Amber Moore

Use of complementary therapies by Australian women with breast cancer

International research suggests complementary therapy usage is common in women with breast cancer. Comparable data do not exist for Australia. A self-completed questionnaire was used to survey Australian women with breast cancer about their usage of complementary therapies. The survey was mailed to members of two breast cancer consumer advocacy groups, and assessed type of therapy used, reasons for use, and sources of information about complementary therapies. Of 367 respondents with breast cancer, 87.5% had used complementary therapies, with many using four or more therapies. Most commonly used were vitamin supplements (54.2%), support groups (49.8%), massage (41.4%) and meditation (38.7%). Common reasons for use included improving physical (86.3%) and emotional (83.2%) wellbeing and boosting the immune system (68.8%). Women sought information about complementary therapies from a variety of sources. The range of therapies used and the diverse reasons for use emphasise the need for reliable, evidence-based information about complementary therapies for women and clinicians.

Medicine and science must oppose intolerance and censorship

The Medical Journal of Australia ISSN: 0025729X 16 July 2012 197 2 82-83 ©The Medical Journal of Australia 2012 www.mja.com.au Perspective in medicine. As even the most vigorous supporters of complementary medicines accept, the field has been b by excessive and fraudulent claims, which in many cas have misled — and, in some cases, posed direct risks t vulnerable individuals. We feel that the appropriate response to these probl is not to seek to suppress all approaches to health care Friends of Science in Medicine should avoid threatening their own values

P04.64. Chinese medicine in Australia: the nature of practice and perspectives of practitioners

Purpose With the advent of a national regulatory framework in Australia for major health care professions, the inclusion of Chinese medicine (CM) in 2012 is a significant event. Based in mandatory legislation, this is the first comprehensive national regulation of acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine practice to occur across all states and territories in a country outside China. This report is the largest survey on primary Chinese medicine practitioners to be carried out in Australia since 1997, and the first national qualitative study to investigate the developing cultural and clinical practice dynamics within CM. This research intends not only to describe and represent the nature and perspectives of the CM professional community, in line with the CM principles of inclusion and holism, but also to contribute to mutually beneficial dialogue and collaboration with other streams of healthcare.