Dr. Najla Itani; Early Detection and Customized Care: Transforming Cancer Treatment

Dr. Najla Itani, Medical Director of the CMC Cancer Center, joins us today on Happier Healthier! On top of being the Cancer Center’s Medical Director, Dr. Itani is also an Oncologist and Hematologist. She started here about five years ago, before our Cancer Center really existed and was able to kickstart this service and provide care to patients facing cancer in our community. From how to deal with a cancer diagnosis to why you need to take initiative in your healthcare as a patient, Dr. Itani covers it all in this episode.  Talking Points: (01:40) Welcome Dr. Itani! (02:00) Dr. Itani’s recent habits for being happier and healthier as a mom (03:07) Making the switch to telehealth as a physician (04:00) Why Dr.Itani made the switch to telehealth (04:50) Dr. Itani’s background (05:30) Becoming a Doctor… (even when her parents told her not to!) (06:35) Why Oncology and Hematology? (08:00) Why establishing a deep connection with patients is essential (09:05) Delivering hard news to patients (10:30) From Saudi Arabia to Conway Medical Center (12:25)The role internal medicine plays in treating cancer (13:35) “Early Detections means Early Intervention” (14:50) Cancer screenings available at CMC (16:20) Cancer treatments available at the Cancer Center (17:20) Claire asks, “What advice would you give someone dealing with a cancer diagnosis?” (20:15) Some ways we can help a loved one facing a cancer diagnosis  (21:15) Advancements in cancer research (21:50) Customizable cancer care (23:00) Using blood to detect cancer DNA (23:45) A tailored approach to cancer screenings (24:45) Lifestyle habits that increase cancer risk (26:15) Dr. Itani’s recommended cancer prevention measures (28:30) Findings in cancer screenings (30:00) Why screenings are your ‘best bet’ for detecting cancer (32:00) How family history can impact your screening timeline (34:00) Don’t let fear affect your screening habits  (35:30) What Dr. Itani wishes people knew about her role in cancer care (36:35) Teamwork being an integral part of the CMC Cancer Center (37:30) Dr. Itani’s advice for listeners Thanks for listening! Follow us on social media: Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@conwaymed⁠⁠⁠⁠ X (Twitter): ⁠⁠⁠⁠conwaymed⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠ConwayMed⁠⁠⁠⁠ TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@conwaymedicalcenter⁠⁠⁠⁠ This podcast is brought to you by the CMC Foundation. For more information, click ⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠.  And just a reminder, All content discussed on CMC’s a Happier Healthier Podcast are the individual opinions of our hosts and guests and should not be construed as personalized medical advice.  By listening to this podcast, you agree not to use this podcast to treat any medical condition for either yourself or others.  Consult your own physician for any medical issues you may be having.  This disclaimer applies to any guest or contributor to the podcast.