Alternative Medicine
Music Improves Recovery Following Surgery, Comforts Cancer Patients, Eases Critical Care
- Music therapy was found to reduce pain scores and analgesic requirements.
- Benefits of music were observed even when patients were under general anesthesia.
- Anxiety scores were also lower among patients receiving music therapy.
- Patient satisfaction was higher among patients in the music groups.
- Effects were observed among cancer patients and surgical patients.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Chemotherapy: A Dangerous Combination?
The following is a brief literature review to accompany our full article on the interaction between omega-3 fatty acids and chemotherapeutic drugs in cancer patients.
You can see our review article here.
- Advise patients to abstain from fish oil supplements for at least one day before and after chemotherapy.
- Suggest that patients also avoid eating fatty fish — mackerel, and sardines, for instance, — for at least one day before and after chemotherapy.
- The fatty acid 16:4(n-3) has been shown to have chemotherapy-negating effects and was rapidly taken up in the plasma of human volunteers.
- Strength of this finding: 3/5.
Survey Study Finds Fish Oil Consumption May Confer Chemoresistance in Cancer Patients
- Advise patients to abstain from fish oil supplements for at least one day before and after chemotherapy.
- Suggest that patients also avoid eating fatty fish — mackerel, and sardines, for instance, — for at least one day before and after chemotherapy.
- The fatty acid 16:4(n-3) has been shown to have chemotherapy-negating effects and was rapidly taken up in the plasma of human volunteers.
- Strength of this finding: 3/5.