Oftentimes the hardest part of the process is the first step–getting tests, looking over results, internalizing the shock of disheartening news. Having spent fifteen years working in pediatrics, where each patient’s family is as much a part of the process as the patient, Dr. Arenson understands and embraces the challenge of helping transform the experience of hearing difficult news into an experience of empowerment.

• All consultations are done in-person, in Dr. Arenson’s office. You receive the time and care of family memeber: direct conversation with the doctor, all questions considered and answered with professionalism and compassion, and the personal touch of a fellow human being who cares about your wellbeing and the experience you and your family will have under his care.

• No case is black-and-white. Dr. Arenson looks upon every case with a fresh eye, well-versed in current research and with a firm grounding in the innovations of the last thirty years.

Every person is unique. And so is every family, and so is every challenge, even when the challenge is a brain tumor that many would pass off as a death sentence. Dr. Arenson’s guiding philosophy is that your disease is curable.

Once you have seen your results, Dr. Arenson will talk you through your options. Behind this approach is a philosophy that no two patients are alike, nor are two families, nor are two sets of medical data. Dr. Arenson’s prescription will ultimately be based on a personalized discussion of both the technical and personal details that make your situation unique.

Options include various types of treatment, each with its own risks and potential benefits. The choice of options is not a one-size-fits-all question. Rather, it is a process Dr. Arenson shares with you and your family as you weigh the pros and cons of each possible course of action. At every turn, Dr. Arenson is available directly both as an advocate in the treatment of your disease and an expert in the field.

Dr. Arenson will not be shy about sharing his recommendations based on four decades of experience in the field. But the choice of options will ultimately be left up to the patient and the family. This is based on a fundamental belief that an informed patient has the right to choose his or her own course of treatment.

During treatment you are one of the family. You can expect everyone in our office from the folks at the front desk to medical professionals that assist in your treatment to you know who you are. Dr. Arenson and Mary Pierick are involved in the entire treatment process, checking in regularly with patients and making themselves available to answer questions and discuss alternative treatments at all points along the way.

Followups and checkins are a regular part of Dr. Arenson’s philosophy on treatment. Oftentimes, the nature of the disease or the desires of patients warrant a different approach to treatment or a shift in the nature of attacking the disease. Dr. Arenson is always open to discussing alternative treatments, and will weigh them with honestly and forthrightness against his expertise and foundation in traditional western medical practices.

As part of his commitment to a holistic approach to treatment of cancer, Dr. Arenson provides unique opportunities for patients, current and not, to experience community healing and connectedness through his interfaith healing services. These services, consisting of non-denominational prayers, poetry, and music intended to celebrate life in the face of struggle, are a significant source of comfort to his patients, supplemental to the struggles of treatment.

The Annual Survivor’s party brings survivors and patients together each year to help foster an atmosphere of hope and resilience for those in active care and to celebrate the lives of those who have prevailed.

Survivors and families of patients, living and deceased, are forever a part of the community. The Interfaith Healing Services as well as the Annual Survivors Dinners are a chance to continue the bonds formed during care. Additionally, during followups you will always be welcomed as part of the family.