Integrative Oncology for Breast Cancer Patients: Introduction of an Expert-based Model

Overview

Journal BMC Cancer

Publisher Biomed Central

Specialty Oncology

Date 2012 Nov 23

PMID 23170989

Citations 13

Authors

Gustav J Dobos

Petra Voiss

Ilka Schwidde

Kyung-Eun Choi

Anna Paul

Barbara Kirschbaum

Felix J Saha

Sherko Kuemmel

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Malignant breast neoplasms are among the most frequent forms of cancer in the Western world. Conventional treatment of breast cancer may include surgery, hormonal therapy, chemotherapy, radiation and/or immunotherapy, all of which are often accompanied by severe side effects. Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) treatments have been shown to be effective in alleviating those symptoms. Furthermore, with patient survival rates increasing, oncologists, psychologists and other therapists have to become more sensitive to the needs of cancer survivors that go beyond than the mere alleviation of symptoms. Many CAM methods are geared to treat the patient in a holistic manner and thus are also concerned with the patient's psychological and spiritual needs.

Discussion: The use of certain CAM methods may become problematic when, as frequently occurs, patients use them indiscriminately and without informing their oncologists. Herbal medicines and dietary supplements, especially, may interfere with primary cancer treatments or have other detrimental effects. Thus, expertise in this highly specialized field of integrative medicine should be available to patients so that they can be advised about the benefits and negative effects of such preparations and practices.Being a beneficial combination of conventional and CAM care, integrative oncology makes possible the holistic approach to cancer care. The concept of integrative oncology for breast cancer is jointly practiced by the Department of Internal and Integrative Medicine, Kliniken Essen-Mitte, academic teaching hospital of the University of Duisburg-Essen, and the Breast Center at Kliniken Essen-Mitte in Germany. This model is introduced here; its scope is reviewed, and its possible implications for the practice of integrative medicine are discussed.

Summary: Evidence-based integrative care is crucial to the field of oncology in establishing state-of-the-art care for breast cancer patients.

Citing Articles

Mimetic Self-Reflexivity and Intersubjectivity in Complementary and Alternative Medicine Practices: The Mirror Neuron System in Breast Cancer Survivorship.

Agarwal V Front Integr Neurosci. 2021; 15:641219.

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The INTREST registry: protocol of a multicenter prospective cohort study of predictors of women's response to integrative breast cancer treatment.

Haller H, Voiss P, Cramer H, Paul A, Reinisch M, Appelbaum S BMC Cancer. 2021; 21(1):724.

PMID: 34162339 PMC: 8220783. DOI: 10.1186/s12885-021-08468-2.

Evaluation of an Expert Guided Integrative Therapy Concept in Patients With Breast or Gynecological Cancer During Systemic Therapy.

Schmidt G, Mathes S, Klein E, Kiechle M, Paepke D J Evid Based Integr Med. 2020; 25:2515690X20949444.

PMID: 32808558 PMC: 7436788. DOI: 10.1177/2515690X20949444.

The future of integrative health and medicine in Saudi Arabia.

Khalil M, Al-Eidi S, Al-Qaed M, AlSanad S Integr Med Res. 2018; 7(4):316-321.

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(Sw.), DC induces apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in triple negative breast cancer cells: and investigations.

Utage B, Patole M, Nagvenkar P, Kamble S, Gacche R Oncotarget. 2018; 9(54):30304-30323.

PMID: 30100991 PMC: 6084402. DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.25717.

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