Exploring the Benefits of Integrative Oncology: A Holistic Approach to Cancer Care

What Is Integrative And Complementary Oncology?

Many patients with cancer use therapies such as physiotherapy, aromatherapy, and massage to reduce cancer symptoms and treatment side effects; these are called complementary therapies. Integrative oncology is a combination of these complementary therapies and mainstream treatments.

It refers to the combined use of both complementary methods and standard treatments in oncology. It mainly relieves side effects caused by cancer treatments. The advantages of the integrative oncology include:

Integrative oncology mainly helps in dealing with the side effects of cancer and its treatments like

• Nausea and vomiting.

• Weakness and fatigue.

• Sleeplessness, restlessness

• Pain, anxiety, and depression.

Complementary oncology: Complementary methods are also called supportive methods. These are followed along with the standard protocol of treatments for cancer. They are not cancer treatments by themselves, but these treatments help in relieving symptoms and side effects that are caused by standard treatments in cancer.

What Are the Different Types of Complementary Oncology Methods?

These complementary treatments are safe and used along with mainstream cancer treatment. This is because they are mainly evidence-based and not harmful when used with advanced therapy or mainstream cancer treatment.

• Acupuncture: In this technique, thin fine needles are punctured into the skin to relieve pain and nausea.

• Art Therapy: Emotions are expressed through fine creative arts.

• Aromatherapy: Fragrant essential oils are used to improve mood and tolerate stress and nausea. These oils are plant-based and primarily used to elevate the mood.

• Acupressure: Putting pressure and rubbing specific parts to reduce the symptoms.

• Massage: Rubbing and pressing of body muscles helps in reducing depression, pain, stress, and anxiety in cancer patients.

• Yoga: Includes precise posture and breathing exercises for mind relaxation.

• Music Therapy: Music is known to cure many diseases, and it improves healing and quality of life.

• Biofeedback: Monitoring devices are used to gain consciousness over the physical process that is usually controlled unconsciously, like breathing rate, heartbeat, blood pressure, and body temperature.

• Dietary Supplements: Generally, these nutritional supplements do not improve cancer symptoms or the side effects caused by them. Certain types of herbs and nutritional supplements tend to harm patients.

What Are the Advantages of Complementary Oncology?

Complementary treatments mainly focus on the patient's well-being and improving their quality of life. Examples: Certain medications, yoga, massage, physiotherapy, reflexology, acupuncture, nutrition, and physical activity.

The standard treatments in oncology include:

Standard treatments are proven safe in treating one or more types of cancers. Many of the common treatments also aim to reduce cancer treatment's side effects. Examples: surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, hormonal therapy, targeted therapy, and hormonal therapy.

What Is the Difference Between Complementary Methods and Alternative Methods?

Complementary therapies mainly support standard treatment methods; they reduce the side effects of cancer, whereas alternative methods are used alternative to common treatments in oncology. Complementary or alternative therapies are also known as unconventional and nonconventional treatments by mainstream doctors. In addition, treatments like traditional medicine, native American healing come under complementary methods.

Why Do Cancer Patients Choose an Integrative Approach to Treatment?

• The primary motto of the patient would be to fight and win against any circumstances.

• Secondarily, patients want to get relief from the side effects that are caused by mainstream cancer treatments.

• To deviate patients from the trauma of cancer.

What Is CAM in Oncology?

CAM is an acronym used for complementary and alternative therapies. Integrative or complementary therapies are nonpharmacologic, non-invasive, and rational therapies. They are evidence-based adjuncts used along with mainstream cancer treatments. These complementary treatments improve physical and emotional strength and make the patient develop skills and techniques to handle mainstream cancer treatments.

Alternative therapies are used as an alternative to mainstream cancer treatments. They are also called antitumor treatments. They lack efficacy and safety and appear to be a fraud. If these therapies are proven safe, they would directly become a part of mainstream cancer treatment rather than alternatives. For example, infusion of vitamins to treat cancer.

How to Discuss This With the Doctor Regarding Complementary Therapies?

Many cancer patients do not discuss integrative treatments with their doctors. These few tips can help patients to discuss complementary therapies.

• Gather information from trustworthy sources regarding these therapies and know about their benefits.

• Discuss these therapies with doctors and ensure they do not interfere with medical treatments.

• Family members or friends should assist the patient in avoiding stress in choosing these therapies.

• Discuss with the doctor about the dietary supplements because some may interfere with mainstream cancer treatment. One should never take herbal medicines without the consent of an oncologist.

• Also, discuss the risks involved in complementary treatment.

Is Integrative Oncology Safe?

Integrative techniques are helping patients to ease and overcome the side effects of cancer. Many of these therapies do not have risk, but when these integrative techniques are used systemically through mouth or IV(intravenous) cause specific side effects.

Examples:

• An integrative approach may worsen other medical issues if the patient has high blood pressure.

• Deep massage is not indicated in lymphedema.

• Acupuncture shows infections in patients with low white blood cell count.

Lifestyle management is considered one of the most important parts of integrative therapy. For example, smoking cessation decreases the chance of lung cancer, safe sex, and vaccination can prevent HPV(human papillomavirus), and sun protection reduces the chances of skin cancer.

Integrative oncology mainly focuses on:

• Survivorship programs and modifications in lifestyle.

• Preventing and treating peripheral neuropathy caused by chemotherapy.

• Reducing post-operative pain and post-chemotherapy nausea and vomiting.

• Managing symptoms that are related to anti-cancer therapy.

• Monitoring supplement intake and usage of herbs to prevent drug-herb interactions.

• Improving the quality of life, sleep, and mood.

• Reducing fatigue and saving the other organs from the toxicity of anti-cancer treatments.

These therapies aim mainly before, during, or after cancer treatment.

Conclusion:

Integrative oncology is mainly practiced by combining complementary therapies with standard treatments in oncology. It mainly emphasizes the patient's physical, social, and psychological needs. By practicing integrative oncology, symptoms and side effects of cancer treatment are reduced and it also helps in improving the quality of life.