Mind-Body Therapies Benefit Cancer Survivors, Doctor-Patient Relationship, Jefferson Specialist Says
Traditionally,
many physicians have had some difficulties advocating the use of
complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in treating cancer for a
variety of reasons, including a lack of scientific evidence. But a
specialist in the field at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in
Philadelphia contends that doctors could be missing out on a potential
opportunity.
As
the number of cancer survivors continues to climb, physicians need to
be more open to discussing the potential use of mind-body therapies,
such as various stress-reduction techniques, which are increasingly
popular and the use of which in some cases is supported by scientific
evidence, says Daniel Monti, M.D., director of the Jefferson-Myrna
Brind Center of Integrative Medicine at Thomas Jefferson University
Hospital. Many have been found to help with quality of life issues,
from stress to pain to coping with a cancer diagnosis.
Writing online in the journal Cancer,
Dr. Monti, associate professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior and
Emergency Medicine at Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson
University and the Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson suggests that
physicians should talk to patients about the potential use of such
therapies. Such dialogue, he says, may then “enable the physician and
patient to have a more meaningful discussion of things in general and
broaden the scope of the relationship.”
“If
we look at mind-body therapy as a reasonable platform for patients and
doctors to discuss cancer and even recommend things that have an
evidence base – stress reduction for improved quality of life, for
example, it then can open up broader discussions for other CAM
modalities,” Dr. Monti says.
Surveys
indicate that while patients in general are drawn in increasing numbers
to CAM, they tend not to tell their doctors about it because they
perceive doctors as being uncomfortable with it. One problem is that
physicians often are unaware of scientific evidence supporting the
effectiveness of some mind-body therapies.
Dr.
Monti maintains that many physicians are missing an important point.
“There’s a patient-doctor communication and relationship gap,” he says.
A recent study showed that the patient-doctor relationship can be
somewhat lacking in empathy. “Most oncologists are very caring people,
but I don’t think they always know what to recommend for patients’
psychosocial needs. There are therapies that are evidence-based and
which enable the oncologist to be more open-minded to consider these
things as options.
“At
Jefferson, this is happening more and more. A grant funded by the
National Cancer Institute looks at diverse ways to support patients
such as mindfulness meditation and creative expression – specific
skills that help patients achieve a better quality of life.
“We’re
not saying that cancer patients should be encouraged to take shark
cartilage to cure their cancer,” Dr. Monti says. “We’re saying, ‘Let’s
meet the patients halfway by offering to discuss safe and potentially
helpful CAM modalities (mind-body therapies), which could create the
space for patients to talk about other types of CAM therapies they are
considering.’ Doctors tend not to think about encouraging patients in
this way, but patients are looking for ways to cope with the
difficulties of having a cancer diagnosis and this provides a platform
to address CAM modalities and concerns about things a little less safe.
The cancer patient who wants to go on a vegan diet for its “healthful
effects” may not know that although it could be great for the heart,
there are cautions to consider for someone in the early stages of
cancer treatment,” he says.
Media Only Contact:
Steve Benowitz
Thomas Jefferson University Hospital
Phone: (215) 955-6300
Published: 4/30/2008