CAM providers' messages to conventional medicine: a qualitative study.

Between 30 and 50% of patients use complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). There is little research on the interaction between CAM and conventional providers. We investigated what messages CAM practitioners would convey to conventional medicine (CM). Thirty-four CAM practitioners participated in audiotaped interviews. A coherent message was constructed from the identified themes. CAM practitioners see CAM supporting CM rather than replacing it. Blending of CAM with CM benefits patients and CM providers. CAM reintroduces the concept of healing that technology and time pressures have reduced. The basis of healing is connection, being present in the moment, and seeing patients as whole human beings. Research validating CAM effectiveness will foster integration, as will inclusion of CAM theory and practice in the medical curricula. The messages from CAM practitioners to CM coincide with current views of integrative medicine. Collaboration in research, education, and practice can foster a high-quality health care system.

A dog model using an implanted system for protracted hepatic arterial chemotherapy.

A model for hepatic arterial chemotherapy studies using large dogs and an implantable infusion pump has been developed. Using this technique near complete perfusion (greater than 90%) of the liver can be achieved in vivo as determined by hepatic arterial perfusion scintigraphy with technitium 99m macroaggregated albumin. The system is reliable and has been in use for a total of 1353 days (mean of 104 days, range 52-239) in 13 dogs. Pump implantation causes no apparent acute liver damage based on pre- and post-operative alkaline phosphatase and serum glutamic-pyruvic transaminase determinations and does not affect the general mobility or behavior of the animals. Careful placement of the catheter and attention to the physicochemical properties of the solutions loaded are factors contributing to the success of the model. The model permits comprehensive preclinical pharmacokinetic and toxicologic studies of new or preexistent chemotherapeutic agents in the same device that will be used for later administration in human subjects. By providing the means to examine and develop new treatment modalities, it enables the design of even more potent cytotoxic therapy directed into the tumor vascular bed.