People facing a new diagnosis of cancer are unsettled by their prognosis and treatment options, and they often seek to integrate complementary modalities into their conventional care plan, hoping to improve their chances of cure and decrease side effects. Many do so without informing their oncologist, for fear of alienating them or not convinced that their physician would be informed about complementary therapies. Integrative Oncology, the first volume in the Weil Integrative Medicine Library, provides a wealth of information for both practitioners and consumers on the emerging field of integrative oncology. Noted oncologist Donald Abrams and integrative medicine pioneer Andrew Weil and their international panel of experts present up-to-date and extensively referenced chapters on a wide spectrum of issues and challenges, bound in one comprehensive, reader-friendly text in a format featuring key points, sidebars, tables, and a two-color design for ease of use. It is destined to emerge as the definitive resource in this emerging field.

Dr. Keith Block is at the global vanguard of innovative cancer care. As medical director of the Block Center for Integrative Cancer Treatment in Evanston, Illinois, he has treated thousands of patients who have lived long, full lives beyond their original prognoses. Now he has distilled almost thirty years of experience into the first book that gives patients a systematic, research-based plan for developing the physical and emotional vitality they need to meet the demands of treatment and recovery. Based on a profound understanding of how body and mind can work together to defeat disease, this groundbreaking book offers: • Innovative approaches to conventional treatments, such as “chronotherapy”–chemotherapy timed to patients’ unique circadian rhythms for enhanced effectiveness and reduced toxicity • Dietary choices that make the biochemical environment hostile to cancer growth and recurrence, and strengthen the immune system’s ability to attack remaining cancer cells • Precise supplement protocols to tame treatment side effects, relieve disease-related symptoms, and modify processes like inflammation and glycemia that can fuel cancer if left untreated • A new paradigm for exercise and stress reduction that restores your strength, reduces anxiety and depression, and supports the body’s own ability to heal • A complete program for remission maintenance–a proactive plan to make sure the cancer never returns Also included are “quick-start” maps to help you find the information you need right now and many case histories that will support and inspire you. Encouraging, compassionate, and authoritative, Life over Cancer is the guide patients everywhere have been waiting for.

Integrative medicine strives to incorporate the best of complementary and conventional modalities. This book details integrative oncology, a nascent field building a rigorous evidenced-based clinical medicine, research, and educational foundation. It examines five prestigious, comprehensive cancer centers based in the US, covering how these centers started their programs, what they are currently doing, and recommendations for starting integrative medicine clinics. The book also discusses the potential harm of alternative and complementary medicine, legal issues, and how to communicate with patients.

Integrative Oncology explores a comprehensive, evidence-based approach to cancer care that addresses all individuals involved in the process, and can include the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies alongside conventional modalities such as chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation therapy. The number of integrative care programs is increasing worldwide and this book forms a foundation text for all who want to learn more about this growing field. This guide provides a thoughtful and generous perspective on integrative care, an outstanding overview of the exciting clinical opportunities these techniques can offer, and a guide to the new territories that all oncologists and CAM practitioners need to explore and understand.

Accompanying CD-ROM contains ... "complete text and illustrations of the book, in fully searchable PDF format."

This open access book provides a valuable resource for hospitals, institutions, and health authorities worldwide in their plans to set up and develop comprehensive cancer care centers. The development and implementation of a comprehensive cancer program allows for a systematic approach to evidence-based strategies of prevention, early detection, diagnosis, treatment, and palliation. Comprehensive cancer programs also provide a nexus for the running of clinical trials and implementation of novel cancer therapies with the overall aim of optimizing comprehensive and holistic care of cancer patients and providing them with the best opportunity to improve quality of life and overall survival. This book's self-contained chapter format aims to reinforce the critical importance of comprehensive cancer care centers while providing a practical guide for the essential components needed to achieve them, such as operational considerations, guidelines for best clinical inpatient and outpatient care, and research and quality management structures. Intended to be wide-ranging and applicable at a global level for both high and low income countries, this book is also instructive for regions with limited resources. The Comprehensive Cancer Center: Development, Integration, and Implementation is an essential resource for oncology physicians including hematologists, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, surgical oncologists, and oncology nurses as well as hospitals, health departments, university authorities, governments and legislators.

"Providing comprehensive, current, and reliable information on breast cancer, this book, written by an experienced oncologist, a surgeon, and a breast cancer survivor, informs and inspires readers, wherever they are in the breast cancer experience. Patient stories, essays from medical specialists, and illustrations add clarity and insight"--