Integrative Oncology: International Perspectives

Grant, Suzanne; Hunter, Jennifer; Seely, Dugald; Balneaves, Lynda G.; Rossi, Elio; Bao, Ting

doi:10.1177/1534735418823266

Cited by 48 publications

(47 citation statements)

References 52 publications

(97 reference statements)

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“…Moreover there is evidence that orally taken medicinal mushrooms have an influence on the microbiome (Friedman, 2016;Jayachandran et al, 2017;Grant et al, 2019). Medicinal mushrooms could act as prebiotics that can stimulate the growth of beneficial microbiota.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The use of complementary and integrative medicine (CIM) is widespread and widely accepted in cancer patients (Astin, 1998;Ernst and Cassileth, 1998). Studies have shown that 20-50% of cancer patients use some form of CIM therapies as an add-on to conventional treatments (Ernst and Cassileth, 1998;Grant et al, 2019). Medicinal mushrooms have been used in traditional Asian medical systems continually for several centuries (Wasser, 2010).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Significance of Medicinal Mushrooms in Integrative Oncology: A Narrative Review

et al. 2020

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Medicinal mushrooms are widely used in East Asia for the treatment of various diseases, especially in complementary cancer care. While there is a growing interest in medicinal mushrooms in Western countries and an increasing number of pre-clinical studies indicate distinct anti-cancer and regenerative properties, little is known about their potential relevance for clinical practice. This review aims to provide an overview of the clinical evidence, significance and potential role of medicinal mushrooms in complementary cancer care. Scientific databases for (randomized) controlled clinical trials evaluating whole spectrum formulations of medicinal mushrooms (mushroom powder and mushroom extracts) in cancer patients during and/or after conventional oncological treatment were searched. Eight studies met our inclusion criteria (eight randomized controlled trials, one controlled clinical trial). The medicinal mushrooms investigated were Agaricus sylvaticus (two trials), Agaricus blazei murill (two trials), Antrodia cinnamomea (one trial), Coriolus versicolor (one trial) and Ganoderma lucidum (three trials); all were compared to placebo and administered orally. A variety of cancer entities, outcomes and treatment durations were observed. Study results suggested beneficial effects of medicinal mushrooms, particularly quality of life and reduction of adverse effects of conventional therapies. Also, positive effects on antitumor activity and immunomodulation were reported, e.g., an increased activity of natural killer cells. In addition, results might suggest a longer survival of cancer patients receiving mushroom preparations, although in most studies this was not significant when compared to placebo. Adverse events of treatment with medicinal mushrooms were poorly reported; gastrointestinal reactions and a decrease in platelet cell count occurred in some cases. The methodological quality of most studies was generally unsatisfying and most results were insufficiently reported in several respects. Medicinal mushrooms may have a therapeutic potential for cancer patients during and after conventional oncological care with regards to quality of life, reduction of adverse effects of conventional care and possibly other surrogate parameters like immune function. There is an urgent need to investigate the safety and possible interactions of medicinal mushrooms. High-quality clinical research is warranted in order to clarify the potential of medicinal mushrooms in cancer therapy.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Significance of Medicinal Mushrooms in Integrative Oncology: A Narrative Review

et al. 2020

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“…12 In a recent review of global trends for the utilization of integrative medicine in oncology, the authors document that 22% of oncology centers in European countries and up to 65% in Australian are now using integrative medicine, with acupuncture often being the most commonly used therapy. 13…”

Section: Integrative Healthmentioning

confidence: 99%

Acupuncture as a Treatment Within Integrative Health for Palliative Care: A Brief Narrative Review of Evidence and Recommendations

Birch

Bovey

Alræk

et al. 2020

The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine

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Background: Acupuncture is one of the fastest developing evidence bases in Complementary Medicine and is one of the leading therapies included within integrative health care. This narrative review includes two separate parts: the first is about evaluation of the current evidence status in reviews on acupuncture and the second examines and gives examples of available recommendations on acupuncture in treatment guidelines from health care experts and public health organizations recommending acupuncture as a viable treatment in patients in palliative care. Methods: Electronic searches were performed in PubMed using the terms ''acupuncture'' + ''palliative'' and adding the term ''safety'' to find review articles documenting safety and evidence of effectiveness of acupuncture for treatment of symptoms in palliative care patients. Treatment guidelines that recommend use of acupuncture for symptom control in palliative care were found by searching through a database currently under construction by the lead author. Results: Acupuncture shows emerging evidence for 17 indications in palliative care. Examples were found and presented of publications recommending acupuncture for treatment of symptoms for patients in palliative care from Government, public health, oncology, and medical expert sources. The most publications are in oncology, but other conditions were found and a number were found in pediatric care. Conclusions: While the evidence for use of acupuncture to treat symptoms in palliative care patients is relatively weak, the evidence base is growing. Experts worldwide are also increasingly recommending acupuncture as a treatment for symptoms in palliative care. Since acupuncture is a safe, nonpharmacological treatment but with small, clinically significant effects, these recommended uses appear as pragmatic efforts to bridge the gap of treatment options available to this patient group.

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“…In addition, recent programs have been developed to improve CM in oncology settings. [37][38][39] The third barrier, variable access to CM at this hospital, was in part based on the fact that some CMs were not covered by mandatory basic health insurance. Indeed, in 2006, 58% of CM costs in Swiss hospitals were covered by mandatory basic health insurance, 28% by complementary health insurance, and 9% directly by patients.…”

Section: Assessment Of Current Practicementioning

confidence: 99%

Complementary Medicine Provision in an Academic Hospital: Evaluation and Structuring Project

Rodondi

Lüthi

Dubois

et al. 2019

The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine

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Objectives: Complementary medicine (CM) has become increasingly available in hospital settings in several countries. Nonetheless, there are disparities in the provision and organization of CM between hospitals and even within a single hospital. This was the case at Lausanne University Hospital, where neither a registry of CM practices nor homogeneous guidelines for the provision of CM existed. The board of directors mandated the use of an internal consultant to assess practices, delineate the ward's needs, and draft proposals to structure the provision of CM services. Design: Lescarbeau et al.'s integrated model of consultation was used. Settings/Location: Academic medical center, Switzerland. Subjects: Heads of departments, medical and nurse directors, and CM practitioners. Interventions: Semi-structured interviews, online survey, and focus groups were used to focus on CM availability, needs, and practices; CM practitioner background, training, and position in the hospital; and the type of patients treated. Results: The assessment identified 15 types of CM in 51 wards, provided by CM practitioners who represented the profiles of 8 types of health care professionals. Three barriers to implementing CM were identified: heterogeneity in CM practitioners' training and project implementation, lack of CM information for patients and health care professionals, and variable access to CM among hospital wards and resulting lack in continuity of care. Three main needs regarding CM were delineated: to ensure CM quality, to provide structured interdepartmental CM clinical services, and to provide CM information to patients and health care professionals. Three action priorities were selected by the board of directors: to develop structured CM clinical services; to select CM provision based on the specific criteria of scientific evidence, therapies already available at hospital, and specific ward's needs; and to provide CM information to patients and health care professionals. Conclusions: This assessment permitted to structure CM provision according to internal consultation.

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Integrative Oncology: International Perspectives

Cited by 48 publications

References 52 publications

Significance of Medicinal Mushrooms in Integrative Oncology: A Narrative Review

Significance of Medicinal Mushrooms in Integrative Oncology: A Narrative Review

Acupuncture as a Treatment Within Integrative Health for Palliative Care: A Brief Narrative Review of Evidence and Recommendations

Complementary Medicine Provision in an Academic Hospital: Evaluation and Structuring Project

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