Byeongsang Oh

• PhD in medicine
• Professor (Associate) at The University of Sydney

Background Major depressive disorder (MDD) exhibits gender disparities, and emerging evidence suggests the involvement of the gut microbiome, necessitating exploration of sex-specific differences. Methods A review was conducted, encompassing a thorough examination of relevant studies available in Medline via Ovid, Embase via OvidSP, CINAHL, and Ps...

Background The gut microbiota and its associated metabolites play a critical role in shaping the systemic immune response and influencing the efficacy of immunotherapy. In this study, patients with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC) were included to explore the correlation between gut microbiota and metabolites and immunotherapy effic...

Aromatase inhibitor-induced arthralgia (AIA) contributes to poor adherence of aromatase inhibitor therapies in patients with breast cancer. A systematic review using network meta-analysis (NMA) was conducted to examine the clinical effectiveness of multiple therapies and rank probabilities for the management of AIA. Randomized controlled trials (RC...

Background: Emerging evidence suggests that gut microbiota influences the clinical response to immunotherapy. This review of clinical studies examines the relationship between gut microbiota and immunotherapy outcomes. Method: A literature search was conducted in electronic databases Medline, PubMed and ScienceDirect, with searches for “cancer” and...

Increasing evidence suggests that the gut microbiome is associated with both cancer chemotherapy (CTX) outcomes and adverse events (AEs). This review examines the relationship between the gut microbiome and CTX as well as the impact of CTX on the gut microbiome. A literature search was conducted in electronic databases Medline, PubMed and ScienceDi...

Background: Gastrointestinal (GI) toxicities are common adverse effects of pelvic radiotherapy (RT). Several recent studies revealed that toxicity of RT is associated with dysbiosis of the gut microbiome. Method: A literature search was conducted in electronic databases Medline, PubMed, and ScienceDirect, with search terms "microbiome and/or mic...

Supportive cancer care services, including acupuncture and Tai Chi and Qigong (TQ), are offered to cancer patients to manage cancer symptoms and/or treatment-related adverse effects and improve quality of life during and after standard care. Normal face-to-face acupuncture and TQ group services were suspended during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pande...

Background: Several studies have identified fatigue as one of the major symptoms experienced during and after cancer treatment. However, there are limited options to manage cancer related fatigue (CRF) with pharmacological interventions. Several acupuncture studies suggested that acupuncture has a positive impact on CRF. This review aims to assess...

Background: Effective preventative health interventions are essential to maintain well-being among healthcare professionals and the public, especially during times of health crises. Several studies have suggested that Tai Chi and Qigong (TQ) have positive impacts on the immune system and its response to inflammation. The aim of this review is to ev...

Physical limitations, depression and anxiety are prevalent among older adults. Mild to moderate exercise can promote physical and psychological health and reduce the risk of chronic diseases. Qigong, a type of Chinese traditional medicine exercise, has demonstrated beneficial effects on physical ability and mental health in adults with chronic cond...

Evidence of the health and wellbeing benefits of Tai Chi and Qigong (TQ) have emerged in the past two decades, but TQ is underutilized in modern health care in Western countries due to lack of promotion and the availability of professionally qualified TQ instructors. To date, there are no government regulations for TQ instructors or for training in...

Background: Guidelines surrounding optimum needle retention duration in acupuncture have not been established, despite a growing evidence base for acupuncture over recent decades. This retrospective study explored the effect of varying acupuncture needle retention durations in cancer patients. Method: Patients received either 2 (n = 35), 10 (n =...

Purpose: Demand for complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is high among cancer patients. This, alongside growing evidence for the efficacy of some CAM therapies, is driving change within cancer centres, where evidence-based CAM therapies are increasingly provided alongside standard cancer treatments. In Australia, commitment to equitable acc...

For women, gynaecological or obstetrical disorders are second to disc prolapse as the most common cause of sciatica. As not many effective conventional treatments can be found for sciatica following uterine cancer, patients may seek assistance from complementary and alternative medicine. Here, we present a case of a woman with severe and chronic sc...

Background Numerous studies have reported that spending time in nature is associated with the improvement of various health outcomes and well-being. This review evaluated the physical and psychological benefits of a specific type of exposure to nature, forest therapy. Method A literature search was carried out using MEDLINE, PubMed, ScienceDirect,...

Objectives: Qigong exercise has been shown to improve physical and psychological well-being in adults with chronic conditions, but little is known about the feasibility and acceptability of engaging in a qigong exercise program in community-dwelling older adults in the United States. The purpose of this study was to explore the feasibility, accept...

Integrative oncology, including Qigong, is a relatively new concept in modern healthcare. Evidence of benefits of Qigong in cancer survivors is emerging. As such, several cancer centers, world-wide, have introduced Qigong as part of integrative medicine within supportive cancer care programming. Qigong exercise programming content and quality varie...

Objectives: This study explored the models of services and experiences of coordinators and directors engaged in providing complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) or integrative medicine (IM) in oncology centers throughout Australia. Design: Fourteen leaders of IM programs from ten systematically selected Australian oncology centers were int...

Purpose: Integrative medicine (IM) has received increasing attention since the 1990s, but few studies have explored the key factors of the IM model in health care. This study aimed to describe the IM model in leading centers operating in the USA and Germany. Methods: A 28-item structured survey and semi-structured interviews were conducted in si...

Traditional oriental herbal medicine (HM) is used by cancer patients to improve immunity. Natural killer (NK) cells are associated with development and progression of tumor and survival of cancer patients. This literature review examined randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in four electronic databases until October 2015 to evaluate the effects of o...

Objectives: Integrative medicine (IM) has been recognized and introduced into Western healthcare systems over the past two decades. Limited information on IM models is available to guide development of an optimal healthcare service. A scoping review was carried out to evaluate IM models in the extant literature, including the distinctive features...

Aim: The main aim of this research was to describe the availability and integration of supportive care programs (SCPs), particularly complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) services, for adults in Australian oncology treatment centers. Methods: We systematically searched 124 Australian hospitals listed as having an oncology department out o...

Objective: To explore the factors associated with utilisation of an acupuncture service in a tertiary oncology setting in an Australian public hospital. Method: Cancer patients attending oncology clinics at a university teaching hospital were invited to participate in the evaluation of acupuncture services from June 2014 to May 2015. Patients ha...

Background Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most common cancer in men in Western countries. In-vitro and in-vivo studies suggest that oxidative stress (OS) and antioxidants play a key role in the pathogenesis of chronic diseases including PCa, which is promoted by the production of reactive oxygen species and impaired antioxidant defense mechanisms. Th...

Aromatase inhibitors (AIs) are commonly used as adjunctive hormone treatment for early breast cancer patients. The major side effect of AIs is arthralgia, which affects adherence. Previous reviews suggested that acupuncture is effective in the management of cancer-related pain. The aim of this review is to evaluate the effects of acupuncture on art...

Background: Many breast cancer survivors experience fatigue, mood, and sleep disturbances. Purpose: This study aims to compare a meditative movement practice, Qigong/Tai Chi Easy (QG/TCE) with sham Qigong (SQG), testing effects of meditation/breath aspects of QG/TCE on breast cancer survivors' persistent fatigue and other symptoms. Methods: Th...

Background. Despite a number of in vitro and in vivo studies reporting the efficacy of fucoidan in treating various cancers, few studies have measured the efficacy of dietary fucoidan (DF) in combination with cancer drugs. Thus, we examined the sensitivity of DF in combination with the EGFR/ERBB2-targeting reagent lapatinib on cancer cells. Method....

Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 30 (QLQ-C30) and Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (FACT-G) are widely used cancer-specific health-related quality of life (HRQOL) questionnaires. We aimed to compare their responsiveness with clinically important effects and statistical efficiency to detect such effects. Secondary analysis of QLQ-C3...

Background Aromatase inhibitors (AIs) are recommended as adjuvant hormone treatment for postmenopausal women with early breast cancer. A substantial proportion of women taking AIs experience joint pain and stiffness. Studies have suggested that acupuncture may be effective in treating joint pain. Objective A pilot study was conducted to evaluate th...

Technology development makes it possible to massively produce cheap sensors for personal use. The data collected, if being properly analysed, can provide accurate and comprehensive personal health information. In this paper, we report our preliminary findings in applying modern information technology in to personal healthcare systems care. We are c...

Physical exercises and relaxation have been found to be beneficial for depression. However, there is little evidence on the use of Qigong, a mind-body practice integrating gentle exercise and relaxation, in the management of depression. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the effects of Qigong on depression. The paper examined clinical trials meas...

Owing to the limitations and side effects of conventional cancer treatment, especially in relation to quality of life, patients are increasingly utilizing complementary and alternative medicine to supplement health-related outcomes. However, evidence for the safety and efficacy of such treatments is lacking. Qigong is often used to improve the symp...

Background: Acupuncture has been demonstrated as an effective way to control nausea and vomiting induced by chemotherapy but has not been tested in conjunction with optimal use of antiemetic medication. Objective: The goal of this study was to explore the feasibility and safety of electroacupuncture (EA) for women with breast cancer, who were recei...

Objective: To explore the nondisclosure of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use among cancer patients, including reasons for and outcomes from nondisclosure of CAM use, within the context of patient-doctor communication. Method: A systematic review was conducted exploring investigations surrounding the communication of CAM use for pa...

Due to the limitations and side effects of conventional cancer treatment, especially in relation to quality of life (QOL), patients are increasingly utilizing complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) to supplement health-related outcomes. However, evidence for the safety and efficacy of such treatments is lacking. The purpose of the current rev...

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is widely available and used frequently by cancer patients and the general public in Australia. This high usage occurs despite limited evidence for the safety and efficacy of CAM being available to cancer patients, the general public and health-care providers, including CAM practitioners. In order to pro...

Background: The use of acupuncture and other complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) modalities among patients with cancer is increasing. However, there are no recent Australian estimates of the numbers of patients using these therapies. Objective: The aim of this research was to explore the use of acupuncture and other CAMs in Australian wome...

Cancer patients often experience diminished cognitive function (CF) and quality of life (QOL) due to the side effects of treatment and the disease symptoms. This study evaluates the effects of medical Qigong (MQ; combination of gentle exercise and meditation) on CF, QOL, and inflammation in cancer patients. Eighty-one cancer patients recruited betw...

TPS120 Background: Arthralgia is one of the main side effects of aromatase inhibitor (AI) therapy and does not respond to conventional pain medication. It may occur in up to 50% of women and lead to cessation of therapy and jeopardize their chance of cure. Acupuncture is currently used to treat a variety of conditions, including musculoskeletal pai...

9035 Background: Cancer patients often experience diminished cognitive function and quality of life (QOL) due to side effects of treatment and the disease symptoms. This study evaluates the effects of Medical Qigong (combination of gentle exercise and meditation) on cognitive function, quality of life and inflammation in cancer patients. Methods: E...

Qigong has been recommended to improve health and prevent disease but the evidence is inconclusive. The aim of this overview was to critically evaluate all systematic reviews (SRs) of qigong for the treatment of any condition or symptom. Literature searches were carried out in 11 electronic databases for all systematic reviews of the effectiveness...

Background: Breast cancer is the most common cancer in females in Australia. Aromatase-inhibitors (AIs) are recommended as adjuvant hormone therapy for postmenopausal women with early breast cancer. A substantial proportion of women taking AIs experience joint pain and stiffness. This AI induced arthralgia does not respond to conventional analgesic...

The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) by cancer patients is growing. However, few studies have examined the perceived benefits and adverse effects resulting from the use of CAM by cancer patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate CAM use by cancer patients and to explore their perceptions of the benefit, safety and efficacy o...

e19630 Background: Nausea, vomiting and myelosuppression are common side effects of chemotherapy. Despite recent advances in anti-emetic therapy, a significant percent of women still experience nausea and vomiting. Nonblinded trials have suggested acupuncture may have some benefit in controlling these side effects. The primary objective of this stu...

The purpose of this survey was to examine patient-doctor communication about the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) by adult patients with cancer and compare patients' satisfaction with the consultation between patients who had and those who had not discussed the use of CAM with their doctors. Oncologists from three hospitals scree...

Substantial numbers of cancer patients use complementary medicine therapies, even without a supportive evidence base. This study aimed to evaluate in a randomized controlled trial, the use of Medical Qigong (MQ) compared with usual care to improve the quality of life (QOL) of cancer patients. One hundred and sixty-two patients with a range of cance...

9617 Background: The quality of life (QOL) of cancer patients is often diminished due to the side effects of treatment and symptoms of the disease itself. This study examines the impact of Medical Qigong (MQ), including gentle exercise and relaxation through meditation and breathing exercise based on the Chinese Medicine theory of energy channels,...

Quality of life (QOL) of cancer patients is often diminished due to the side effects of treatment and symptoms of the disease itself. Medical Qigong (coordination of gentle exercise and relaxation through meditation and breathing exercise based on Chinese medicine theory of energy channels) may be an effective therapy for improving QOL, symptoms an...

Background: Use of Chinese herbal medicines (CHM) by cancer patients is growing although scientific evidence on their safety and efficacy is limited. Method: A pilot study of CHM06, comprising 12 herbs, was conducted to assess the associated safety, tolerability and toxicity in cancer patients receiving chemotherapy. Patients with metastatic cancer...