Stephen M. Sagar MD and Patricia Peters, SIO Administrative Assistant, recruit new members.

More than 30 new members joined SIO after learning about its key role for integrative medicine in cancer care and oncology research. This brings SIO's membership to over 400, including many from outside of North America, and the membership continues to climb as many health care professionals and advocates sign up to get the reduced conference rates.

"There is no doubt that SIO is the premier organization for integrative medicine in oncology," Sagar said. Our Second Edition of Practice Guidelines for Integrative Oncology will be published in the Summer of 2009. This is the only comprehensive evidence-based resource for integrative medicine and complementary therapies for the management of cancer patients. All cancer centers should have a copy. No practitioner or manager should be without this resource that updates all the recent evidence for benefits and adverse events for complementary therapies in cancer care." As an individual member or institutional member, you will receive this free in your edition of the Journal of the Society for Integrative Oncology", Sagar said.

Attendees of the North American Research Conference for Complementary and Integrative Medicine were excited to hear about the Sixth Annual Society for Integrative Oncology Annual Conference to be held at the New York Academy of Medicine (12-13 November 2009). More than 80 high quality abstracts have been submitted, and leading speakers will be attending. Some key presentations will be from Dean Ornish MD, David Servan-Schreiber MD (Author of Anticancer), Ted Kaptchuk PhD, Marja Verhoef PhD, and many more. 

"We cover the cutting edge in whole systems research", Sagar commented, "advocating humanistic, evidence-based research, to increase cancer patients' quality of life. 2009 brings our most exciting conference yet, returning to the city that hosted SIO's inaugural conference, that attracted over 600 attendees from all health care professions and patient advocacy groups. This year we will also be holding a banquet at the prestigious Metropolitan Club, that will include an awards ceremony. I advise everyone to book their dinner tickets early, since places are limited."