The shock
In the fall of 2020, Diane Miller was loving life as a busy wife, mom and account manager at a food distribution company.
She and her husband had just moved their second child into a university dorm. They looked forward to a new phase of life as empty nesters.
Yet, a persistent backache nagged Miller. She pushed through pain, through Thanksgiving and Christmas, until finally went to see her doctor, who ordered an MRI.
The results stunned everyone. Miller, 55, had stage 4 lung cancer.
"It seemed to come out of nowhere. I never got sick, I ate healthy, I worked out, it was so incredibly unexpected," Miller said. "I was terrified I wouldn't live to see my daughter graduate. The weight of it was indescribable."
Miller soon found herself at City of Hope® in the care of Ravi Salgia, M.D., Ph.D., a lung cancer expert and the Arthur & Rosalie Kaplan Chair in Medical Oncology.
"Dr. Salgia came in the room and said, 'This is not a death sentence, we have treatments for you,'" Miller remembered. "I went from feeling scared and helpless to knowing that I had a fantastic team of experts on my side. And here I am today."
Still, two years later, two aspects of her illness remained: crippling anxiety and insomnia.
The anxiety
"I would lay awake all night praying, trying to calm myself, but I just couldn't stop all the thoughts swirling around in my mind," Miller recalled.
Conventional medicines weren't helping. Her care team at City of Hope recommended she see Richard T. Lee, M.D., who joined City of Hope in 2022 and is one of the nation's top integrative oncology experts.
"I didn't know much about integrative medicine. The only thing I knew was I needed to explore every option that could help me in this battle," she said.
Integrative oncology takes a whole-person approach to cancer care that draws from diverse cultures, including traditional Chinese medicine and other Eastern healing traditions. This holistic approach to care may also include meditation, yoga, acupuncture as well as plan and herb-based remedies.
An estimated 40% of cancer patients use integrative therapies to address disease and chronice issues, such as pain and anxiety. Studies show integrative therapies support better health, improved quality of life and optimal clinical outcomes.
The relief
Lee recommended meditation and referred Miller to Frank Munoz, Ph.D., a clinical chaplain, researcher and mind-body specialist. Munoz's practice and research focuses on how mind-body medicine techniques can support patients cope with stress.
"I really didn't know what to expect," said Miller. "I was hoping to learn how to meditate date so I could calm down and get some sleep. It ended up being so much more than that."
Miller learned how her mind affects her body. Munoz taught her breathing techniques to help balance the sympathetic nervous system and create a relaxation response. She learned that calming her body's fight-or-flight reaction to stress would allow her to respond better to treatments and promote healing and rest.
Miller said her experience has been an "absolutely game-changer."
She added: "This tool has allowed me to go through my quarterly scans without severe anxiety. I am now able to embrace my life with joy, to truly live and enjoy the beauty of each day."
Miller watched her daughter graduate last May. Next spring, she'll be there to see her son get married. And she has taken an active role as an advocate with the White Ribbon Project, a group that works to bring awareness to lung cancer, erase the stigma, and spread love and support to survivors.
"City of Hope saved my life," she said. "Now, they are helping me live my life to the fullest."
The gift
Miller's experience highlights the power of integrative oncology.
Now, thanks to a recent $100 million gift to City of Hope from Andrew and Peggy Cherng, co-founders and co-CEOs of Panda Express, more patients will have the opportunity Miller had.
The extraordinary gift from the Panda Charitable Family Foundation will help City of Hope create a first-of-its-kind, national integrative oncology program that brings together Eastern and Western medicine to improve outcomes and quality of life for cancer patients and survivors, Read more about the newly created Cherng Family Center for Integrative Oncology at City of Hope, led by Dr. Lee and Edward S. Kim, M.D., M.B.A., including its research goals and plans for training providers and expanding services.
Miller said she is thrilled about her City of Hope experience and wehre it's taken her.
"As a lung cancer advocate, I wanted other patients to have access to this therapy," she said. "Thank you to the Cherng family. Your amazing gift will allow more patients access to these wonderful therapies."
Read more about the Cherng family and the inspiration to give this incredible gift.