The ZRT Laboratory Blog

How to Supplement with Vitamin D & Melatonin after Melanoma

Thu, 04 May 2017 10:14:00 -0700

Quick Takeaway: Studies suggest high blood levels of 25-OH vitamin D may prevent melanoma [1] and appropriate D levels may affect the prognosis in both primary [2] and metastatic melanomas. [3] Keep your levels in blood between 50-80 ng/dL.

Additionally, melatonin and its metabolites protect the skin from sun and help guard the DNA there when faced with the mixture of cancer-inducing ultraviolet rays and oxidation.

The Full Story

Like so many, I figured it was never going to happen to me. Until the day that one of our docs (thank you, Dr. Alison McAllister) turned to me in a meeting and said: "I really don't like the looks of that mole, and I think you should see someone."

That was the day something finally hit home, and I realized I was a perfect candidate for skin cancer.

The Odds Were Always Against Me

I have green eyes and fair skin. I grew up in Southern California and rarely wore sunscreen. I’ve burned and peeled more times than I can count. Although my skin does eventually tan, I also have moles and freckles all over. In others words, I have Skin Type II and I'm a perfect case.

And you would think I'd know better. My parents are both in the medical industry, so I can't say I was ever uninformed about the risks of sun exposure. I now work at ZRT and talk to health care providers on a daily basis, so there's another constant reminder. I even had friends, who themselves had dealt with skin cancer, who mentioned that I should have the large, uneven mole on my right temple (that I thought I was watching closely) checked out.

I didn't pay attention to any of that until the day I got the call from the dermatologist who told me, "You have melanoma. But you're in luck, because you have the good bad kind."

The Good Bad Kind of Skin Cancer?

The good bad kind of skin cancer turned out to be a melanoma in situ, which means my melanoma was just starting and was still confined to the epidermis. As one of the docs who looked at my mole said, "It's not on the highway yet. It's still in the garage." Meaning that my treatment was going to be simple. I just needed a quick surgery to remove the mole, plus a fair margin around it for safety's sake.

I elected not to go with the Mohs surgery that was recommended by the dermatologist, and I instead had my surgery with a melanoma specialist at the John Wayne Cancer Institute. His philosophy was to biopsy all around the site first to set a clear margin, and then go in and take it all out at once.

As several doctors told me, cancer doesn't like to be provoked. My mole had already been tampered with once during the diagnostic biopsy. It seemed wise not to mess with it again until all of it could be removed. The concern here is that any treatment that allows for even one or two cancer cells to break off and travel elsewhere in the body puts you at higher risk for recurrence. I was all for taking the safest route possible.

A Proactive Follow-Up Plan

Melatonin and its metabolites protect the skin from sun rays and help guard the DNA there from neoplastic tendencies...

Two years later, I now follow the advice I should have been following all along. That is, I wear sunscreen all year round and cover up with sun-protective clothing to shield my skin. I also get skin checks every three months. (Which, by the way, six months after my surgery detected another pre-cancerous mole that was getting started between my toes!)

I also now follow the advice of our naturopathic doctors who tipped me off to several cancer-protective measures that the dermatologists didn't. Dr. Allison Smith does a better job of explaining this than I do:

Vitamin D: Keep your levels in blood between 50-80 ng/dL by eating D-rich foods like mushrooms, salmon and eggs, and by supplementing with Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) if your levels are low. It's hard to prove anything prevents cancer; but studies suggest high blood levels of 25-OH vitamin D may prevent melanoma [1] and on the other side of diagnosis, appropriate D levels may affect the prognosis in both primary [2] and metastatic melanomas. [3] Blood spot is an easy and effective way to test Vitamin D levels.

Melatonin: This hormone we associate mostly with sleep is made all over the body, and the largest organ synthesizing melatonin is the skin. Melatonin and its metabolites protect the skin from sun rays and help guard the DNA there from neoplastic tendencies when faced with the mixture of cancer-inducing ultraviolet rays and oxidation. Surprised? A recent study demonstrated that topical melatonin 12.5% slathered on the skin before sun exposure protected against sunburns. [4] What an important little molecule!

Diurnal Rhythms: Check your diurnal cortisol and melatonin rhythms. Studies show that diurnal dysrhythmias are associated with many cancers, including skin cancer. [5] [6]

Becoming a Change Agent

I must admit, the transition from being a Southern California sun worshiper took time, but I've embraced it. I've learned to love long sleeves. I have a nice collection of hats now too. And I feel smarter that I've got something more than sunscreen working for me.

I also like reminding everyone to get their skin checked, especially if you have a history that's similar to mine. Seeing as it's Melanoma Awareness Month, now is a perfect time to get started. The benefits are worth it.

Related Resources

References

[1] Clin Ther. 2017 Apr 18. pii: S0149-2918(17)30194-7. doi: 10.1016/j.clinthera.2017.03.012. [Epub ahead of print] Immune Modulation by Vitamin D: Special Emphasis on Its Role in Prevention and Treatment of Cancer. Pandolfi F1, Franza L1, Mandolini C1, Conti P2.

[2] Australas J Dermatol. 2017 Mar 23. doi: 10.1111/ajd.12648. [Epub ahead of print] High serum vitamin D level correlates with better prognostic indicators in primary melanoma: A pilot study. Lim A1, Shayan R1, Varigos G1.

[3] Oncotarget. 2017 Jan 24;8(4):6873-6882. doi: 10.18632/oncotarget.14316. Vitamin D deficiency is associated with a worse prognosis in metastatic melanoma. Timerman D1, McEnery-Stonelake M2, Joyce CJ3, Nambudiri VE4, Hodi FS5, Claus EB6, Ibrahim N5,7, Lin JY4,5.

[4] J Dermatol Sci. 2016 Nov;84(2):178-185. doi: 10.1016/j.jdermsci.2016.08.007. Epub 2016 Aug 9. Dose dependent sun protective effect of topical melatonin: A randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study. Scheuer C1, Pommergaard HC2, Rosenberg J3, Gögenur I4.

[5] Tumour Biol. 2014 Sep;35(9):8359-68. doi: 10.1007/s13277-014-1904-2. Epub 2014 Apr 14. Running for time: circadian rhythms and melanoma. Markova-Car EP1, Jurišić D, Ilić N, Kraljević Pavelić S.

[6] Int J Mol Sci. 2016 Apr 26;17(5). pii: E621. doi: 10.3390/ijms17050621. Circadian Dysrhythmias, Physiological Aberrations, and the Link to Skin Cancer. Gutierrez D1, Arbesman J2.

Marketing Tips for Your Practice - Part 3

Fri, 16 Sep 2016 12:08:00 -0700

From time to time, we have practitioners ask for advice on how to find and (most importantly) motivate patients. As a marketing team, we spend lots of time thinking about this, and we're happy to share our pearls of wisdom.

In the third blog of our series, we'll outline another one of our favorite ideas for connecting with patients – become a local health writer.

But, whoa! Before you start to worry that we’re talking about long, technical (boring) articles. We’re not. We’re talking about short, patient-friendly articles that get your name circulated in the local community.

Pearl #3 – Be Your Patients' Local Health Expert

Articles are a great way to create a first impression with patients and become recognized as a local health expert. Being a practitioner or pharmacist, your topics should focus on various aspects of health and wellbeing, but where these articles are published will set the tone for how long they are and the style of writing.

So, how do you start? Here are a few ideas:

Look for Local Newsletters

Articles are a great way to create a first impression with patients and become recognized as a local health expert.

Once you start looking, you’ll probably find a variety of local newsletters that would be interested in publishing an article from a health care provider. A few ideas that come to mind are healthy grocery stores, pharmacies or gyms – do you have a local version of Whole Foods or 24 Hour Fitness? There are also community groups, like the YMCA, to consider. These groups often have a monthly message that goes out to shoppers or members.

Take a look at how long (or brief) the articles are in these newsletters, and offer to write something similar. Stick to timely topics and make sure to include a few actionable take-aways. For instance, if your specialty is treating patients with menopause or andropause, talk about staying healthy in your 50s and beyond. This can include tips about exercise, diet and weight loss, or stress management.

And don't stop at just one article. Try to contribute a new article every few months to build readership and gain popularity. Make sure your name is featured as the writer of the article, too. Doing this with one or two newsletters in your area could have a big impact on business.

Talk to the Newspaper

Newspapers and magazines that publish daily or weekly are always looking for good stories, so see if your local paper might be interested in articles from a health care provider.

Start by looking in the health section of the newspaper and see what type of content they routinely provide. They may take a one-time article from you, but they may also be interested in a recurring feature – like a column on health tips or Ask the Expert, where you answer questions from readers.

If the major newspaper in your area doesn’t bite on this idea, try a smaller city or regional paper. There may also be a magazine publication that targets the local community. Look for this to be distributed in neighborhood grocery stores, banks, coffee shops, civic offices, or other community businesses.

The same writing rules apply here – look at the content these publications typically run and offer to write something similar. Make sure to include tips or advice that prospective patients can follow, and make sure that your name is featured as the writer.

Write a Patient Booklet

If contributing articles to local newsletters or publications doesn’t appeal to you, what about writing a booklet for your patients? Or collaborating with another health care provider on a patient booklet?

It doesn’t need to be long – 5-6 pages should be enough to convey important health tips that you want patients to have. Sticking to the topics you see frequently in your practice – like weight management or stress reduction – will make sure it’s relevant for patients too.

As an example of what your booklet might contain, start with a review of the bodily factors involved in weight management. At ZRT we focus on hormones, so our booklet would feature an overview of hormones like cortisol, estrogen, thyroid, etc. Once patients understand how the body works, spend a page or two offering suggestions for how to manage their health – dietary guidelines, thoughts about exercise (how much, how often), and lifestyle tips. You can include a few recipes and add recommendations for additional books to read. If you want to see an example, download a free copy of ZRT’s Menopause booklet.

Once you have the booklet finished, find ways to share it with patients. A few ideas for this include putting copies in your waiting and exam rooms for patients to read, and handing them out as patients are leaving appointments. You can also try printing some copies and taking them around to the various gyms, pharmacies, stores and community centers that we mentioned earlier in this post.

Keep the Ideas Flowing

These are just a few suggestions to get your creative juices flowing. Feel free to add your own twist to any of these ideas, or come up with even more creative ways to connect with patients.

You’re also welcome to chime in on this blog with questions or suggestions. We're happy to share ideas!

ZRT Marketing Tips Blogs

Marketing Tips for Your Practice - Part 2

Thu, 04 Aug 2016 11:30:00 -0700

In a series of blogs, we'll outline our favorite ideas for reaching more – and connecting more with – patients.

Pearl #2 – Event Marketing

One of the simplest ways to meet prospective new patients or clients is to exhibit at a local event. If you’re feeling creative, you can also consider hosting your own event. Both are effective for starting a conversation with people and for sharing your expertise as a health care practitioner.

So, how do you start? Here are a few ideas:

Attending a Local Event

Event marketing is effective for starting a conversation with people and sharing your expertise as a health care practitioner.

There are a variety of community events that you can consider, and one of the easiest places to start is looking for health fairs in your area.

In fact, a Google search for community fairs in our area of Beaverton, Oregon gave me a choice of several options. These events are generally hosted by health groups or hospitals, civic agencies or associations, or even local schools or news outlets.

If your online search doesn't result in any winning ideas, you can also try looking at the calendars for local venues or community centers to see if there is a health/lifestyle show event listed. Sometimes they have exhibit areas at the finish line of walks or races, or you could potentially volunteer to host an aid station at the finish.

I've even noticed in our area where farmer's markets are popular that some people get creative by hosting a booth to offer healthy recipes (for all the great fruit and vegetables at the market) or sample supplements – popular items like gummy omegas or vitamin D. It's a great way to meet healthy-minded people and make new connections in the community.

Once you find an event, what's next? I've fielded this question a number of times over the years, and my first suggestion is always to give people a reason to stop and talk to you. There are a variety of ways to grab attention. Here are a few of my favorites:

Offer a raffle item: pick an item associated with your practice or pharmacy and have people enter to win a drawing. This could be an array of supplements, a basket of skincare products, or a couple of healthy cookbooks. I’ve even seen practitioners use ZRT test kits as a raffle item.
Offer a discount: does your business offer cosmetic procedures or sell related products? Create a coupon that you can hand out at the event. Give prospective patients or clients a reason to book their first appointment with you.
Offer a free analysis: would a quick, no cost health analysis get people to stop? Perhaps it’s a weight analysis or blood pressure check. I know one practitioner who gives patients a free single hormone test (estrogen for women, testosterone for men) to get them coming in for HRT treatment.

Host Your Own Event

If you're not finding any local events that sound like a fit, try hosting your own. There is a surprising variety of ways to do this, such as:

Host a presentation: Talk to your library or community center about hosting an educational presentation. This gives prospective patients or clients a chance to learn about the role of hormones in everyday health and increases your local visibility as a practitioner or pharmacy.

If you like this idea but worry about what to present, let us take the work out of it for you. ZRT has several prepared slide decks addressing weight loss, sleep balance, skin vitality and stress management that we’re happy to share. You can download those here.*

Host a workshop: If your practice location or pharmacy has space, you can host a workshop event right there. Pick a time and day (evenings or weekend afternoons are best), offer light snacks and drinks, and educate patients about hormone health for an hour. Add a quiz or free analysis to make patients feels like they’re getting true value. You can even offering the extras we mentioned above – like a raffle prize or coupons.

Also make sure attendees get something to take home that encourages them to take the next step – like a booklet or brochures, or even product samples. ZRT offers a range of free patient literature that we’re happy to send. Simply contact our Customer Service team for the range of options.

Host a coffee break or a luncheon: If you feel like taking it up a notch, find a local restaurant, health food store or coffee house to host your event. Make sure to provide the food and drinks, and follow any of the suggestions above.

If you have any connections with local authors, artists or community leaders, you could also think about asking them to join your meeting to put an interesting spin on the presentation. For instance, if you know an author who writes about women’s topics, you could have her (or him) lead a discussion about women’s health that then gives you the opportunity to provide booklets, brochures or articles as take-aways for the services you offer. This could also be combined with the coupons or raffle item ideas.

Keep the Ideas Flowing

These are just a few suggestions to get your creative juices flowing. Feel free to add your own twist to any of these ideas, or come up with even more creative ways to connect with patients.

You’re also welcome to chime in on this blog with questions or suggestions. We're happy to share ideas!

*These slide decks are meant to be presented in their entirety. Please contact marketing if you'd like to discuss possible edits.

ZRT Marketing Tips Blogs

Marketing Tips for Your Practice

Fri, 08 Apr 2016 09:30:00 -0700

In a series of blogs, we'll outline our favorite ideas for reaching more – and connecting more with – patients.

Pearl #1 – Content Marketing

One of my favorite ideas is content marketing, which is a practice employed by many marketers today.

It’s the notion that providing interesting, compelling information that people actually want to read will draw them back to you. It establishes you as an expert, and positions you to become their go-to source for health education.

In today’s always-on society, people are being bombarded with information. They’re being talked at, instead of being talked to. And they know the difference. People want a friendly face. Someone they can trust. And, with the right kinds of messages and information, that can be you.

So, how do you start? Here are a few ideas:

Content marketing establishes you as an expert, and positions you to become a patient's
go-to source for health education.

Send Monthly Email Tips

If you routinely collect email addresses from your patients, you already have the makings of a monthly email message.

If you don’t collect those, then there are creative ways to go about getting patients to sign up. You can put a sign-up sheet in your waiting room that offers free monthly advice – like nutritional tips around the holidays, sunscreen solutions for summer or relaxation ideas for ensuring a good night’s sleep. After all, who doesn’t want free advice from their favorite health care practitioner?

Once a month, pop them a message about a common health concern. Make sure your message educates, and avoids selling. After several months, you can become their source for making healthy choices all-year-round.

Start a Blog

It might sound intimidating, but it’s really just talking about what you know.

While you’re a health care practitioner, you’re also a consumer. You know what it’s like to make healthy choices for yourself and your family . . . so share those with patients. For instance, comment on the best picks for seasonal fruits and vegetables. Offer suggestions for simple ways to incorporate more exercise into daily life. Give stress-busting ideas for people to keep cool during intense days at work or at school. If you have a specialty practice, like hormone therapy or weight managemnt, tailor your articles to speak to those subjects regularly.

To add variety to your blog, you can also write articles that comment on recent health news. For example, say you find an interesting article offering advice on how to fall asleep quickly. Write a brief recap for your readers and add your own tips for getting to sleep. Make sure to include a link to the original article, so patients can check it out too. Websites like The New York Times and Huffington Post have a treasure trove of health news articles, and so do sites like Health.com and Shape Magazine.

It's also a good idea to write blog articles that answer the types of questions that patients routinely ask you. For example, they may ask you about how much Vitamin D to take on a daily basis or what to do to combat night sweats. Put those answers into a blog post, and whenever possible add links to relevant articles that support your answers.

Once you’ve started a blog, you can advertise the web address in your waiting room. After patients sign up, they’ll receive automatic notices when you post new blog articles.

If you've started the montly email program that we suggest above, you can make a new blog post the feature for your email each month. This is a quick way to build an audience to follow your blog and stay connected with your patients.

Recommend Reading

Another way to educate and connect with patients is to give them suggestions for reading – which can include books, articles, magazines, blogs, etc.

Develop a hand-out for patients to take with them after an appointment that has list of useful suggestions on it. Include the blog that you just started on this hand-out to help build your readership.

Don’t forget to include links to some of ZRT’s materials – like our patient webinars. You can find a list of those here: ZRT Patient Webinar Library.

Another way to promote good reading is to give patients a book during visits. While getting a stock of books to hand out might take a bit of investment, imagine how well this will be received by your patients. Make sure to include a branded bookmark with your contact information and the address to your blog.

Alternately, you can provide a booklet – like the Menopause & Your Health booklet offered by ZRT. Copies of this booklet can be freely downloaded here: Menopause & Your Health. We can also send copies if you call our customer service department. (If menopause isn’t your topic, we also have an Adrenal Fatigue booklet.)

Keep the Ideas Flowing

These are just a few suggestions to get your creative juices flowing. Feel free to add your own twist to any of these ideas, or come up with even more creative ways to connect with patients.

You’re also welcome to chime in on this blog with questions or suggestions. We're happy to share ideas!

The ZRT Laboratory Blog

How to Supplement with Vitamin D & Melatonin after Melanoma

The Full Story

The Odds Were Always Against Me

The Good Bad Kind of Skin Cancer?

A Proactive Follow-Up Plan

Melatonin and its metabolites protect the skin from sun rays and help guard the DNA there from neoplastic tendencies...

Becoming a Change Agent

Related Resources

References

Marketing Tips for Your Practice - Part 3

Pearl #3 – Be Your Patients' Local Health Expert

Look for Local Newsletters

Articles are a great way to create a first impression with patients and become recognized as a local health expert.

Talk to the Newspaper

Write a Patient Booklet

Keep the Ideas Flowing

ZRT Marketing Tips Blogs

Marketing Tips for Your Practice - Part 2

Pearl #2 – Event Marketing

Attending a Local Event

Event marketing is effective for starting a conversation with people and sharing your expertise as a health care practitioner.

Host Your Own Event

Keep the Ideas Flowing

ZRT Marketing Tips Blogs

Marketing Tips for Your Practice

Pearl #1 – Content Marketing

Content marketing establishes you as an expert, and positions you to become a patient's go-to source for health education.

Send Monthly Email Tips

Start a Blog

Recommend Reading

Keep the Ideas Flowing

ZRT Marketing Tips Blogs

Content marketing establishes you as an expert, and positions you to become a patient's
go-to source for health education.