Acupuncture/ pressureCAM EducationCancer

Acupuncturists treating cancer patients need extra education

That’s the recommendation from Dr. Barrie Cassileth, who is chief of the integrative medicine service at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City.

Highlights from the Medscape interview are listed below.

  • Acupuncture schools teach acupuncture for the average patient.
  • Only acupuncturists trained in cancer should work with cancer patients.
  • In the absence of cancer experience, acupuncturists should have experience treating the side effect that is the reason for the referral from the oncologist.

The bottom line?

The article lists cancer centers with active acupuncture programs and other related resources.

9/17/10 17:31 JR

Hi, I’m JR

John Russo, Jr., PharmD, is president of The MedCom Resource, Inc. Previously, he was senior vice president of medical communications at www.Vicus.com, a complementary and alternative medicine website.