 |
Other Guidelines
The role of complementary and alternative medicine in the
management of early breast cancer: Recommendations of the European Society of
Mastology (EUSOMA)
Semantics and definitions of CAM
The working group tried to reach agreement about the correct terminology to
describe complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). Table 1 illustrates the
complexity of the subject. It was decided to adopt CAM as useful shorthand and
alert readers to be vigilant, since the meaning of words can be
context-dependent and evolve over time by common usage. Furthermore, whatever
words are used, one must not forget that, for some patients, the language
employed may reflect in a positive or negative manner on their hopes and
wishes.
Recommendation 2
Care must be used in the use of words that may have double
meanings or that evolve over time, in order to encourage a dialogue between the
'two cultures' and to make clear to the patient the objectives of any
intervention. Although far from perfect, the use of 'CAM' is useful shorthand.
Table 1 - Popular understandings of complementary and alternative medicine terms in common usage
| Alternative cancer medicine |
- Treatment not offered within conventional cancer care.
- Treatments with a theoretical basis which, in part or in total, is incongruent with the
common scientific model.
- Treatment intended as an alternative to conventional medical cancer treatment, without
accepted evidence for its efficacy.
|
| Complementary cancer medicine |
- Supportive treatment that complements conventional cancer medicine.
Holistic medicine
- Medicine aimed at treating the whole patient in body, mind, and spirit.
- Medicine that recognises the hierarchical structure of the human body organised in units
of increasing complexity (holons) from the cell to the person.
|
| Integrated medicine |
Medicine that:
- Integrates the care of body, mind, spirit and environment of the patient.
- Integrates all modalities of medicine: orthodox, complementary, self-help and psycho-spiritual.
- Integrates the efforts of the patient to help herself.
- Transcends the orthodox/alternative divide, reflecting the patients wish for a non-polarised
form of medicine (probably better under 'holistic medicine')
|
| Healing |
Healing includes:
- Physical healing of the body and remission of physical illness.
- Emotional healing with recovery from shock, grief and past hurts with the achieving of
emotional balance and a positive mental attitude.
- Spiritual healing - providing energisation and up-lift as well as the development of
inner strength, peace of mind, acceptance of death and help with conscious dignified dying.
This can happen within or outside a religious framework.
|
|
|