Related Experiment Videos
Complementary medicine in chronic cancer care
Daniel A Monti1, Jingduan Yang
1Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA. monti1@pol.net
Seminars in Oncology
|April 9, 2005
Summary
Cancer survivors often experience distress and unmet needs, leading them to complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). This review familiarizes physicians with CAM to potentially improve quality of life for patients undergoing cancer treatment.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Integrative Medicine
- Psychosocial Oncology
Background:
- Cancer survivorship is associated with significant distress, poor quality of life, and unmet psychosocial needs.
- Conventional biomedical care often falls short in addressing the chronic sequelae of cancer.
- Patients frequently utilize complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) to manage these challenges.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review common CAM modalities used by cancer survivors.
- To inform oncologists about CAM treatments that may complement conventional care.
- To highlight CAM's potential role in reducing stress and enhancing health-related quality of life in cancer patients.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of commonly used CAM modalities in cancer care.
- Focus on treatments relevant to stress reduction and quality of life enhancement.
- Synthesis of information to educate physicians on potential CAM benefits.
Main Results:
- Patients often use CAM without disclosing it to physicians due to perceived unreceptiveness.
- Physicians may lack adequate information regarding CAM efficacy and safety.
- Several CAM modalities show potential for complementing oncologic care.
Conclusions:
- CAM can potentially address unmet needs in cancer survivorship.
- Improved physician awareness of CAM may facilitate better patient-physician communication.
- Integrating knowledge of CAM could enhance supportive care for cancer patients and survivors.