Can We Demonstrate That Breast Cancer "integrative Oncology" is Effective? A Methodology to Evaluate the Effectiveness of Integrative Oncology Offered in Community Clinics

Overview

Journal Integr Cancer Ther

Publisher Sage Publications

Specialties Oncology
Pharmacology

Date 2012 Jun 29

PMID 22740079

Citations 8

Authors

Leanna J Standish

Erin Sweet

Eleonora Naydis

M Robyn Andersen

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Many women diagnosed with breast cancer receive both standard cancer treatment and care from providers trained in the emerging field of medicine called integrative oncology (IO) in which science-based complementary and alternative medical therapies are prescribed by physicians. The effectiveness of IO services has not been fully studied, so is yet unknown.

Purpose: Determine if a matched, case-controlled prospective outcomes study evaluating the efficacy and safety of breast cancer IO care is feasible.

Methods: Methodological proof of principle requires demonstration that (1) it is possible to find matched control breast cancer patients using the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End

Results: Results. A pilot study was conducted in 2008 (n = 14) to determine if matched controlled women could be identified in the western Washington SEER database. All 14 women who were approached agreed to participate. The cases were matched to the CSS along 5 variables: age and stage at diagnosis, race, and marital and Estrogen Receptors/Progesterone Receptors (ER/PR) status. Multiple matches were found for 12 of the 14 participants.

Conclusion: A prospective cohort study with a matched comparison group is a feasible and potentially rigorous

Study Design: It may provide valuable data for the evaluation of the effectiveness of IO care on patient health, relapse rate, and health-related quality of life (HRQOL). A federally funded matched case controlled outcomes study is currently under way at Bastyr University and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.

Citing Articles

Recurrence of Breast Cancer After Primary Treatment: A Matched Comparison Study of Disease-Free Survival in Women Who Do and Do Not Receive Adjunctive Naturopathic Oncology Care.

Standish L, Sweet E, Kim E, Dowd F, McLaughlin R, Chiang P Integr Cancer Ther. 2021; 20:15347354211058404.

PMID: 34894812 PMC: 8671681. DOI: 10.1177/15347354211058404.

Does Adjunctive Naturopathic Care Decrease Survival Rates in Breast Cancer Patients?.

Block K Integr Cancer Ther. 2021; 20:15347354211058399.

PMID: 34802294 PMC: 8606965. DOI: 10.1177/15347354211058399.

"I Made All Decisions Myself": Breast Cancer Treatment Decision-Making by Receivers and Decliners.

Kim E, Jang S, Andersen M, Standish L Asia Pac J Oncol Nurs. 2021; 8(3):322-329.

PMID: 33850966 PMC: 8030591. DOI: 10.4103/apjon.apjon-211.

A Hierarchy of Healing: Origins of the Therapeutic Order and Implications for Research.

Finnell J, Snider P, Myers S, Zeff J Integr Med (Encinitas). 2020; 18(3):54-59.

PMID: 32549816 PMC: 7217399.

Do Women With Breast Cancer Who Choose Adjunctive Integrative Oncology Care Receive Different Standard Oncologic Treatment?.

Standish L, Dowd F, Sweet E, Dale L, Andersen M Integr Cancer Ther. 2018; 17(3):874-884.

PMID: 29701107 PMC: 6142072. DOI: 10.1177/1534735418769007.

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