Integrative Approaches to Treatment: Introduction
Key Points
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What is integrative cancer care? The Society for Integrative Oncology offers this definition:
“Integrative oncology is a patient-centered, evidence-informed field of cancer care that utilizes mind and body practices, natural products, and/or lifestyle modifications from different traditions alongside conventional cancer treatments. Integrative oncology aims to optimize health, quality of life, and clinical outcomes across the cancer care continuum and to empower people to prevent cancer and become active participants before,during, and beyond cancer treatment.”1
Alternative/Complementary Therapies and Integrative Cancer Care
Alternative therapies are those that are used in place of conventional therapies, such as using only meditation or herbs to treat cancer. Some patients may choose an alternative medical system, such as traditional Chinese medicine, instead of conventional medicine to treat cancer. Using alternative therapies is becoming less common as integrative oncology care becomes more available to patients. However, nearly four in 10 Americans believe cancer can be cured solely through alternative therapies,2 even though research found that patients with common cancers who chose to use only alternative medicine had a mortality rate 2.5 times as high as patients who received standard cancer treatments.3
Integrative cancer care is not simply adding complementary therapies to a cancer treatment plan.
Complementary therapies are those used to complement conventional treatments—not instead of conventional treatments. In the United States, a 2007 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) analysis found that 64 percent of respondents who had ever been diagnosed with cancer had used complementary approaches.4 A smaller study in Canada found that up to 75 percent of cancer survivors were using complementary therapies.5
Integrative cancer care is not simply adding complementary therapies to a cancer treatment plan. For cancer care to be considered truly integrative, patients and their cancer treatment teams work together to find the best blend of conventional and complementary therapies that have been shown to be effective and safe.
We invite you on a tour of various therapies through these pages in this section:
More Information
- Michael Lerner: Choices In Healing: Integrating the Best of Conventional and Complementary Approaches to Cancer
- Anticancer Fund: Anticancer Fund
- Hindawi Publishing Corporation : Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine
- Donald Abrams, MD: Integrative Cancer Care
- SAGE Journals: Integrative Cancer Therapies Journal
- Oncology Association of Naturopathic Physicians (OncANP): KNOWOncology
- National Comprehensive Cancer Network
- American Society of Clinical Oncology: Cancer.Net
- Commonweal: The New School at Commonweal
- American Institute for Cancer Research: American Institute for Cancer Research Blog
- Oncology Association of Naturopathic Physicians: Beyond Conventional Cancer Therapies: An online resource for integrative cancer care
- US Food and Drug Administration: Project Facilitate: Assisting Healthcare Providers with Expanded Access Requests for Investigational Oncology Products
- Ralph W. Moss: Herbs Against Cancer: History and Controversy
- Dr. Michael Ruscio: Dwight McKee Podcast
- Dr. Brian Lawenda: Brian Lawenda Website
In the News
- Imprinted spheres fight breast cancer: inhibition of HER2 on tumor cells by molecularly imprinted nanoparticles
- A rising trend in cancer care targets physical, existential threats patients confront
- Many cancer patients take alternative meds but don't tell their doctors
- Dr. Farrah – battle of the Philippines: CAM under attack
- The truth about alternative medical treatments
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