"Integrated Korean cancer treatment." integrating traditional medicine with modern medicine
Integrated cancer treatment is a combination of evidence-based modern medicine and traditional medicine to heal whole people beyond treatment. This aims to improve the quality of life and extend the survival period of cancer patients by integrating traditional and modern medicine. These integrated cancer treatments are being actively studied in the United States and China. Korea is also studying future innovative integrated cancer treatment programs, starting in 1991 with Daejeon University's East-West Cancer Center, which is based on Korea's first oriental medicine university. I met Yoo Hwa-seung, the Head of Seoul Oriental Medicine of Daejeon University's Hospital and a representative figure of 'Korean Integrated Cancer Treatment'.
Q. Medieus Queen: Congratulations on being appointed as the first president of the Seoul Oriental Medicine Hospital last year. In addition to various activities, I heard that you are the first in Korea to complete the U.S. National Cancer Institute's Program. Please introduce yourself and the hospital briefly.
A. Yoo Hwa-seung, Head of Seoul Oriental Medicine Hospital, Daejeon National University (hereinafter Yoo Hwa-seung): I think you may be unfamiliar with the field of cancer treatment in oriental medicine. In 1998, I joined the Dongseo Cancer Center, the first university hospital cancer center in Korea based on oriental medicine that was established in 1991and has been focusing on research, treatment, and education on integrated cancer treatment aimed at improving the quality of life and increasing survival rates of cancer patients for 23 years.
We opened a hospital in Seoul to converge hot issues in modern medical care, such as genetic testing and immune cell therapy programs based on precision medicine, global healthcare programs, and future innovation programs based on the research infrastructure of Daejeon University Oriental Medicine Hospital.
Q. Medieus Queen: You said that Seoul Oriental Medicine Hospital of Daejeon University builds a patient-centered future innovation hospital that realizes Korean-style integrated medical care. Please explain the typical characteristics
A. Yoo Hwa-seung: The Korean integrated cancer treatment program, one of the representative treatment programs, is based on Korean oriental medicine and aims to improve the quality of life and extend the survival period of cancer patients by using the latest integrated cancer treatment methods such as genetic testing, immune cell therapy, and high-frequency thermal cancer treatment as well as conventional surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy.
For example, in breast cancer patients, taking hormone blockers causes menopausal symptoms such as hyperthermia. When it was treated with acupuncture treatment together, it was shown to reduce by 43.2% during the acupuncture treatment period (5 to 12 weeks) and 45.6% after the follow-up (3 to 9 months), which is the evidence that the combination of acupuncture treatment improves the quality of life as well as the improvement of symptoms. As such, integrated cancer treatment helps patients undergoing chemotherapy and radiation therapy to relieve symptoms and receive treatment until the end.
Q. Medieus Queen: I think the treatment varies depending on the type and degree of cancer. How do treatments in cartwheel cancer treatment programs proceed by cancer stage?
A. Yoo Hwa-seung: Stage 1 is the duration of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy after cancer diagnosis. The second stage is the prevention period of the relapse. Step 3 is the stage of a relapse occurred.
At Stage 1, we focus primarily on managing side effects and symptoms and restoring immunity. For example, the combination of hepatic arterial embolization and herbal medicine treatment reduced the incidence of nausea compared to the control group.
At Stage 2, it requires microenvironmental management of the cancer. As a result of combined liver cancer resection and herbal medicine treatment in liver cancer patients, the disease-free survival rate was higher than that of the control group. Integrated cancer treatment improves the microenvironment of cancer and helps to suppress metastatic recurrence.
At the last stage of 3, it requires active action. Therefore, we strive to improve the survival rate by combining high-frequency thermal cancer treatment or immune cell treatment. In particular, it has been confirmed that the survival rate is significantly increased as a result of the combination of dry lacquer tablets, and an extract of lacquer tree, during high-frequency thermal cancer treatment.
Q. Medieus Queen: By running a global healthcare program, you are leading the way in promoting the excellence of oriental medicine treatment not only in domestic patients but also overseas by presenting a thesis at the international forum. What is the response overseas?
A. Yoo Hwa-seung: Integrated cancer treatment is already actively used in leading overseas cancer centers. New York Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center has
designated more than 10 types of herbal medicines to relieve symptoms related to cancer treatment, while the MD Anderson Cancer Center and Harvard Dana-Farber Cancer Institute use acupuncture to improve the quality of life and alleviate side effects of cancer patients.
Recently, Medicare in the U.S. announced that acupuncture is covered by insurance for patients who want it as an alternative to potentially addictive narcotic painkillers for chronic low back pain patients. Based on coverage insurance, I hope that such excellent oriental medicine treatment will ultimately be widely used in Korea.
Q. Medieus Queen: This hospital was established in Seoul to become a Playgship Hospital of Daejeon University Hyehwa Medical Center, to become. In this regard, there must be plans you are considering and looking forward to it.
A. Yoo Hwa-seung: Arnold Toynbee said, "History is a challenge and a response." The history of Hyehwadang Oriental Medicine Clinic, which has an 80-year history, is being rewritten in Munjeong-dong, Songpa-gu, Seoul following Daejeon, Cheongju, and Cheonan. Using the four keywords of innovation, globalization, challenge, and creation, which are the core values of Daejeon University's Seoul Oriental Medicine Hospital, we will realize "Premium Silver Care" with a mindset that transcends existing ideas based on tradition. In addition, we will not forget our original duties of attracting academic societies, holding seminars, and education, and carrying out international joint research as a university-affiliated education and research hospital. We hope that the benefits of these efforts will ultimately return to patients suffering from diseases.