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Other Guidelines
The role of complementary and alternative medicine in the
management of early breast cancer: Recommendations of the European Society of
Mastology (EUSOMA)
Religious and spiritual support
All 'believers' and 'non-believers' accept that there is a transcendental
component to life that can offer comfort, support and an explanation for the
'human condition'. 'Believers', in addition to their access to the arts, gain
this through membership of a faith community or by seeking their spiritual
salvation through any number of 'new-age' belief systems. However spiritual
comfort is achieved, focusing on the transcendental enhances a sense of
personal control, builds self-esteem, offers a meaning to both life and death,
provides comfort and hope and if 'believers' are members of an organised faith
community, they will have access to community support. Health services should
offer access to appropriate support through appropriate staff, such as
psychologists, members of the clergy, counsellors and spiritual 'healers'. We
need to provide generic guidelines for oncologists on how to deal with these
aspects, how to refer patients and to whom? Safeguards should also be available
in order to guarantee patient safety towards the exploitation of patient
distress by any sectarian movement or 'guru'. Oncologists cannot operate in
this area alone and there are many aspects of a patient's life that should not
be part of an institutionalised health service.
Recommendation 4
All health professionals should be taught about the needs of
patients for spiritual support, and access to these services should be
facilitated within the health services.
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