Oncology Conference

Healthcare professionals, patients and advocates from around the globe will convene at the Society for Integrative Oncology (SIO) 13th International Conference, to be held November 5-7, 2016 in Miami, to discuss the latest in evidence-based research and practice in individualized integrative cancer care.

This multi-disciplinary forum includes physicians, scientists, researchers, nurses, psychologists, nutritionists, naturopaths, acupuncturists, and other complementary care practitioners. 

Memorial Healthcare System, Florida and the University of Miami Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center is cooperating in presenting the conference. 

Speakers from Memorial will include President & CEO Aurelio Fernandez, III, FACHE in addition to Memorial Integrative Medicine's Ashwin Mehta, MD; Sameet M. Kumar, PHD and Amy Sear Ap, Dipl Om. 

Integrative Oncology is a discipline which combines the best of evidence-based complementary medicine with conventional cancer care. Integrative Oncology approaches help prevent cancer, facilitate cancer treatment and recovery, and aid in its control through use of diet and complementary therapeutic options, including physical activity, nutritional supplementation, botanical products, mind-body therapies, acupuncture, massage therapy, and more. The options are strategically integrated within conventional medical care models, which often include chemotherapy, radiation therapy, surgery and targeted agents informed by genomic and molecular diagnostics. 

“This year’s conference will focus on the theme of Advancing the Global Impact of Integrative Oncology, said SIO President Jun J. Mao, MD, MSCE. “The sessions will highlight the collaborative and multi-disciplinary nature of care involving healthcare professionals and the patient.”

Today more than half of cancer patients use some type of integrative or complementary therapeutic approaches throughout their cancer journey. In addition to conventional therapies, they want to learn about and utilize an integrative approach to personalized comprehensive care.

 

Integrative oncology interventions have been shown to decrease some of the side effects of traditional cancer treatment, allowing many patients to tolerate their full, prescriptive course, thereby improving clinical outcomes and quality of life. Many health consumers also incorporate lifestyle medicine approaches to help prevent the onset of cancer.

Keynote speakers at the Miami conference include Dr. Michael Irwin from UCLA who will speak about “Mindful Awareness Practices to Promote Sleep Health” including meditation and tai chi; Dr. Yufel Yang from the Xiuan Hospital in Beijing will discuss how tradition, culture, and reimbursement shape the integration of TCM and conventional medicine in China; Dr. Yung-Chi Cheng from Yale
with discuss the pharmacology of traditional Chinese Medicine; and Dr. Gustave Dobos from Germany will discuss the practice of Integrative Oncology in Germany. Other topics for plenary
sessions include “Natural Health Products and Nutrition”, “Culture and Caregiving” and “Innovative Mind-Body Interventions for Regulating Health Outcomes”, chaired by Society Executive Committee members. 

About the Society for Integrative Oncology

The Society for Integrative Oncology is the leading worldwide organization dedicated to integrative medicine specific to cancer patients. A non-profit, multi-disciplinary organization founded in 2003, the organization’s mission is to advance evidence-based, comprehensive, integrative healthcare to improve the lives of people affected by cancer. For more information or to register for the conference, visit our conference web site or contact the SIO at 518-694-5543.