People may not have the time or the energy to investigate the credentials of complementary care providers. The Zakim Center provides cancer patients who are being treated with traditional therapies at Dana-Farber with these complementary resources within the same facility. The Center was named after the late Lenny Zakim, a passionate advocate for an integrated approach to cancer treatment. The Center was launched officially on November 27th. Its mission is to provide complementary medicine services to Dana-Farber's cancer patients being treated with conventional medicine.
Patients can call to schedule appointments or register for complementary programs.
Complementary care has been shown to support the body's natural mechanisms to recover from illness. It can help with stress reduction and pain management, which lowers blood pressure and heart rate, while improving circulation. This allows greater delivery of oxygen and nutrients to body tissues, which promotes more efficient recovery from trauma and illness. They can promote a positive attitude in patients dealing with the challenge of life-threatening diseases. The Center boasts a multidisciplinary research committee that is conducting research into the effectiveness of complementary therapies.