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The Center for Advancement in Cancer Education | Counseling - Health & Wellness |
 Cancer information, counseling, and referral agency with nat'l call center  PREVENTION IS THE CURE! The Center for Advancement in Cancer Education (CACE) is a federally-approved 501(c)(3) not-for-profit cancer information, counseling, and referral agency established in 1977. The Center specializes in providing nutritional, immunological, and psychological resources for cancer prevention, prevention of recurrence, and support during or after treatment. For 30 years, the Center has offered free individualized services through its National Call Center to over 28,000 cancer patients worldwide seeking integrative, complementary, and alternative medical options. Furthermore, through its National Awareness Campaign, the Center has provided cancer prevention education to many thousands more, as well as trained hundreds of doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals. The Breast and Prostate Cancer Prevention Initiative, College Campus Outreach Initiative, Cross Country for Cancer Bike Tour, and Minority Outreach Trainings are four of the Center’s primary prevention programs. OUR MISSION To provide education on how to prevent, cope with, and beat cancer through immune-enhancing approaches. OUR PHILOSOPHY The steadfast focus of the Center’s work is geared towards cancer prevention education through lifestyle training. With the lifetime rate of cancer nearing one in two Americans, the Center focuses on primary prevention, not just early detection. Because a large body of published research in prestigious scientific journals has demonstrated that up to 75 percent of all cancers are diet and lifestyle-related, we specialize in prevention education through lifestyle training, starting as young as possible. These lifestyle factors include diet, exercise, stress management, and environmental exposures, among others. For diagnosed patients, the Center’s focus bridges the gap between conventional cancer therapies and those considered unproven by modern science. Our whole-person approach focuses primarily on the patient rather than merely on the tumor. Short-term, we offer individualized resources and referrals that empower patients to make informed decisions, participate in the wellness process, and improve the quality and longevity of their lives. Long-term, we seek to change the medical focus of oncologic care from invasive tumor destruction to an integrative approach that emphasizes the body’s ability to repair itself and prevent recurrence. For an interview with Susan Silberstein, Executive Director by Natural Lifestyle Editor Cynthia Chatfield, go to http://www.naturallifestyle.net/susan-silberstein.html.  OUR ADVANTAGE Besides our special philosophy, the Center has many unique attributes that set it apart from other cancer institutions and organizations and enable it to perform a special role in the fight against cancer. § Our experience with over 28,000 patients puts us in a unique position to evaluate the confusing field of complementary and alternative therapies and to determine which programs have produced the best results for the most patients over the longest period of time. § We charge no fee for service; all counseling on cancer prevention and treatment options is provided on a donation basis. § We are generous with our time. One-on-one patient sessions last typically one to two hours, and we spend an average of about 15 hours per year with each patient. § Our counselors are extremely sensitive to the individual and multiple needs of cancer patients; we assist patients in coping with information overload as they attempt to manage their cancer experience. § As an educational rather than a treatment center, we have autonomy on medical issues and can provide unbiased guidance based on scientific research, clinical data, and decades of patient feedback. § By examining deeply the various causes of each patient’s illness, we empower patients to prevent disease recurrence. § We have no vested interest in any particular product, service or treatment choice: patient needs always come first. § We are economical. Nearly every dollar we raise is spent on services to the public, not on administrative overhead.  OUR SERVICES
 OUR PROGRAMS National Call Center Through our National Call Center, the Center provides information and counseling on nutritional, immunological, and psychological resources, as well as referrals for integrative, complementary, alternative and non-toxic treatment approaches. Our purpose is to aid in controlling and preventing recurrence of cancer by supporting and enhancing any medical choices a client may make. To date, we have served over 28,000 individuals and their families nationwide.
Through Integrative Lifestyle Counseling (ILC), we help clients design a holistic action plan to address multiple facets of their lives by modifying various lifestyle approaches. Our goal is to discover practical and manageable ways clients can make rapid, positive changes in their lives. ILC is highly personalized, paying attention to logistical, financial, and geographic limitations as well as to the belief systems of the client. ILC may include referrals to healthcare practitioners to serve an individual's special needs. National Awareness Campaign
Although working one-on-one with individual patients has been extremely valuable, ultimately we know we can reach many more people by helping to educate healthcare professionals and clinicians. Over the past three decades, the Center has provided hundreds of hours of continuing education for doctors, nurses, and other health professionals, as well as training for students of medicine, nursing, and psychology. By continuing to present the scientific basis for examining, the criteria for evaluating, and the rationales for implementing preventive, nutritional, complementary, integrative, and alternative medical approaches into clinical practice, we hope to disseminate much-needed information to more and more healthcare professionals.
Cancer of the breast and prostate are the most common cancers among US women and men. According to the latest statistics from the American Cancer Society, the National Cancer Institute and the Centers for Disease Control, about 215,000 cases of breast cancer and about 190,000 cases of prostate cancer will be diagnosed in the US this year. Despite millions of research dollars, the incidence of prostate cancer has tripled since the 1970’s, and the lifetime risk of breast cancer has risen from one in 12 in the 1970’s to nearly one in six today. Because the most commonly recognized risk factors -- age, race and heredity – are uncontrollable, most prevention programs have been limited to genetic testing, PSA screenings, mammograms, and other early detection techniques. However, these risk factors account for only about 25 percent of diagnosed cases; the other 75 percent of breast and prostate cancer incidence is largely due to lifestyle factors -- which are controllable! Based on scientific research confirming the power of diet, exercise and stress management to influence hormone balance and immune function, the prevention programs offered by the Center for Advancement in Cancer Education aim at diet and lifestyle training. For the public, we present dozens of lectures each year on topics like “Prostate Cancer: The Diet Connection” and “Breast Cancer: Is it What You’re Eating or What’s Eating You?” For individuals, we offer comprehensive lifestyle risk factor evaluations and coaching on how to minimize these exposures.
The lifetime risk of cancer among the younger generation is now approaching one in two, and according to the World Health Organization, up to 75% of these cancers are diet and lifestyle related. Through our College Campus Outreach Initiative, we are partnering with sororities, fraternities, and other campus organizations, delivering nutrition and prevention talks, providing free educational materials, and training students to share this information with their peers. Having begun with campuses in the local Philadelphia area, we are now expanding our partnerships with other student organizations to bring our empowering cancer prevention message to college campuses nationwide.
In conjunction with our College Campus Outreach Initiative and in cooperation with the Mayor of Philadelphia’s Office of Health & Fitness – which is partnering with us in some local programming – we intend to spread awareness of the powerful role of diet and exercise in preventing cancer. We will do this by creating youth-oriented local, regional and national biking events.
Medically underserved populations generally have higher rates of disease, especially breast and prostate cancer, and are diagnosed at more advanced stages than other groups. We have conducted successful training programs in cancer prevention through lifestyle education for African Americans at Philadelphia area hospitals, churches, and schools. Now we are expanding this model to reach minority groups in other cities around the country. These programs are targeted to specifically serve the African American, Native American, and Hispanic communities.  Susan Silberstein, PhD Executive Director Dr. Susan Silberstein has served as Executive Director of the CACE since she founded the organization in October of 1977, after the death of her young husband to cancer. She also serves as Educational Advisor to the National Foundation for Alternative Medicine, as trainer for Ultimate Health Group, Inc., and as consultant for various educational, clinical, and nutraceutical facilities. In conjunction with her work at the cancer center, Susan is Editor of Immune Perspectives magazine, creator of the video, Breast Cancer: The Diet Connection, author of the recipe book Hungry for Health, and originator of Philadelphia’s annual “Food & Health Expo.” A national speaker on nutrition, cancer prevention, and complementary and alternative medicine, Susan lectures frequently for medical and nursing schools, continuing oncology nursing education programs, universities, corporations, and other organizations. Since 1977, she has appeared on scores of radio and television talk shows, has coordinated hundreds of health conferences, and has counseled thousands of patients. For several years, Susan taught the psychology of health and disease in the Graduate Division of Counseling Psychology at Immaculata University and served as Director of the Integrative Program for Cancer Prevention at the Village at Newtown Medical Center. A frequent contributing writer and interviewee for various health publications, she is featured in Rutgers University Press’s Evaluating Alternative Cancer Therapies. A Phi Beta Kappa and Fulbright scholar, Susan is the recipient of the Jefferson Award of the American Institute for Public Service, the Legion of Honor Award of the Chapel of Four Chaplains, the Montgomery County Woman of Vision Award, the Founder’s Award of the National Foundation for Alternative medicine, and the Lifetime Achievement Award of the Center for Advancement in Cancer Education. Susan is also an accomplished linguist, a trained opera singer, and mother of four. (Click here for Full Bio) Randi Shayne, ND Patient Services Director Dr. Randi Shayne has served as Patient Services Director since 2000. She received her bachelor's degree in biology from La Salle University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and her doctorate in naturopathic medicine from the National College of Naturopathic Medicine in Portland, Oregon, one of four U.S. accredited medical schools formally training primary care physicians in natural medicine. Dr. Shayne has worked extensively in the areas of education, healthcare and communications, developing educational materials and conducting training sessions for medical personnel, educators, social service workers and clergy. She has coordinated dozens of seminars, conferences and workshops and is a popular lecturer on complementary and alternative medicine at medical schools, colleges and universities, and national health-related conventions. Producer and host of the series "Exploring Holistic Healing" for public access TV, Dr. Shayne has managed media relations with newspapers, radio and television, and has written articles for national print and on-line publications. For over 20 years, Dr. Shayne has consulted on health promotion, disease prevention and management of chronic illness. In addition to the thousands of consultations she has provided to cancer patients and their families, Dr. Shayne worked for several years with other special populations including victims of sexual abuse, adolescent mothers, and the Amish. Since 1996, she has been a member of the Pennsylvania Association of Naturopathic Physicians, an organization working towards the state licensing of naturopaths. She has a keen interest in and a deep knowledge of the environment and consumer choice as they affect human health. Lillian Goertzel, EdD, CN Supervising Psychologist & Patient Counselor Dr. Lillian Goertzel has served the Center as Supervising Psychologist and Patient Counselor since 1991. A licensed psychologist and certified nutritionist, Dr. Goertzel received her bachelor's degree in psychology from American University, her master's degree in psychology from the New School for Social Research, and her Ed.D. degree in health psychology from Temple University. She is also certified in nutrition through American Health Science University and the National Institute of Nutrition Education. Dr. Goertzel has been in private practice since 1989, specializing in clinical health psychology and behavioral medicine for individuals, families, and groups. She has worked extensively with children and adults with cancer and has completed professional training with ECAP, a program for exceptional cancer patients founded by Bernie Siegel, MD. She also studied with Lawrence LeShan, Ph.D., a researcher and clinical expert in psychotherapy for patients with cancer. Her doctoral dissertation focused on anxiety and self-esteem among pediatric and adolescent cancer patients and was published in Psychological Reports in May of 1991. For several years Dr. Goertzel worked as psychological program coordinator servicing primarily African-American children, adolescents and adults. Her special areas of expertise include relationships, anger and stress management, depression, hypnotherapy, and anxiety. Her professional affiliations include membership in the American Psychological Association, the Association for Play Therapy, and the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis. She is a national board member of the Society of Certified Nutritionists and past president of the Delaware Valley Association of Humanistic Psychology. Karen Key, CMT Program Assistant Karen’s interest in mind-body health was sparked in the early 1990s. Her learning journey started with a certification in Holistic Health Studies through the Health Perspectives program of Rosemont College in Rosemont, PA. In order to fulfill her 100-hour internship requirement, Karen began working at the Center for Advancement in Cancer Education. She never left. In 1995, Karen became a certified massage therapist and reflexologist. A member of the International Massage Association, she is also certified in pre-natal massage therapy. Since 1995, she has maintained a private practice and has also worked at various spas and chiropractic offices. She currently practices at MassageWorks, a massage and yoga center in Bryn Mawr, PA, while maintaining a part-time schedule with the cancer center. Karen is happy to be involved with an organization that is aligned with her belief in the remarkable healing and regenerative capacities of the human body. She enjoys teaching cancer patients and other clients the importance of proper lifestyle changes and mind-body modalities, while taking advantage of the best that modern medicine has to offer. Over the years, Karen’s compassion for all living creatures has made her the champion of many worthwhile causes, including Amnesty International, several civil rights and animal rights organizations, and an animal shelter. Jillian Pintye, BSN College Campus Outreach Coordinator Jillian became deeply committed to a career in health care following her father’s death from cancer. As a nursing student in the Honors Program at LaSalle University, Jillian had the opportunity to serve the underprivileged communities of Philadelphia and became extremely interested in disease prevention, public health promotion, and policy. The University’s commitment to community service led Jillian to volunteer at the Triform Camphill Community, a residential therapeutic and vocational training center for young people with developmental disorders. In 2005, Jillian became involved with the Center for Advancement in Cancer Education to fulfill the community service component of a nursing course. Beginning as just a volunteer, she was soon offered a paid position as College Campus Outreach Coordinator. Starting with programming at La Salle, where Jillian has coordinated educational programs for sororities, nursing students and faculty as well as organized student volunteer and fundraising events, she is now helping to plan outreach programs at other colleges and universities. Recently, Jillian has been developing her cross-cultural communication skills and global consciousness through her international travel and study experiences, including studying Denmark’s socialized healthcare system during a course on “Nursing in Scandinavia.” The knowledge and experience which Jillian has gained at the Center have further solidified her commitment to promote health within the cancer diagnosed community and to raise awareness of cancer prevention resources among those who are cancer free. Jillian now plans to pursue a Masters of Public Health degree and is passionate about her future proactive, empowering and compassionate career in public health.  OUR FRIENDS Caregivers Circle The Caregivers Circle provides an opportunity for individuals to make a difference in someone’s life everyday. A tax-deductible gift of $100 will help sponsor a cancer patient for an entire year of free individualized educational, counseling and referral services. Even better, a gift of $300 will help sponsor three patients; a donation of $500 will sponsor five patients; and a contribution of $1000 will help underwrite services for ten patients for a complete year! As a Caregivers’ Circle member, the individual, like the patients sponsored, receives our Immune Perspectives magazine and our Health News & Views newsletter. Because individuals are diagnosed with cancer 365 day of the year, our Board has set a goal to enlist 365 new members in the Caregivers’ Circle every year.
Corporate Partners in Prevention Our Partners in Prevention program is a wonderful opportunity for companies to benefit from co-venturing with the Center. We have experience in addressing the concerns of employers regarding the impact of cancer on the health and productivity of their staff. In the past, we have been joined in our educational efforts by such companies as Wild Oats, Whole Foods Markets, Christina Cooks Public Television, Cancer Treatment Centers of America, Juice Plus+ and others. A mutually supportive relationship provides an exciting educational and marketing opportunity for the company, while helping our Center to fulfill its crucial mission. MEMBERSHIP The Center for Advancement in Cancer Education is a federally-approved 501(c)(3) charity supported almost entirely by donations. Your contribution will help us to maintain our services to the public and to promote the biological approach to cancer control. A copy of our official registration and financial information may be obtained from the PA Dept. of State Bureau on Charitable Organizations by calling (717) 783-1720. Join by Mail: Please mail us your information with your check payable to: CACE, Suite 100, 300 E. Lancaster Ave., Wynnewood PA 19096. You can also become a member online at http://shop.1asecure.com/index.cfm?deptno=6&stid=3661.
 Telephone consultations are available by appointment. In person consultations are also available at our home office location in suburban Philadelphia. Please call to schedule.  OUR IMPACT We have scrapbooks full of letters of appreciation and praise from both laypersons and professionals. A few of their comments appear below.
"Everyday I count my blessings and include you and your fine organization in my prayers. Your kind, yet very competent and confident attitude helped allay my fears and gave me the courage to face my life crisis. I am so grateful that you and the Center are there for people like me." –JK
"I first called you after relapsing from a bone marrow transplant for lymphoma…I asked if you could refer me to someone. You did. Since then I have learned a lot about food and nutrition, and…its impact on our health… My prior doctor told me that if I was extremely lucky I might go another 16 months. Well it is now 20 months and I feel great. I am leaving tomorrow to take my second snow skiing trip this season." –MR
"I have written a personal story of hope and recovery from the deadly metastatic malignant melanoma from which my husband…has been declared the winner! He has made a marvelous, natural recovery and is better now than he has been in over 20 years! We wanted to express our gratitude for putting us on the path to good health! –PH
"What a wonderful resource for support for cancer soldiers and their families/friends! Personally you have provided me with invaluable information…in my battle against colon cancer. I do not know what I would have done without the assistance of the Center." –CL  OUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS Despite very limited resources and ever-increasing demand, the Center has provided state-of-the-art prevention training, has performed exceptional services for individuals with cancer, and has added enormous value to the cancer community over the past quarter-century. Initially serving the Philadelphia area, then the tri-state Delaware Valley, we now serve people nationally and globally by communicating our information via mail, telephone, broadcast and print media, and the internet. In addition, we have offered extensive educational programming through presentations and lectures for lay and professional groups in nearly all of the nation’s 50 states and abroad. Among our accomplishments of which we are most proud, we have § Provided, for more than 28,000 patients, personalized guidance that has greatly enhanced quality of life, significantly extended longevity, and in many cases resulted in complete recovery § Organized and conducted 18 annual “Immuno-Supportive Cancer Care” conferences for healthcare professionals in which prominent experts from prestigious academic and medical institutions have presented their work in complementary and alternative cancer therapies, clinical nutrition, botanical medicine, psychoneuroimmunology and other innovative approaches § Presented scores of lectures for medical and nursing schools and other professional training institutions, including the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, Thomas Jefferson University School of Nursing, Helene Fuld School of Nursing, West Chester University School of Nursing, and Temple University School of Medicine § Sponsored and conducted hundreds of classes, workshops and lectures for the general public on nutrition, cancer prevention and holistic cancer care § Created, organized and presented 15 annual Food & Health Expos honoring National Nutrition Month and featuring prominent speakers and quality exhibitors targeting improved nutrition awareness for the general public § Developed and distributed customized cancer educational materials, audios and videos, including Breast Cancer: The Diet Connection and Kitchen Chemotherapy § Published a quarterly magazine, Immune Perspectives, for over 11 years and a periodic newsletter, Health News & Views, for over 20 years § Sponsored our own research study on psycho-social risk factors in women with cancer, now in the final stages of completion § Supervised practicums for nurses, social workers, psychologists and medical students and trained more than one dozen healthcare professionals and students on site at the Center’s facility § Provided in-services and continuing education credits for practicing oncology nurses, hospice nurses, and other medical professionals for dozens of institutions and organizations, including the American Cancer Society, the Oncology Nursing Society, the American Holistic Nurses Association, and others § Become sanctioned as a United Way specific care charity and made presentations at dozens of Southeastern Pennsylvania United Way corporate kickoff campaigns § Made over 60 presentations at patient conferences and support groups sponsored by many hospitals and organizations, including the University of Pennsylvania Cancer Center, Hunterdon Medical Center, The Breast Cancer Resource Center, the Breast Cancer Symposium, and Mercy Hospital § Participated as presenter and exhibitor at several national and international conferences on complementary and alternative medicine, including Comprehensive Cancer Care, Health Freedom Expo, the Dead Sea Conference, and the National Conference on the Clinical Application of Behavioral Medicine § Been featured on hundreds of television and radio talk shows and webcasts including CN8 and Your Cancer Today § Been featured in scores of newspaper and magazine articles nationwide, including the Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia Magazine, Natural Awakenings, Prevention magazine, and South Africa’s largest family magazine § Been published as a full chapter in three books (Hess, Evaluating Alternative Cancer Therapies; Mizrahi, Potentiating Health and the Crisis of the Immune System; and Voell and Chatfield, Cancer Report) and received mention in several other books on CAM approaches to cancer § Developed a website, www.BeatCancer.org that serves as an educational arm of the Center § Received over $200,000 in corporate and foundation grants, including $25,000 from the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation and $30,000 from Philadelphia area Whole Foods Markets § Created and delivered breast cancer prevention training programs to more than 500 medically-underserved African American women in the Philadelphia area § Provided prevention education programs on numerous Philadelphia area college campuses, including Haverford College, Temple University, La Salle University, and others § Designed and implemented a series of dinner lectures on dietary prevention of cancer in cooperation with Philadelphia area restaurants and food stores § Sponsored and starred in an episode of “Christina Cooks” TV show aired on Comcast CN8 in over four million homes in the Mid-Atlantic Region
§ Formed strategic alliances and developed corporate partnerships with companies like Whole Foods Markets, Heintzman Farms, NSA, Plastaket Manufacturing and others
§ Been featured in the 2003 “Options – Healing Cancer Holistically” calendar |
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