Required reading for professionals needing a contemporary overview of the wealth of research on acupuncture and moxibustion in cancer care, this survey includes opinions from key experts and is the first to examine in depth the latest scientific evidence.
Cancer is one of the leading killers in the world and the incidence is increasing, but most cancer patients and cancer survivors suffer much from the disease and its conventional treatments’ side effects. In the past, clinical data showed that some complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) possessed anticancer abilities, but some clinicians and scientists have queried about the scientific validity of CAM due to the lack of scientific evidence. There is great demand in narrowing the knowledge gap to explore the scientific and evidence-based knowledge of CAM in the anticancer field. With this aim, an unparalleled undertaking of a book series is launched to structurally consolidate this area. Although acupuncture and moxibustion have been practiced for millennia, they have come under scientific investigation only recently. Acupuncture and moxibustion have been used clinically to treat cancer-related symptoms (e.g. cancer pain, anxiety, depression and insomnia), manage treatment-induced side effects (e.g. hot flashes, nausea and vomiting) and enhance immunity (e.g. blood cell count, lymphocyte and natural killer cell activity). This is the first book manages to provide comprehensive and updated scientific evidence of the effectiveness of acupuncture and moxibustion intervention for cancer care. Laboratory and animal studies have uncovered the mechanisms of acupuncture and moxibustion for cancer therapy. Promising results of most clinical trials show the efficacy and safety of acupuncture and moxibustion in cancer management. This book consists of fifteen chapters which address a range of important aspects that will impact on the application of acupuncture and moxibustion. An overview of the safety and side effects of acupuncture and moxibustion for cancer care are also covered. In addition, the integration of acupuncture with Western medicine in cancer treatment and recent clinical trials are included as well. Opinion leaders around the world have teamed up to pursue a thorough and up-to-date review of the area, this volume will contribute great to the cancer, clinical and academic community by providing evidence-based information on the efficacy of acupuncture and moxibustion as an anticancer therapy.
Acupuncture can play a vital role in helping the growing number of cancer survivors adjust to life after receiving cancer treatments, including surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. This includes managing the physical and emotional after-effects of diagnosis and treatment, making healthy lifestyle choices, coping with fear of recurrence, learning how to manage a chronic condition, and establishing the "new normal" that is the legacy of a cancer diagnosis and its treatments. As a guide for practitioners, it aims to help acupuncturists to: · Understand the challenges faced by cancer survivors who have completed treatment (surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy) · Understand the biomedical context of the consequences of cancer treatments · Relate their patient's cancer experience to the principles of east Asian medicine · Treat some specific consequences of cancer treatment · Work safely with cancer survivors · Support cancer survivors on an emotional level · Help patients come to terms with a chronic condition and adjust to the "new normal" · Manage expectations of both patient and practitioner · Access the research that has been conducted in this field.
The technique of acupuncture is easily acquired although the evidence of efficacy remains subjective. Before the evidence can be sorted out through scientific explorations, confidence on efficacy can rely only on literature search and sharing of expert experiences.
This seventeenth volume of the Evidence-based Clinical Chinese Medicine series aims to provide a multi-faceted 'whole evidence' analysis of the management of Colorectal Cancer in integrative Chinese medicine.Beginning with overviews of how colorectal cancer is conceptualised and managed in both conventional medicine and contemporary Chinese medicine, the authors then provide detailed analyses of how colorectal cancer and related disorders were treated with herbal medicine and acupuncture in past eras.In the subsequent chapters, the authors comprehensively review the current state of the clinical trial evidence for Chinese herbal medicines (Chapter 5), acupuncture (Chapter 7), other Chinese medicine therapies (Chapter 8) and combination Chinese medicine therapies (Chapter 9) in the management of colorectal cancer, as well as analyse and evaluate the results of these studies from an evidence-based medicine perspective. Chapter 6 provides a review and a summary of the experimental evidence for the bioactivity of commonly used Chinese herbs. The outcomes of these analyses are summarised and discussed in Chapter 10 which identifies implications for the clinical practice of Chinese medicine and for future research.This book can inform clinicians and students in the fields of integrative medicine and Chinese medicine regarding contemporary practice and the current evidence-base for a range of Chinese medicine therapies used in the management of colorectal cancer, including herbal formulas and acupuncture treatments, in order to assist clinicians in making evidence-based decisions in patient care.The following features mark the importance of this book in the field:
This is the first book to set out a full range of research strategies for evaluating the clinical practice of acupuncture. Leading acupuncturists and researchers with international reputations share their expertise. They illustrate their descriptions with practical examples of what has worked and what has not. It outlines many of the key challenges in the field. These challenges relate to the nature of acupuncture and the gap between current research evidence and the actual experiences of acupuncturists in the field. By focusing the chapters on key research questions, rather than methods, the book has a user-friendly feel. Each chapter is easily accessible with brief explanations of research designs as well as vignettes of relevant past research. The book is based on a deep understanding of acupuncture, with its inherent complexity in practice, whether based on traditional principles or more modern concepts. By incorporating a more sophisticated understanding of the field, this book details a range of strategies aiming to develop the evidence base with the utmost rigour. It is the first book on acupuncture research to take this unique view, integrating the very best of evidence-based medicine with a genuine sensitivity to the discipline of acupuncture, from its traditional and holistic roots to its more modern interpretations.
People facing a new diagnosis of cancer are unsettled by their prognosis and treatment options, and they often seek to integrate complementary modalities into their conventional care plan, hoping to improve their chances of cure and decrease side effects. Many do so without informing their oncologist, for fear of alienating them or not convinced that their physician would be informed about complementary therapies. Integrative Oncology, the first volume in the Weil Integrative Medicine Library, provides a wealth of information for both practitioners and consumers on the emerging field of integrative oncology. Noted oncologist Donald Abrams and integrative medicine pioneer Andrew Weil and their international panel of experts present up-to-date and extensively referenced chapters on a wide spectrum of issues and challenges, bound in one comprehensive, reader-friendly text in a format featuring key points, sidebars, tables, and a two-color design for ease of use. It is destined to emerge as the definitive resource in this emerging field.
This volume is a clinically-oriented book that can be used for patient care, teaching, or research. It covers the entire field of lymphedema, including both primary and secondary disease, as well as all diagnostic and treatment modalities. The text begins with a foundation for the condition, including its pathophysiology, epidemiology, and morbidity. Next, the classification of lymphedema is covered which is the template for accurate diagnosis. Clinical, radiological, and differential diagnosis of lymphedema is also reviewed. Finally, conservative and operative management is presented, including both physiologic and excisional procedures. Lymphedema: Presentation, Diagnosis, and Treatment provides a comprehensive, easy-to-read reference for any health care provider managing a patient with lymphedema. The text is clinically-focused, evidence-based, and practical. The reader, regardless of his/her level of training or specialty, will be able to adequately treat a patient with lymphedema using this resource. To facilitate its use in clinical settings, the book was designed to be portable. In addition, diagnostic and treatment algorithms are included to further simplify the management of these patients. Patient images are presented throughout the text to illustrate the clinical care of lymphedema. All chapters are written by experts in the field, and contain the most current information on the topic.