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Initiating Conversations on Integrative Oncology Amongst Cancer Professionals, Integrative Medicine Practitioners and Cancer Patients – The CANCERTALK Initiative

Received: 30 October 2021     Accepted: 22 November 2021     Published: 27 November 2021
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Abstract

Integrative Medicine (IM) is a philosophy and practice of medicine which addresses the whole person and not just symptoms of disease. It encompasses complementary and alternative therapies which work alongside mainstream medical treatments and may include aspects of nutrition, physical activity and mind-body therapies such as massage, aromatherapy and reflexology. Similarly, Integrative Oncology (IO) addresses the epigenetic changes which can cause cancer (with nutrition, exercise and lifestyle factors), above and beyond cancer genetics, through the use of complementary and alternative approaches on top of traditional cancer treatments. Between 40% and 60% of cancer patients use some form of complementary and alternative therapies as part of Integrative Oncology, but only few will tell their oncologist or cancer nurse specialist. This is often because of the generalized lack of awareness from clinicians of the benefits of Integrative Oncology in improving cancer patient outcomes. In addition, there is currently no funding model in the UK National Health Service (NHS) that can support the routine use of complementary and alternative therapies in clinic. As a result, people with cancer tend to seek support from integrative oncology charities or private integrative practitioners. Our study is the first evaluation of a cancer podcast in UK which aims at initiating conversations between mainstream and integrative practitioners around the routine use of Integrative Oncology practices in the NHS. The purpose of the podcast initiation is to bridge the gap between mainstream and integrative medicine practitioners and pave the way to new models of Integrative Oncology care in the NHS. The results from the first six months of the program are very encouraging, in terms of clinician appetite to explore Integrative Oncology in their routine clinical practice. The next six months will see more mainstream clinicians becoming engaged in conversational talks, which will help lift the barriers to the adoption and diffusion of Integrative Oncology in UK.

Published in International Journal of Clinical Oncology and Cancer Research (Volume 6, Issue 4)
DOI 10.11648/j.ijcocr.20210604.13
Page(s) 157-161
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2021. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Integrative Medicine, Integrative Oncology, Cancer Diagnosis, Cancer Treatment

References
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[3] Vishnubala D and Pringle A (2021). Working with healthcare professionals to promote physical activity. Perspectives in Public Health 141 (2): 111-113.
[4] Molassiotis A, Fernández-Ortega P et al. Use of complementary and alternative medicine in cancer patients: a European survey. Ann Oncol. 2005; 16 (4): 655-63.
[5] Schmitz KH, Campbell AM et al. Exercise is medicine in Oncology. CA. 2019; 69 (6).
[6] Ben-Arye, E., Schiff, E., Zollman, C. et al. Integrating complementary medicine in supportive cancer care models across four continents. Med Oncol 30, 511 (2013).
[7] Ramos RG and Olden K (2008). Gene-environment interactions in the development of complex disease phenotypes. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 5 (1): 4-11
[8] Edgman-Levitan, S., Schoenbaum, S. C. Patient-centered care: achieving higher quality by designing care through the patient’s eyes. Isr J Health Policy Res 10, 21 (2021).
[9] Hayward, E. N., Watling, C. Z. & Balneaves, L. G. A pre-post evaluation of oncology healthcare providers’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices following the implementation of a complementary medicine practice guideline. Support Care Cancer 29, 7487–7495 (2021).
[10] Deng GE et al (2009). Evidence-based clinical practice guidelines for integrative oncology: complementary therapies and botanicals. Journal of the Society for Integrative Oncology, Vol 7, No 3: 85–120.
[11] Greenlee H, et al (2017). Clinical practice guidelines on the evidence-based use of integrative therapies during and after breast cancer treatment. CA Cancer J Clin. 6; 67 (3): 194-232.
[12] Latte-Naor S, Mao JJ. (2019). Putting Integrative Oncology Into Practice: Concepts and Approaches. J Oncol Practice 15 (1): 7-14.
[13] Cormie P et al (2014). Can supervised exercise prevent treatment toxicity in patients with prostate cancer initiating androgen deprivation therapy: a RCT. Urological Oncology 115 (2): 256-266.
[14] Furmaniak, A. C., Menig, M., & Markes, M. H. (2016). Exercise for women receiving adjuvant therapy for breast cancer. The Cochrane database of systematic reviews, 9 (9), CD005001.
[15] Cormie P et al (2018). Clinical Oncology Society of Australia position statement on exercise in cancer care. Med J Australia 209 (4): 184-187.
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  • APA Style

    Penny Kechagioglou, Robin Daly. (2021). Initiating Conversations on Integrative Oncology Amongst Cancer Professionals, Integrative Medicine Practitioners and Cancer Patients – The CANCERTALK Initiative. International Journal of Clinical Oncology and Cancer Research, 6(4), 157-161. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijcocr.20210604.13

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    ACS Style

    Penny Kechagioglou; Robin Daly. Initiating Conversations on Integrative Oncology Amongst Cancer Professionals, Integrative Medicine Practitioners and Cancer Patients – The CANCERTALK Initiative. Int. J. Clin. Oncol. Cancer Res. 2021, 6(4), 157-161. doi: 10.11648/j.ijcocr.20210604.13

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    AMA Style

    Penny Kechagioglou, Robin Daly. Initiating Conversations on Integrative Oncology Amongst Cancer Professionals, Integrative Medicine Practitioners and Cancer Patients – The CANCERTALK Initiative. Int J Clin Oncol Cancer Res. 2021;6(4):157-161. doi: 10.11648/j.ijcocr.20210604.13

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ijcocr.20210604.13,
      author = {Penny Kechagioglou and Robin Daly},
      title = {Initiating Conversations on Integrative Oncology Amongst Cancer Professionals, Integrative Medicine Practitioners and Cancer Patients – The CANCERTALK Initiative},
      journal = {International Journal of Clinical Oncology and Cancer Research},
      volume = {6},
      number = {4},
      pages = {157-161},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ijcocr.20210604.13},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijcocr.20210604.13},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijcocr.20210604.13},
      abstract = {Integrative Medicine (IM) is a philosophy and practice of medicine which addresses the whole person and not just symptoms of disease. It encompasses complementary and alternative therapies which work alongside mainstream medical treatments and may include aspects of nutrition, physical activity and mind-body therapies such as massage, aromatherapy and reflexology. Similarly, Integrative Oncology (IO) addresses the epigenetic changes which can cause cancer (with nutrition, exercise and lifestyle factors), above and beyond cancer genetics, through the use of complementary and alternative approaches on top of traditional cancer treatments. Between 40% and 60% of cancer patients use some form of complementary and alternative therapies as part of Integrative Oncology, but only few will tell their oncologist or cancer nurse specialist. This is often because of the generalized lack of awareness from clinicians of the benefits of Integrative Oncology in improving cancer patient outcomes. In addition, there is currently no funding model in the UK National Health Service (NHS) that can support the routine use of complementary and alternative therapies in clinic. As a result, people with cancer tend to seek support from integrative oncology charities or private integrative practitioners. Our study is the first evaluation of a cancer podcast in UK which aims at initiating conversations between mainstream and integrative practitioners around the routine use of Integrative Oncology practices in the NHS. The purpose of the podcast initiation is to bridge the gap between mainstream and integrative medicine practitioners and pave the way to new models of Integrative Oncology care in the NHS. The results from the first six months of the program are very encouraging, in terms of clinician appetite to explore Integrative Oncology in their routine clinical practice. The next six months will see more mainstream clinicians becoming engaged in conversational talks, which will help lift the barriers to the adoption and diffusion of Integrative Oncology in UK.},
     year = {2021}
    }
    

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Author Information
  • University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire, Coventry, UK

  • Yes to Life, London, UK

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