Bryophyllum pinnatum
Bryophyllum pinnatum is a perennial herb that has been used in folklore medicine in several countries. This herb contains a wide range of chemical compounds such as alkaloids, flavonoids, steroids, lipids, and organic acids. Various plant extracts have central nervous system depression, analgesia, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and sedative effects. Bryophyllum pinnatum has been studied for its effect on sleep-wake disturbances among patients with cancer.
BRAT Diet
The BRAT diet is a bland food diet consisting of bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast that may be recommended to adults and children for an upset stomach and diarrhea. The BRAT diet has been suggested for the management of diarrhea in patients with chemotherapy-induced diarrhea.
Bone-Modifying Agents
Bone-modifying agents include a variety of medications and therapeutic agents that prevent or treat damage from bone metastases in patients with cancer. The primary purpose of these agents is prevention of skeletal events, such as pathologic fracture, spinal cord compression, and hypercalcemia. In addition, bone-modifying agents may affect chronic pain from bone metastases. Bisphosphonates, denosumab, pamidronate, and zoledronic acid are examples of bone-modifying agents.
Body-Mind-Spirit Therapy/Qigong
Body-mind-spirit therapy incorporates ideas and approaches from western medicine, Chinese medicine, and philosophies of Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism. Qigong is a traditional Chinese discipline involving the practice of aligning breath, movement, and awareness to cultivate and balance qi (chi) or life energy. Medical qigong is a form of the discipline designed to improve health.
Black Cohosh
The root of an herb used as a complementary or alternative therapy by some cultures for treatment of various conditions. The plant is a perennial native to eastern North America and has been studied for treatment of symptoms of menopause, including hot flashes. It is also known as bugwort, rattlesnake root, bugbane, and black snakeroot.
Bisacodyl
Bisacodyl is a short-term treatment for constipation that is used to empty the bowels before surgery and certain other medical procedures. As a stimulant laxative, bisacodyl increases the activity of the intestines to cause a bowel movement. Bisacodyl is available as a tablet to take by mouth.
Biofeedback
Biofeedback is a treatment method that uses monitoring devices and information to help people consciously control physical processes such as heart rate, blood pressure, temperature, sweating, and muscle tension that are usually controlled automatically. Biofeedback therapy for constipation focuses on training the person to relax the pelvic floor and anal sphincter.
Bilevel Positive Airway Pressure
Bilevel positive airway pressure (BiPAP) is a noninvasive therapy that delivers pressurized air through a mask into a person's airways. A BiPAP machine has a higher pressure setting for when the patient inhales and a lower pressure setting for when the patient exhales. BiPAP machines are used to treat patients with sleep apnea, and they have been investigated as a noninvasive treatment for patients with cancer who have dyspnea.
Bethanechol
Bethanechol is a cholinergic agent that stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system. It is most often used related to its effect on improvement of bladder emptying and improvement in esophageal gastric sphincter pressure for reflux control. It is also a salivary stimulant. Bethanechol mouth rinse has been evaluated in patients with cancer in the prevention and management of mucositis.
Beta-glucan
Beta-glucan is a polysaccharide of D-glucose monomers linked by glycosidic bonds. Beta-glucan has been used in medicine for a variety of conditions including high cholesterol, diabetes, HIV/AIDS, the flu, asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, and multiple sclerosis. Beta-glucans have been investigated as a possible treatment for mucositis associated with cancer treatment.