Cancer Coaching & Cancer Coach

Twenty-five years ago my doctors had no cure for my cancer. So I went on a quest to find my own treatment. This is my story.

Have you or a loved one been diagnosed with cancer?

In n of 1, author Glenn Sabin takes readers along his remarkable journey with ‘incurable’ cancer, where he discovers:

No two cancers are exactly alike. Our bodies, minds and diseases are unique, and need to be treated as such.
Knowledge and empowerment are your best allies against a life-limiting diagnosis.
Lifestyle changes are a powerful way to help prevent, manage and reduce the recurrence of disease—and to improve your quality of life.
A strong support system and a clear mind may significantly improve your health.

“I have witnessed an extraordinary patient who achieved a clinical response through non-conventional treatment approaches.”Lee M. Nadler, MD, DEAN FOR CLINICAL AND TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH, HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL

“I heard Glenn speak at UCSD and was captivated. A special story about resilience and self-efficacy that resonates far and wide!”T. COLIN CAMPBELL, PHD, JACOB SCHURMAN PROFESSOR, CORNELL UNIVERSITY, AUTHOR OF NATIONAL BESTSELLER, THE CHINA STUDY

“Glenn understands the importance of the mind and body in reducing stress and improving overall clinical outcomes in cancer. We are pleased to be able to work with him.”David Rosenthal, MD, Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School. Past President, American Cancer Society

A story that defies the odds

In 1991, Glenn Sabin was a 28-year-old newlywed diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)–a disease doctors called “uniformly fatal.” Treatments could buy him some time and eventually ease his discomfort, but there was no conventional cure. Glenn’s prognosis was clear: he was going to die.

Although Glenn and his wife, Linda, continued to consult with doctors, cancer specialists and top oncologists, Glenn made a monumental decision: he would become his own health advocate. While he continued to “watch and wait,” Glenn would figure out how to stay alive.

No one could predict when a large-scale clinical trial would discover a cure for CLL, so Glenn began his own, medically monitored and carefully researched lifestyle changes. He would conduct his own, single patient clinical trial.

He would become an “n of 1.”

Today, Glenn is not only alive, but a 2012 biopsy at Harvard confirmed that his bone marrow contains no leukemic cells. His case is now part of the medical literature.

Read My Story

Glenn’s journey has connected him with some of the world’s top oncology leaders.

What the Experts Are Saying About n of 1.

“I have witnessed an extraordinary patient who has achieved a clinical response through non-conventional treatment approaches.”

Lee M. Nadler, MD
Dean for Clinical and Translational Research

“I met Glenn when he presented his self-created recovery regimen at Harvard in 2007. I was extremely impressed with his knowledge, vision and motivation.”

Ann Webster, PhD
Staff Psychologist, Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine

“My esteemed colleague, Glenn Sabin, has a unique combination of skills and experience to help guide patients.”

Barrie R. Cassileth, MS,
PhD Laurance S. Rockefeller Chair in Integrative MedicineFounding Chief, Integrative Medicine Service

“Glenn understands the importance of the mind and body in reducing stress and improving overall clinical outcomes in cancer.”

David Rosenthal, MD
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School. Past President, American Cancer Society

“Glenn has a personal and unique understanding of clinical care, business aspects, and policy matters surrounding evidence-based integrative medicine.”

Lorenzo Cohen, PhD
Director, Integrative Medicine

“When I first met Glenn 10 years ago, he told me he was going to beat his chronic lymphocytic leukemia. He has been extremely successful. Is he an outlier or is his regimen worth studying on a larger scale?”

David S. Rosenthal, MD, Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School. Past President, American Cancer Society

“A remarkable story of self-efficacy and pure grit. Glenn is a poster child for evidence-based integrative oncology and an exemplar of what might be achieved for others. I highly recommend this book.”

Mark Hyman, MD, Director, Cleveland Clinic Center for Functional Medicine, and 10-time #1 New York Times bestselling Author

“How do we maintain a rigorous, scientific, yet open mind when it comes to discovery in medicine? Glenn Sabin reminds us that every observation is important—to be woven into the rubric of knowledge so that we may heal with collective experience.”

Debu TriPathy, MD, Professor and Chair, Department of Breast Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

“n of 1 is a little book with a big message on hope, empowerment and self-efficacy. While “cure” is sadly not possible for everyone, participation in one’s healing always should be. ”

Donald Abrams, MD, Professor of Clinical Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, Former Chief, Hematology-Oncology, Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital

“Glenn Sabin appears to be one of those few remarkable, determined individuals who become sufficiently involved in their self-healing to overcome a medically ‘incurable’ cancer. Medical science needs to shake off its materialistic bias and study this phenomenon seriously, so that ‘n of 1’ can become ‘n of many.'”

Alastair Cunningham, OC, PhD, Professor Emeritus of Medical Biophysics at University of Toronto, Author of Can the Mind Heal Cancer?

“A rare and intimate look into the journey of a young man expected to die, who defied convention to chart his very personal course back to life and vibrant health. A testimony to the power of nutrition and the power of one person—an n of 1—to help transform the way we look at health and disease.”

Michael Stroka, JD, MBA, MS, CND, LDN, President, American Nutrition Association

“Glenn has carefully documented his extraordinary experience of using natural means to eradicate leukemia in a way that provides insight, knowledge, hope and inspiration. This book is both encouraging and illuminating.”

Lise Alschuler, ND, FABNO, Clinical Professor of Medicine, Division of Integrative Medicine, University of Arizona College of Medicine

“Glenn’s n of 1 gives us a view into the future of personalized medicine. The patient takes personal responsibility for their health, forms a collaboration team with their doctors, uses longitudinal time series to track the disease and remission, and natural foods and supplements to power the body’s immune system to fight off the disease.”

Larry Smarr, PhD, Harry E. Gruber Professor of Computer Science and Engineering, University of California, San Diego

“n of 1 is the amazing tale of Glenn Sabin’s resilience in the face of adversity, and is motivation for us all. A moving testament of how a positive attitude plus a healthy lifestyle can have a profound impact on one’s life.”

Neal Barnard, MD, President, Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine

“Glenn Sabin’s inspiring story teaches us that it may be possible to reverse even a seemingly incurable disease by becoming proactive in our own care … establishing an anticancer environment that makes healing possible. A must-read for outside the box thinkers & healers alike.”

Gordon Saxe, MD, PhD, MPH, Director of Integrative Nutrition, Chair, Krupp endowed fund, Center for Integrative Medicine, University of California, San Diego

Want a sneak peek at n of 1?

Want to work with Glenn?

One-on-one cancer coaching

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with cancer, or you’re experiencing a relapse, and don’t know where to turn to access the most advanced, conventional and integrative personalized care, Glenn Sabin can help.

An advocate of evidence-based, integrative oncology–treating the whole person, not just his or her tumors–Glenn coaches both self-referred clients and patients referred by oncologists and other physicians.

As your coach and recognized integrative oncology expert, Glenn arms you with the tools and consultation you need to move toward your health goals. These tools include: choosing an oncologist who is an expert for your specific situation, accessing psychosocial support—and a laser focus on lifestyle and behavioral change.

Sessions cover an overview on nutrition, prescriptive exercise, stress reduction, supervised supplementation, hydration, sleep hygiene, and a host of additional, evidence-based interventions to help create a host environment inhospitable for cancer to thrive.

Ultimately, your body, your life, and your cancer are all unique. Glenn teaches how to approach your care plan as an “n of 1.”

Glenn provides comprehensive 75 minute one-on-one sessions by phone, Skype, Facetime or Zoom. Learn more about coaching with Glenn and read what others are saying about their experience working with him.

Learn More

“I was recently diagnosed with leukemia, concurrent with melanoma and prostate cancer. A renowned integrative oncologist recommended I contact Glenn… He’s walked in our shoes and knows what we are going through. He knows what we need.” Brad B., Temecula, CA

What should I look for in an integrative, holistic cancer coach?

Professional cancer coaches must be able to offer a wide range of skills and should display a broad knowledge and level of experience to meet each client’s specific needs and priorities.

To guide your decision-making, review this list of a dozen attributes, areas, and qualities:

1 Exceptional Listener

Every cancer coach should have honed their listening skills to completely ‘hear’, therefore thoroughly understand, each client’s unique story: emotional response to diagnosis, goals, and expectation of their journey. Basically, a cancer coach has to be an expert in reading the map of their client.

2 Assurance

Verifiable expertise in professional development and established, successful client relationships. Real time, real life references from clients and their families are also essential to making a well-informed choice. Reference checks can verify the coach’s skills and knowledge from a source other than the coach.

3 Empathy and Awareness

An integrative, holistic cancer coach possesses the capability to understand where a client is—physically and emotionally—at any specific point during their personal journey, then to use that knowledge to reorder priorities, emotional variables, and medical needs.

4 Motivating

An aptitude to inspire, enlighten, and motivate those dealing with any diagnosis and prognosis to improve outlook and optimize quality of life at every step of the path.

5 Team Mindset

Recognize the importance of, and have the ability to, teach organizational skills to assemble one’s ‘A-Team’—to guide a client to understand their own role of team-leader, including how to delegate and best utilize caregivers, family, friends, and other key supports.

6 Current Knowledge

Thorough comprehension of conventional cancer treatment, options for care, and NCCN guidelines.

7 Abundant Resources

A wide range of knowledge of experts, and access to their opinions at major cancer centers, specifically those proficient, dedicated professionals who form part of a select group of NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers focused on specific tumor types and uncommon cancers.

8 Lifestyle as Medicine

Cancer coaches must be well-informed about lifestyle management—including the role of diet, movement, rest, easing stress, hydration, toxin reduction, and social connections—that has been shown to improve immunity and mitigate the negatives of conventional therapies.

9 Access to More Options

The ability to open doors that may lead to applicable experimental therapies, clinical trials, and generic, off-label drug therapies.

10 National Contacts

Extensive connections and relationships—conventional, private, and academic—to both the conventional cancer and holistic, integrative oncology communities.

11 Deep and Broad Purview

A thorough and compassionate understanding of the intricacies that can arise and impact the wellbeing of those who are living with cancer—and exploration, management, and referrals regarding:

Persistent emotional hardship, depression, and anxiety.
Financial crisis: use problem-solving strategies to negotiate invoices and work out repayment, assist with health insurance coverage issues, and have connections to organizations that may provide funding.
Sexual health function.
Connection in relationships—friends and family.

12 Someone Who’s Been in Your Shoes

Though certainly not a prerequisite, those living with a cancer diagnosis may feel an additional level of comfort working with someone who has personally experienced a cancer journey, and successfully navigated the complex research and decision-making progress—including all appropriate conventional and integrative holistic approaches to cancer management and treatment. Put simply, many find solace in working with a cancer coach who ‘walks the talk’.

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Prior to engaging an integrative, holistic cancer coach, be sure to think about whether your needs and expectations match with what the coach you are considering can deliver. Review their services, reputation, documented track record of success, and references.

Why hire a cancer coach?

Unless you have been involved in the healthcare sector as a patient, caregiver, or medical profession—and specifically in a cancer care setting—dealing with a cancer diagnosis is most likely new to you.

Navigating a cancer diagnosis, especially one that may pose a life-limiting prognosis, can be overwhelming for anyone. From securing an accurate diagnosis, seeking second or more expert opinions, to feeling comfortable with a prescribed treatment plan, there is a lot to take in and to carefully act on—accurately and decisively.

An integrative holistic cancer coach can help clients identify their Cancer A-team to cover various types of important support, and in such a way that ultimately carves out time for you—the person hosting the diagnosis.

A Cancer A-team may include your: oncologist; integrative/functional medicine physician; dietician/nutritionist; psychologist/therapist; partner, family member or trusted friend to drive and accompany you to important physician appointments and take careful notes; neighbors, friends, and family to: help coordinate childcare and transportation for young kids (for rides to school and activities); and to deliver meals during challenging periods during treatment and recovery.

Support from a professional cancer coach can allow you to focus more on healing, while investing less time on energy-depleting ‘people’ and ‘negative processes’. You may need help reconciling and reorganizing various aspects of your cancer care and life. Reimagining and reprioritizing the things that should require your most and least time and attention is critical.

Each person living with cancer has a unique situation. Each cancer is different. Each person hosting a disease is different. The real needs of each person living with cancer, is different. Financial—dealing with medical bills and insurance companies, negotiating fee schedules; emotional support; physical limitations and rehabilitation; sexual health recovery; coordinating child care; deciding on integrative and holistic therapies to complement conventional oncology care.

For these reasons and more, a well-matched, quality, seasoned cancer coach can be an enormous help at various stages of the cancer journey.

What type of cancer coaching services do you offer?

At this time, Glenn Sabin offers a 75 minute, one-on-one Comprehensive Cancer Coaching Consultation, and a 6 Month Coaching Program (bundle), comprising 5, 30 minute follow-up sessions over a 5 month period that follows the initial Comprehensive Cancer Coaching Consultation.

Glenn’s coaching sessions are quite broad in scope, and dig deep, covering many key areas, including:

Your current oncology team;
Potential need for additional expert academic opinions;
Current and historical conventional and integrative/holistic/functional disease management and treatments;
Discussion of emotional and physical status;
Current supplementation protocol and how this has been informed
And of course, a deep, extensive dive into all things lifestyle—ex., diet, exercise, sleep, hydration, stress reduction;
Current integrative oncology support team and recommendations.

For more information see Glenn’s coaching page.

Do you advocate ‘alternative cancer treatment’?

Glenn Sabin is a proponent of evidence-based, or minimally evidence-informed integrative oncology, and generally, with few exceptions, does not support standalone ‘alternative’ cancer care in lieu of conventional oncology therapies, proven to be safe and effective, and provided with curative intent.

Integrative oncology includes the most comprehensive and up-to-date conventional oncology imaging, diagnostics, and therapeutic approaches that may include targeted therapies, immunotherapies, hormone blockers, surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. These leading and often novel therapies are combined with lifestyle approaches such as diet, exercise, stress reduction techniques, sleep, and hydration. Other modalities may include select nutritional supplementation, off-label, repurposed drugs, nutrient infusions, acupuncture, mind-body work, and more.

To learn more about Glenn Sabin’s thoughts on alternative cancer care versus integrative oncology, read this article.

Do you support second and third medical opinions?

Absolutely. For all but the most common, low grade and early stage cancer diagnoses, Glenn Sabin highly recommends that those with early diagnosed disease, and always for relapsed disease, that second and often third opinions are secured by super-specialized clinician-researchers at NCI-Designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers, or the equivalent, as applicable, for those outside the U.S.

Unfortunately, there are too many misdiagnoses across the U.S. and around the world. The tools, processes and technology at major cancer centers are often more sensitive and accurate than what is found in private, community oncology clinical settings. Also, with the significant advancements in cancer therapeutics and precision oncology care across a spectrum of various cancer types, it is nearly impossible for most general oncologists and hematologists to stay up-to-date on the ever-increasing published medical literature.

Within a large academic cancer institute setting, there are typically teams of oncologists and scientists focused on a specific cancer type. In clinic, they see numerous people hosting the same general type of disease, albeit with often different genetics and mutations. These same teams are the ones driving the science as a principal investigator or participating site trials lead by their contemporaries at other institutions. These are the people that drive the science while caring for patients. They work, eat, sleep, live, and dream about improving cancer care and outcomes for those with specific cancers.

To learn more about Glenn Sabin’s thoughts on the importance of getting second and third opinions at leading academic cancer centers, read this article.

Do you offer a pre-cancer coaching call?

Unfortunately, Glenn Sabin does not offer a get-to-know-you exploratory call. An initial encounter with Glenn always starts with the 75 minute Comprehensive Cancer Coaching Consultation (CCCC). No client is invoiced for the optional 6 Month Coaching Program (bundle) until the successful completion of the initial CCCC, and mutual agreement to continue the relationship over a longer period.

It is very difficult to have an exploratory call that does not involve discussion of personal information specifically related to the disease a prospective client, family member or friend may be hosting. This means that an entire intake process would be required; and considerable time for Glenn to ‘really’ get to know a prospective client, and vice versa. All of this is best achieved by committing to the initial 75 minute CCCC session.

These client testimonials may also help you feel comfortable and confident that Glenn Sabin is a seasoned and well-regarded professional cancer coach.

What is the coaching cancellation and refund policy?

The initial 75 minute Comprehensive Cancer Coaching Consultation can be canceled with no less than 24 hours’ notice before scheduled appointment time, with a full, 100% refund. Otherwise sessions can be rescheduled with no less than 24 hours’ notice before scheduled appointment time. Bundle Program (five, follow-up sessions at 30 minutes per session) cancellations and refunds work the same as for the initial Comprehensive Cancer Coaching Consultation. Additional terms and conditions are clearly detailed during the online coaching onboarding process.

How is my privacy protected?

All content is stored within the backend of a securely hosted and certified Word Press website. Your personal information is handled at the highest level of confidentially and is shared with no one unless you expressly ask, in writing, for it to be transmitted externally. Clients can also opt to submit intake questionnaire information via mail, or otherwise only sign the disclaimer electronically and partially complete the intake questionnaire—selectively completing only areas you choose and are most comfortable with. Your phone or video session with Glenn Sabin would be an opportunity to share more personal information.

A call to activate your body’s healing power

n of 1 is a rallying cry for patients, their physicians, and their loved ones to seek knowledge and self-empowerment–to fully understand their conditions and to treat and nurture their host environment—their body and mind—not just their tumors. The book does not dismiss mainstream medicine, nor does it prescribe a diet, exercise regimen or supplement schedule that is appropriate for everyone. In fact, author Glenn Sabin embraces conventional oncology testing and effective therapies, in combination with integrative medicine.

Throughout his journey with cancer, Glenn continued to see his local oncologist for blood tests and physical monitoring. He also had regular examinations at Harvard’s Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

When he was first diagnosed, Glenn would have eagerly embraced a conventional curative treatment. Unfortunately, conventional medicine could not provide that option, so he took control and became his own health advocate. Regardless if Glenn’s remarkable results are directly linked to his lifestyle changes, his genetics, his environment, or a combination of synergistic factors, n of 1 clearly demonstrates the power and potential of a more self-aware, holistic and integrative oncology approach to treating disease.

We are all unique.

We are each an “n of 1.”

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