How to Care for Yourself When You Have Cancer

"How to Care for Yourself When You Have Cancer" (Thanos Kosmidis) [#165] Brad Power October 15, 2025 “What is self care? A theoretical framework for self care is built on a couple of pillars. First of all, it's about getting the right education about what it means when you have cancer, to take care of yourself. Interacting with both mechanisms of action, but also all your tools.

Nutrition is a tool, perhaps physical activity is another tool. Then through that, get some self control towards the disease, some self reliance; become controlled in terms of how cancer affects you. It's not something we can eliminate, but it is a tool that we have beyond this.

” – Thanos Kosmidis “There are many people who come to us … asking about a diet: ‘We want to have a list of what to eat in the morning, in the afternoon and evening,’ be it for preventing cancer, if that's the case, or for staying strong with cancer. We feel this is really hard for two reasons.

One is that even if there is such a perfect diet, having it and then adhering to it is a very different story. But it also depends on the circumstances of each individual. We prefer to have in mind some sort of guidelines and directions around nutrition and then around the diet. That's what the evidence shows.

” – Thanos Kosmidis Meeting Summary Patients who have been diagnosed with cancer face confusion and being overwhelmed at navigating many decisions and finding services, including on their quality of life, nutrition, and self-care interventions.

Thanos Kosmidis, Co-founder and CEO at CareAcross, is uniquely qualified to lead a discussion on the non-medical challenges that patients and caregivers face and “best practices” for managing cancer care. He has a background in computer science, telecommunications and business.

CareAcross is a global meeting point for cancer patients and caregivers, which supports and empowers them while accelerating oncology research and development. The company has been through the MIT Enterprise Forum and MassChallenge accelerators. They have led four clinical trials, of which one is complete. They presented one at ASCO.

They have been focusing on Europe: UK, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, and Greece. Why should you actively engage in self care activities (such as exercise, diet, and stress reduction) as part of your cancer care? ●Support your overall quality of life, health, and well-being, including your immune system and microbiome health; enhance your physical (e.g.

"How to Care for Yourself When You Have Cancer" (Thanos Kosmidis) [#165] ●Feel a sense of agency and control, that you are doing something to affect your health, better understand your symptoms and side effects, improv

ents; reduce your cancer symptoms and side effects, assist with pain control ●Control your weight, such as malnutrition or weight gain

"How to Care for Yourself When You Have Cancer" (Thanos Kosmidis) [#165] ●Feel a sense of agency and control, that you are doing something to affect your health, better understand your symptoms and side effects, improve your psychological well- being, better relations with your doctors How should you engage in self care activities (such as exercise, diet, and stress reduction) as part of your cancer care?

●Educate yourself: find out what you can do to help yourself, types of interventions, understand the standard guidelines ●Personalize: modify your activities to reflect your age, weight, specific cancer diagnosis, and current health condition ●Consult with healthcare professionals : review the plan, make sure you consider any risks, especially if you have specific limitations like bone metastasis or side effects ●Implement: follow your program of behavior change interventions, manage your symptoms, develop self-control and self-reliance, get emotional support What exercise guidelines should you consider for your cancer care?

●Aerobic activity: the recommended standard guideline is 150 minutes of moderate- intensity activity per week; can be vigorous-intensity activity for half that time; minimum of 10-minute sessions; activities that make you sweat and elevate your heart rate ●Resistance training : the recommended standard guidelines is two strength training sessions per week, about 30 minutes per session, 4 sets of exercises, 12-15 reps per exercise ●Personalize: modify your exercise program to reflect your age, weight, specific cancer diagnosis, and current health condition.

●Consult with a doctor : to consider risks What dietary guidelines should you consider for your cancer care?

●Follow a balanced diet, with the Mediterranean diet as a good example: restrict saturated fats; eat moderate amounts of fish, poultry, and dairy; emphasize whole grains, vegetables, and fruits ●Personalize your diet, depending on your specific cancer diagnosis, age, weight, treatment, comorbidities, and side effects ●Consult a cancer dietitian for personalized nutrition advice How can you safely store and share your health data?

●Identify the data you want to collect and share (e.g.

"How to Care for Yourself When You Have Cancer" (Thanos Kosmidis) [#165] ●Review the security and data confidentiality measures (anonymized, pseudonymized, or identified) of the data storage platform How can you participate in medical research? ●Capture and share observations about your situation, preferences, and experiences ●Look for clinical trials and research projects using matching services

ist with pain control ●Control your weight, such as malnutrition or weight gain

"How to Care for Yourself When You Have Cancer" (Thanos Kosmidis) [#165] ●Feel a sense of agency and control, that you are doing something to affect your health, better understand your symptoms and side effects, improve your psychological well- being, better relations with your doctors How should you engage in self care activities (such as exercise, diet, and stress reduction) as part of your cancer care?

●Educate yourself: find out what you can do to help yourself, types of interventions, understand the standard guidelines ●Personalize: modify your activities to reflect your age, weight, specific cancer diagnosis, and current health condition ●Consult with healthcare professionals : review the plan, make sure you consider any risks, especially if you have specific limitations like bone metastasis or side effects ●Implement: follow your program of behavior change interventions, manage your symptoms, develop self-control and self-reliance, get emotional support What exercise guidelines should you consider for your cancer care?

●Aerobic activity: the recommended standard guideline is 150 minutes of moderate- intensity activity per week; can be vigorous-intensity activity for half that time; minimum of 10-minute sessions; activities that make you sweat and elevate your heart rate ●Resistance training : the recommended standard guidelines is two strength training sessions per week, about 30 minutes per session, 4 sets of exercises, 12-15 reps per exercise ●Personalize: modify your exercise program to reflect your age, weight, specific cancer diagnosis, and current health condition.

●Consult with a doctor : to consider risks What dietary guidelines should you consider for your cancer care?

●Follow a balanced diet, with the Mediterranean diet as a good example: restrict saturated fats; eat moderate amounts of fish, poultry, and dairy; emphasize whole grains, vegetables, and fruits ●Personalize your diet, depending on your specific cancer diagnosis, age, weight, treatment, comorbidities, and side effects ●Consult a cancer dietitian for personalized nutrition advice How can you safely store and share your health data?

●Identify the data you want to collect and share (e.g.

"How to Care for Yourself When You Have Cancer" (Thanos Kosmidis) [#165] ●Review the security and data confidentiality measures (anonymized, pseudonymized, or identified) of the data storage platform How can you participate in medical research? ●Capture and share observations about your situation, preferences, and experiences ●Look for clinical trials and research projects using matching services ●Ask your doctor about research opportunities ●Protect your personal information: carefully rea

form How can you participate in medical research?

●Capture and share observations about your situation, preferences, and experiences ●Look for clinical trials and research projects using matching services ●Ask your doctor about research opportunities ●Protect your personal information: carefully read consent forms before participating; be aware of privacy, security, and confidentiality guidelines How can you learn more about things you can do for your health when you have cancer?

●Contact Thanos Kosmidis at thanos.kosmidis@careacross.com or see the CareAcross website ●Find and use digital services that provide personalized support based on evidence and clinical guidelines to keep informed ●Talk to peers, participate in patient and caregiver support groups and online communities ●Consult with healthcare experts, e.g.

, cancer dietitians for tailored nutrition advice, cancer exercise therapists for exercise ●See previous discussions we have had on lifestyle, exercise, nutrition, and stress reduction: ○“Designing the Right Exercise Program for Your Cancer Situation” (Kathryn Schmitz, PhD, MPH) [#157] ○“Exercise to Boost Your Immune System to Fight Cancer” (Dr.

"How to Care for Yourself When You Have Cancer" (Thanos Kosmidis) [#165] medical treatment, product, or course of action. You should always consult a doctor about your specific situation before pursuing any health care program, treatment, product or other course of action that might affect your health. For the video recording, please see here.

"How to Care for Yourself When You Have Cancer" (Thanos Kosmidis) [#165] Meeting Notes KEYWORDS Cancer patient lab, personalized services, non-medical challenges, nutrition, physical activity, self-care, health data, medical research, Mediterranean diet, cancer diagnosis, side effects, quality of life, clinical trials, digital health, patient support. SPEAKERS Th

duct or other course of action that might affect your health. For the video recording, please see here.

"How to Care for Yourself When You Have Cancer" (Thanos Kosmidis) [#165] Meeting Notes KEYWORDS Cancer patient lab, personalized services, non-medical challenges, nutrition, physical activity, self-care, health data, medical research, Mediterranean diet, cancer diagnosis, side effects, quality of life, clinical trials, digital health, patient support.

SPEAKERS Thanos Kosmidis (93%), Roger Royse (4%), Brad Power (3%) CHAT CONTRIBUTORS Rick Davis, Russ Hollyer SUMMARY Thanos Kosmidis, co-founder and CEO of Care Access, led a discussion of personalized services for cancer patients and caregivers.

He discussed the importance of nutrition, emphasizing a balanced diet like the Mediterranean diet, and the role of physical activity, recommending 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity and two sessions of resistance training per week. He highlighted the significance of self-care, citing a 25% to 90% improvement in side effects.

He also addressed the value of sharing health data securely and participating in medical research, noting the need for evidence-based interventions and the challenges of personalizing CareAcross different healthcare systems.

OUTLINE Introduction ●Thanos Kosmidis, co-founder and CEO of Care Access, provided an overview of non- medical challenges faced by cancer patients and caregivers and personalized services for their health. ●His company is Care Access which has been focused on cancer for several years. ●Care Access is a digital health company focused on cancer, with a strong evidence base.

Nutrition and Cancer ●Nutrition is complex and misinformation abounds. ●A balanced diet, for example the Mediterranean diet, should be a base. ●Adhering to a perfect diet is challenging. ●Individuals need personalized plans. ●Nutrition can impact overall health, resilience against disease, and the prevention of malnutrition and cachexia.

●Every cancer diagnosis is unique, affecting how nutrition impacts the patient. ●Factors like age, weight, height, and specific cancer subtypes influence nutrition needs.

"How to Care for Yourself When You Have Cancer" (Thanos Kosmidis) [#165] ●Treatments, comorbidities, and side effects also play significant roles in nutrition management. ●It is important to consult healthcare professionals for tailored nutrition advice. Exercise and Cancer ●The guidelines for aerobic and non-aerobic activities emphasize the importance of moderate intensity exercise.

●Aerobic activities should total 150 minutes per week, while resistance activities should include two sessions per week. ●Physical activity has benefits on heart health, bone health, cognitive function, and emotional well-being. ●Exercise can help manage cancer-related fatigue and improving overall quality of life.

#165] Meeting Notes KEYWORDS Cancer patient lab, personalized services, non-medical challenges, nutrition, physical activity, self-care, health data, medical research, Mediterranean diet, cancer diagnosis, side effects, quality of life, clinical trials, digital health, patient support.

SPEAKERS Thanos Kosmidis (93%), Roger Royse (4%), Brad Power (3%) CHAT CONTRIBUTORS Rick Davis, Russ Hollyer SUMMARY Thanos Kosmidis, co-founder and CEO of Care Access, led a discussion of personalized services for cancer patients and caregivers.

He discussed the importance of nutrition, emphasizing a balanced diet like the Mediterranean diet, and the role of physical activity, recommending 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity and two sessions of resistance training per week. He highlighted the significance of self-care, citing a 25% to 90% improvement in side effects.

He also addressed the value of sharing health data securely and participating in medical research, noting the need for evidence-based interventions and the challenges of personalizing CareAcross different healthcare systems.

OUTLINE Introduction ●Thanos Kosmidis, co-founder and CEO of Care Access, provided an overview of non- medical challenges faced by cancer patients and caregivers and personalized services for their health. ●His company is Care Access which has been focused on cancer for several years. ●Care Access is a digital health company focused on cancer, with a strong evidence base.

Nutrition and Cancer ●Nutrition is complex and misinformation abounds. ●A balanced diet, for example the Mediterranean diet, should be a base. ●Adhering to a perfect diet is challenging. ●Individuals need personalized plans. ●Nutrition can impact overall health, resilience against disease, and the prevention of malnutrition and cachexia.

●Every cancer diagnosis is unique, affecting how nutrition impacts the patient. ●Factors like age, weight, height, and specific cancer subtypes influence nutrition needs.

"How to Care for Yourself When You Have Cancer" (Thanos Kosmidis) [#165] ●Treatments, comorbidities, and side effects also play significant roles in nutrition management. ●It is important to consult healthcare professionals for tailored nutrition advice. Exercise and Cancer ●The guidelines for aerobic and non-aerobic activities emphasize the importance of moderate intensity exercise.

●Aerobic activities should total 150 minutes per week, while resistance activities should include two sessions per week. ●Physical activity has benefits on heart health, bone health, cognitive function, and emotional well-being. ●Exercise can help manage cancer-related fatigue and improving overall quality of life.

Self-Care and Its Evidence-Based Benefits ●The theoretical framework for self-care includes education, symptom management, and quality of life improvement. ●Self-care depends on behavior change.