Tamara's Vision

My vision has grown out of what I learned in the country of cancer. Cancer is a powerful message in a bottle about the condition of the world we inhabit that raises many questions. What can we learn from a deadly disease that causes normal cells to grow out of control, destroying life-supporting biological processes, and undermining the natural balance of life? What can we do to recreate balance in our own lives and in the life of our planet?

While cancer affects us most directly as individuals and family members, it is fundamentally a social problem. We know enough about cancer to say it has something to do with our relationship to the environment and with how we treat each other. We know the incidence is higher when we live and work in toxic environments: on farms where pesticides are used extensively, in homes and workplaces where asbestos is present, and near waterways polluted by industrial chemicals. We know that greed, excessive consumption, and aggression breed inequality, poverty, hunger, and disease.

In my vision, we each have a role to play as citizens, politicians, policy makers, and health care practitioners in bringing about positive change in our local and global communities. A holistic approach cancer considers the causes, the treatment options, and the ways to support and rebuild the lives of cancer patients during and after treatment.

Our primary focus is on prevention. Public institutions expose, educate, advocate for, and put regulations in place to that end. When corporations, other institutions, and individuals cause harm to our air, land, and water, they pay a high social price. The consequences are severe enough to end such practices.

As we work toward prevention and focus on sustenance, we offer the best possible care to those on whom cancer has befallen. Cancer patients are the ones who warn us of the escalating crisis of imbalance in the world. We invite them to tell us what they are experiencing and thinking. We care for them holistically, involve them at every step of decision-making and communicate with them in clear and accessible language(s). Their economic, emotional, spiritual, and physical needs are paramount. Access is universal. Cost is never a barrier to early detection, treatment, and recovery.

There is excellent communication and collaboration among those with expertise and skills to offer. As we strive for the best possible outcome for cancer patients, there are no longer barriers separating research and practice, isolating specializations within the medical community, or impeding the integration of mainstream and complementary oncology. A holistic approach addressing the individual needs of each patient is timely, well-coordinated, integrative, and patient-centered.

There are now solid bridges in place between complementary and mainstream cancer care. Natural therapies proven to strengthen the immune system and fight cancer are funded by public health care and are administered by naturopathic oncologists working alongside medical oncologists and surgeons. The integrated model of care has definitively been shown to produce better outcomes at lower cost.

We support academic, health care, and other public institutions to educate, organize, carry out research and communicate the sustainability issues of the day. All levels of government cooperate to plan, financial and create accessible community-based support services and build awareness of the value of a healthier environment. New possibilities continually emerge as we work together to bring about the dream of a more balanced world.

Cancer is one of the most significant scourges of our times. There is too much loss, hardship, and suffering. A world where the causes and incidence of cancer are dramatically reduced and where patients receive optimal care will be a better world for all of us and for our children and grandchildren. The struggle is long, but hope is longer. My healers and my own struggle have taught me that a better world is possible.