top of page
Sunset

Wellness

Nutrition

Nutrition

Episode 29: Nutrition & Diet Considerations for NET
45:40

Episode 29: Nutrition & Diet Considerations for NET

NET dietician Sina Teskey from the Medical College of Wisconsin answers common questions about diet and nutrition raised among NET patients and caregivers. She addresses special diets, food restrictions, and whether sugar “feeds” cancer. Sina also speaks to diarrhea, and digestive enzymes and shares tips on how to maintain nutrition and weight. MEET SINA TESKEY, RD, CD Sina Teskey, RD, CD received her B.S. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2006 and completed her dietetic internship at the University of Minnesota Medical College-Fairview in 2007. She has spent most of her career working with cancer and eating disorder patients. Sina practiced in the Twin Cities area for 10 years where she also spent time guest starring on a local TV show called Twin Cities Live to share nutrition advice. She moved to Milwaukee and has worked at Froedtert Hospital and the Medical College of Wisconsin since 2018. Sina sees all patients with cancer but specializes in GI cancers and neuroendocrine tumor patients. When she’s not working, Sina is a mom to three kids and a Labrador retriever. She loves to cook and bring people together with food. Her youngest son was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in 2019. His cancer journey gave insight into what having cancer means to a family and has impacted her practice profoundly. Her son Milo is now 7 years old and in remission. TOP TEN QUESTIONS 1. Is there a diet NET patients should follow? Are there foods NET patients should avoid? Some people say there are certain “trigger foods” to avoid. What CAN I eat? 2. What diet is helpful after bowel surgery? What about pancreas surgery? 3. Are there vitamins or supplements recommended for NET patients? 4. What can NET patients do about diarrhea? What diet or medications might help? 5. What can NET patients do if they struggle with a poor appetite? 6. What can NET patients do if they are struggling to keep on or gain weight? 7. What can NET patients do to stay hydrated? 8. What are pancreatic enzymes and how are they taken? Who are they recommended for? 9. What proteins can people take if they are vegetarian or vegan given soy may be a trigger for carcinoid syndrome? 10. What do you think of alternative diets such as the keto diet or other “special diets?” Does sugar feed cancer? What about intermittent fasting? For more information, visit https://www.lacnets.org/podcast/29.
Episode 1: Nutrition for NETs • The LACNETS Podcast
29:50

Episode 1: Nutrition for NETs • The LACNETS Podcast

ABOUT THE EPISODE For our very first episode, we welcome NET Dietician Meghan Laszlo, MS, RD, CSO of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Meghan answers the top 10 NET nutrition questions, covering topics including carcinoid syndrome, prescription enzymes, diarrhea, recommended diet for NET patients, and much more! MEET THE SPEAKER Meghan Laszlo is a Registered Dietitian (R.D.) and a Board-Certified Specialist in Oncology Nutrition (C.S.O.) at Cedars Sinai’s Samuel Oschin Cancer Center. As an outpatient dietitian, she provides medical nutrition therapy to patients through nutrition counseling, education, and coordination of care. Meghan is fascinated by the nutritional aspects of gastrointestinal, neuroendocrine, and head and neck cancers and is dedicated to helping patients meet their individualized goals. In October 2019, Meghan gave a presentation for LACNETS titled "Nutrition for NETs." TOP NET NUTRITION QUESTIONS 1. What kind of diet benefits NET patients? 2. Which foods cause carcinoid syndrome symptoms? 3. Which foods make diarrhea better and worse? 4. What kinds of fluids and how much are needed with diarrhea? 5. Which dietary supplements are beneficial for NET patients? 6. What is niacin and why is it important for individuals with carcinoid syndrome? 7. How does fat malabsorption effect digestion? 8. How do I know if the prescription enzymes are working? ​ 9. What is small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO)? For more resources and a transcript of this episode, visit https://www.lacnets.org/podcast1.

Wellness

Wellness
Episode 18: Mental Health & NETs
48:33

Episode 18: Mental Health & NETs

ABOUT THIS EPISODE What are the common mental health issues associated with NET? How can they be managed? How does NET impact young adults, NET patients and children of NET patients? Health psychologist Dr. Kersting of the Medical College of Wisconsin elaborates on mental health challenges facing NET patients and their loved ones. Hear coping strategies for anxiety, eating and sleeping difficulties, fatigue and depression. Dr. Kersting discusses what you can expect when meeting a mental health professional and why supporting your mental health is an integral part of your overall care. MEET THE SPEAKER Dr. Karen Kersting, Psychologist, Assistant Professor in the Department of Surgery at Medical College of Wisconsin Karen Kersting, PhD, is a licensed clinical psychologist who provides counseling and psychotherapy to patients treated by surgeons in the Division of Surgical Oncology at the Medical College of Wisconsin. She completed an undergraduate degree in Journalism at the University of Wisconsin—Madison, a PhD in Counseling Psychology at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, VA, and a postdoctoral fellowship in clinical health psychology at the Dayton Veterans Administration Medical Center in Dayton, OH. She joined the faculty of MCW in 2016. Dr. Kersting’s research interests include the development and assessment of integrated psychosocial services for people coping with cancer diagnosis and treatment, with an emphasis on patients diagnosed with cancer of the pancreas. Additionally, her work aims to highlight issues related to social determinants of health and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy interventions. TOP 10 QUESTIONS 1. How common are mental health issues in NET patients? What are the most common mental health issues you see in NET and what can be done about it? 2. How does anxiety impact NET patients? Why is it so prevalent in these patients? When do I know I need to reach out for support with my anxiety? What does treatment for anxiety look like? 3. How does depression impact NET patients? 4. What kind of sleep problems do you see in NET patients? 5. How do you work with patients who have long periods of fatigue? 6. How can a psychologist help people who are struggling to eat after treatment? 7. How can a patient, loved one, or physician tell the difference between a symptom such as fatigue or anxiety caused by NET tumors vs. a psychological trigger? Does it matter? How does one’s mental health impact one’s NET disease or the effectiveness of treatments? 8. Discuss how NET may impact young adult NET patients? How does NET impact young adult children, teenagers, and young children of NET patients? 9. Who should see a psychologist? When should someone see a psychologist? How does one find a psychologist? What should a patient expect when they come for a first visit with a mental health professional such as a psychologist, therapist, social worker or other? 10. What coping strategies or advice do you have for NET patients? What coping strategies or advice for family members or loved ones? For more resources and a transcript of this episode, visit https://www.lacnets.org/podcast18.
Episode 15: Psycho-Oncology
59:50

Episode 15: Psycho-Oncology

ABOUT THIS EPISODE What is psycho-oncology and how can it benefit those living with NET? Psychiatrist Dr. Mona Mojtahedzadeh of Simms/Mann UCLA Center for Integrative Oncology discusses whole-person care for cancer patients and caregivers. From “scanxiety” to sleep hygiene, she acknowledges the range of challenges of living with cancer and shares solutions to improve mental well-being and overall health. MEET DR. MONA MOJTAHEDZADEH Mona Mojtahedzadeh, MD, is a psychiatrist at Simms-Mann/UCLA Center for Integrative Oncology, which allows her to continue to perform a work of meaning within a valued population who embrace her into some of their most pivotal moments along their cancer illness trajectory. Dr. Mojtahedzadeh is board certified in Psychiatry as well as in Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry. She obtained her MD from Tehran, Iran’s Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences. She was a general and family practitioner at an underserved health and urgent care clinic in Iran. She completed her psychiatry training through residencies at Texas Tech University Health and Science Center coupled with Loma Linda University Health, where she was granted the department’s research award of the year. She completed a consultation-liaison (C-L) psychiatry fellowship at the University of Southern California and Los Angeles County (LAC+USC) and later served as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Supportive Care Medicine at City of Hope National Medical Center and an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at USC. Her scholarly work includes over 32 publications, posters, and book chapters in areas of medicine, mental health, and their overlap. TOP 10 PSYCHO-ONCOLOGY QUESTIONS 1. Who might seek a psychiatrist? How does one go about finding a psychiatrist that is right for him or her? 2. What is psycho-oncology? If someone living with NET is looking for a psychiatrist, should they seek someone who has trained in psycho-oncology? How does one find such a person? 3. How do you determine if symptoms such as depression, anxiety, mood swing, or fatigue are symptoms caused by their NET cancer or not? 4. Is it safe for NET patients, particularly those with high levels of serotonin, to take antidepressants such as SSRIs that may increase levels of serotonin? 5. If someone living with NET struggles with depression, what is your approach? How do you determine the best treatment option? 6. If someone living with NET struggles with anxiety, how would you approach this patient and how might you manage it? 7. If someone living with NET struggles with sleep issues, what might your thoughts be? 8. What suggestions might you have for loved ones of someone living with cancer who is trying to support someone struggling with depression, anxiety, or mood swings? 9. What suggestions do you have for coping with one’s cancer diagnosis? How might one find some stability and peace during what often feels like a rollercoaster ride? 10. What last words of hope would you leave with the audience? For more resources and a transcript of this episode, visit https://www.lacnets.org/podcast15.

Caregiving/Palliative/Supportive Care

Caregiving/Palliative/Supportive Care
Episode 14: Palliative Care
41:10

Episode 14: Palliative Care

ABOUT THIS EPISODE What is palliative care and how does this relate to NET? Palliative care physician Dr. Chandana Banerjee of City of Hope shares insights and tips on communication, coping, and managing grief and loss. MEET DR. CHANDANA BANERJEE Chandana Banerjee, M.D., M.P.A., HMDC, is the Dean, Director and designated institutional official for Graduate Medical Education at City of Hope. She is also an assistant clinical professor in the Department of Supportive Care Medicine, specializing in hospice and palliative care. She developed the City of Hope Hospice & Palliative Medicine Fellowship. She also established the Cancer Pain Rotation for Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Hospice & Palliative Medicine Fellowship, which is now part of the core curriculum for the Kaiser Permanente Southern California Hospice & Palliative Medicine fellowship program. Dr Banerjee also developed and directed the End of Life Symposium, which was first held at City of Hope in September 2019 and was endowed by Arthur Riggs, Ph.D. She is the physician lead for Schwartz Rounds at City of Hope and serves as chair on the End of Life Option Act Subcommittee. She is also a member of the Continuing Medical Education and the Ethics and Quality of Life committees. She co-founded the City of Hope Expressions of Hope initiative in partnership with Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. TOP 10 PALLIATIVE CARE QUESTIONS 1. What is palliative care? How is it different from hospice? 2. Who should be in palliative care? Who should not be in palliative care? 3. How does someone ask for palliative care? 4. Give an example of how palliative care can help someone living with NET. 5. What does coping with a cancer diagnosis look like? What suggestions do you have to help with coping? 6. What advice do you have for NET caregivers? 7. What insights or advice do you have to help with communication between NET patients and providers? NET patients and their loved ones? 8. What does end-of-life care planning look like? When should it begin? 9. What does the end of life look like for NET patients? 10. How can one manage grief and loss related to the cancer diagnosis? For more resources and a transcript of this episode, visit https://www.lacnets.org/podcast14.

Music Heals

Music Heals