SHANGHAI: Cancer patients in the city are being offered a range of new treatments, including aromatherapy and listening to New Age music, to help them cope with the side effects of the disease. Although such treatments are commonly used as supplements to chemical and radioactive treatments in the West, the newly opened AmMed Cancer Resource Center in Ruijin Hospital is the first of its kind in Shanghai.

Therapists use New Age music, for example, during treatment sessions to help patients relax into a mild hypnotic state. He Xiaoyan, a musician and endocrinologist, said she wants to see music used more often as part of cancer treatment. Now we are just at the beginning, but I hope we can use music to benefit lots more people, she said. A survey by the center showed more than half its patients are optimistic about their condition, but 40 percent feel shock, resistance or anger.

They are often worried about their chances of recovery and get depressed about how they look, especially if they lose their hair after chemotherapy. Many feel isolated, He said. But a positive attitude and a happy mood helps greatly in the healing from cancer, she said. And that is where music can help. We also educate patients about the medicines we use to treat their cancer, so they can be aware of any possible side effects, she said.

The center also employs qualified aromatherapists who use essential oils to help patients with problems such as headaches and insomnia. As doctors, we have to see a lot of patients every day, He said. Which means we don’t have much time to provide counseling or psychological support. While the medical profession in China tends to treat cancer only with radioactive and chemical methods, alternative, supplementary therapies are used frequently in the West, He said.