Glenda Booker
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Samantha Giordano-Mooga
Poster Title: Cancer Therapy: Establishing a Holistic Approach to Cancer Treatment as Standard Practice in the Medical Field
Abstract: Since millions of individuals worldwide are affected by cancer, cancer research is essential to the continual improvement and development of treatment options to decrease the mortality rate, increase the quality of life, and increase the overall health of cancer patients. While current therapeutic interventions—such as chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and immunotherapy—have become more effective at reducing and eliminating cancer cells, these same therapies contribute to the decreased quality of life, negative side effects, and acquirance and/or progression of secondary diseases. This paper is concerned with researching additional treatment options that serve to absolve the negative effects of normal therapeutic treatment options. A literature review of multiple clinical studies was performed to evaluate the effectiveness of three holistic approaches—exercise intervention, nutrition intervention, and social support—in assisting in the efficacy of normal therapeutic interventions (e.g., chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and immunotherapy) and absolving adverse therapeutic effects. Both subjective data (such as follow-up surveys) and objective data (such as BP, weight, and Peak VO2) were analyzed. The results indicate that there is positive correlation between these holistic treatment options and quality of life and overall health of cancer patients. Additionally, the results indicate a negative correlation between holistic intervention and negative effects of therapeutic intervention. In conclusion, holistic intervention is a sufficient form of adjuvant cancer therapy and steps should be taken to implement these interventions in a formal healthcare setting.