On 15 April 1999, physician Gillian Thomas published the editorial “Improved Treatment for Cervical Cancer – Concurrent Chemotherapy and Radiotherapy,” henceforth “Improved Treatment,” in The New England Journal of Medicine. In that editorial, she discusses the potential benefits of combining chemotherapy drugs with radiation to treat women with cervical cancer.…
On 15 April 1999, physician Gillian Thomas published the editorial “Improved Treatment for Cervical Cancer – Concurrent Chemotherapy and Radiotherapy,” henceforth “Improved Treatment,” in The New England Journal of Medicine. In that editorial, she discusses the potential benefits of combining chemotherapy drugs with radiation to treat women with cervical cancer. At the time, healthcare professionals rarely treated cervical cancer by combining chemotherapy or radiation. Two months prior to Thomas’s publication, the US National Cancer Institute, headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, released an announcement advocating for combining chemotherapy with radiation based on clinical trial results. In “Improved Treatment,” Thomas summarized the results of those clinical trials that had led to the announcement and communicated a new way to treat invasive cervical cancers, which persists as of 2019.
Depression and anxiety are common and debilitating illnesses that negatively impact personal well-being and functioning. The effects of depression and anxiety not only affect the individual, but also peers, family, the community, economy, and even the health care system. Pharmacological therapy is a first line treatment for depression and anxiety,…
Depression and anxiety are common and debilitating illnesses that negatively impact personal well-being and functioning. The effects of depression and anxiety not only affect the individual, but also peers, family, the community, economy, and even the health care system. Pharmacological therapy is a first line treatment for depression and anxiety, but the risk for relapse remains. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) are treatments that have demonstrated effectiveness in treating depression. The evidence suggests that both therapies are successful in terms of reducing depressive symptoms, but most effective when combined. Further, evidence shows that the combination of MBCT and traditional pharmacological therapy provides relief from depressive symptoms and lengthens the amount of time between recurrent episodes and improves the quality of life. A project was implemented at an integrated health clinic to evaluate the effectiveness of a mindfulness-based intervention to reduce the symptoms of depression and anxiety. The results revealed that practicing mindfulness was statistically and clinically significant in reducing depression and anxiety. In addition, mindfulness scores increased over 30 day application of the intervention. The results demonstrated the value of utilizing mindfulness as a cost-effective therapy in addition to pharmacological treatment to decrease symptoms of depression and anxiety, as well as improve mindfulness. The ease of use demonstrated the value of mindfulness and self-directed skills aimed at improving wellness, reducing depression and anxiety which will result in the improvement of individual, economic, healthcare system, and community health.
