Ilanit Shalom Sharabi1, Anna Levin1, Elad Schiff2, Noah Samuels1,3, Olga Agour1,4, Yehudith Tapiro1, Efraim Lev5, Lital Keinan-Boker6,7, Eran Ben-Arye8,9,10,11. 1. Integrative Oncology Program, The Oncology Service and Lin Medical Center, Clalit Health Services, Haifa and Western Galilee District, Israel. 2. Department of Internal Medicine, and Integrative Medicine Service, Bnai-Zion Hospital, Haifa, Israel; The Department for Complementary Medicine, Law and Ethics, The International Center for Health, Law and Ethics, Haifa University, Haifa, Israel. 3. Tal Center for Integrative Medicine, Institute of Oncology, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel. 4. Social-Work Service, The Oncology Service and Lin Medical Center, Clalit Health Services, Haifa and Western Galilee District, Israel. 5. Department of Eretz Israel Studies, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel. 6. Israel Center for Disease Control, Israel Ministry of Health, Jerusalem, Israel. 7. School of Public Health, Faculty of Social Welfare & Health Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel. 8. Integrative Oncology Program, The Oncology Service and Lin Medical Center, Clalit Health Services, Haifa and Western Galilee District, Israel. eranben@netvision.net.il. 9. Complementary and Traditional Medicine Unit, Department of Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel. eranben@netvision.net.il. 10. Clalit Health Services, Haifa and Western Galilee District, Israel. eranben@netvision.net.il. 11. The Oncology Service, Lin Medical Center, 35 Rothschild St., Haifa, Israel. eranben@netvision.net.il.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Complementary/integrative medicine (CIM) is increasingly being integrated with standard supportive cancer care. The effects of CIM on quality of life (QOL) during chemotherapy need to be examined in varied socio-cultural settings. We purpose to explore the impact of CIM on QOL-related outcomes among Russian-speaking (RS) patients with cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: RS patients undergoing chemotherapy receiving standard supportive care were eligible. Patients in the treatment arm were seen by an integrative physician (IP) and treated within a patient-tailored CIM program. Symptoms and QOL were assessed at baseline, at 6, and at 12 weeks with the Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale (ESAS), the Measure Yourself Concerns and Wellbeing (MYCAW) questionnaire, and the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30). RESULTS: Of 70 patients referred to the treatment arm, 50 (71.4 %) underwent IP assessment and CIM treatments. Of 51 referred to the control arm, 38 (76 %) agreed to participate. At 6 weeks, CIM-treated patients reported improved ESAS scores for fatigue (P = 0.01), depression (P = 0.048), appetite (P = 0.008), sleep (P < 0.0001), and general wellbeing (P = 0.004). No improvement was observed among controls. Between-group analysis found CIM-treated patients had improved sleep scores on ESAS (P = 0.019) and EORTC (P = 0.007) at 6 weeks. Social functioning improved between 6 and 12 weeks (EORTC, P = 0.02), and global health status/QOL scale from baseline to 12 weeks (EORTC, P = 0.007). CONCLUSION: A patient-tailored CIM treatment program may improve QOL-related outcomes among RS patients undergoing chemotherapy. Integrating CIM in conventional supportive care needs to address cross-cultural aspects of care. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study protocol was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov ( https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01860365 ).
OBJECTIVE: Complementary/integrative medicine (CIM) is increasingly being integrated with standard supportive cancer care. The effects of CIM on quality of life (QOL) during chemotherapy need to be examined in varied socio-cultural settings. We purpose to explore the impact of CIM on QOL-related outcomes among Russian-speaking (RS) patients with cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: RS patients undergoing chemotherapy receiving standard supportive care were eligible. Patients in the treatment arm were seen by an integrative physician (IP) and treated within a patient-tailored CIM program. Symptoms and QOL were assessed at baseline, at 6, and at 12 weeks with the Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale (ESAS), the Measure Yourself Concerns and Wellbeing (MYCAW) questionnaire, and the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30). RESULTS: Of 70 patients referred to the treatment arm, 50 (71.4 %) underwent IP assessment and CIM treatments. Of 51 referred to the control arm, 38 (76 %) agreed to participate. At 6 weeks, CIM-treated patients reported improved ESAS scores for fatigue (P = 0.01), depression (P = 0.048), appetite (P = 0.008), sleep (P < 0.0001), and general wellbeing (P = 0.004). No improvement was observed among controls. Between-group analysis found CIM-treated patients had improved sleep scores on ESAS (P = 0.019) and EORTC (P = 0.007) at 6 weeks. Social functioning improved between 6 and 12 weeks (EORTC, P = 0.02), and global health status/QOL scale from baseline to 12 weeks (EORTC, P = 0.007). CONCLUSION: A patient-tailored CIM treatment program may improve QOL-related outcomes among RS patients undergoing chemotherapy. Integrating CIM in conventional supportive care needs to address cross-cultural aspects of care. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study protocol was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov ( https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01860365 ).
Entities:
Keywords:
Chemotherapy; Complementary and alternative medicine; Cross-cultural; Integrative medicine; Quality of life; Supportive care
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