The Beam: Why is meditation an important tool in cancer care? Doctor-approved resolutions. Meet David Astaphan, PA-C

The importance of meditation for cancer patients and caregivers

What is meditation? Do you just sit still, with your eyes closed?

“Meditation is the act of resting in our body and mind without agenda. It is the practice of abiding with the 'being self' and setting aside the 'doing self' for a little while,” according to Linda Portnoy, MA, who leads virtual meditation groups at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center – Proton Therapy.

If that’s confusing, Portnoy can teach you what it means in practice. 

Portnoy began doing meditation during a period of difficult personal circumstances in 2000. She found the practice helped her deal better with stress; it also improved her sleep and her overall sense of well-being.

It helped so much, she decided to become a meditation teacher and received her certification from the Chopra Center for Wellness in 2008.

Meditation techniques help people, including cancer patients, keep their minds focused on the present moment. When Portnoy leads a group, she teaches patients skills to gently interrupt the spiral of thoughts in their head and return to the present moment. She practices meditation in what she calls “a state of restful awareness,” which increases a sense of calm and well-being in both the mind and body.

In our active waking state, our minds go from one idea to another, and leap to unknowable future scenarios. This is called "associative thinking" or "active thinking awareness." It can be especially powerful during times of stress, like when a person is diagnosed with cancer.

When diagnosed with a serious illness, it's natural and understandable that people's minds go to the future and create a multitude of thoughts, she said.

“Meditation helps us feel more in control of our thoughts,” said Portnoy, “because we have a practiced technique to bring ourselves into the present moment, focused on simply being.”

Repeated practice can help patients go straight to their meditation toolkit when they are feeling especially stressed.

During meditation sessions, Portnoy usually has people sit quietly and relax their body. She asks them to notice their breath and connect to it. In other techniques, she might have patients focus on a sound "mantra" or visualization. There are many ways to meditate, and Portnoy finds that "the best meditation technique is the one you like because it will be the one you will practice."

In monthly classes at the proton therapy facility, Portnoy focuses on different strategies that include meditation for sleep or balance and breathing techniques to alleviate stress or pain. Regular and consistent meditation practice helps people release stress and anxiety from both the mind and body, improving physical, emotional and mental health.

In addition, meditation is something everyone can do, regardless of strength, time or even beliefs. And it's free.

“Meditation gives people time to rest in gratitude and compassion for themselves. By taking the time to meditate, people are committing to the wellbeing of mind, body and spirit,” Portnoy said. “Regardless of the type or style of meditation you choose, regular meditation will bring extraordinary benefits to your daily life. The regular practice of meditation or other contemplative practices, such as gratitude journaling, prayer or inspirational reading, allows you time to renew the spirit.”

It’s New Year’s resolution time

It’s that time again when many people make resolutions for the coming year — then promptly forget them. One way to circumvent this is by making small resolutions, keeping at them and remembering why they are important.

“I recommend making a small change that you think would be feasible to sustain,” said Jing Zeng, MD, proton therapy medical director. “It’s great to make life-changing resolutions, but sometimes you might see more success with a smaller resolution that you can keep up, such as exercising an extra 60 minutes per week.”

Here are some ideas for New Year’s resolutions related to your health:

Eat more vegetables and fruit. Consider starting with one vegetarian meal a week and build on it over the course of the year.

• Why it matters: Eating less meat and more vegetables and fruit is not only good for your health (red and processed meats can raise your risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke and certain cancers, especially colorectal cancer), it’s also better for the environment. Raising cattle and other animals uses a lot of water and land, not to mention the waste produced. You can use 2.5 times fewer carbon emissions by going vegetarian.

Get more exercise. Not all neighborhoods are equally walkable, but you can resolve to walk to some destinations, like your local coffee house or library. Over the course of the year, you can also take public transport to more distant destinations; some cities, like Seattle, even have a transit-to-trail service for hikers.

• Why it matters: Even moderate exercise is beneficial to your health in many ways, including a lower risk of developing certain cancers. Traveling by foot, bike or even mass transit also lowers your greenhouse gas emissions, alleviating road congestion and allows you to interact more with your community.

Use less plastic. You can start by bringing your reusable shopping bags to the grocery store and not buying individually wrapped items. Storing leftovers in glass containers with silicone lids instead of wrapping them in disposable plastic wrap is also a great practice. More plastic-free habits to embrace: shop at local stores instead of ordering online; replace cheap plastic items with high-quality, long-lasting alternatives; choose items made of recycled plastic.

• Why it matters: The greatest benefit here is for the greater good, because you’ll be creating less waste that inevitably ends up in our oceans and seafood. In addition, there is some cancer risk for people who work in the plastics industry because of the chemicals manufacturers use to create various plastics, including PVC.

Sometimes, the simplest resolutions are the most powerful.

“I try to make a resolution to spread more kindness each year,” Zeng said, “whether it is more time volunteering, more time teaching and mentoring the next generation of doctors or spending more time with loved ones.”

Please let us know if you have more ideas for resolutions that benefit both your health and the greater good! 

Meet our new physician assistant, David Astaphan

We’re excited to introduce our new advanced practice provider (APP), David Astaphan, PA-C, to the proton therapy facility.

A certified physician assistant, Astaphan started at Fred Hutch in December, assisting with the Head and Neck and Central Nervous System cancer groups. APPs provide a wide range of services, often helping patients manage the side effects that can arise during treatment (such as headaches, skin irritation or nausea). Astaphan also runs a Survivorship Clinic for ongoing surveillance care and wellness following proton beam treatment.

“I’m excited to join the proton therapy team. I love how targeted proton therapy is, allowing for fewer side effects,” said Astaphan, who previously worked with patients at Swedish. “I learned about protons during my time in neurosurgery, where I frequently cared for patients with cancer. I love helping people, especially during difficult times.”

Astaphan grew up in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, but has been in the Pacific Northwest for four years. He loves going on hikes with his boyfriend and Labradoodle; playing tennis and learning Spanish. He also loves to travel and is looking forward to exploring Japan.

Please welcome Astaphan when you see him at the facility.

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