Preservation of immune function in cervical cancer patients during chemoradiation using a novel integrative approach

Abstract

Patients receiving chemoradiation for cervical cancer are at risk for distress, chemoradiationrelated side-effects, and immunosuppression. This prospective randomized clinical trial examined effects of a complementary therapy, Healing Touch (HT), versus relaxation training (RT) and usual care (UC) for 1) supporting cellular immunity, 2) improving mood and quality of life (QOL), and 3) reducing treatment-associated toxicities and treatment delay in cervical cancer patients receiving chemoradiation. Sixty women with stages IB1 to IVA cervical cancer were randomly assigned to receive UC or 4×/weekly individual sessions of either HT or RT immediately following radiation during their 6-week chemoradiation treatment. Patients completed psychosocial assessments and blood sampling before chemoradiation at baseline, weeks 4 and 6. Multilevel regression analyses using orthogonal contrasts tested for differences between treatment conditions over time. HT patients had a minimal decrease in natural killer cell cytotoxicity (NKCC) over the course of treatment whereas NKCC of RT and UC patients declined Publisher's Disclaimer: This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting proof before it is published in its final citable form. Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain. NIH Public Access Author ManuscriptBrain Behav Immun. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2011 November 1.

A Possible Mechanism of Action for the Placebo Response: Human Biofield Activation Via Therapeutic Ritual

“…Randomized controlled trials performed in medical settings have shown biofield therapies to be effective in such diverse ways as reducing the immune-compromising effects of radiation through use of Healing Touch with cervical cancer patients (Lutgendorf et al, 2010) and reducing persistent cancer-related fatigue while increasing diurnal cortisol variability towards healthy levels through use of energy chelation treatments with breast cancer survivors . A comprehensive review (Jain & Mills, 2010) of clinical trials involving yoga, Tai Chi, QiGong, meditation, prayer, acupuncture, homeopathy, Therapeutic Touch, Healing Touch, and Reiki attributed the positive health effects to the treatments' interaction with patient biofields.…”

Evaluation of Pro-Inflammatory Cytokines Expression in Mouse Splenocytes After Incubation with Biofield Treated Herbomineral Formulation: Effect of Biofield Energy Healing Treatment - The Trivedi Effect<sup>®</sup>

“…In recent years, several scientific reports along with clinical trials have shown the useful effects of Biofield Energy Treatment, which has shown enhanced immune function in cases of cervical cancer patients with therapeutic touch [12], massage therapy [13], etc. Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) are recognized therapies by The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH).…”

Immunological Effects of Biofield Energy Healing (The Trivedi Effect<sup>®</sup>) Based Novel Herbomineral Formulation After Oral Administration in Male <i>Sprague Dawley</i> Rats

“…In recent years, several scientific reports and clinical trials have revealed the useful effects of the Biofield Energy Treatment, which has shown enhanced immune function in cases of cervical cancer patients with therapeutic touch [19], massage therapy [20], etc. Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) therapies are now rising as preferred models of treatment, among which Biofield Therapy (or Healing Modalities) is one approach that has been reported to have several benefits to enhance physical, mental and emotional human wellness.…”