The potential of a person-centered approach in caring for patients with cancer: a perspective from the UCLA center for East-West medicine

BACKGROUND: Evolving patient preferences as well as an expanding evidence base for commonly used complementary and alternative medicine therapies for patients with cancer have led to inroads by integrative medicine into clinical oncology. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been used in conjunction with conventional biomedicine in the prevention and treatment of cancer in China for several decades. METHODS: The authors, through select review of the existing literature and by drawing on clinical experience, describe a person-centered approach to care of patients with cancer that incorporates TCM concepts and techniques. Two cases are used to illustrate how this approach might address unmet needs and enhance quality of life for patients with cancer. RESULTS: TCM's emphasis on a comprehensive understanding of imbalance in various systems and resultant compromise of homeostatic reserve as well as its ability to treat them with distinctive therapeutic modalities can add unique value to the overall management of the patient with cancer. CONCLUSIONS: TCM can be used adjunctively to improve quality of life and functional status during a patient's struggle with cancer. An approach integrating both medicines that is guided by scientific evidence, safety, and patient preferences has the potential to improve modern oncologic care.     

Research progress of integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine in the treatment of advanced gastric cancer

Gastric cancer (GC) is a malignant tumor originating from the gastric epithelium, and its incidence and mortality rates rank third among all malignant tumors worldwide. It is also one of the most common cancers in China and is treated predominantly by Western medicine in clinical practice. However, with the advancements in medical technology and informatics, the values of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in preventing and treating GC and improving prognosis have increasingly been recognized. According to TCM, clinical manifestations of GC can be divided into Yege (dysphagia), regurgitation, stomach pain, and Zhengxia (abdominal mass). Due to the unbalanced distribution of health care resources in China, most GC patients already have progressive or advanced-stage disease at the first diagnosis. As a result, most GC patients have poor physical function, and surgery or chemotherapy alone will aggravate the impairment to the immune function and seriously affect the quality of life. In contrast, TCM therapies have shown promising efficacy in the management of these patients. Here we review the role of the integrated TCM and Western medicine in treating advanced GC.     

Traditional Chinese medicine for transformation of gastric precancerous lesions to gastric cancer: A critical review

Gastric cancer (GC) is a common gastrointestinal tumor. Gastric precancerous lesions (GPL) are the last pathological stage before normal gastric mucosa transforms into GC. However, preventing the transformation from GPL to GC remains a challenge. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been used to treat gastric disease for millennia. A series of TCM formulas and active compounds have shown therapeutic effects in both GC and GPL. This article reviews recent progress on the herbal drugs and pharmacological mechanisms of TCM in preventing the transformation from GPL to GC, especially focusing on anti-inflammatory, anti-angiogenesis, proliferation, and apoptosis. This review may provide a meaningful reference for the prevention of the transformation from GPL to GC using TCM.     

肿瘤中医康复治疗优势特色探讨

中医在肿瘤康复治疗中具有独特优势,肿瘤中医康复治疗以整体观念为指导,以辨证论治为核心,注重肿瘤的预防康复,将全面功能康复作为目标,临床上综合运用多种中医特色的康复疗法,在改善肿瘤患者生存质量和延长患者生存期方面表现出显著效果,具有广阔前景。     

生存质量在中医肿瘤学综合效评价中的作用

随着医学模式的转变,人们将生命的目标从追求生存的数量转为生存的质量,生存质量被广泛地应用到医学领域中。对恶性肿瘤的治疗,提高患者的生存质量已成为主要目的之一。现代医学治疗恶性肿瘤的评价标准在强调生存质量的今天,已显出它的弊端,用它来评价中医药的疗效更显片面。因此,将生存质量的评价方法引入到中医肿瘤学治疗领域中,有助于解决中医药疗效无法客观评定的问题。     

Health-Related Quality of Life following Total Thyroidectomy and Lobectomy for Differentiated Thyroid Carcinoma: A Systematic Review

Health-related quality of life (HrQoL) is a major concern for patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC). We aimed to systematically review the literature comparing HrQol following total thyroidectomy (TT) and hemithyroidectomy (HT) in DTC patients. A systematic review of publications indexed in Medline, Embase, and EBM reviews—Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, which evaluated HrQoL following thyroid surgery for DTC, was conducted. Of 2507 identified records, 25 fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Our results suggest that patients undergoing TT may suffer more impairment in physical and social HrQoL than patients undergoing HT. Psychological-related HrQoL and long-term global HrQoL are, however, equivalent in both groups, which highlights the multidimensional nature of HrQoL and the importance of a multitude of factors aside from treatment modalities and related morbidities, such as the experience of receiving a cancer diagnosis, the fear of cancer recurrence, and other psychosocial factors. Addressing postoperative HrQoL when discussing therapeutic options with patients is an integral part of patient-centered care and informed shared decision-making, and should be approached in a holistic manner, accounting for its physical, psychological, and social aspects. This review supplies evidence regarding HrQoL following thyroid surgery, which can be employed in such decisions.     

Chinese medicine and biomodulation in cancer patients--Part one

Traditional Chinese Medicine (tcm) may be integrated with conventional Western medicine to enhance the care of patients with cancer. Although tcm is normally implemented as a whole system, recent reductionist research suggests mechanisms for the effects of acupuncture, herbs, and nutrition within the scientific model of biomedicine. The health model of Chinese medicine accommodates physical and pharmacologic interventions within the framework of a body-mind network. A Cartesian split does not occur within this model, but to allow for scientific exploration within the restrictions of positivism, reductionism, and controls for confounding factors, the components must necessarily be separated. Still, whole-systems research is important to evaluate effectiveness when applying the full model in clinical practice. Scientific analysis provides a mechanistic understanding of the processes that will improve the design of clinical studies and enhance safety. Enough preliminary evidence is available to encourage quality clinical trials to evaluate the efficacy of integrating tcm into Western cancer care.     

Caring for the breast cancer survivor’s health and well-being

The breast cancer care continuum entails detection, diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship. During this time, focus on the whole woman and medical concerns beyond the breast cancer diagnosis itself is essential. In this comprehensive review, we critically review and evaluate recent evidence regarding several topics pertinent to and specific for the woman living with a prior history of breast cancer. More specifically, we discuss the most recent recommendations for contraceptive options including long-acting reversible contraception and emergency contraception, fertility and pregnancy considerations during and after breast cancer treatment, management of menopausal vasomotors symptoms and vulvovaginal atrophy which often occurs even in young women during treatment for breast cancer. The need to directly query the patient about these concerns is emphasized. Our focus is on non-systemic hormones and non-hormonal options. Our holistic approach to the care of the breast cancer survivor includes such preventive health issues as sexual and bone health,which are important in optimizing quality of life. We also discuss strategies for breast cancer recurrence surveillance in the setting of a prior breast cancer diagnosis. This review is intended for primary care practitioners as well as specialists caring for female breast cancer survivors and includes key points for evidence-based best practice recommendations.     

针药结合提高老年晚期非小细胞肺癌患者生存质量的临床观察

目的 观察针药结合对Ⅲ、Ⅳ期老年非小细胞肺癌（NSCLC）患者生存质量的影响。方法 采用随机、对照方法将199例入组病例按1∶1分为治疗组100例（针药结合组）和对照组99例（西医治疗组）,对照组再分为化疗组51例（PS≤2）和最佳支持组48例（PS=3）。采用肺癌治疗功能评价表（第4版）中文版对治疗组和对照组在治疗过程中的生存质量变化进行评价分析。结果 治疗组治疗后（d42、d63、d84）生存质量积分与治疗前相比均有上升,差异有统计学意义（P＜0.05）;化疗组因化疗药物毒副作用影响,表现为先升后降;最佳支持组d63、d84两次测量积分与治疗前相比均有下降,差异有统计学意义 （P＜0.05）。结论 针药结合的中医药综合疗法可望提高中晚期老年NSCLC患者的生存质量。     

Evidence‐practice gaps in lung cancer: A scoping review

Lung cancer is a significant international health problem. Aligning clinical practice with evidence‐based guideline recommendations has the potential to improve patient outcomes. This scoping review describes evidence‐practice gaps across the diagnostic and management care pathway for lung cancer. We conducted searches of online databases Medline, PsychInfo, Cinahl and the Cochrane Library to identify studies published between 2008 and 2012. Of 614 articles screened, 65 met inclusion criteria. We identified seven evidence‐practice gaps: (1) delays in timely diagnosis and referral; (2) curative and (3) palliative treatments are under‐utilised; (4) older age and co‐morbidities influence the use of treatments; (5) the benefits of multidisciplinary team review are not available to all lung cancer patients; (6) psychosocial needs are unmet; and (7) early referral to palliative care services is under‐utilised. The scoping review highlighted three key messages: (1) there are significant challenges in the timely diagnosis and referral of lung cancer; (2) curative and palliative treatments, psychosocial support and palliative care are under‐utilised in lung cancer management; and (3) variations in treatment utilisation appear to be associated with non‐disease factors such as patient characteristics, provider practices and the organisation of health care services. Future research should focus on designing interventions to overcome variations in care.     

Traditional Chinese Medicine Use among Chinese Immigrant Cancer Patients

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) includes both herbal remedies and non-herbal practices. Chinese cancer patients are particularly at high risk for herb–drug interactions. Providers, both primary care physicians and oncologists, frequently do not ask patients about TCM use, which has potentially dangerous consequences. This study describes an assessment of TCM use while undergoing conventional cancer treatment, among a cohort of Chinese immigrant cancer patients in New York City. The Immigrant Health and Cancer Disparities Service at Memorial Sloan–Kettering Cancer Center assists underserved cancer patients through a patient navigation program, the Cancer Portal Project. Six questions related to TCM are included in the existing Portal Needs Assessment Intake. Mandarin- or Cantonese-speaking Portal patients enrolled between January 2010 and May 2012 were surveyed. One hundred nine Chinese-speaking patients were enrolled in the Portal Project during the study period. Forty-six completed the TCM questions. Ninety-six percent preferred to speak Mandarin, Cantonese, or Fujianese in the healthcare setting. Thirty-nine percent (n?=?18) of the 46 participants reported using TCM since being diagnosed with cancer. Nearly all (n?=?16) who used TCM reported using herbal medicines. Ten TCM users did not describe sharing their use with Western doctors. Eight (44 %) of TCM users reported concurrently using TCM and conventional cancer treatment. Larger scale studies should further explore the concurrent use of TCM and conventional cancer treatment in this unique population. Future research should also address patient–provider communication related to the concurrent use of TCM and cancer treatment. This is also an important area of education for both patients and providers.     

Making the Evidentiary Case for Universal Multidisciplinary Thoracic Oncologic Care

The goal of this article is to provide an overview of the state of the evidence for, and challenges to, sustainable implementation of multidisciplinary thoracic oncology programs. Multidisciplinary care is much advocated by professional groups and makers of clinical guidelines, but little practiced. The gap between universal recommendation and scant evidence of practice suggests the existence of major barriers to program implementation. We examine 2 articles published in this issue of Clinical Lung Cancer to illustrate problems with the evidence base for multidisciplinary care. The inherent complexity of care delivery for the lung cancer patient drives near-universal advocacy for multidisciplinary care as a means of overcoming the heterogeneous quality and outcomes of patient care. However, the evidence to support this model of care delivery is poor. Challenges include the absence of a clear definition of “multidisciplinary care” in the literature, a consequent hodge-podge of poorly-defined examples of tested models, methodologically flawed studies, exemplified by the near-total absence of prospective studies examining this model of care delivery, and absence of scientifically sound dissemination and implementation studies, as well as cost-effectiveness studies. Against this background, we examined the results of a recent large single-institutional retrospective study suggesting the survival benefit of care within a colocated multidisciplinary lung cancer clinic, and an ambitious systematic review of existing literature on multidisciplinary cancer clinics. Better-quality evidence is still needed to establish the value of the multidisciplinary care concept. Such studies need to be prospective, use standardized definitions of multidisciplinary care, and provide clear information about program structure.     

Follow-up care of patients treated for breast cancer: a structured review

Breast cancer follow-up services vary, with little evidence to support which practice is best. A systematic review methodology was employed to identify and integrate primary research on the effectiveness of follow-up services. From 4418 articles identified by searches, 38 were eligible for review inclusion. Data were not sufficiently homogenous to integrate statistically, however the following patterns of findings were observed: patient survival and quality of life were not affected by intensity of follow-up or location of care; patients held positive attitudes towards follow-up but psychological distress was consistently high regardless of location of services; few studies assessed patient involvement in treatment choices; studies' research quality was poor with inadequate measures of effectiveness or research designs. There is insufficient primary empirical evidence to draw broad conclusions regarding best practice for breast cancer follow-up care in terms of (a) patient involvement in care, (b) reductions in morbidity, and (c) cost effectiveness of service provision.     

Models of Follow-Up Care and Secondary Prevention Measures for Survivors of Colorectal Cancer: Evidence-Based Guidelines and Systematic Review

Objective: To provide recommendations for preferred models of follow-up care for stage I-IV colorectal (CRC) cancer survivors in Ontario; to identify signs and symptoms of potential recurrence and when to investigate; and to evaluate patient information and support needs during the post-treatment survivorship period. Methods: Consistent with the Program in Evidence-Based Medicine’s standardized approach, MEDLINE, EMBASE, PubMed, Cochrane Library, and PROSPERO databases were systematically searched. The authors drafted recommendations and revised them based on the comments from internal and external reviewers. Results: Four guidelines, three systematic reviews, three randomized controlled trials, and three cohort studies provided evidence to develop recommendations. Conclusions: Colorectal cancer follow-up care is complex and requires multidisciplinary, coordinated care delivered by the cancer specialist, primary care provider, and allied health professionals. While there is limited evidence to support a shared care model for follow-up, this approach is deemed to be best suited to meet patient needs; however, the roles and responsibilities of care providers need to be clearly defined, and patients need to know when and how to contact them. Although there is insufficient evidence to recommend any individual or combination of signs or symptoms as strong predictor(s) of recurrence, patients should be educated about these and know which care provider to contact if they develop any new or concerning symptoms. Psychosocial support and empathetic, effective, and coordinated communication are most valued by patients for their post-treatment follow-up care. Continuing professional education should emphasize the importance of communication skills and coordination of communication between the patient, family, and healthcare providers.     

Iranian cancer patients and their perspectives: a qualitative study

The incidence of cancer is continuing to rise in Iran. More people are now surviving cancer. They may require different kinds of care and support from those traditionally available. The expression of needs and how they are met in different cultural contexts can inform local assessment of needs and provide insights for initiatives in holistic cancer care. This study explores Iranian cancer patients' needs from patients' perspective. A qualitative design that consists of interviews, field notes and specified demographic information was used. Thirty participants were interviewed during the summer and autumn of 2009. The study conducted in a cancer research centre (Omid Hospital) in Mashhad, Iran. Interviews were analysed using a content analysis method. The results indicate that Iranian cancer patients are more likely to suffer from the impact of cancer on their daily life than physical symptoms related to the disease and its treatment. Cancer affected several aspects of their daily living, including their financial situation, ability to work and family life. Cost of treatment and psychosocial distress were the two aspects rated by respondents to be the most affected. Iranian cancer patients need holistic care which covers all the influences that affect their personal's life.     

How can we improve cancer care? A review of interprofessional collaboration models and their use in clinical management

Background

Multimodal cancer care requires collaboration among different professionals in various settings. Practice guidelines provide little direction on how this can best be achieved. Research shows that collaborative cancer management is limited, and challenged by numerous issues. The purpose of this research was to describe conceptual models of collaboration, and analyze how they have been applied in the clinical management of cancer patients.

Methods

A review of the literature was performed using a two-phase meta-narrative approach. The first phase involved searching for conceptual models of collaboration. Their components and limitations were summarized. The second phase involved targeted searching for empirical research on evaluation of these concepts in the clinical management of cancer patients. Data on study objective, design, and findings were tabulated, and then summarized according to collaborative model and phase of clinical care to identify topics warranting further research.

Results

Conceptual models for teamwork, interprofessional collaboration, integrated care delivery, interorganizational collaboration, continuity of care, and case management were described. All concepts involve two or more health care professionals that share patient care goals and interact on a continuum from consultative to integrative, varying according to extent and nature of interaction, degree to which decision making is shared, and the scope of patient management (medical versus holistic). Determinants of positive objective and subjective patient, team and organizational outcomes common across models included system or organizational support, team structure and traits, and team processes. Twenty-two studies conducted in ten countries examining these concepts for cancer care were identified. Two were based on an explicit model of collaboration. Many health professionals function through parallel or consultative models of care and are not well integrated. Few interventions or strategies have been applied to promote models that support collaboration.

Conclusions

Ongoing development, implementation and evaluation of collaborative cancer management, in the context of both practice and research, would benefit from systematic planning and operationalization. Such an approach is likely to improve patient, professional and organizational outcomes, and contribute to a collective understanding of collaborative cancer care.     

肿瘤常见症状的中医治疗

肿瘤患者在治疗中或因肿瘤疾病本身,常会出现一些临床症状,影响患者的生活质量,很多患者为此而寻求中医治疗.中医在改善症状方面,有一定的独到之处,本文回顾了自2000年以来,中医治疗腹泻、便秘、腹胀、纳差、恶心呕吐、乏力、发热等肿瘤常见症状的经验和现状,并结合国外研究情况,对症状控制的进展作一个简要介绍.