Barrie R. Cassileth, PhD, who introduced "complementary" approaches to modern cancer care, died Feb. 26 at the age of 83, The New York Times reported last week.
Outspoken against physicians using alternatives in place of conventional therapies to treat cancer, Dr. Cassileth established "complementary" care as a means of relief. She was a proponent for the use of noninvasive treatments, such as acupuncture, to alleviate patients' discomfort caused by symptoms and treatment for the disease.
Dr. Cassileth founded the Integrative Medicine Service at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City.
"She was a legend in our field," Ting Bao, MD, the director of integrative breast oncology at Memorial Sloan Kettering, said in an interview.