Managing Gastrointestinal
Complications During and After Cancer Treatments
with Eric Marsden, ND
Managing Gastrointestinal Complications During and After Cancer Treatments
Roughly 40% of our patients will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime. Current conventional treatments for cancer including surgery, chemotherapy/targeted therapy, immunotherapy, radiotherapy, etc. have significant impact on gastrointestinal health both during active therapy and beyond. In this presentation we will review:
The most common gastrointestinal related side effects during cancer treatment and management using naturopathic treatments. Treatments reviewed will include diet (fasting and mucositis diet), pre-pro-post biotics (with special attention paid to safety), botanical and nutritional interventions and acupuncture.
The impact of conventional treatment on gastrointestinal function and the short and long-term implications for health and wellness. We will discuss conventional treatment impacts on microbiome, motility, mucosal immunity, and digestion/absorption.
The role of specialized testing in the management of these patients.
Naturopathic treatments strategies to support restoration (as best as possible) to optimal gastrointestinal health both now and for the patient’s future.
Eric Marsden, ND
Dr. Marsden ND obtained his undergraduate degree in Human Biology at the University of Toronto and graduated from the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine in 2002. His journey to naturopathic medicine began after seeing the gaps that existed in conventional medical approaches to complex, chronic disease in family members and the prospect that integrative approaches to healthcare might offer to these challenging conditions. After graduation, he had the opportunity to travel to numerous teaching clinics/Hospitals in Germany and was able to see how non-conventional therapies, when integrated properly, play an important role in the outcomes of patients with chronic disease including cancer. He recognized that there was an increasing body of research validating the use of what was then known as Complementary and Alternative therapies in many clinical situations.
Since then, he has been on a mission to expand the delivery of naturopathic supportive care and integrative medicine for complex chronic diseases informed by emerging clinical research. It was his vision to use the principles of evidence informed integrative therapies to build a centre aimed at improving care outcomes for patients right here in Canada. The result is the Marsden Centre for Excellence in Integrative Medicine a 6000 ft 2 modern facility with 15 providers delivering care across multiple fields in a collaborative manner that he runs along with his wife Dr. Chaleunsouk ND.
Dr. Marsden ND also has a passion for sharing his knowledge with others and has been teaching integrative medicine concepts in the areas of chronic, complex disease; supportive cancer care; intravenous infusion therapy; and environmental medicine for over 15 years across the world. He began the first post graduate residency in cancer care in Canada (affiliated with the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine) over a decade ago and has graduated many naturopathic doctors from this program including Drs. Lei Gu ND and Shiva Jamshidi ND who still practice at the centre. He is the course author and director for the Ontario Association of Naturopathic Doctors (OAND) certification course for intravenous infusion therapy. He continues to be an in-demand lecturer both for the professional and public audiences with numerous appearances on programs like CBC News, CBC Marketplace, TVO, the National Post and more. Knowledge in any field can only be expanded through research. This is something that Dr. Marsden ND has realized for many years and why he continues to participate in clinical research both directly at the centre alongside clinic fellows, and as a consultant on various advisory boards.
Dr. Marsden ND also believes in the importance of supporting the naturopathic/integrative medicine and broader community. He has sat as an executive on the Board of the OAND and was a key player in the drive to modernization of naturopathic regulation in Ontario. He was proud to be the chair of the Principle of Practice committee for the Oncology Association of Naturopathic Physicians. In that role, worked with a team of thought leaders in the field who developed the first Principles of Care guidelines in naturopathic cancer care which was published in Current Oncology in 2019. He currently sits on the medical advisory board for the Colorectal Cancer Research and Advocacy Network, an important organization providing support, education and advocacy for individuals diagnosed with colorectal cancer.
Finally, Dr. Marsden has many other interests. He is a proud father of two with a passion for being in the natural world. He enjoys hiking, sailing, camping, and spending time by the water. He has also been the volunteer basketball coach at the Toronto Waldorf school in Vaughan, Ontario for 10 years.