Patients with cancer take nothing for granted. Not their wellness, their activity, nutrition or their family, friends, work and even treatment. You know that giving thanks is a daily event. No complaints, fear or doubts. Just pure gratefulness. As I greet the patient in exam room 1, I respect their perspectives and strength. But nature has another plan. Enter the distraction.
Wild life in Florida is sometimes just wild… or comical. Take the turkeys (perfect timing!) Through the full length exam room windows, we see our share of pure joy. The baby raccoons creep by, the ducks in a row, always, the head of the watchful alligator guarding his pond, but the turkeys provide such light- heartedness. The window comes down to the ground – just right for them to see themselves and poke at their reflection. One even preened with full feathers spread- what gorgeous display. We get to enjoy the exact spacing of the multi colored feathers as God’s hand on a life is once again perfection. The family of five, watching out for each other, make their way back into the preserve, far from Thanksgiving dinner. They lift our spirits midway through a tough discussion, and the patient giggles and takes a pic. We are all grateful for the joyful moment.
Expressing gratefulness, keeping a gratitude journal, being thankful, gets into your psyche and lifts your spirit and now we know, even your immune system. So today is a perfect time to be reminded that health and well being is an internal force. While we can quickly offer thankfulness for friends, work, home, food, health and treatments, today, indulge me while I add to your already enlightened list, because……..trumpets! We can even be grateful for November’s exciting cancer research!
We Scorpios are always about the intensity, but how’s this for cancer treatment? Researchers in Brazil* are tapping Amazonian scorpions’ venom that appears to attack breast cancer cells as well as chemo taxol. Sting!
Since radiation treatments are my life, I am delighted by the increasing use of radio-pharmaceuticals being developed to increase intensity of dose targeting different molecules in the tumor. Look for increasing use in hematologic cancer like multiple myeloma, head and neck, liver cancer, sarcomas, lung, colorectal and gastric among others.
Sharing? How about taking tumor cells from the patient and fusing them with healthy dendritic cells from a donor, producing a personalized vaccine to activate the immune system for glioblastoma, melanoma and kidney cancer?(NIH and ASCO pubs).
Immune therapy is ubiquitous now but what about when it stops working and cancer outsmarts our bodies? No fear, scientists are studying MiTEs which can amplify immune response, converting tumor’s shield in the very weapon that defeats it. **
Trojan horse peptides are being used in drug conjugates offering a payload of a chemo drug, after it is absorbed by the cancer cell. (already in clinic: Lutathera)
Not to be outdone, Jersey in the house with Rutgers teaming with NIH to develop genetically engineered T cells to attack HPV positive metastatic cancers (head and neck, cervix, anal and esophageal) (presented at Society Immunotherapy of Cancer annual meeting November 2025).
How about the common occurrence of chemo-brain? Adding a statin may improve cognitive function and become a part of the protective tools of the trade.
Ok, so you get the idea that unseen forces are real, working toward your personal benefit and conspiring from centers around the globe (that do not even celebrate thanksgiving) to keep you strong and healthy. So let us toast to all the magical, yet untapped ways that our holidays not only are an opportunity for love and togetherness, but also for a future filled with hope.
God Blees you and your family and Happy Thanksgiving.
*http://www.sciencedaily,18 November 2025
** Cell.com. Weixmann Institute of Science