Integrative Care for Breast Cancer: Oncologists Approve
Editorial Staff
| DIGITAL EXCLUSIVE
The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), representing an estimated 40,000 oncology physicians from all subspecialties, has endorsed the Society for Integrative Oncology's 2017 evidence-based guideline on the use of acupuncture and related integrative therapies during and after breast cancer treatment.
An ASCO expert panel reviewed the guideline contents and recommendations, determining "that the recommendations in the SIO guideline ... are clear, thorough, and based on the most relevant scientific evidence."
Key recommendations in the guideline as endorsed by the ASCO include the following, published in the society's online guideline section and the Journal of Clinical Oncology, an ASCO publication:
"Music therapy, meditation, stress management, and yoga are recommended for anxiety/stress reduction.
"Meditation, relaxation, yoga, massage, and music therapy are recommended for depression/mood disorders.
"Meditation and yoga are recommended to improve quality of life.
"Acupressure and acupuncture are recommended for reducing chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting.
"Acetyl-L-carnitine is not recommended to prevent chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy because of a possibility of harm.
"No strong evidence supports the use of ingested dietary supplements to manage breast cancer treatment–related adverse effects."
Click here to review the ASCO endorsement as published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. Click here to access the SIO 2017 guideline. (Note that the ASCO did not endorse the SIO guideline in totality and added several discussion points.)
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