Abstract
We open this issue, and this new volume of Integrative Cancer Therapies, with a heartfelt salute to a recently passed friend of integrative oncology, patient advocate Helen Moss. I really came to know Helen in 2010, as we began preparing for the 8th International Conference of the Society for Integrative Oncology, held in Cleveland. I would learn that to speak of Helen as a powerful force in this conference or in her other endeavors was a drastic underestimate. The unshakable motivation for her involvement with integrative oncology was her own experience with her advanced cancer diagnosis and initial treatment in the summer of 2000. Being knocked down severely by the high-dose chemotherapy she received, she knew in personal detail what cancer patients endure during conventional therapy. She walked out of the hospital determined to change that experience, not just for herself but also for anyone facing a cancer, and she set about doing just that.
Her first contribution was the establishment of the Helen Moss Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Because of her experiences in healing from the effects of her treatment, she focused initially on the contributions of integrative medicine. With a succession of “firsts” in her life—first in her graduating class in college, first woman member of the City Club of Akron, first woman regional vice president for Merrill Lynch—she was appointed the first patient advocate member of the board of the Society for Integrative Oncology (SIO), a seminal professional organization in its field.
Helen’s efforts in integrative oncology culminated with the establishment at Case Western Reserve University. She knew that integrative care is not defined by a limited number or specific types of therapies but by a genuinely individualized, comprehensive, and innovative approach to the care and treatment of each patient. We hope that the professorship will help carry this vision into the future.
Fittingly, in this issue we are featuring a report on the 10th International Conference of the SIO, which took place in October 2013, including 10 top abstracts selected from the submissions to the conference. These abstracts also point the way into the future of integrative cancer therapies, showing some of the cutting-edge trends in the field. The Conference also featured a well-attended workshop based on an article published in ICT in September 2013, authored by Moshe Frenkel and colleagues in the SIO, “Integrating Dietary Supplements Into Cancer Care.” Interestingly, one of the published abstracts is related to an article appearing in this issue of ICT. Sarah Prinsloo’s abstract on neuromodulation of pain in cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy using the LORETA neurofeedback system is an extension and application of the review article on neuromodulation of cancer pain by the same author, along with Lorenzo Cohen and colleagues at the MD Anderson Cancer Center.
The first article in this issue is a systematic review of black cohosh in cancer treatment by Heidi Fritz and colleagues at the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine and other Ontario institutions. We have published other systematic reviews spearheaded by Dr Fritz’s efforts, including reviews on melatonin and green tea in cancers, and are looking forward to publishing a recently accepted review on flax. Reviews of this type, targeting supplements that are of critical concern to cancer patients, are essential supports to clinical practice.
Abby Siegel and colleagues at Columbia University also address one of the supplements that is of interest to cancer patients, the hepatoprotective milk thistle, in their publication of a phase I study of silybin, a milk thistle phytochemical. We encourage focused clinical studies like this one, dealing with supplements in the setting of cancer treatment, and hope to see more of these in the future.
Exercise is now taking its place as an essential part of integrative interventions in cancer. In this issue, we are pleased to present a pilot study of qigong exercise in the management of arm lymphedema in breast cancer patients. Shirley Fong and colleagues at the University of Hong Kong completed this study, which is notable for its realistic assessment of the possibilities of qigong in this condition.
Energy-based therapies are gaining interest in many integrative care programs for cancer patients as safe methods to improve quality of life. Kimberly Fleisher and colleagues at the University of Pennsylvania conducted a program evaluation of a volunteer-run reiki program at an urban academic cancer center. Their mixed-methods evaluation strategy brings out interesting qualitative dimensions of patients’ reactions to reiki.
Finally, an article from Prabha Balaram of Quest International University and colleagues discusses the bael plant, Aegle marmelos, and its effects on transplanted tumors in mice. They record interesting immunomodulatory effects for this important herb of ayurvedic medicine.
As we begin the year 2014, we look forward to bringing our readers more stimulating articles in the field of integrative cancer therapies in our 6-issue format, and we wish them all a productive and personally happy new year!