Complementary Treatment Methods Alongside Traditional Cancer Care

Therapies that maintain or improve the quality of the patient's life are an important part of the treatment process. In cancer care, as Dr. Louis Harrison tells host Dr. Cathleen Margolin, patients who are happier with the quality of their life are often more compliant with treatment, but also may require less pain medication, and may be more able to tolerate discomfort—just a couple of the many factors that reflect their commitment to the entire treatment process. Therefore, it can be important to consider: what makes for a happier patient? Environmental, social and spiritual factors can all be a part of the equation. Beyond excellent traditional medicine, practitioners and institutions have begun to offer a variety of services, from yoga classes, to massage therapy, to a more soothing hospital environment, aimed at enhancing the patient's quality of life. Dr. Harrison, the clinical director of the Continuum Cancer Centers of New York at Beth Israel Medical Center, where the aforementioned services and more are offered at the patient's request, believes it's making a remarkable improvement in the oncology care provided at Beth Israel. Are these measures you can incorporate in your practice?