Bastyr Creates New Cancer Patient Assistance Program

A new program at the Bastyr Integrative Oncology Research Center (BIORC) will allow late-stage breast cancer patients to have an improved quality of life while increasing their chances of survival.

The innovative program was created thanks to a generous $10,000 donation from Cleavage Creek Cellars of Pope Valley, Calif., and will introduce patients to such nontoxic treatments as intravenous ascorbic acid (IVAA) — which has a pro-oxidant effect attacking cancer cells while leaving healthy cells unharmed — as well as targeted botanical therapies, nutritional therapy, acupuncture and massage.

Patients with late-stage cancer have historically had few effective or tolerable treatment options. Because of this funding, BIORC will be able to help up to five patients who might not otherwise be able to afford complementary cancer care. Medicaid and Medicare do not pay for these types of treatments.

"This program is a welcome addition to the cancer research we are currently conducting," said BIORC Medical Director Leanna J. Standish, PhD, ND, LAc. "It is truly heartwarming to know we are giving a potentially life-saving opportunity to patients who otherwise could not afford the treatments."

This is the latest in a recent stream of funding for BIORC. Last July and September, Bastyr University's cancer research center received federal grants totaling nearly $8 million from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to conduct studies on both complementary and integrative medicine, and the healing power of Asian medicinal mushrooms on breast cancer.