Webinar Series for Women with HCL: Role of Integrative Oncology in Cancer Care
May 16, 2022
Speaker: Smitha Mallaiah, MSc, C-IAYT, Sr. Mind-Body Interventions Specialist in the Department of Palliative, Rehabilitation and Integrative Medicine and the University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center
Summary
On May 16th, the Hairy Cell Leukemia Foundation hosted a webinar in our ongoing Women with HCL webinar series. The speaker was Smitha Mallaiah, MSc, C-IAYT, Sr. Mind-Body Interventions Specialist in the Department of Palliative, Rehabilitation and Integrative Medicine and the University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center.
Smitha started by introducing the three terms commonly used to describe treatment modalities that are outside of Conventional Medicine: Alternative medicine, Complementary Medicine, and Integrative Medicine. She then defined them: Alternative medicine are modalities used in place of Conventional Medicine; Complementary Medicine includes treatment modalities used in addition to or alongside Conventional Medicine; and “Integrative Medicine is used together with Conventional Medicine in a deliberate manner that is personalized, evidence-based, and safe.”
“The Society of Integrative Oncology defines this field as a patient centered, evidence-informed approach to cancer care that uses lifestyle modifications, mind and body therapies, and natural products from different traditions int tandem with conventional cancer treatments.”
Some examples of Complementary Medicine include: dietary supplements such as herbals/botanicals, vitamins, minerals and probiotics, meditation, yoga, acupuncture, Tai Chi and Qi Gong, massage, relaxation techniques, movement therapies, spinal manipulation, energy therapies, and hypnotherapy. 10 years ago the most common Complementary Medicine modalities were natural products followed by deep breathing. Smitha felt that within the past 10 years that has changed dramatically.
After defining the terms and listing some of the modalities Smitha then went on to draw attention to the fact that 4 in 10 Americans believe, incorrectly, that Alternative Medicine modalities can cure cancer. Younger people are twice as likely to believe this misconception. People who ONLY use these techniques, have higher mortality rates than those who use Conventional Medicine in combination with Complementary Medicine modalities.
Smitha then showed a slide which illustrated that while many people are aware of some of the complementary medicine modalities, and a lesser percentage of people practice them in addition to conventional medicine modalities, a fairly small number of people actually discuss them with their provider. This was the main point of the discussion, the importance of collaboration with the health care team. Discussing with your provider any over the counter supplements, massage, relaxation techniques, etc. that you are using as complementary to conventional techniques, thus developing a plan together to integrate both complementary and conventional methods in a deliberate approach which is personalized, safe, and evidence informed. Smitha spoke of MD Anderson’s programs and comprehensive efforts to provide Integrative Medicine modalities to their patients and encouraged listeners to seek out similar resources within their own health care systems. Smitha referenced an article, Putting Integrative Oncology into Practice by Latte-Naor and Mao in the Journal of Oncology Practice, 2019 https://ascopubs.org/doi/pdfdirect/10.1200/JOP.18.00554 which pairs symptoms with evidence-informed helpful complementary modalities. Smitha mentioned that many of MD Anderson’s Integrative programs are available via tele-medicine as well as in-person, a technology that was advanced by the pressures of the global pandemic, so if you are in an area where these resources are simply not available, you may be able to benefit from some of the resources offered through MD Anderson. www.mdanderson.org/patients-family/diagnosis-treatment/care-centers-clinics/integrative-medicine-center.html
Smitha also mentioned some of the barriers that exist to Integrative Medicine including: lack of understanding of complementary medicine approaches, lack of scientific data to support use, mistrust in the effectiveness of various modalities, and misgivings about the potential threat to ongoing care, thus illustrating the need for patients and health care providers to take the initiative to educate themselves and each other to provide the most comprehensive care possible.
Resources
University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center Complementary/Integrative Medicine Education Resources www.mdanderson.org/integrativemed
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center Integrative Medicine Service www.mskcc.org/aboutherbs
NIH National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) www.nccam.nih.gov/
NCI Office of Cancer Complementary and Alternative Medicine (OCCAM) www.cancer.gov/cam
References
Trends in the Use of Complementary Health Approaches Among Adults: United States. 2002-2012 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25671660/
Integrative Oncology: Addressing the Global Challenges of Cancer Prevention and Treatment (Mao, Pillai, et. al) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34751943/
NIH - Use of Complementary Health Approaches in the US 2015 View this publication online.
American Institute for Cancer Research www.aicr.org
MD Anderson Cancer Center www.mdanderson.org
NIH - National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health www.nccih.nih.gov
National Comprehensive Cancer Network www.nccn.org