scholarly journals Putting Integrative Oncology Into Practice: Concepts and Approaches

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 7-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shelly Latte-Naor ◽  
Jun J. Mao
Keyword(s):  
Alternative Medicine ◽  
Complementary And Alternative Medicine ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Holistic Health ◽  
Therapeutic Interventions ◽  
Integrative Oncology ◽  
Lifestyle Modifications ◽  
Patient Centered ◽  
Centered Care ◽  
Complementary And Alternative

Unmet symptom needs and a desire for holistic health approaches or even cure are among the motivations patients have for seeking out complementary and alternative medicine. Using complementary and alternative medicine instead of conventional cancer treatment can have a negative impact on clinical outcomes and survival. Integrative oncology is a patient-centered, evidence-informed field of comprehensive cancer care that uses mind-body practices, natural products, and lifestyle modifications from different traditions alongside conventional cancer treatments. It prioritizes safety and best available evidence to offer appropriate therapeutic interventions along with conventional care. This review summarizes the underlying principles of integrative oncology and how it is distinct from alternative medicine, and it provides a practical guide for the effective application of evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine interventions in patient-centered care. In addition, we recommend resources for patients and clinicians and provide algorithms for appropriate integrative medicine referrals. Finally, we offer suggestions on developing and implementing an integrative oncology program and addressing current challenges in the field.

The Medical Education Priorities of Parents Who Use Complementary and Alternative Medicine

2009 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 70-83 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maree O’Keefe ◽  
Suzette Coat ◽  
Alison Jones
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Medical Education ◽  
Alternative Medicine ◽  
Complementary And Alternative Medicine ◽  
Family Health ◽  
Care Needs ◽  
Patient Centered ◽  
Health Care Experiences ◽  
Centered Care ◽  
Complementary And Alternative

Many parents use complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) for their children. A number of medical schools are introducing CAM teaching, and this study was undertaken to explore the medical education priorities of parents who use CAM for their children. A total of 27 parents (25 females, 2 males) participated in 1 of 6 focus group discussions. Transcripts were analyzed using an iterative process of concept identification, hypothesis testing, and detailed comparisons. Participant preferences for health care for their children were complex and informed by previous health care experiences and current family health care needs. Using CAM allowed parents choice and control in managing their family’s health care. Many participant priorities for medical education in CAM echoed key principles of patient-centered care in addition to specific suggestions for curriculum development. Participating parents believed that it was important to increase medical students’ knowledge and understanding of both CAM modalities and the perspectives of parents.

scholarly journals Biological Therapy with Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Innocuous Integrative Oncology: A Case of Cervical Cancer

Pharmaceutics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 626
Author(s):  
Elvin Peter Chizenga ◽  
Heidi Abrahamse
Keyword(s):  
Cervical Cancer ◽  
Alternative Medicine ◽  
Complementary And Alternative Medicine ◽  
Complex Disease ◽  
Science Inquiry ◽  
Behavioral Pattern ◽  
Integrative Oncology ◽  
Cancer Hallmarks ◽  
Good Medicine ◽  
Complementary And Alternative

Good medicine is based on good science, inquiry driven and open to new paradigms. For a complex disease such as cancer, a complex treatment regime that is well structured and multifactorial is indispensable. In the present day, Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) therapies are being used frequently for cancer, alongside modern biological therapies and allopathic medicine, in what is called integrative oncology. In all conscience, the use of natural, less invasive interventions whenever possible is ideal. However, a comprehensive understanding of not only the etiopathology of individual cancers, but also the detailed genetic and epigenetic characteristics, the cancer hallmarks, that clearly show the blueprint of the cancer phenotype is a requisite. Different tumors have a common behavioral pattern, but their specific features at the genetic and epigenetic levels vary to a great extent. Henceforth, with so many failed attempts to therapy, drug formulations and combinations need a focused pre-assessment of the inherent features of individual cancers to destroy the tumors holistically by targeting these features. This review therefore presents innocuous therapeutic regimes by means of CAM and integrative medicine approaches that can specifically target the hallmarks of cancer, using the case of cervical cancer.

An Innovative Patient-centered Approach to Common Playing-related Pain Conditions in Musicians

2004 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 170-173
Author(s):  
Marc Brodsky ◽  
Ka-Kit Hui
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Alternative Medicine ◽  
Complementary And Alternative Medicine ◽  
Medical Systems ◽  
Case Discussion ◽  
Patient Centered ◽  
Complementary And Alternative

Musicians are increasingly seeking out complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) to relieve suffering that results from playing-related pain conditions. Using an innovative patient-centered model, an approach has been developed that can incorporate various medical systems and therapeutics to offer safe, effective, affordable, and accessible health care for musicians. A case discussion explores how musicians, through combining different traditions of medicine in orchestration, can optimize their quality of life while meeting their needs of prevention and rehabilitation of occupation-related conditions.

scholarly journals Beyond a Generic Complementary and Alternative Medicine: The Holistic Health Care- Conventional Medicine Continuum

2009 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 153-163 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anske Robinson ◽  
Janice Chesters ◽  
Simon Cooper
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Alternative Medicine ◽  
Complementary And Alternative Medicine ◽  
Conventional Medicine ◽  
Holistic Health ◽  
Natural Remedy ◽  
Health Care Beliefs ◽  
Holistic Health Care ◽  
Different Characteristics ◽  
Complementary And Alternative

This article explores whether complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) users view CAM as a unified concept or individualize the modalities. A survey about the beliefs and concerns surrounding the use of 22 CAM modalities was posted to a random sample of 1,308 people in five rural and two metropolitan localities in Victoria, Australia. The response rate was 40% (n = 459). Overall, 91% of respondents were found to either have used one CAM modality (85%, n = 386) or be open to future use (6%, n = 33). Respondents did not view CAM as a unified concept. Each modality was used by people with different characteristics and beliefs about health care. However, it was practical to divide the 22 CAM modalities into four categories that we have named natural remedy, wellness, accepted, and established modalities. The four categories lie along a set of continua extending from natural remedy modalities and ‘‘holistic health care’’ beliefs at one end to established modalities and a belief in the tenets of conventional medicine at the other. We were able to develop a model to show this diagrammatically.

Allied Health and Nursing Academic Programs at New Jersey county colleges: Holistic Health and Complementary and Alternative Medicine Content

2008 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 155-170 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elsa Bruguier
Keyword(s):  
New Jersey ◽  
Alternative Medicine ◽  
Complementary And Alternative Medicine ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Allied Health ◽  
Holistic Health ◽  
Nursing Programs ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Professional Health ◽  
Complementary And Alternative

Rising public interest in and use of holistic health (HH) practices and complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has created a need for health care providers to become knowledgeable in these areas. HH/CAM content is increasingly included in curricula of professional health education, a trend less clear in associate, certificate, and diploma programs of 2-year colleges. A survey of directors and coordinators of allied health and nursing programs at New Jersey county colleges was conducted to determine curricular presence of HH/CAM and program constituency awareness of institutionally accessible HH/CAM information resources. Results indicated: rising interest in HH/CAM instruction; multiple forces influencing HH/CAM inclusion; HH/CAM strengthening programs; and uncertainty regarding knowledge of and perceived use of library HH/CAM resources. By including HH/CAM, New Jersey's allied health and nursing programs are progressively aligned with consumer use, and trends of professional health schools.

scholarly journals Engaging with complementary and alternative medicine in general practice

2011 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 29 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marion Upsdell ◽  
Chrystal Jaye
Keyword(s):  
Alternative Medicine ◽  
Complementary And Alternative Medicine ◽  
General Practitioners ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Patient Centered ◽  
Health Practitioners ◽  
Patient Centered Medicine ◽  
Access To Knowledge ◽  
Practice Patient ◽  
Complementary And Alternative

INTRODUCTION: A number of surveys in New Zealand have documented the growing interest and experience that GPs have in their encounters with complementary and alternative medicine. This study has focussed on reasons why some GPs choose to engage with CAM, how these reflect their aims of health care, the difficulties they encounter and how these are negotiated within the consultation. METHOD: A sample of 12 mainstream GPs from the greater Auckland area agreed to a semi-structured interview, and the transcripts were analysed using grounded theory technique. FINDINGS: All general practitioners interviewed in this study were confronted to a greater or lesser extent with their patients’ interest in CAM. Not all chose to engage with the subject. Those who did engage cited a number of reasons for doing so which included a desire to remain patient-centred, to place their patients’ choices within the context of a good diagnosis, to provide what evidence-based information they could and to minimise potential harms from its use. CONCLUSION: This study adds weight to findings in previous studies that many general practitioners encounter CAM in their consultations and explores reasons why they choose to engage with it. The findings suggest that increased dialogue with non-mainstream health practitioners and access to knowledge sources giving a basic understanding of CAM practices and philosophies that both CAM and mainstream practitioner communities regard as reliable would be of benefit to these GPs. KEYWORDS: Complementary and alternative medicine; family practice; patient-centered medicine

The Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine Practices Among Australian University Students

2004 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 173-179 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert H. Feldman ◽  
Ronald Laura
Keyword(s):  
University Students ◽  
Alternative Medicine ◽  
Complementary And Alternative Medicine ◽  
Art Therapy ◽  
Holistic Health ◽  
Economic Factors ◽  
Positive Perspective ◽  
Cam Use ◽  
Complementary And Alternative

A survey of 518 university students in Australia was conducted to gain a better understanding of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use. Results indicated that 81.1% of the students used at least 1 of 24 CAM practices. Top practices were relaxation, massage, herbs, art therapy, and prayer. The most common health reasons for using CAM were stress or psychosomatic issues (i.e., anxiety, allergies, stress, and headaches). Other reasons reflected a positive perspective: lifestyle, availability, and holistic health. Students who did not use CAM cited economic factors as the chief reason. Thus, these results offer further insights into the growing worldwide use of CAM.

scholarly journals Drug Interactions with Complementary and Alternative Medicine and Dietary Supplements

2013 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-3
Author(s):  
S Basnet ◽  
P Adhikary ◽  
B Aryal
Keyword(s):  
Drug Interactions ◽  
Alternative Medicine ◽  
Complementary And Alternative Medicine ◽  
Dietary Supplements ◽  
Conventional Medicine ◽  
Holistic Health ◽  
Piper Methysticum ◽  
Chronic Patients ◽  
Salix Alba ◽  
Complementary And Alternative

Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) is a group of diverse medical and health care systems, practices and products that are not presently considered to be a part of conventional medicine. Primary reasons for the use are to relieve symptoms associated with chronic, even terminal illnesses or the side effects of conventional treatments or having a holistic health philosophy or cultural belief. In Nepal, the Ayurvedic system is most widespread and reasons for this had no or less side effect as well as more effective for chronic patients. Drug interactions can occur at the pharmaceutical, pharmacody­namic, or pharmacokinetic level. Herbals and dietary supplements containing St John’s Wort (Hypericum perforatum), ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba), kava (Piper methysticum), digitalis (Digitalis purpurea), willow (Salix alba), magnesium, calcium and iron were documented to have the most interactions with individual medications. Warfarin, insulin, aspirin, digoxin, and ticlopidine had the greatest number of reported interactions with those preparations. Since, half of the Nepalese populations use CAM therapy, the healthcare professionals should pay attention towards such interactions. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/jcmc.v3i2.8433 Journal of Chitwan Medical College Vol.3(2) 2013 1-3

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