MedifocusHealth

Conventional cancer treatments such as chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgery are often associated with severe side-effects that can significantly impact the patient's quality of life and interfere with routine activities of daily living. In general, side-effects of conventional cancer treatments may include nausea/vomiting, fatigue, anxiety, depression, pain, sleep disturbances, loss of appetite, dry mouth, gastrointestinal disturbances, and peripheral neuropathy. Conventional treatments may not always be completely effective in relieving cancer-related symptoms and, in some cases, the treatments themselves may cause additional side-effects. Complementary therapies, when used in conjunction with conventional mainstream treatments can help patients better cope with cancer-related symptoms and side-effects and also improve physical and emotional well-being and overall quality of life.

Psychological Stress

The diagnosis of cancer is a life-altering event that may evoke feelings of anxiety, fear, depression, hopelessness, and severe psychological stress in many patients. Studies have shown that about 25% of cancer patients suffer from depression. Conventional treatments for anxiety, stress, and depression may involve the administration of anti-anxiety medications or antidepressants which may cause undesirable side-effects in some patients. Studies have shown that a variety of CAM therapies are useful for controlling anxiety and other mood disturbances when used in conjunction with conventional treatments. These include:

• Mind-body interventions - relaxation techniques, guided-imagery, meditation, hypnosis
• Acupuncture
• Massage therapy
• Music therapy

In general, patients with severe mood disturbances (e.g., panic attacks; suicide ideation) require immediate psychological evaluation and treatment to stabilize their acute condition before CAM therapies may be considered. For most patients with mild to moderate anxiety and mood disturbances, CAM therapies are a useful adjunct to conventional treatments for managing psychological distress. Techniques such as mind-body interventions, acupuncture, and music therapy are generally safe when performed by qualified, experienced practitioners and can help cancer patients better cope with feelings of anxiety, fear, hopelessness, and depression. Although some herbs and dietary supplements (e.g., Kava Kava; St. John's Wort; Passionflower) have been reported to relieve anxiety and mood disturbances, some experts have discouraged the use of these products in cancer patients because they may interfere with drugs used to treat cancer (chemotherapeutic agents) and/or other medications that patients may be taking. Patients should discuss the risks and benefits of using any herbal medications/dietary supplements with their oncologist before taking any of these products, particularly if they are undergoing chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or surgery.

Cancer-Related Pain

Pain is a common symptom that can affect many cancer patients. Most often, the source of the pain is the tumor itself. Cancer-related pain may be caused by spread of the tumor to other tissues and organs or may result from compression of the tumor on a nerve or the spinal cord. In general, acute cancer-related pain is most responsive to conventional mainstream treatments which may involve medications (e.g., narcotic analgesics; steroids) or, in severe cases, (e.g., tumor causing spinal cord compression; tumor associated with abdominal obstruction), emergent surgery may be required to relieve the acute pain.