PuLSE PoINtS
Spa Therapies Improve Quality
of Life for Breast Cancer Patients
“Studies show that up to 80 percent of people with a history
bout one in eight U.S. women will develop
of cancer use one or more complementary and integrative
invasive breast cancer over the course of her
therapies, but until recently, evidence supporting the
lifetime. When you think about each of
use of many of these therapies had been limited,”
the women you hold dear, that number
said Heather Greenlee, ND, PhD,
is staggering. October is Breast Cancer Awareness
assistant professor of
Month, and this year, the spa community has the
Epidemiology at
power to go beyond wearing pink and do
Turn to
Columbia University’s
something to help those struggling with the grueling
page 48 to
Mailman School of
and often debilitating breast cancer treatments.
read about how
breast cancer
Public Health, and
Growing evidence supports what many in the spa
inspired
one
past
president of
community already know: mind-body therapies like
member
to
SIO. “Our goal is to
meditation, massage and yoga can improve the quality of life
take action.
provide
clinicians and
of patients with breast cancer.
patients with practical
In newly updated clinical guidelines from the Society for
information and tools to
Integrative Oncology (SIO), researchers at Columbia University’s
make informed
Mailman School of Public Health and the Herbert Irving
decisions on
Comprehensive Cancer Center with an interdisciplinary team of
whether and how to
colleagues at MD Anderson Cancer Center, University of
use
a specific
Michigan, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and other
integrative therapy for a
institutions in the U.S. and Canada, analyzed which integrative
specific
clinical appli-
treatments are most effective and safe for patients with breast
cation during and after
cancer.
breast
cancer
treatment.”
n
The researchers evaluated more than 80 different therapies
and developed grades of evidence. Based on
those findings, the Society for Integrative
Oncology makes the following recommenda-
tions:
This new research opens up a world of possibilities for spas to work in
conjunction with the medical community to improve quality of life for
1. Use of music therapy, meditation, stress
breast cancer patients. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
management and yoga for anxiety and stress
1.
Reach out to local oncologists. Work directly with doctors in your
reduction.
area who specialize in women’s health. By making your services known
2. Use of meditation, relaxation, yoga, massage
to them, they’ll be able to recommend their patients to your spa.
and music therapy for depression and mood
2. Create packages for breast cancer patients. Design and promote
disorders.
special packages designed specifically to help breast cancer patients.
3. Use of meditation and yoga to improve
Integrate the therapy types the SIO recommends.
quality of life.
3. Host an event. Host a meditation or yoga event together with other
4. Use of acupressure and acupuncture for
businesses in your area. Offer free massage, yoga and meditation for
reducing chemotherapy-induced nausea and
breast cancer patients.
vomiting.
A
What Can You Do?
16
PULSE
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October 2017