Pulse October 2017 | Page 18

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 ■ October 2017