One the week of our 20th SIO annual scientific conference in Banff Canada, City of Hope announced a major new precedent-setting $100 million donation to support integrative oncology programs at City of Hope and its network of hospitals around the United States. Andrew and Peggy Cherng, philanthropists, co-founders and co-CEOs of Panda Express, made the landmark donation via their Panda Charitable Family Foundation.

For more about this historical moment, please see the official press release ->https://www.cityofhope.org/city-hope-receives-100-million-gift-create-first-its-kind-national-integrative-oncology-program

From the President

Dear SIO Members and Friends,
I can’t believe this is my last Newswire to you as President of SIO! It’s been a bit of a wild ride these last two years, from co-chairing the 2021 hybrid Baltimore conference with 100 people in person and 200 online, to Scottsdale in 2022 where 200 attended in person, and now looking forward to Banff with close to 300 making the journey to Canada in just over a week! I am beyond excited to host everyone in my backyard reconnecting, learning, laughing and strengthening our Integrative Oncology community. It will be balm to the soul after the last few months when instead of sailing into the sunset of my Presidency, I (and all of the EC) have been working flat out to rebuild the society after being financially defrauded by our management company. It has not been easy, but we are getting back on track and the tremendous support from you, our members and friends, has made all the difference. In that vein, keep scrolling below for details of how you can support SIO by making a secure donation.

Despite all the hard work, of course I made time this summer to be with my family in the great outdoors, and we had some fun adventures!

New SIO-ASCO Guideline Published

Another highlight of my term as President has been co-chairing (alongside Dr. Julia Rowland) the Expert Panel for the SIO-ASCO joint anxiety and depression guideline, “Integrative Oncology Care of Symptoms of Anxiety and Depression in Adults With Cancer: Society for Integrative Oncology–ASCO Guideline,” which was published in August in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. Since August 15, 2023, the publication has been downloaded over 4,500 times and has appeared in 23 news outlets, scoring in the top 5% Altmetrics score of all scientific articles. We strongly believe the guideline is on its way to making an impact in the way we manage psychosocial symptoms experienced by people with cancer. Click on the “Supplements” tab to discover resources including slides, treatment algorithms, information for people with cancer, and the visual abstract below. To read more about SIO’s history of guideline development, click here.

SIO 20th International Conference

After more than a year of planning, the 20th International SIO Conference in Banff, Alberta, is almost here! Close to 300 registrants will join us in person, and so far over 60 will attend virtually. 

If you’re attending in person, make sure to book your shuttle or other transportation between the Calgary International Airport and the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity. Check out more travel tips, including how to stay safe around the wildlife in the area, by clicking on the conference website tab, “Traveling to Banff.” There are still a few tickets left for the Gondola Gala - if you didn't pick yours up yet, contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. It will certainly be a night to remember atop beautiful Sulphur Mountain!

While at the conference, be sure to pick up a print copy of the August issue of the Journal of Integrative and Complementary Medicine (JICM) at registration. JICM is a partner journal of SIO, and this issue contains a new commentary from SIO experts on advancing health equity, inclusion, and belonging in integrative oncology as well as other high-profile research articles. Read it online now by clicking here. 

Can't travel to Banff for #SIO2023? Don't worry, you don't have to miss out. Join virtually to gain access to live streaming of all the talks and events in the main ballroom, and access to recordings afterwards. Registration fees also include continuing education credits, so it’s a great deal! To register for online attendance, please click here, and check the appropriate “Attendance Type” option. See the screenshot below.

Not a member of SIO yet? Click here to join today and qualify for lower registration rates. 

In addition to our usual social media contests, we are debuting “Voices of SIO” which will feature a person with lived experience of cancer, a clinician, a researcher and a nurse educator who post their thoughts on social media. More info in Banff! Follow the conference hashtags #SIO2023, #SIOCelebrates20 and #integrativeoncology on X, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

Donation Campaign

Has SIO changed your life? Helped you professionally? Made you feel at home in the field of integrative oncology? Please consider giving back to SIO as we celebrate two decades of integrative oncology excellence. (In fact, that’s the title of the ebook we’ve put together, which will be given to all conference attendees as a special gift). You can make your donation securely through the SIO website by clicking on the “Support SIO” tab at the top. You may also donate by mailing a check (preferably via certified mail) to the address below:

Society for Integrative Oncology
℅ Dr. Ana Maria Lopez
502 Addison St
Philadelphia PA 19147

In conclusion, I’m both excited to pass the reins of the Presidency to Dr. Santosh Rao, who I have no doubt will do wonderful things in the position, and sad that my time at the helm is coming to an end. However, I will still be around and a member of the EC for another two-year term as Past-President, so you haven’t seen the last of me yet! All the best, and of course always keep your eye on the prize, which is our mission to advance evidence-based, comprehensive integrative healthcare to improve the lives of people affected by cancer.

Linda E. Carlson, Ph.D., R.Psych.              
Enbridge Research Chair in Psychosocial Oncology
Professor, Department of Oncology, Cumming School of Medicine  
Co-Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Psychosocial Oncology Research and Practice (official journal of the International Psycho-Oncology Society)
President, Society for Integrative Oncology

Board of Trustees Announcements

SIO 2023 Board of Trustees Election

Please join us in congratulating the three members elected to serve a second three-year term (Dr. Eran Ben-Arye, Betsy Glosik, and Leigh Leibel) and the five newly elected members of the SIO Board of Trustees Dr. Julie Deleemans, Dr. Moshe Frenkel, Smitha Mallaiah, Dr. Santhosshi Narayanan, and Susan Veleber. We look forward to working closely with you to advance the Society’s mission and goals. 

Herb of the Month

GINKO

Ginkgo is one of the oldest living trees. Its leaf extracts are used to enhance memory and to treat mild dementia, peripheral vascular disease, tinnitus, and sexual dysfunction.

Clinical studies generally show that supplementation with ginkgo does not improve cognitive performance or prevent Alzheimer’s disease or dementia. Also, current data do not support use of ginkgo for lowering the risk of cancer and studies on whether it can help tinnitus are mixed. More research is needed. Because ginkgo increases the risk of bleeding, it is generally advised to discontinue use at least 36 hours before surgery ... link to our monograph.

The last two decades have seen a significant increase in dietary supplement use by cancer patients. Despite the proliferation of websites that contain information about dietary supplements, finding a reliable source can be overwhelming. 

The Integrative Medicine Service at Memorial Sloan Kettering developed and maintains a free website “About Herbs” (www.mskcc.org/aboutherbs) that provides objective and unbiased information about herbs, vitamins, minerals and other dietary supplements, and unproven anticancer treatments.  Each of the 290 and growing number of entries has healthcare professional and patient versions that are regularly updated with the latest research findings.

Join over 1,000 colleagues and patients who downloaded the Android version of the About Herbs app. For iOS devices, download at App Store.Download at the App StoreDownload at Google Play 

REGISTER TODAY for #SIO2023
SIO 20th International Conference
September 14-16, 2023
Banff Centre for Arts & Creativity
Banff, Alberta Canada

View the schedule at a glance on our page here!

Your Support Benefits Integrative Medicine Everywhere!

SIO welcomes your support of our Society, which helps us develop projects and educational programs to realize our mission of advancing evidence-based, comprehensive, integrative healthcare to improve the lives of people affected by cancer.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
CONTACT: Tiana Ware
August 15, 2023  tware@thereisgroup

Cancer organizations recommend mindfulness-based interventions to treat anxiety and depression in patients

New practice guideline highlights evidence-base for integrative therapies in cancer treatment

WASHINGTON, D.C. (August 15, 2023)— The Society for Integrative Oncology (SIO) and the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) formally recommend mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) and other integrative therapies to manage anxiety and depression symptoms in adults living with cancer. The guideline, published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, reviews the effectiveness of integrative therapies such as yoga, relaxation, hypnosis, acupuncture, and music therapy in treating anxiety and depression symptoms during and after cancer treatment.

“Anxiety and depression symptoms have long been associated with lower quality of life in people with cancer," said Heather Greenlee, ND, PhD, co-chair of the SIO Clinical Practice Guideline Committee. “Treating these symptoms using evidence-based integrative therapies will not only improve a patient’s quality of life, but it can help them better manage their care too. Now we know which therapies could have the biggest impact.”

The strongest recommendations in the guideline are for the use of mindfulness-based interventions, which include mindfulness-based stress reduction, meditation, and mindful movement. These interventions were recommended across the board to treat both anxiety and depression symptoms in patients in active treatment and those post-treatment due to the strong evidence to show their benefits to patients.

“For many people, cancer is the most difficult and frightening experience they have ever encountered,” said Past Chair of the ASCO Evidence-Based Medicine Committee, Scott T. Tagawa, MD, MS, FASCO, FACP. “Mindfulness-based interventions and other mind-body therapies not only provide tools to manage patients’ anxiety and depression symptoms, but they can also offer patients a sense of control over their illness, which we know can be helpful for patients who have to navigate a complex treatment journey.”

The SIO-ASCO guideline is a companion to the clinically based Management of Anxiety and Depression in Adult Survivors of Cancer: ASCO Guideline Update. It was created by an expert panel of integrative oncology, medical oncology, radiation oncology, surgical oncology, palliative oncology, behavioral medicine, mind-body medicine, nursing, methodology, and patient advocacy representatives. The panel reviewed existing published literature on integrative therapies used to treat anxiety and depression symptoms in cancer patients from randomized controlled trials. Once consensus was reached, recommendations were made based on the strength of the evidence available. The panel was co-chaired by Linda E. Carlson, PhD, President of SIO, and Julia Rowland, PhD, of Smith Center for Healing and the Arts representing ASCO.

“We have seen a steady increase in interest in these therapies among cancer patients over the years, but certain roadblocks have prevented patients from accessing them,” said Julia Rowland, PhD, co-chair of the SIO-ASCO guideline. “We hope that comprehensive cancer centers and governing administrative bodies consider prioritizing MBIs in patient care

Integrative oncology is a patient-centered, evidence-informed field of cancer care that utilizes mind and body practices, natural products, and/or lifestyle modifications from different traditions alongside conventional cancer treatments. Integrative oncology aims to optimize health, quality of life, and clinical outcomes across the cancer care continuum and to empower people to prevent cancer and become active participants before, during, and beyond cancer treatment.

“This is the second of a series of evidence-based guidelines addressing integrative therapies in cancer care that SIO and ASCO are developing together,” added Linda E. Carlson, PhD, President of SIO, Professor of Oncology at the University of Calgary, and co-chair of the guideline. “The goal of these guidelines is to inform as many clinicians and people living with cancer as possible about where the evidence lies to support the best clinical outcomes possible for all people with cancer. We believe this latest guideline accomplishes that for those suffering from anxiety and depression symptoms.”

Other interventions recommended in the guideline that had a lower level of evidence for their benefits included the use of relaxation, music therapy, and reflexology for treatment of both anxiety and depression symptoms during conventional treatment. Yoga was recommended for patients with breast cancer to treat both anxiety and depression symptoms, although the strength of the evidence was moderate. “We want to clarify that this does not mean yoga can only benefit women with breast cancer,” explained Dr. Carlson. “There is research that shows yoga can benefit people with various cancer types and we need to continue building the evidence base.”

To ensure people living with cancer can play a role in the treatment decision-making process and to inform their discussions about integrative therapies with their oncologists, ASCO and SIO have posted clinical tools, resources, and patient information related to this guideline on their respective websites.

Because the expert panel was conservative in making their recommendations, the guideline also includes areas identified as potentially relevant to cancer care but needing more research. This distinction is important because the lack of endorsement for a given therapy is not an indication that the therapy is necessarily ineffective or unsafe. “Rather, it indicates that the evidence was insufficient to support its recommendation,” said Dr. Rowland. “For instance, more studies are needed to assess the safety and effectiveness of natural health products.”

SIO received an unrestricted grant to fund guideline development from the Samueli Foundation.

###

About The Society for Integrative Oncology:
Founded in 2003, SIO is the premier multi-disciplinary international professional organization for integrative oncology. The mission of the SIO is to advance evidence-based, comprehensive, integrative healthcare to improve the lives of people affected by cancer. SIO enables communication, education, and research to occur by bringing together practitioners and researchers across professions focused on the care of cancer patients and survivors. Members share the common goals of excellent comprehensive patient care, enhancement of anti-cancer therapy, supportive care, and prevention of cancer. SIO members are part of a unique multidisciplinary community of oncologists, nurses, psychologists, social workers, nutritionists, complementary therapy practitioners, naturopathic doctors, acupuncturists, massage therapists, epidemiologists, researchers, and many other health care practitioners. Learn more at https://integrativeonc.org/, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube.

 About the American Society of Clinical Oncology:
Founded in 1964, the American Society of Clinical Oncology, Inc. (ASCO®) is committed to the principle that knowledge conquers cancer. Together with the Association for Clinical Oncology, ASCO represents more than 45,000 oncology professionals who care for people living with cancer. Through research, education, and promotion of high quality, equitable patient care, ASCO works to conquer cancer and create a world where cancer is prevented or cured, and every survivor is healthy. Conquer Cancer, the ASCO Foundation, supports ASCO by funding groundbreaking research and education across cancer’s full continuum. Learn more at www.ASCO.org, explore patient education resources at www.Cancer.Net, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube.

Message from the President

Dear SIO Members and Friends,

I usually begin these monthly updates with photos of my outdoor adventures over the past month, but this month has been a voyage of another kind. The SIO Executive Committee has been fully occupied since May 10, 2023, after learning that Graham Hauck, the principal at the Hauck & Associates nonprofit management company engaged by SIO since 2021, pleaded guilty to embezzlement from another nonprofit organization. 

As I mentioned in my message to members on May 22, 2023, we immediately terminated Hauck’s contract with cause. We engaged forensic accountants and outside counsel to assist the SIO in identifying the extent of any misappropriation of SIO funds and pursuing restitution, and that work continues. Through our outside counsel, we are cooperating with federal law enforcement in reviewing Hauck’s dealings with SIO. While the timing and result of any government investigation is unclear, our top priority remains the recovery of funds misappropriated by Hauck.

Since Hauck’s termination, members of the Executive Committee have devoted extraordinary efforts to stabilizing and maintaining the SIO’s operations. I want to recognize and thank each one of them - Santosh Rao (President-Elect), Ting Bao (Immediate Past President), Ana Maria Lopez (Treasurer), Jodi MacLeod (Corporate Secretary), Channing Paller (VP Advancement), and Eugene Ahn (VP Communications) - for their tireless service and unwavering commitment to SIO. We have grown much stronger as a team personally and professionally. 

A particular focus has been to ensure that preparations for our Banff 2023 Conference are not disrupted. We are happy to announce we have engaged with Funnel Communications, Inc. to undertake all conference planning duties moving forward. They have extensive experience in conference planning, even hosting a similar conference at the same venue in 2019.

Through it all, we have remained united as an EC and Board of Trustees, upholding core leadership values of Accountability, Transparency, Vision and Compassion as we forge a path forward which will protect SIO from future vulnerabilities.

I want to thank the Board of Trustees for their continued support of our efforts, the members and friends of SIO, and our generous benefactors, for your understanding and patience as we navigate this transition. 

We encourage all of you to join us at our Banff 2023 Conference to celebrate our 20th Anniversary as a community. We will have much to celebrate this September in Banff as SIO moves into its third decade as a stronger, more united society, focusing, as always, on our mission to advance evidence-based, comprehensive integrative healthcare to improve the lives of people affected by cancer.

Linda E. Carlson, PhD, SIO President

Conference Planning

Conference planning activities have resumed full force with the switch of conference planning companies. The call for late-breaking poster abstracts is open here until June 9th. Don't miss your last chance to participate in the conference as a presenter!

All presentation acceptance notifications from our earlier call for abstracts went out in early May, but some abstract submitters seem not to have received them. Please check your junk and spam folders as the notification would have come from Oxford Abstracts, our abstract management system, not SIO directly. If you submitted an abstract and have not heard back from us, please send an email to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and we will check its status and email you the notification once again.

Scholarship and New Investigator forum applications have been received, and we will be reviewing these and sending outcome notifications within the next month. 

Earlybird registration rates are in effect until June 30th - make sure you register now here, and don't forget to purchase your ticket for the conference gala atop the Sulphur Mountain gondola! It will most certainly be one to remember. 

We look forward to seeing you for an exceptional 20th Anniversary conference in Banff!

May 22, 2023

Dear SIO Community,

The Society for Integrative Oncology is an international nonprofit organization established 20 years ago to advance evidence-based, comprehensive integrative healthcare to improve the lives of people affected by cancer. We are staffed by a group of volunteer healthcare providers, researchers, and patient advocates. Due to our volunteerism business model, it is necessary to outsource full time management of our business which includes finance, accounting, human resources, event planning, legal and other needs. Since inception, SIO has frequently relied on third-party consultancy firms specializing in nonprofit management for these tasks. In 2020, the consultancy firm of Hauck & Associates (“H&A”) in Washington, DC was selected as its outside management company after completing background checks and reviewing references. H&A started in that role on January 1, 2021.  

On May 10, 2023, we learned that Graham Hauck, the principal manager at H&A, pleaded guilty in federal court to misappropriation of funds of another nonprofit organization managed by H&A. SIO quickly terminated H&A, and initiated a series of risk management measures, including securing its assets to prevent further losses; retrieving paper and electronic files and financial books and records; revoking Hauck’s access to bank accounts, internet sites, keys, credit cards and the like; arranging for new management, accounting and operations solutions to replace H&A; hiring a forensic accountant, Chess Consulting LLC, to detect any misappropriation of SIO funds and determine the amount involved; and retaining as outside counsel white collar criminal attorney, Zach Hafer at Cooley LLP (formerly with the US Attorney’s Office), Michael Sanders, a tax exempt tax attorney and professor at Georgetown Law Center and his partner, Malcolm Sandilands, a corporate attorney, both at Blank Rome LLP. We are working with conference specialists in Canada to ensure that our Banff 2023 conference is not disrupted by these developments, and with other specialists to ensure that the SIO’s other activities continue with the minimum possible adverse impact.  

Internally, SIO has appointed its first general counsel, Nelson Lin, to coordinate our legal response, which includes crisis management and supervision of recovery, while the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees has worked continuously since learning of Hauck’s guilty plea to transfer every single management function out of his firm’s hands. That process continues, and we will make every effort to secure the return of any funds that were misappropriated from SIO; our criminal counsel has reached out to Hauck to pursue prompt restitution of any misappropriated funds.

The Board of Trustees will report progress biweekly to SIO members as it continues to investigate this matter.

We thank you for your understanding and patience and we will continue to do everything we can to resolve this in an expeditious and efficient manner. 

 Sincerely

Linda Ellen Carlson, PhD, RPsych 

President, Society for Integrative Oncology, Inc.

Date: May 18 & 19, 2023
Time: 8 a.m.-1 p.m. CT
Registration:   Click here to register

The Integrative Medicine Program Virtual Workshop is designed for healthcare professionals interested in learning more about integrative medicine in a comprehensive cancer center. The primary goal of the program is to expose the participant to key aspects of Integrative Oncology at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. The Workshop will be conducted via Zoom.

- Learn tools to help you establish an integrative oncology program
- Gain key insights into our clinical programs and operations, research, and education programs
- Learn effective strategies for hybrid clinical delivery models combining in-person and telehealth
- Meet and interact with program leaders and faculty
- Virtual tour of our Integrative Medicine Center facilities

Hosted by
Lorenzo Cohen, PhD | Professor and Director | Integrative Medicine Program
and
Gabriel Lopez, MD | Associate Professor and Center Medical Director | Integrative Medicine Center

Registration:   Click here to register
Registration Fee: $250.00 US dollars
Contact Person: Tameka Sneed at
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Exploring the Roles of Patient Advocates in Integrative Oncology
Julie Deleemans, Jodi MacLeod, Eileen Fuentes, Lesley Glenn, Elizabeth Glosik, Jenny Leyh, Susan Ryan, Marianne Sarcich, and Laura Pole

The second column by SIO Leadership in the Journal of Integrative and Complementary Medicine (JICM), features, "Exploring the Roles of Patient Advocates in Integrative Oncology", by the SIO Patient Advocate Committee. The paper is available Open Access through March 3, 2023 here. 

Read the article here. 

View more on our page here. 

Supporting Our Youngest Patients Psychic and Somatic Distress: Psychiatric & Pediatric Medical Dance

Jan 19, 2023

Members, click here to watch the webinar. Not a member? Join today and gain access to our member's only recordings! 

Trauma research demonstrates that early memory is multisensory, somatic, and kinesthetic. In this workshop participants will learn how psychiatry and dance/movement therapy professionals collaborate within the integrative medicine service multidisciplinary team to support pediatric patients and their families. The principles of infant mental health provide a lens to understanding the complex role medical illness plays in the young child’s psychic and relational development. Dance/movement therapy (DMT) provides a way to address how children’s embodied experience during medical procedures affects development on all levels. The use of DMT for self-expression and coping, self-regulation, pain management, trauma prevention, and family intervention are highlighted. The presenters address the role of infant mental health and provide an overview of the history and research of the pediatric medical DMT field. Speakers: We have assembled a panel of experts who will discuss how psychiatry and dance/movement therapy professionals collaborate within the integrative medicine service multidisciplinary team to support pediatric patients and their families.

On our panel today we have Dr. Suzi Tortora, Founder and Director of Dancing Dialogue. & Senior Dance/Movement Therapist at MSK Kids, Dr. Miri Keren, Assistant Clinical Professor Emeritus at Tel Aviv University Sackler Medical School. Dr. Karolina Bryl, Research Associate at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and Dr. Sherry Goodill, Clinical Professor Emeritus at the Department of Creative Arts Therapies, College of Nursing and Health Professions from Drexel University.

Cross-cultural perspectives on the role of integrative oncology in palliative care

February 8, 2023

Members, click here to watch the webinar. Not a member? Join today and gain access to our member's only recordings! 

The webinar will present a cross-cultural perspective to integrative oncology from East-Asia, India, and the Middle East. Drs. Eran Ben-Arye and Dr. Lorenzo Cohen will co-chair the session guided by a real clinical case. Dr. Kenji Watanabe from Japan will present the Kampo medicine approach; Dr. Rammanohar Puthiyedath from South-India will present the Ayurveda perspective; and Dr. Maryam Rassouli from Iran will present the unique Iranian Medicine perspective. Dr. Orit Gressel from Israel will present her own narrative as the integrative oncology physician who treated the patient on her long journey. Each of the speakers will address the patient-centered approach that includes the psycho-spiritual perspective. Audience participation will be encouraged. This webinar provides a wonderful opportunity to learn from practitioners across the world in order to improve the lives of those with cancer.