Updated Clinical Practice Guidelines on Integrative Therapies
Newly updated clinical practice guidelines on complementary and integrative therapies are now available from the Society for Integrative Oncology. Researchers from several cancer centers, including Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, MD Anderson Cancer Center, the University of Michigan, and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, reviewed the growing literature on integrative treatments for patients being treated for breast cancer as well as other cancers.
These clinical practice guidelines are based on a systematic literature review form 1990 through 2015. The researchers assessed more than 80 different therapies and created categories based on strength of evidence.
Among their findings, high levels of evidence were found for the use of meditation, yoga, relaxation techniques, and passive music therapy for reducing anxiety and relieving symptoms of depression. Acupressure and acupuncture also were noted as an addition to drugs used for reducing chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting. As for ingested dietary supplements and botanical natural products in managing treatment-related side effects, there was a lack of strong evidence to support their use.
