NCI CAMNews

Winter 2006

Vol.1 - Issue 1

Established in October 1998,

OCCAM is responsible for NCI’s

growing research agenda in CAM

as it relates to cancer prevention,

treatment, symptom management,

and rehabilitation. OCCAM also

acts as NCI’s primary link to

CAM communities and cancer

researchers regarding CAM and

cancer. OCCAM is directed by

Dr. Jeffrey D. White, a medical

oncologist with a background in

laboratory and clinical cancer

research. 

OCCAM has been building

bridges between CAM

practitioners and the cancer

research community, creating

additional funding opportunities

to test CAM approaches using

scientifically rigorous research

methods, working with other

NCI programs to facilitate the

testing of CAM approaches to

cancer management, helping

CAM researchers with the grant

application process, and

investigating research challenges

unique to CAM approaches. In

addition, OCCAM has

collaborated with other nongovernmental and governmental

organizations, such as the

National Center for

Complementary and Alternative

Medicine (NCCAM), on cancer

CAM issues. Through its

activities and those of many other

programs at the Institute, NCI’s

What is OCCAM?

In this issue:

1

Introduction

1

What is OCCAM 

4

Conversation with 

OCCAM Director

7

News From the Field 

9

Funding Opportunities

11

Research Resources

12

Research Highlights 

12

CAM Information

14

Meetings 

16

Featured Scientific

Meetings

1

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U.S. DEPARTMENT 

OF HEALTH AND 

HUMAN SERVICES

National Institutes 

of Health

continued on next page

Introducing the 1st Issue of 

NCI CAM News

The Office of Cancer Complementary and Alternative Medicine

(OCCAM) is pleased to announce the first issue of its biannual

newsletter NCI CAM News. OCCAM, located within the Office of

the Director at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), serves to

coordinate and stimulate complementary and alternative medicine

(CAM) research across all divisions of the Institute. We have created

this newsletter to bring you the latest on NCI-sponsored research,

funding opportunities, meetings and workshops, as well as educational

information on cancer and CAM. While this issue was designed to

introduce OCCAM’s programs and highlight our activities, future

issues will feature cancer CAM projects from the full range of NCI’s

activities in addition to OCCAM program updates. ❧
2

research expenditures for CAM

have more than quadrupled (fiscal

year 1998 - $28.2 million, fiscal

year 2004 - $129 million). 

Research Development and

Support Program

The Research Development and

Support Program (RDSP) is

directed by OCCAM Deputy

Director Dr. Wendy B. Smith,

M.A., Ph.D., B.C.I.A.C., a

research psychologist with

advanced training in hypnosis and

a nationally certified biofeedback

therapist. Dr. Smith joined NIH

in 1990 as a research psychologist

with the Anesthesiology and

Neurobiology Branch of the

National Institute of Dental and

Craniofascial Research. She came

to OCCAM in 2000 to lead

RDSP. 

This program was established to

help investigators by identifying

and creating funding

opportunities and providing

assistance in the pre- and postreview periods of grant

application. Working to stimulate

research in cancer CAM, RDSP

staff design activities that will

develop the foundation of science

in this area of medicine. RDSP

hosts a series of Expert Panels in

Cancer CAM Research, the

Invited Speakers Series, and

workshops to help investigators

prepare grant applications in

cancer CAM.

Practice Assessment

Program

The Practice Assessment Program

(PAP) is directed by Dr. White

and coordinated by Commander

(CDR) Colleen Lee, RN, M.S.,

AOCN®, a certified advanced

practice oncology nurse and a

commissioned officer in the US

Public Health Service. Prior to

coming to OCCAM in 2001,

CDR Lee was a clinical research

nurse in the Nursing Department

at the National Institutes of

Health (NIH). 

PAP reviews retrospective and

some prospective data on cancer

patients treated with alternative

therapies. The NCI Best Case

Series Program, the most wellknown component of PAP,

provides an opportunity for CAM

practitioners to submit medical

data regarding their cancer CAM

treatments. Practitioners are asked

to submit patient records for

evaluation by experts in clinical

assessment and cancer treatment

research. Results of the NCI Best

Case Series Program include

recommendation for NCIinitiated research and the sharing

of well-documented best cases

with interested members of the

scientific community in order to

stimulate research. 

from previous page Communications and

Outreach Program

The Communications and

Outreach Program (COP) is

directed by Dr. White and

coordinated by Shea Buckman,

M.A., a health communication

professional who recently joined

OCCAM after serving as both a

media specialist and the exhibit

program coordinator for

NCCAM. 

COP disseminates information

about NCI program initiatives

and funding opportunities,

workshops and other events, and

educational materials through

OCCAM’s Web site and

publications. In addition, COP

assesses the opinions, interests,

and informational needs of cancer

researchers, CAM practitioners,

and cancer patients regarding

CAM research via surveys and

focus groups. Results from these

explorations are used to guide

outreach efforts to these

communities.

Contact Information

Office of Cancer Complementary

and Alternative Medicine

National Cancer Institute

6116 Executive Boulevard

Suite 609

Bethesda, Maryland 20892

E-mail: ncioccam-r@mail.nih.gov 

http://cancer.gov/cam
OCCAM Staff

Jeffrey D. White, M.D. Director, OCCAM

Wendy B. Smith, M.A., Ph.D., B.C.I.A.C. Deputy Director, OCCAM

Director, Research and Development Support Program

CDR Colleen Lee, R.N., M.S., AOCN® Manager, Practice Assessment Program

Shea Buckman, M.A. Manager, Communication and Outreach Program

Christina Armstrong Administrative Program Assistant

Ashanti Certain Office Assistant

Libin Jia, M.D. Scientific Program Director (on detail)

Dan Xi, Ph.D. Biologist (on detail)

Oluwadamilola Olaku, M.D., MRCOG Scientific Program Analyst

Phil Tonkins, Jr., DrPH Scientific Program Analyst

Karen Alladin, M.S. CRTA Fellow

Elisabeth Beaver, M.S. CRTA Fellow

Tai N. Baker Health Communications Intern

OCCAM Staff 2005

First row from left: CDR Colleen Lee, Dr. Jeffrey White, Dr. Wendy Smith. 

Second row: Dr. Libin Jia, Dr. Oluwadamilola Olaku, Christina Armstrong,

Dr. Phil Tonkins, Jr.. 

Third row: Tai Baker, Ashanti Certain, Elisabeth Beaver, Shea Buckman, Karen Alladin. 

Not pictured: Dr. Dan Xi

3
Would you briefly describe

your educational and

professional background?

I have a bachelors of science in

Applied and Engineering Physics

from Cornell University, and my

M.D. is from Howard University.

My internal medicine,

hematology, and medical oncology

training was all done at the

Washington Hospital Center here

in D.C., and I am board certified

in Internal Medicine and Medical

Oncology. I came to NCI in 1990

as a Medical Staff Fellow in the

Metabolism Branch. There I was

involved in pre-clinical and

clinical Immunology research with

a focus on monoclonal antibody

therapies for leukemias and

lymphomas, predominantly adult

T-cell leukemia/lymphoma. In

1997, I became the director of the

Branch's Clinical Trials and

Clinical Care Program. 

Since you have a

conventional medicine

background, how did you

become involved in CAM?

Did you have an interest in

this area? 

I developed a personal interest in

nutrition as an undergraduate. I

began reading lay nutrition

literature, which often addresses

CAM issues, as well as some

nutrition research findings. My

interest in this area eventually led

me into the field of medicine.

Throughout the early years of my

career, I was not able to find an

outlet for these interests. However,

in 1992, I noticed the

establishment of the NIH’s Office

of Alternative Medicine (OAM),

now NCCAM, and got to know

its first interim director, Dr.

Stephen Groft. From 1995 to

1998, I was a consultant on

oncology research issues to Dr.

Wayne Jonas, then director of

OAM. Then, in the summer of

1998, Dr. Robert Wittes, who

then was NCI's Deputy Director

for Extramural Science, began

talking with me about the

Institute's need for a more focused

activity in CAM, and together, we

conceptualized OCCAM. I was

appointed as the director of this

office and have been serving in

this position since its

establishment.

What are OCCAM’s

mission and operating

philosophy?

This office was established within

NCI’s Office of the Director to

augment the activities of the

different divisions at NCI that

were already supporting CAM

research. Our mission is to

promote and support research of

CAM modalities with respect to

the prevention; diagnosis; and

treatment of cancer, cancer-related

symptoms, and side effects of

conventional treatment. We are

also charged with coordinating

NCI’s CAM research and

information activities, as well as

NCI’s interactions with other

governmental and nongovernmental organizations on

CAM cancer issues. In addition,

we provide an interface for the

Institute with healthcare

practitioners and researchers

regarding CAM cancer issues.

Our philosophy is to assist in the

growth of CAM research within

NCI by increasing the capacity of

the various relevant programs to

4

A Conversation with:

OCCAM Director, Jeffrey D. White, M.D.

OCCAM Director

Dr. Jeffrey D. White

continued on next page
support that research and keep it

integrated throughout NCI. We

feel that much of CAM research

relates very closely to certain

conventional areas of research—

the broad ones being nutrition,

natural products, and

psychology/behavioral medicine.

These topics are represented in

many programs within NCI, and

so NCI’s CAM portfolio is

distributed throughout those

programs. 

Rather than segregate this research

by pulling all grants categorized as

CAM research together into one

portfolio in any one office, we

think the research will best

flourish when it is being managed

by people with the expertise in the

specific cancer activities and

science areas that I mentioned.

OCCAM can be supportive of the

growth of this research by adding

the expertise in helping

investigators look at some of these

challenging areas. We are also

working to attract more

experienced investigators to either

take up research in this area or to

contribute their knowledge in

important ways such as through

methodology working groups.

What CAM topics are most

interesting to NCI?

NCI is interested in the full

spectrum of CAM therapies. We

are looking at the field as

potentially having many scientific

opportunities rather than

assuming that those opportunities

are in any one particular area. So

far, we have focused on being

responsive to the research

community’s interests by

providing support mechanisms

that are open to a wide range of

cancer CAM research topics. The

majority of what NCI funds in

CAM is from investigatorinitiated research. One of

OCCAM’s responsibilities is to

identify and explore areas within

cancer and CAM that might

warrant specific initiatives. This is

an area that we hope to be

exploring more in the coming

years.

How does OCCAM

collaborate with other NCI

offices?

One example is our work with the

Office of Centers, Training and

Resources (OCTR), specifically

with its Cancer Centers Branch.

The first NCI-sponsored CAM

research initiative was started in

Fiscal Year 2001 and involved the

solicitation and competitive

review of applications from NCIsponsored cancer centers for

supplemental funding. The

supplemental funding was to be

used to establish CAM research

components within these centers.

We also collaborated with

NCCAM on this project and were

able to fund six of these

supplements at centers around the

country. Each of these centers was

funded for three years at up to

$400,000 per year. Goals for the

centers included obtaining pilot

project data that could then be

used to generate R01 applications,

increasing opportunities for

collaboration between cancer

center investigators and CAM

practitioners, and finally,

establishing foci of cancer CAM

activity that could develop into a

continuing program.

What would you like to see

more of in the area of

CAM?

One of the good things about this

field is that there is a lot to do in

it. I think there is need for more

of everything really—more

research, more high-quality

information resources, more

dialog between the conventional

and CAM practice and cancer

research communities. So, all of

those things need to be addressed

in one way or another.

Where do you see OCCAM

in five years?

OCCAM has grown substantially

since it was established in the fall

of 1998. The scope of our

activities has expanded, as has our

5

...from previous page

continued on next page
6

ability to generate new initiatives,

establish new collaborations with

members of the research and

practitioner communities, and

expand NCI’s role in CAM

research and information. 

We are now very involved in

cataloging and analyzing what the

Institute has accomplished in

CAM. To this, we will add

information that we are gathering

about ongoing CAM practices and

other cancer CAM research. Then,

we will be better able to define

areas of opportunity, tackle

challenges, and begin developing

activities and initiatives specifically

designed to address these issues.

We will design these projects in

collaboration with the relevant

programs within NCI, thereby

integrating our activities with the

evolving priorities of the Institute.

We will aggressively look for

funding partners within and

outside the government for the

new funding initiatives related to

these activities. 

We have also started some

outreach activities to learn better

how to build effective

collaborations between cancer

researchers and CAM

practitioners. As this work

matures, we will be in a better

position to support the important

and necessary dialog between

these communities. 

One more area where we are

planning increased activities in the

coming years is in providing the

conventional healthcare

practitioners with good quality

information on CAM approaches,

packaged in a way that makes it

useful to their daily practice and

decision making. 

What is OCCAM’s role in

training researchers, CAM

practitioners, and people

working on cancer

information programs?

We have recently begun hosting

Cancer Research Training Award

(CRTA) interns within the office.

Our goal is to have two predoctoral interns here to learn

about the grant process, explore

approaches to building cancer

CAM research, and help support

investigators. In addition, this

internship will give them

experience in generating

information resources and

establishing research

collaborations between CAM

groups and conventional research

groups. I think these experiences

are relevant to people who want to

be involved in cancer research

activities, regardless of the setting

or their level of interest in CAM.

Each intern will also work on a

literature review project, mentored

by a senior staff member, which

will be submitted for publication. 

We are also announcing an

opening for a post-doctoral fellow

who will work with me on some

large scale literature reviews and

have many of the same training

experiences as the CRTA interns.

The fellow will also be involved in

the NCI Best Case Series Program. 

Although we do not train

practitioners to practice CAM, our

Practice Assessment Program is

involved in dialoging with them

about gathering data, the value of

independent review, and

evaluation of their clinical

observations. Also, through our

Communications and Outreach

Program, we contribute to the

development of information

resources about CAM practices

commonly used by cancer patients.

This information provides

practitioners with an assessment of

the evidence pertaining to these

therapies. We also participate in

NCI’s Health Communications

Internship Program. ❧

...from previous page

“NCI is interested in the full

spectrum of CAM therapies.”
7

Grant to Develop

International Research

Partnership

In October 2005, NCI awarded a

$2.15 million grant to build upon

and support ongoing studies of

the International Center of

Traditional Chinese Medicine for

Cancer. This grant continues the

partnership between The

University of Texas M. D.

Anderson Cancer Center

(MDACC) with the Cancer

Hospital, Fudan University

(CHFU) in Shanghai, China,

which was formed as a result of a

pilot grant awarded in 2003. 

This four year U19 grant will

support the ongoing investigation

of three aspects of traditional

Chinese medicine: herbal and

natural treatments that target the

disease and related symptoms;

acupuncture for dealing with

some side effects of cancer

treatment; and the bio-behavioral

effects of qigong and other

mind/body-based interventions.

While NCI has supported

research of individual topics

related to traditional Chinese

medicine (such as acupuncture),

this collaboration was the first of

its kind and remains unique for

NCI as the only international

center devoted to cancer CAM

research.

Dr. Lorenzo Cohen of MDACC is

the principle investigator of this

grant. Dr. Cohen is an Associate

Professor, the Director of the

Integrative Medicine Program,

and the Chief of the Section of

Integrative Medicine in the

Departments of Behavioral

Science and Palliative Care &

Rehabilitation Medicine at the

MDACC.

CAM Practitioners Can Get

Involved: The NCI Best

Case Series Program

The NCI Best Case Series (BCS)

Program invites CAM

practitioners to submit

retrospective data on patients

(clinical history in addition to

radiographic and pathology

reports) that document significant

tumor reduction in response to an

alternative modality for cancer

treatment. Each case is reviewed

against the same rigorous

standards of evidence as novel

conventional cancer therapies. The

NCI BCS Program offers

practitioners who treat patients

using CAM early, expert assistance

in identifying and compiling

persuasive case studies, as well as

the opportunity to have their data

evaluated at NIH. The primary

goal of this program is to obtain

and review sufficient information

to determine if NCI-initiated

research on a specific intervention

is warranted.

An example of a completed NCI

Best Case Series involves

homeopathy at The P Banerji

Homeopathic Research

Foundation (PBHRF) in Calcutta,

India. The Drs. Prasanta and

Pratip Banerji presented cases of 4

patients (2 with lung cancer and 2

with esophageal cancer) treated

with their specific approach to

homeopathy who had

radiographically documented

improvement of their tumors

while reportedly receiving only the

homeopathic preparations

prescribed at the PBHRF clinic.

OCCAM is currently working

with researchers at the All India

Institute of Medical Sciences to

obtain approval for a prospective

outcomes monitoring and

evaluation study (POMES) in

Calcutta, India at the PBHRF

Clinic. This study will provide a

mechanism for independent,

prospective documentation and

assessment of the responses that

Dr. Lorenzo Cohen

continued on next page

News from the Field
8

occur in at least 30 sequential new

lung cancer patients treated in

these clinics with the goal of

determining if a prospective

clinical trial could and should be

done.

CAM practitioners interested in

compiling case studies for the

NCI BCS Program may obtain a

submission packet by visiting the

OCCAM Web site at

http://www.cancer.gov/cam/

attachments/2004_bcs_submission

_packet.pdf.

Best/Worst Cases –

International Workshop 

In June 2005, the National

Research Center in

Complementary and Alternative

Medicine (NAFKAM) hosted the

first international workshop on

best and worst cases of patients’

use of alternative treatment. Held

in Tromsø, Norway, researchers

from the United States, Germany,

Denmark, Sweden, and Norway

gathered with the purpose of

exchanging knowledge, sharing

experiences related to best and

worst cases, and discussing joint

efforts in the years to come. 

The themes of the workshop

included terminology and

definitions, best-cases and

exceptional patients, procedures

for registration of best- and worstcases, experience with procedures

of medical assessment, and

research projects on best-cases and

exceptional patients.

The institutions and sessions

included in the workshop were the

following: 

■ NCI- NCI Best Case

Series Program focusing

on cancer

■ Columbia University,

Mailman School of Public

Health - a completed

cancer best-case series

review and a published

report

■ Klinikum Nurenberg in

Germany -

“Unconventional and

Complementary Methods

in Oncology” focusing on

a best-case series

(spontaneous remission of

cancer), clinical research,

and systematic reviewing

■ Karolinska Institutet in

Sweden - Best and Worst

Case Series: Exploring

Exceptional Experiences of

Cancer Patients’ Use of

Complementary and

Alternative Therapies

■ University of Tromsø,

NAFKAM - Exceptional

Case History Register

focusing on

serious/chronic illnesses

■ Multiple Sclerosis Society

of Denmark - “Procedures

for Registration of Bestand Worst-Cases”

...from previous page

continued on next page

P. Banerji Homeopathic Research Foundation (PBHRF) in Calcutta, India
9

An article is currently being

written based on the workshop. In

2007, NCI will host a second

international gathering of

researchers focusing on best- and

worst-cases.

California Health Interview

Survey & CAM

NCI’s Division of Cancer Control

and Population Sciences Applied

Research Branch staff is using data

from the California Health

Interview Survey (CHIS) to

examine the use of CAM in

preventing and treating cancer

and other chronic illnesses. This

study, called CHIS-CAM, is a

collaborative effort between NCI

and the UCLA Center for Health

Policy Research. With more than

9,000 respondents, it is the largest

statewide population-based survey

to document the use of CAM

services. The study focuses on a

wide-range of CAM modalities,

including: alternative healthcare

providers, unconventional cancer

therapies, special diets, dietary

supplements and vitamins, mindbody techniques (such as

relaxation), spiritual/religious

therapies, exercise and physical

training, and support groups. The

results of the first analysis of this

study were published in the

December 2005 issue (Volume 2,

Number 4) of the journal

Evidence-based Complementary

and Alternative Medicine.

For more information about

CHIS-CAM, please visit

http://appliedresearch.cancer.gov/

surveys/cam/. ❧

New Broad Agency

Announcements 

NCI has issued two Broad Agency

Announcements (BAA) soliciting

projects that will enhance the state

of the science of cancer treatment

and CAM. The NCI Best Case

Series (BCS) Program is designed

to seek out alternative approaches

to cancer treatment and these

announcements will support the

development of quality BCS

submissions as well as additional

research when warranted. 

The BAAs will act as mechanisms

to provide funding support for the

joint development of BCS and

prospective research projects by

CAM practitioners and cancer

researchers. These announcements

are intended to foster collaborative

activities between CAM

practitioners and more traditional

cancer researchers who might

otherwise not be aware of the

opportunity to apply their

expertise to alternative cancer

treatments. 

The first announcement, BAA

N01-CO-57034-48, supports

contracts that have two distinct

funding phases. Phase I of the

contract will provide limited

support funds to prepare a

submission to NCI’s BCS

Program and develop partnerships

between researchers and

alternative medicine practitioners.

This part of the contract would

support travel, documentation

development, and staff necessary

to complete the submission

process. The anticipated product

of a successful Phase I would be

the documentation of a series of

patients that fully meet the NCI

BCS Program criteria. A proposal

with budget for an appropriate

prospective research project (preclinical, clinical, or both) would

also be submitted for review prior

to Phase II funding. Phase II

support may be released to

conduct specific types of studies

...from previous page

continued on next page

Funding Opportunities
on a successful Phase I series that

has persuasive evidence warranting

further study with NCI resources.

The second announcement, BAA

N01-CO-57035-48, solicits

proposals for contracts to support

prospective research (pre-clinical,

clinical, or both) on alternative

medicine approaches for which an

NCI BCS has been completed

and a determination made that

NCI-initiated prospective research

is warranted. 

Current Funding

Announcements

Grant applications about cancer

CAM topics may be considered

responsive to many NCI and NIH

funding announcements,

regardless of whether the

announcements specifically

mention CAM. Applicants are

strongly encouraged to contact

program staff to determine if a

specific topic would be considered

appropriate. Program staff

members are available and can

assist investigators throughout the

application process.

The following is a list of several

research funding opportunities in

cancer CAM. Please visit

http://www.cancer.gov/cam/

research_funding.html 

for a complete list.

■ Diet-Induced Changes in

Inflammation as

Determinants of Colon

Cancer (PA-05-125)

■ Quick Trials for Novel

Cancer Therapies:

Exploratory Grants

(PA-04-155)

■ Developmental Projects in

Complementary

Approaches to Cancer

(PA-04-053)

■ NCCAM Exploratory/

Developmental Grant for

Clinical Studies

(PA-03-152)

■ Basic and Preclinical

Research on CAM

(PA-05-141) ❧

...from previous page

10

OCCAM Seeks

Postdoctoral Fellow

Through the Clinical

Research Training Award

(CRTA) program, OCCAM

seeks a Postdoctoral Fellow to

work on literature review

projects with regards to CAM

as it applies to prevention,

treatment, and the symptom

management of cancer. This

training opportunity is a

chance to gain continuing

education and experience

within NCI’s various

organizational components

under the guidance of

OCCAM. 

To be eligible for this

fellowship, you must be a

medical doctor, bachelor of

medicine/bachelor of surgery,

or doctor of osteopathy with

oncology subspecialty

training. Fellowship stipend

range is commensurate with

level of experience. 

For more information about

this opportunity, please e-mail

ncioccam-r@mail.nih.gov. 

For more information about the

Broad Agency Announcements,

please send an e-mail to

ncioccam-r@mail.nih.gov.
11

Research Resources

Help for Grant Applicants 

On June 27 and 28, 2005,

OCCAM hosted a technical

assistance workshop Strategies for

Success: How to Write a Grant in

Cancer CAM. Researchers

interested in CAM research were

provided opportunities to learn

about Federal and private grant

application processes, participate

in a mock grant review, and

network with representatives from

funding and matchmaking

organizations. This was the second

such workshop hosted by

OCCAM.

OCCAM Director Dr. Jeffrey D.

White gave an overview of

OCCAM and its structure,

functions, and opportunities for

research funding. Dr. Wendy B.

Smith, Deputy Director of

OCCAM, presented an overview

of the Federal grants process, types

of grant mechanisms available,

review board operation and

organization, and the appeal

process. Other presenters included

representatives from numerous

NIH institutes and centers in

addition to private funding

organizations such as the

Oncology Nursing Society, Cancer

Research and Prevention

Foundation, American Cancer

Society, and the American Society

for Therapeutic Radiology and

Oncology. 

Workshop participants were given

an applicant’s perspective on

developing cancer CAM research

proposals by Andrew Vickers,

D.Phil., a successful research

methodologist at Memorial SloanKettering Cancer Center

(MKSCC). Dr. Vickers described

MKSCC’s Integrative Medicine

Service, which provides cancer

patients with massage therapy,

acupuncture, music therapy,

meditation, hypnosis, yoga, tai

chi, and nutritional counseling.

He also provided insights into the

application and research process

through lessons learned from his

own career. 

During a mock-review session,

participants observed the process

and also learned of the many

challenges and potential solutions

for developing competitive cancer

CAM grant proposals.

For information on future

workshops, please visit OCCAM’s

Web site at http://cancer.gov/cam.

Addressing Methodological

Challenges in CAM

Research

OCCAM has a publication Expert

Opinions on Methodology:

Development of Cancer CAM

Symptom Research available on its

Web site for researchers.

(http://www.cancer.gov/cam/attach

ments/expert-panel-report.pdf)

This publication is based on the

first of OCCAM's series titled

Expert Panels in Cancer CAM

Research: Developing the State of

the Science in Research

Methodologies which explores the

major research methodology

challenges faced by investigators

interested in studying CAM

approaches to cancer. 

At this first expert panel

discussion held in November

2001, experts—researchers,

physicians, statisticians, and

nurses from leading cancer

research and treatment centers—

reviewed the state of the science in

CAM cancer symptom

management. Panelists discussed

the research design and

methodology issues that often

cause CAM grant applications to

perform poorly during the review

process. Other topics discussed

included the development of

appropriate shams or controls for

CAM interventions, development

of tools and measurement issues,

and ethical and statistical

concerns. Scientific papers

prepared on these topics can be

found in Expert Opinions on

Methodology: Development of

Cancer CAM Symptom Research. 

The second expert panel is

scheduled for early 2006. For

more information, please check

the OCCAM Web site for updates

regarding the second Expert

Panels in Cancer CAM Research

at http://cancer.gov/cam. ❧
Research Highlights

Ginger root

Ginger Treatment For

Cancer-Related Nausea and

Vomiting

Reprinted from the NCI Cancer

Bulletin, May 24, 2005

http://www.cancer.gov/ncicancerb

ulletin/NCI_Cancer_Bulletin_05

2405/page8

Nausea and vomiting are among

the most distressing and feared

side effects of cancer and cancer

treatment. Beyond being

unpleasant, the nausea and

vomiting associated with cancer

and its treatment can lead to

serious and life-threatening

complications, such as nutritional

depletion, metabolic imbalance,

esophageal damage, expulsion of

oral chemotherapy agents, and

withdrawal from potentially

curative treatment. Thus, effective

treatment for nausea and vomiting

is critical to the care of cancer

patients.

In this trial, researchers are testing

the ability of two different doses

(lower vs. higher) of the herb

ginger to treat delayed nausea and

vomiting associated with

chemotherapy. Ginger is believed

to affect receptors in the digestive

tract for the neurotransmitter

serotonin. This action is similar to

conventional antinausea drugs.

“Ginger has been shown to be

effective in a number of clinical

trials against nausea and vomiting

associated with motion sickness,

pregnancy, and postoperative

recovery,” said Dr. Zick. “With

this trial, we hope to determine its

efficacy and safety for

chemotherapy-induced nausea and

vomiting.

“We hope ginger will be effective

for patients who continue to

experience delayed nausea and

vomiting despite treatment with

other antinausea drugs,” Dr. Zick

added.

Researchers seek to enroll 180

cancer patients aged 18 or older

who are undergoing

chemotherapy and have

experiences of nausea or vomiting

during or following a previous

treatment cycle. 

For more information on CAM

clinical trials, visit

http://www.cancer.gov/cam/

clinicaltrials_intro.html or call the

NCI’s Cancer Information Service

at 1-800-4-CANCER

(1-800-422-6237). ❧

CAM Information

The Patient’s Perspective:

What Do Cancer Patients

and Caregivers Want to

Know?

In view of the large and growing

use of CAM among cancer

patients, three groups at NCI

(OCCAM, Office of Education

and Special Initiatives, and

Research and Evaluation Branch)

worked with NCCAM to conduct

focus groups with cancer patients

and caregivers to explore their

educational needs regarding

CAM. Six 90-minute computerassisted telephone focus group

discussions were conducted with

52 patients and caregivers of

patients who had undergone

conventional treatment and used

complementary medicine for their

cancer. In addition, six in-depth

telephone interviews were

conducted with cancer patients

continued on next page

12
who used alternative therapy rather

than conventional treatments. 

This exploratory research with

patients and caregivers from across

the country found that these

individuals often expected and

experienced important benefits

from seeking and using CAM.

Likewise, they perceived important

unmet needs for readily accessible,

credible, relevant sources of CAM

information. They expressed a need

for more efficient, systematic,

productive ways of finding

Looking for CAM Information?

➢ NCI Office of Cancer Complementary & Alternative Medicine (OCCAM) 

http://cancer.gov/cam

➢ NCI’s Cancer Information Service

1-800-4-CANCER

➢ National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) 

http://nccam.nih.gov

1-888-644-6226

➢ NIH Office of Dietary Supplements Database

http://dietary-supplements.info.nih.gov

➢ National Library of Medicine, Medline Plus

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/

➢ Food and Drug Administration

http://www.fda.gov

13

trustworthy, relevant sources of

information. Typically, they have

located information under

conditions of great stress and

uncertainty, and would welcome

improvements in that process.

Results of this study guided the

development of a booklet by NCI

and NCCAM titled Thinking about

Complementary & Alternative

Medicine. For more information

about cancer and CAM or to obtain

a copy of the booklet, please call

1-800-4-CANCER

(1-800-422-6237). 

Finding CAM Information on

the NCI Web Site 

The public has questions about

CAM and cancer. NCI has

developed PDQ (Physician Data

Query) Cancer Information

Summaries on various CAM

approaches. These summaries are

written by the NCI PDQ Cancer

CAM Editorial Board—experts in

oncology, pharmacology, natural

products, drug discovery and

development, representatives from

the cancer patient community, plus

CAM therapies such as traditional

continued on next page

...from previous page
Society for Integrative

Oncology Conferences

Formed in 2004, the Society of

Integrative Oncology (SIO) serves

as a scientific forum for

complementary therapies used in

cancer care. SIO consists of

professionals who have a common

goal of reducing symptoms and

improving the quality of life for

cancer patients internationally. SIO

promotes the scientific evaluation of

complementary modalities, shares

study results, and encourages

symptom control with therapies

that are found to be beneficial. 

In November 2004, the1st

International Conference of the

SIO brought together over 600

healthcare professionals dedicated

to studying and facilitating the

cancer treatment and recovery

process through the use of

integrated complementary

therapies. There were 87 abstract

presentations given during the

conference. The keynote address

was given by Larry Norton, MD,

Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer

Center. Proceedings are available in

the December 2005 issue of the

new publication Journal of the

Society for Integrative Oncology.

The 2nd SIO International

Conference took place at the

Manchester Grand Hyatt Hotel in

San Diego, California, from

November 10-12, 2005. At the

conference, Dr. Oluwadamilola

Olaku, Scientific Program Analyst

at OCCAM, presented selected

results of two OCCAM surveys

(one conducted with cancer

researchers and the other with

CAM practitioners) assessing the

interests, perceived opportunities,

and concerns regarding cancer

CAM research. 

For more information, visit

http://www.integrativeonc.org.

Meetings

14

Chinese medicine, acupuncture,

and homeopathy. Updated

regularly, each summary contains

background information about the

treatment; a brief history of its

development; information about its

proposed mechanism(s) of action;

and information about relevant

laboratory, animal, and clinical

studies. 

CAM PDQ Cancer Information

Summaries are available via the

Internet at http://www.cancer.gov/

cancertopics/treatment/cam

or by calling the Cancer

Information Service at

1-800-4-CANCER

(1-800-422-6237).

PDQ CAM-related summaries

and other NCI information

products are available on the

following topics:

■ 714-X

■ Acupuncture

■ Antineoplastons

■ Aromatherapy

■ Cancell/Entelev

■ Cartilage (Bovine and

Shark)

■ Coenzyme Q10

■ Garlic and Cancer

Prevention

■ Gerson Therapy

■ Gonzalez Regimen

■ Hydrazine Sulfate

■ Laetrile/Amygdalin

■ Milk Thistle

■ Mistletoe Extracts

■ Tea and Cancer

Prevention ❧

continued on next page

...from previous page
OCCAM’s Invited Speaker

Series

OCCAM’s Invited Speakers Series

brings experts to NIH to present

issues relevant to or the latest

findings of cancer CAM research.

On May 5th, 2005, Dr. Lorenzo

Cohen of The University of Texas

M.D. Anderson Cancer Center

presented “Traditional Chinese

Medicine for Cancer: The Road to

China.” Dr. Cohen described how

the use of western medical tools,

such as medical imaging studies,

are guiding traditional Chinese

medicine treatments at Fudan

Cancer Hospital in Shanghai,

China. 

In addition to Dr. Cohen’s

presentation, previous

presentations and summary

documents of the Invited Speaker

Series are available for view

through the OCCAM Web site at

http://www.cancer.gov/cam/

research_invited_speakers.html.

Unique CAM Symposium

Held in the United

Kingdom

In June 2004, the research

symposium Complementary

Therapies and Cancer Care was

hosted by the Complementary

Cancer Care Charities Partnership

and the National Cancer Research

Institute, with financial support

from OCCAM. Since no event of

this kind had ever been held

before in the United Kingdom,

the primary goal of this

symposium was to generate an

achievable agenda for

complementary therapies and

cancer care research in the UK.

Displaying his ongoing

commitment to integrated

healthcare, The Prince of Wales

delivered the keynote address. 

Researchers, health professionals,

policy makers, consumers, as well

as representatives from major

cancer charities attended the

symposium with the common

goal of advancing the knowledge

of safe complementary therapies

for cancer. The necessity for

collaboration and communication

across many fields and disciplines

was a major theme that emerged

from the forum. Likewise,

participants also held a united

belief that the goal of moving the

science and practice forward was

to benefit cancer patients and

their families. 

To download the final report from

the Complementary Therapies

and Cancer Care research

symposium or to view a webcast

of speakers’ presentations, please

visit 

http://www.fihealth.org.uk/

fs_conferences.html. ❧

From left to right: Dr. Brian Berman, Prince Charles, Dr. Michelle Kohn,

Dr. Jeffrey White, and Dr. Ricardo Cruciani

...from previous page

15
Featured Scientific Meetings

Date Meeting Location OCCAM Speaker

February 27-28,

2006 

April 1-5, 2006

May 4-7, 2006

May 24-27, 2006 

European Organization for

Research and Treatment of

Cancer and the European

School of Oncology: 

Controversies about

Complementary and

Alternative Medicine (CAM)

in Oncology

American Association for

Cancer Research Annual

Meeting

Oncology Nursing Society

Annual Congress

North American Research

Conference on

Complementary and

Integrative Medicine

Brussels, Belgium

Washington, D.C.

Boston, MA

Edmonton, Canada

Dr. Jeffrey D. White 

CDR Colleen Lee

To obtain a copy of this newsletter or for inquiries on cancer and CAM, please contact 

1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237).

16

NIH Publication No. 06-5854

February 2006