enlargement, nodules, or lymph nodes are noted.

 

Close
Cancer Fatigue

Cancer-related is one of the most common side effects of cancer and its treatments. Like fatigue, cancer fatigue is whole-body exhaustion that you feel no matter how much sleep or rest you get. Cancer fatigue takes exhaustion a step further: You feel physically, emotionally and mentally exhausted most of the time. Cancer fatigue may last a few weeks (acute) or for months or years (chronic).

To improve energy effectively, we provide modalities ranging from mindfulness-based cognitive therapy therapies, to herbal medicine and targeted nutritional interventions.

Pain Management

Providing quality care and services to our patients is our utmost commitment. Our approach prioritises a holistic and integrative method to health and wellness, ensuring that each patient receives personalised and effective treatment.

Our acupuncture services, including traditional acupuncture, medical acupuncture, and laser acupuncture, are designed to stimulate the body's natural healing processes, reduce pain, and improve overall health. In addition to acupuncture, we provide specialised physiotherapy services aimed at restoring movement, improving function, and alleviating pain Our commitment to quality care is reflected in our dedication to continuously improving our services and staying abreast of the latest advancements in medical and complementary treatments.

We are devoted to helping our patients achieve the best possible health outcomes through compassionate, comprehensive, and patient-centred care.

vitawell cancer therapy

Download your free ebook.

Send us your name and email to
receive the download link

Name
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Recovery

Helping you to thrive into enduring wellness after the conclusion of cancer treatments is our goal. At Vitawell Wellness we understand that an optimised immune system comes from a foundation of basics. Quality of sleep, exercise, enjoying nature, and practising meditation are incredibly important elements to aid in your recovery.

Our holistic approach focuses on rebuilding all the components that form your unique profile, from weight and movement to mind-body connection; from good energy to healthy weight; from sleep to finding happiness in small things.  Recovery also depends upon restoring imbalances in your immune system, nervous system, neurotransmitters, gut health, adrenal and hormonal systems. At Vitawell Wellness we will provide you with the essential tools and the appropriate program to achieve and to maintain optimal health and enduring wellness.

Stress Management

The state of mind impacts health through the mind-body connection. We believe that  that body and mind are one, that the mind feeds the body just as the body feeds the mind. Since emotions, feelings, thoughts, beliefs, actions, and behaviour impact and literally shape wellbeing, we provide the necessary tools to  strengthen your mental and emotional inner life.

We strive to help you cultivate and maintain hope, calm, optimism, and inner-peace. We want to know how you feel; we listen and support you in regaining power with positive actions, step-by-step into wellness. 

Clinical Detox

After the conclusion of cancer treatments, we strongly recommend that you follow our clinical detoxification program. At Vitawell Wellness we are aware tht some common side-effects from chemotherapy or radiation therapy treatments can have lasting effects such as brain fog, loss of energy and gastro-intestinal dysfunction.

We strongly believe in the power of detoxification as a method of steadily reducing toxins` accumulation and regaining strength, balance, and imporve wellness. Our personalised program is sensible, gentle but effective, and includes stress reduction technique and lifestyle changes.

Personalised Diet

The relationship between cancer, diet, energy, muscle mass and optimal weight is extremely important. At Vitawell Wellness we focus on addressing your current nutritional status and develop the right diet for you.  "One size does not fit all" principle applies to your diet. Each person is unique and therefore variability exists between nutrient-sense diets.

We provide personalised and appropriate dietary plans before, during and after cancer treatments. We provide 7 day menu plan, shopping lists and recipes that reflect food preferences and sensitivities. The menu plans are easy to follow. Each food is selected for its specific content of nutrients. Healthy foods positively support your whole person wellness.

For some, reaching wellness means improving body weight, muscle mass, digestion, assimilation and gut microbiome. 

For some, reaching wellness means reducing body weight, improving muscle mass, digestion, bowel function and gut microbiome. Obesity and overweight have been shown to increase cancer risk.

Preventive Care

The Functional Medicine model is an individualised, patient-centred, science-based approach that empowers patients and practitioners to work together and to address the underlying causes of disease and promote optimal wellness.

Functional Medicine is gaining attention as a new approach to care in large institutions and Universities around the world. This is leading to new approaches to investigate ways to research outcomes of Functional Medicine designed to discover and remedy root causes of problems instead of suppressing symptoms. Random controlled trials are beginning to be conducted, and a new body of literature is beginning to emerge in this realm as a result.

Nutritional Medicine

Nutrition medicine is a personalised medicine that deals with primary prevention and addresses underlying causes instead of treating symptoms for serious chronic diseases. By shifting the traditional disease-centred focus of medical practice to a more patient-centred approach, nutritional medicine individualises the patient's nutritional needs based on genetic, environmental, and personal considerations.

Nutritional medicine focuses on shifting dietary habits to optimise personal health stimulating the powerful inert healing mechanism within each person by providing nutrient protocols and specialised diets for each individual need.

Herbal Medicine

Herbalism today is based on remedies and techniques tried and tested through generations of use, but increasingly re-evaluated in the light of modern medical refinements. A key feature of herbalism is that remedies are used to support and modify disturbed body functions.

Herbal medicine is the oldest and still the most widely used system of medicine in the world today. It is medicine made exclusively from plants. It is used in all societies and is common to all cultures.

Herbal medicine is increasingly being validated by scientific investigation which seeks to understand the active chemistry of the plant. Many modern pharmaceuticals have been modelled on, or derived from, phytochemicals found in plants. Increasing research on herbal medicine demonstrates that liquid botanicals play a critical role during, before and after a diagnosis of cancer.

Individualised Plans

Cancer requires negotiation and navigation. Decisions must be made. Directions must be pursued. The decisions and directions often occur in the middle of stress, fear, trauma, and many other challenging emotions. The skills with which people negotiate and navigate their cancer journey are better supported by combining conventional treatments with evidence-based natural medicine.

At Vitawell Wellness, we design individual programs to support you regardless of your diagnosis and the stage of your cancer. We collect all critical information about your state of health and help you in your decision-making process with the wisdom and the experience that comes from years of clinical practice. We work in alignment with what you think, feel, say, and do. In this way, we honour your self-awareness, your knowledge and views and integrate them in safe practices.