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Deadline to apply is 11:59pm ET, Friday, September 18, 2020.
Awardees Conference Scholarship Application SIO2020VirtualConference will be notified by October 2, 2020.
Acai has been promoted, starting in the 1990s, to reverse aging, to reduce high cholesterol, treat heart disease, for weight loss, and as an anticancer agent. It is marketed in the form of juice, energy drinks,
tablets, and as an ingredient in cosmetics. Acai berry, rich in anthocyanins, demonstrated antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-tumorigenic effects in vitro and in animal models.
A small study suggests that acai may benefit overweight men by improving vascular function. But the claims of disease prevention and cure have yet to be substantiated. Due to its antioxidant property, acai may interfere with the actions of certain chemotherapy drugs. Read more
This resource is provided with thanks to the Integrative Medicine Service at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, which maintains a free web site, About Herbs.
We chose acai berry for this issue because of its popular use for promoting health and as an anticancer agent. A small berry that grows on a palm tree, acai is indigenous to the Amazon region and in Central and South Americas where it is consumed as food, and used in traditional medicine.
Mistletoe extracts are used to treat a variety of conditions including cancer, AIDS, hepatitis, and degenerative joint disease. Preclinical studies indicate that mistletoe extracts have anticancer effects, with lectins being the active constituents. Clinical data suggest utility of mistletoe therapy, mainly in the injectable form, for improving symptoms including pain, fatigue, insomnia; and for improving quality of life in cancer patients. These findings have led to the use of mistletoe as an adjuvant treatment in some countries. However, more rigorous studies are needed to determine its potential benefits.
Oral preparations are marketed as dietary supplements and homeopathic remedies in the United States. But injections are not available outside of clinical trials because mistletoe is not approved for medical use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Read more
This resource is provided with thanks to the Integrative Medicine Service at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, which maintains a free web site, About Herbs.
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We chose mistletoe for this month because of the continued debate over its use. A semi-parasitic plant, mistletoe grows on many species of trees native to Europe and Western Asia. The leaves and twigs have a long medicinal history, but the berries are highly poisonous.
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Through this partnership, SIO will gain significant reach into the cancer-treatment community through UBM Medica’s oncology distribution channels – the ONCOLOGY journal and CancerNetwork.com – allowing SIO members greater access to information impacting the field of oncology as well as their day-to-day clinical practice.
In turn, with the addition of one of SIO’s key thought leaders to its respected editorial advisory board, the ONCOLOGY journal will be able to provide more relevant integrative oncology information to its readership, furthering SIO’s mission to advance evidence-based, comprehensive, integrative healthcare to improve the lives of people affected by cancer.
“We are very excited to enter in to this partnership with SIO, which will not only allow the ONCOLOGY journal to offer a greater breadth of information on integrative oncology, but it will increase SIO’s visibility and impact in the oncology field,” said Nora Ray, Editorial Director of Oncology at UBM Medica. “This benefits the members of SIO and ONCOLOGY’s readership alike.”
About SIO: About the Society for Integrative Oncology: The Society for Integrative Oncology is the leading worldwide organization dedicated to integrative medicine specific to cancer patients. A non-profit, multi-disciplinary organization founded in 2003, the organization’s mission is to advance evidence-based, comprehensive, integrative healthcare to improve the lives of people affected by cancer. For more information, visit www.integrativeonc.org.
About UBM Medica: UBM Medica provides unbiased clinical, practical, and business information to over 1 million healthcare providers, resulting in improved quality of care for patients around the world. We serve our clients in the pharmaceutical, medical device, and related industries by delivering strategic, integrated communications solutions at the point of patient care – whether online, mobile, or in print. Our reach extends to practitioners and decision makers in primary care, pediatrics, cancer care, psychiatry, dermatology, endocrinology, eye care, neurology, women’s health, men’s health, radiology, managed care, pharmacy, and more. For more information, visit www.ubmmedica.com.
UBM Medica, a leading provider of educational resources to healthcare professionals, and SIO have begun a partnership to offer SIO members access to ONCOLOGY journal and CancerNetwork.com as a benefit of membership. Through the partnership, SIO also will provide content on integrativeoncology.
The current COVID-19 pandemic has acutely affected the Navajo Nation, which lives in a region spanning parts of Arizona, Utah and New Mexico. Historically, the Navajo People have suffered high rates of diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer, all of which contribute to increased risk for poorer COVID-19 outcomes.
For decades, tribal land has been left without basic infrastructure such as running water, electricity and paved roads.
The Indian Health Service has been chronically underfunded, and the Tuba City Regional Healthcare Corporation is the only cancer treatment location on any Native American soil. The SIO is honored to present this support initiative. Donations will go directly to Tuba City Regional Healthcare through the Cancer Support Community donation page, and will be used for essential healthcare needs such as PPE for staff and hand sanitizer. Please join us in this opportunity to improve the lives of those who suffer such health disparities. Learn more on our COVID-19 Resources page and submit your contribution on our Donation page.
On Friday, October 16 through Saturday, October 17, 2020, SIO’s 17th International Conference (Virtual Edition) will present an exceptional opportunity to learn about new findings in integrative oncology from healthcare/scientific disciplines that have the potential to transform cancer care internationally.
The 2020 virtual theme is “COVID-19 and Integrative Oncology: Meeting the Global Challenges of Health Equity.” This special virtual edition of the conference will feature keynote, plenary and concurrent sessions, as well as workshops
highlighting the latest clinical, research and methodological issues, and offers opportunities to learn about integrative modalities within the new realm of COVID-19 and ongoing challenges of health equity.
The conference is being organized and executed through the online platform and tool, Whova. Much more to come!
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.
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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.
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: info@integrativeonc.org 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.