Integrative Therapies Research
The National Institutes of Health recognizes the importance of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) and support ongoing research.
CCW clinicians are internationally known for evidence-based research on the safety and efficacy of integrative therapies incorporating (CAM). Our pioneering studies provide a blueprint for wider initiatives involving the Dana-Farber Cancer Center Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia consortium and the Children’s Oncology Group (COG), the largest research consortium in pediatric oncology.
Elena Ladas, PhD, RD, is the Chair of the Nutrition Committee of Children’s Oncology Group and holds a leadership role on the National Cancer Institute's CAM Physicians Data Query board as chair of its Nutrition Committee.
Active Studies
When the Integrative Therapies Program (ITP) first started to explore the benefits of acupuncture to help mitigate chemotherapy-associated nausea, physicians assumed that children hospitalized for cancer would be fearful of needles. It was also generally believed that acupuncture should not be given to a patient with low platelet counts.