Yi sits between thought and feeling, between consideration and action and between intellectual learning and the direction of energy. Hence, it is a perfect symbol of our medicine which is epitomised by its ability to capture the dynamic interplay between the rational and the intuitive. When it comes to balance there’s no better topic than integrative oncology. At The UK Conference of Chinese medicine 2024 we’ll hear from two speakers sharing their expertise in integrative oncology within the NHS.
Mandy Brass MBAcC – Oncology acupuncture: supporting patients through their cancer treatments.
Oncology acupuncture is a growing field, providing evidence-based symptom management and support for cancer patients. This presentation will explore current research and clinical approaches to common side effects of cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy, xerostomia, hot flushes and night sweats, cancer-related fatigue and cancer-related pain. Each symptom will be illustrated with case studies from my clinical practice in a busy cancer centre in the NHS, alongside contraindications and relevant lifestyle advice.
Mandy Brass is the lead acupuncturist at Dimbleby Cancer Care, part of Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust. She trained at Westminster University in 2000 and recently completed her MSc at the Northern College of Acupuncture.
Her research, evaluating the outcomes and patient experience of group with individual acupuncture in an NHS cancer care setting, won the Research Council for Complementary Medicine’s George Lewith Memorial Prize for best early career research project. Watch Mandy discuss her project below.
Thank you to NCA who are one of our sponsors at this years conference. Information about NCA’s acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine courses can be found at nca.ac.uk
Beverley de Valois FBAcC – Acupuncture in cancer care: recommendations for safe practice.
Many acupuncturists are hesitant to treat people undergoing cancer treatments, being uncertain about what to treat and when. Aware of this, an international team of 15 experts in integrative oncology have collaborated to produce recommendations for safe practice. These aim to support, inform, and empower acupuncturists to offer acupuncture as a safe, appropriate adjunct to the routine treatment and care of people with a cancer diagnosis. In this talk, Beverley de Valois presents highlights from the newly published recommendations.
Beverley is a practising acupuncturist and researcher in the NHS with nearly 25 years’ experience of investigating the use of acupuncture in the supportive care of people with cancer. Beverley is a Fellow of the British Acupuncture Council, Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Bristol, past-Chair of the British Lymphology Society (BLS) Scientific Committee, and the author of Acupuncture and Cancer Survivorship: Recovery, Renewal and Transformation published by Singing Dragon.
Read more about Beverley’s work and the BAcC’s contribution to the recently peer reviewed Acupuncture in cancer care: recommendations for safe practice, which has been published in Supportive Care in Cancer.
For members keen to hear more about integrative oncology, BAcC members are eligible for a 10% discount on early bird tickets for the British Society of Integrative Oncology (BSIO) Annual Conference 2024.
To read more about integrated oncology check out ‘Exploring acupuncture in integrative oncology’ by Jonquil Westwood Pinto in Acu. autumn 2023.
Thank you to Singing Dragon for being one of our sponsors at this year’s conference. Beverley will be hosting a book signing at the Singing Dragon stand during our event weekend.
About The UK Conference of Chinese Medicine 2024
Join us on Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 June for The UK Conference of Chinese Medicine 2024 at the Manchester Business School – All Saints Campus. Early bird rates available until Monday 6 May – book your tickets today!
By The British Acupuncture Council
April 2024
