The Leonard P. Zakim Center for Integrative Therapies
David S. Rosenthal, MD, Medical Director
Cynthia Medeiros, LICSW, Executive Director
The Leonard P. Zakim Center for Integrative Therapies opened in November 2000 with a mission to enhance the quality of life for cancer patients and their families by integrating complementary medicine with traditional cancer care. The center is named in memory of Leonard P. Zakim, a staunch supporter and advocate of complementary therapies during his years as a Dana-Farber patient.
Integrated therapies help alleviate many of the symptoms associated with cancer and its treatment, and include interventions such as acupuncture, massage therapy, Reiki, meditation, expressive arts, music therapy, nutrition counseling, and Qi Gong (Chinese mind-body exercises). Under the direction of David S. Rosenthal, MD, the center offers these services - along with conventional therapy - to both adult and pediatric patients; it also provides educational programs and conducts peer-reviewed research. Moreover, the Institute is now offering integrated medicine consultations in response to patients' questions about herbs, botanicals, and alternative methods of therapy.
By conducting peer-reviewed, evidence-based research, the Zakim Center seeks to build knowledge about the effectiveness of these therapies. Several clinical trials are under way in collaboration with the disease centers at Dana-Farber, the American Cancer Society, and the Harvard Medical School Division for Research and Education in Complementary and Integrative Medicine. One project compares immunologic activity, physical status, and quality of life in patients participating in modified exercise with those participating in Qi Gong. Studies involving acupuncture explore its effect on pain, nausea, and quality of life in patients with advanced cancer, and its effect on neutropenia in patients with ovarian cancer. Other research is examining the effect of Qi Gong on blood cortisol levels in breast cancer patients and music therapy in patients with metastatic breast cancer. Most recently, researchers have been studying Reiki and the relaxation response in patients with prostate cancer who received radiation therapy.
In 2005, the Zakim Center expanded some of its services into the newly renovated Jimmy Fund Clinic and to the cancer inpatient floors of Brigham and Women's Hospital.