Resources and Support
Orlando Health Cancer Institute offers a cohesive balance of conventional western medicine and complementary services that aid healing by treating the whole person.
For more than 30 years, the Integrative Medicine program has been dedicated to providing support, education and hope to those impacted by cancer. Orlando Health provides this program for everyone affected by cancer in the Central Florida area.
The Integrative Medicine program’s goals perfectly complement Orlando Health’s goals: To ensure that all people impacted by cancer are empowered by knowledge, strengthened by action and sustained by community. The program addresses the social and emotional health of patients of all ages at any point in their cancer journey to ensure no one has to face cancer alone. It offers a network of personalized services and education at no charge to all affected by cancer.
Learn more about the Orlando Health Cancer Institute Integrative Medicine program.
Genetics play a major role in 5-10% of all cancers, according to the National Cancer Institute. The Genetic Counseling Program at the Orlando Health Cancer Institute is dedicated to helping you and your family learn about your potential risk for a hereditary form of cancer so you can make informed decisions about your healthcare.
We provide genetic counseling and testing to help individuals determine their risk for certain types of hereditary cancers and what steps they might need to take to manage those risks.
We believe that conventional western medicine is the best approach to combat cancer and other diseases, and that adding services that treat the whole person can enhance healing and well-being. The Integrative Medicine program engages patients and their families to become active participants in improving their physical, emotional and social health.
At Orlando Health, research-supported evidence based complementary approaches to symptom and distress management are available to patients who would like new approaches to their health management or who have already benefitted from them in the past.
Some of the supplemental therapies and practices we offer include:
- Acupuncture: Practitioners stimulate specific points on the body — most often by inserting thin needles through the skin.
- Oncology massage therapy: This practice includes many different techniques to manually manipulate the soft tissues of the body.
- Meditation: Most meditation techniques, such as mindfulness meditation or transcendental meditation, involve ways in which a person learns to focus attention.
- Relaxation techniques: Breathing exercises, guided imagery and progressive muscle relaxation are designed to enhance the body's natural relaxation response.
- Tai chi and qi gong: These traditional Chinese medicine practices combine specific movements or postures, coordinated breathing and mental focus.
- Yoga: Used for health purposes, certain types of yoga typically combine physical postures or movement, breathing techniques and meditation.
- Hypnotherapy: This type of therapy is used to reprogram the subconscious mind, which can be useful for behavior modification and controlling emotions.
In addition, the Orlando Health Cancer Institute offers activities that allow the patient to take a break from the daily pace of life in a soothing space. High Tea in the British tradition is served in elegant bone china cups each week. Another European custom is the labyrinth on the 4th floor of the Charles Lewis Pavilion that is modeled after the one at Chartres Cathedral near Paris, France. The labyrinth is an ancient healing tool used as a walking meditation or embodied prayer.
If you would like more information, or a complete list of services please contact the Integrative Medicine Department at (321) 841-5056 or email IntegrativeMedicine@OrlandoHealth.com.
Patients and their families of Gastrointestinal Cancer Center at Orlando Health Cancer Institute have access to the Medical Center Radiology Group (MCRG) Patient & Family Learning Center. This media center offers visitors print and multimedia resources focusing on:
- Disease-specific information
- Symptom management
- Psychosocial support
- Coping with a cancer diagnosis
For many cancer patients, finding facts about their disease and treatment options can be a stress reliever. Information gives a sense of control over their situation and equips them with the knowledge to ask appropriate questions. Patients then can coordinate with their healthcare team to make informed treatment decisions. Health-information materials, as well as popular paperbacks for leisure reading, can be checked out.
A cancer diagnosis can be an overwhelming experience. That’s why we provide personal nurse navigators. Nurse navigators establish and maintain communication between patients, families, physicians and the healthcare system. Your nurse navigator will stay with you throughout your entire cancer journey, assisting you with entry into the cancer care system and identifying any barriers that may exist.
Licensed registered dietitians in the Cancer Institute’s Nutrition Department provide nutrition education and work with your medical team to support you before, during and after your cancer treatment.
Our nutrition services include meal plans tailored to your needs, education on healthy eating for cancer prevention, education on vitamins, minerals and herbal supplements in cancer care, management of side effects relating to treatment, temporary tube feeding for nutritional support during treatment, and continued follow-up visits for healthy living after treatment.
This practice includes many different techniques to manually manipulate the soft tissues of the body.
Click here to learn more about our Oncology Massage Therapy.
