Breast Cancer Coach Helps Cancer Patients Reduce Stress, Find New Hope and Self Confidence

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death. Coping with diagnosis and treatment of cancer is a very stressful journey for cancer patients and survivors, complicated by fears, anxiety, grief, and many emotional issues.

Certified life coach and stress management expert Hueina Su, MS, BSN, CEC, has launched a pioneering Mindful Wellness Coaching Program at the Sparta Cancer Center in Sparta, New Jersey. Since June 2010, over 60 cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers have benefited from the service with positive feedback. Su is the president and founder of Denville, NJ–based Beyond Horizon Coaching.

“Cancer patients and caregivers are very prone to stress and overwhelm. Research has shown that stress reduces immune function and interferes with the body’s ability to heal, so learning how to deal with stress effectively will help accelerate cancer patients’ recovery and improve their quality of life. Stress reduction and coaching have been found to improve cancer patients’ survival rates,” Su said.

The Mindful Wellness Program is an innovative multi-dimensional program to enhance care and quality of life for cancer patients, caregivers, and staff. “Stress reduction coaching can lower patients’ risks of cancer recurrences, infection, complications, and stress-related illnesses. It can promote healing and make medical treatment more effective,” Su said.

“By giving cancer patients tools and techniques for stress relief, self-care, and life skills, they receive a sense of control, and become more resilient and confident in dealing with cancer and other life changes,” Su said. “One example is a cancer survivor who also lost her job in the process and experienced financial difficulty due to recent economic downturn. Through my coaching, she’s able to use the skills to deal with her family, reframe the problem, and come up with solutions.”

Sparta Cancer Center is the first radiation oncology center in the Sussex County NJ to offer the most advanced radiation therapy. Under the leadership of Dr. Michael Gallagher, MD, MBA, FACRO, FACP, the center has a multidisciplinary team that offers complementary support programs in addition to radiation and chemotherapy. Su’s Mindful Wellness Coaching Program is the newest addition to their complementary programs.

Su said, “I have also learned life lessons from the cancer patients I’m coaching. An 83-year-old cancer patient showed me that there is always hope in life. I’m so impressed by her strong will and optimism.

“The well-being of cancer caregivers and patient care staff is just as important as that of cancer patients. Having worked with terminally ill cancer patients as a nurse, I experienced first-hand the high level of stress and its negative impact on health and well-being. This is why I wrote my best-selling book Intensive Care for the Nurturer’s Soul: 7 Keys to Nurture Yourself While Caring for Others,” Su says.

“It’s my pleasure to work with Dr. Gallagher and his team,” Su said. “My program gives them the tools and confidence to not just survive, but to also thrive after their cancer treatments. There is life beyond cancer, and I feel so privileged to be able to help them bridge that transition.”

About Hueina Su and Beyond Horizon Coaching

Hueina Su, MS, BSN, CEC, is a renowned expert in helping people restore the missing peace and balance in their stressful lives.  Su is a Mindful Wellness Expert, certified life coach, keynote speaker, and the best-selling author of Intensive Care for the Nurturer’s Soul: 7 Keys to Nurture Yourself While Caring for Others. She is on a mission to empower one million women nurturers to nurture themselves and create a life of their choice.

Su is the founder and president of Beyond Horizon Coaching, a global coaching and training company, specializing in providing solutions for work-life balance, stress management, and Intensive Self-Care through personal coaching, executive coaching, teleseminars, keynote presentations, team-building training, and other wellness services. She is the creator of Rx for Balance^TM, The Coaching Oasis^TM, and Nurture and Grow Rich^TM programs.

To sign up for free stress management video e-course and learn more about Su’s coaching, keynote speaking, training services and products visit http://www.HueinaSu.com.

Hueina Su’s full bio and additional photos http://www.HueinaSu.com/media-room.

She is available for interviews and can provide a list of tips and other articles. Call 973-664-0446 (O) or 201-572-3641 (Cell) or email Info at HueinaSu.com.

Cancer Patients Benefit from Exercise During and After Cancer Treatment

The following article was written by Dr. Lee Jones titled “The Benefit of Exercise During and After Cancer Treatment” and originally published in Coping® with Cancer magazine, January/February 2011.

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The therapeutic properties of endurance and resistance exercise have been recognized since antiquity. In 1995, the American College of Sports Medicine, together with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, published the first exercise guidelines to encourage increased exercise in Americans of all ages for health promotion and disease prevention.

These guidelines were based on remarkable data from epidemiological studies showing that regular moderate-to-vigorous exercise reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease by one-third, whereas high levels of cardiorespiratory fitness may reduce these risks by up to 60 to 70 percent.

Unfortunately, investigation of the role of exercise following a diagnosis of cancer has received comparably less attention. In the past decade, however, examination of the role of exercise following a cancer diagnosis, a field researchers have termed “exercise oncology,” is becoming increasingly recognized as a legitimate and important field of research in cancer management.

Exercise During Therapy

Cancer therapy is associated with various degrees of damage to the cardiovascular system (lungs, heart, skeletal muscle) that also occur in the presence of significant reductions in usual levels of physical activity, which leads to deconditioning, weight gain, and loss of muscle mass. In combination, these effects dramatically reduce a person’s ability to tolerate exercise and normal activities of daily living, such as gardening, housework, and shopping, and can increase susceptibility to other conditions, like diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and arthritis.

Several ongoing trials are being conducted to identify the optimal type, intensity, duration, and frequency of exercise needed to mitigate treatment late effects in cancer survivors. To address these concerns, researchers in the mid-to-late 1980s initiated the first studies to explore whether structured exercise training may be an appropriate intervention to mitigate treatment-induced toxicities and anticipated loss of cardiorespiratory fitness among women with early-stage breast cancer. Since these early studies, more than half of the exercise studies in people with cancer have been conducted during therapy.

Overall, the current research provides promising evidence that exercise training is a well-tolerated and safe intervention that can mitigate several common treatment-related side effects, including fatigue, deconditioning, nausea, anxiety, and loss of muscle strength.

Exercise After Therapy

Over the past decade, exercise has emerged as an integral aspect of cancer survivorship and preventing or treating the late effects of therapy. Similar to during therapy, clinical trials in this setting have provided strong evidence that exercise is a well-tolerated and safe intervention associated with significant improvements in cardiorespiratory fitness, fatigue, and quality of life in cancer survivors.

Most of these studies have examined the effects of either aerobic training alone, resistance training alone, or the combination of aerobic and resistance training in cancer survivors. Several ongoing trials are being conducted to identify the optimal type, intensity, duration, and frequency of exercise needed to mitigate treatment late effects in cancer survivors.

A major point of interest in exercise-oncology research is establishing whether the benefits of exercise extend beyond symptom control to improving longevity in cancer survivors. Several landmark observational studies have provided the first evidence that regular exercise (such as brisk walking for 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week) is associated with 15 percent to 61 percent reductions in the risk of mortality following a diagnosis of early-stage breast or colorectal cancer, relative to survivors who were inactive.

It is becoming increasingly evident that sedentary behavior and decreased exercise levels following a cancer diagnosis can increase treatment-related toxicities, whereas engaging in regular exercise can significantly reduce the incidence and extent of such toxicities.

Current guidelines recommend that cancer survivors participate in at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise (such as brisk walking or light swimming) or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise (such as jogging, running, or hard swimming) per week. However, this is considered the minimal amount of exercise required to derive health benefits. Increases in exercise beyond these levels are associated with greater health benefits.

The field of exercise oncology is rapidly evolving with many unanswered questions; nevertheless, the current evidence base provides a clear indication that exercise is an additional powerful weapon in the fight against, and recovery from, cancer.

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Dr. Lee Jones is an associate professor in the department of Radiation Oncology and is research director of Cancer Survivorship at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, NC.

Speak with your doctor before beginning any exercise plan. Your doctor can help you decide what types of exercise will be beneficial for you.

This article was originally published in Coping® with Cancer magazine, January/February 2011.

Breast Cancer Care Summit Names Cancer Coach Hueina Su as Keynote Speaker

Certified Life coach and mindful wellness expert Hueina Su is invited as the keynote speaker at “Sailing Through Your Breast Cancer Journey” seminar and luncheon on Saturday March 19, 2011 at 11 am.

DENVILLE, NJ – March 12, 2011 – Breast cancer survivors and those currently fighting the disease are invited to a free luncheon and motivational seminar, “Sailing through Your Breast Cancer Journey,” at the Sparta Health & Wellness Center on Saturday, March 19, 2011 from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm.

The event is co-hosted by Summit Breast Care and Beyond Horizon Coaching featuring best-selling author and mindful wellness expert Hueina Su as the keynote speaker, offering real life tools and tips to help breast cancer patients navigate the journey from diagnosis through treatment and to survivorship. Local health and wellness vendors will also showcase their products and services for breast cancer care.

Hueina Su, MS, BSN, CEC is a best-selling author, certified life coach, mindful wellness expert, and the president of Beyond Horizon Coaching based in Denville, New Jersey.

“Coping with diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer is a very stressful journey for cancer patients and survivors, complicated by fears, anxiety, grief, and many emotional issues,” says Su. “I’m honored to co-host this event with Dr. Michelle O’Shea of Summit Breast Care, offering this seminar for breast cancer patients, survivors and families.”

Since June 2010, Su has been leading a Mindful Wellness Coaching and Stress Management Program at Sparta Cancer Center in Sparta, New Jersey. Over 70 cancer patients and caregivers have participated and benefited from Su’s stress relief coaching program.

“The well-being of cancer caregivers and patient care staff is just as important as that of cancer patients. Having worked with cancer and other terminally ill patients as a nurse, I experienced first-hand the high level of stress and its negative impact on physical health and emotional well-being. This is why I wrote my best-selling book Intensive Care for the Nurturer’s Soul: 7 Keys to Nurture Yourself While Caring for Others,” Su says.

“Cancer patients and survivors regain a sense of control and become more resilient and confident in dealing with cancer and other life changes through learning stress relief, self-care and life skills,” Su says. “Stress can damage body’s immune function. Stress reduction coaching can lower patients’ risks of cancer recurrences, infection, complications, and stress-related illnesses. It can promote healing and make medical treatments more effective.”

The luncheon is organized by Summit Breast Care and Beyond Horizon Coaching, and sponsored by the Sparta Cancer Center, Newton Memorial Hospital, the Sussex County Cancer Coalition and Project Self-Sufficiency.

The event is free and open to all breast cancer patients, survivors and families. For more information and to register, call 973-729-6517.

About Hueina Su and Beyond Horizon Coaching
Hueina Su, MS, BSN, CEC, is a renowned expert in helping people restore the missing peace and balance in their stressful lives.  Su is a Mindful Wellness Expert, certified life coach, keynote speaker, and the best-selling author of Intensive Care for the Nurturer’s Soul: 7 Keys to Nurture Yourself While Caring for Others. She is on a mission to empower one million women nurturers to nurture themselves and create a life of their choice.

Su is the founder and president of Beyond Horizon Coaching, a global coaching and training company, specializing in providing solutions for work-life balance, stress management, and Intensive Self-Care through personal coaching, executive coaching, teleseminars, keynote presentations, team-building training, and other wellness services. She is the creator of Rx for Balance^TM, The Coaching Oasis^TM, and Nurture and Grow Rich^TM programs.

To sign up for free stress management video e-course and learn more about Su’s coaching, keynote speaking, training services and products visit http://www.hueinasu.com/.

Hueina Su’s full bio and additional photos http://www.HueinaSu.com/media-room.

She is available for interviews and can provide a list of tips and other articles. Call 973-664-0446.