Editorial Integrative Gynecology and Women’s Healthcare · Editorial Integrative Gynecology and Women’s Healthcare J.N.Lai,1,2 P.C.Chen,3 J.D.Wang,4 T.C.J.Wu,5 andVincentChung6

EditorialIntegrative Gynecology and Women’s Healthcare

J. N. Lai,1,2 P. C. Chen,3 J. D. Wang,4 T. C. J. Wu,5 and Vincent Chung6

1 Institute of Traditional Medicine, School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei 11221, Taiwan2Department of Chinese Medicine, Taipei City Hospital, Yangming Branch, Taipei 11111, Taiwan3Institute of OccupationalMedicine and Industrial Hygiene, National TaiwanUniversity College of PublicHealth, Taipei 10055, Taiwan4Department of Public Health, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan5Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA6Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin 999077, Hong Kong

Correspondence should be addressed to J. N. Lai; [email protected]

Received 28 January 2015; Accepted 28 January 2015

Copyright © J. N. Lai et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, whichpermits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Complementary treatment approaches have been increas-ingly demanded by women during the last several decadesto relieve their gynecological disorders, reduce side effectsof conventional hormonal or cancer treatment, and enhancehealth-related quality of life. As many women do not disclosetheir complementary therapies to their gynecologists oroncologists, treatment plans are often not coordinated. Thus,the risk of adverse events and interactions of complementarywith conventional therapies may be increased. Sharing ofinformation between providers of conventional and comple-mentary treatments is important to optimize health outcomesand safety.

Integrative gynecology that combines conventional treat-ment with evidence-based complementary therapies andmind/body medicine has become a growing field of health-care that strives to serve this demand. In integrative gynecol-ogy, conventional and complementary approaches are joinedin a way that aims to optimize outcomes and prevent adverseevents.

The papers selected for this special issue represent agood panel for addressing this challenge. Additionally, theselected topics and papers represent the rich and many-facetknowledge, which we have the pleasure of sharing with thereaders. Because of limited space, we can allow only a partof gynecological studies with high quality to be published inthis special issue. More research and publication space aredefinitely needed for integrative gynecology in the future.

The special issue contains ten papers. Two of themare related to bone loss. One paper introduces a screening

system to identify Chinese herbs or formulae which willincrease either HER2 or ER𝛼 protein expression of MCF-7human breast cancer cell. Three papers are related to breastcancer risk of commonly used Chinese herbs; one of themconsiders the breast cancer risk of Chinese herbal remediesamong hormone users, while another covers the subsequentendometrial cancer problemswhen tamoxifen users consumeGinseng. One paper focuses on the ovarian cancer risk of theherb-drug interaction between fermented wheat germ extractand cisplatin or docetaxel. One paper provides preciousobservational result of the effects of passive hydrotherapyamong women in their ≥34th week of gestation. One papertries to disclose the possible mechanism of Chinese herbfor treating endometriosis. Finally, one paper introduces apractical method for studying the effectiveness and safety oftraditional Chinese remedies for women with dysmenorrhea.

In a paper titled “BianZheng LunZhi as aComplementaryand Alternative Treatment for Menstrual Cramps in Womenwith Dysmenorrhea: A Prospective Clinical Observation,” P.-Y. Lin et al. explore questions related to the strengths, weak-nesses, challenges, and accomplishments of TCM treatmentsbased on Bian Zheng Lun Zhi theory, along with the resultsof active surveillance proactively in women with primarydysmenorrhea or endometriosis.

The following three articles focus on the observationalevaluation of integrative and/or complementary therapies inhuman populations. In a paper titled “Concurrent Use in Tai-wan of Chinese Herbal MedicineTherapies among HormoneUsers Aged 55 Years to 79 Years and Its Association with

Hindawi Publishing CorporationEvidence-Based Complementary and Alternative MedicineArticle ID 852615

2 Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Breast Cancer Risk: A Population-Based Study,” Y.-T. Tsaiet al. evaluate the breast cancer risk of consuming Chineseherbs, especially the extent to which the hormone users usedChinese herbs concurrently. In another paper titled “ThePrescription Pattern of Chinese Herbal Products ContainingGinseng among Tamoxifen-Treated Female Breast CancerSurvivors in Taiwan: A Population-Based Study,” W.-L. Hsuet al. investigate the inhibitory relationship between Ginsengconsumption and subsequent endometrial cancer amongtamoxifen users. In a third article titled “Effects of PassiveHydrotherapyWATSU (WaterShiatsu) in theThird Trimesterof Pregnancy: Results of a Controlled Pilot Study,” A. M.Schitter et al. carry out a controlled pilot study to assess thepotential therapeutic effects of passive hydrotherapy on self-reported stress, pregnancy-related pain, mood and qualityof life, amount of amniotic fluid, blood flow characteristics,spontaneous course of breech presentations, and prospects ofexternal cephalic versions in women in their ≥34th week ofgestation.

In a paper titled “Preventive Effects of Collagen Peptidefrom Deer Sinew on Bone Loss in Ovariectomized Rats,”H. Zhang et al. test the preventive effect of deer sinew onovariectomy-induced bone loss. In a paper titled “ProlongedDiuretic Activity and Calcium-Sparing Effect of Tropaeolummajus: Evidence in the Prevention of Osteoporosis,” L. N.Barboza et al. are considering the diuretic effects of prolongedadministration of Tropaeolum majus in ovariectomized ratsand the interrelationship between calcium excretion andbone turnover.

In a paper titled “Propolis is an Efficient Fungicide andInhibitor of BiofilmProduction byVaginalCandida albicans,”I. R. G. Capoci et al. test the minimum inhibitory concentra-tion and the minimum fungicidal concentration and assessthe cell viability, protein, and carbohydrate characteristics ofthe biofilm of clinical isolates from vulvovaginal candidiasisto Propolis.

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank the authors for their excellentcontributions and patience in assisting us.We would also liketo express our sincere appreciation to all of the anonymousreviewers; without their valuable comments, the improve-ments made to these papers could not have been achieved.

J. N. LaiP. C. ChenJ. D. WangT. C. J. Wu

Vincent Chung

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Editorial Integrative Gynecology and Women’s Healthcare · Editorial Integrative Gynecology and Women’s Healthcare J.N.Lai,1,2 P.C.Chen,3 J.D.Wang,4 T.C.J.Wu,5 andVincentChung6