This is the kind of work the Center at the University of Texas is already doing and there needs to be a far greater commitment to it. Transformation of the Office of Alternative Medicine into a National Center for Integrative Medicine with a significant increase in its budget. Even with the best will and re-evaluation of its priorities, it cannot be expected that the National Cancer Institute will be able to meet all the needs for clinical and basic research in complementary and alternative therapies for cancer. A National Center for Integrative Medicine would have the authority and the flexibility to do field investigations of new therapies, establish granting mechanisms and review committees with the appropriate degree of expertise, and to gather, evaluate and disseminate information about the utility of complementary and alternative therapies. It is my hope that this committee will consider and further these initiatives, and that those of us outside and inside the National Cancer Institute can continue to work together to devise the most comprehensive, effective, and respectful strategies for the prevention and treatment of cancer.
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It is not intended as diagnosis or recommendation for treatment of disease. Please consult your physician for medical advice.