Integrative oncology focuses on building a comprehensive and evidence-based approach to cancer care that brings together both standard cancer treatments and integrative therapies to improve clinical outcomes for patients. Common integrative therapies include are mind-body methods (meditation, yoga, music therapy, spirituality, and art therapy), herbs and supplements, and other therapies such as massage therapy and acupuncture.
The Society for Integrative Oncology defines integrative oncology as: 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. [JNCI Monographs, Volume 2017, Issue 52, November 2017]
What research has been done to support the effectiveness of acupuncture in oncology?
- Analgesic effect of auricular acupuncture for cancer pain: a randomized, blinded, controlled trial
- Acupuncture-point stimulation for chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting
- Acupuncture versus venlafaxine for the management of vasomotor symptoms in patients with hormone receptor-positive breast cancer: a randomized controlled trial
- Systematic review of acupuncture in cancer care: a synthesis of the evidence
- Electroacupuncture for control of myeloablative chemotherapy-induced emesis: A randomized controlled trial
- Randomized, blinded, sham-controlled trial of acupuncture for the management of aromatase inhibitor-associated joint symptoms in women with early-stage breast cancer
What research has been done to support the effectiveness of meditation in oncology?
- Psychological adjustment and sleep quality in a randomized trial of the effects of a Tibetan yoga intervention in patients with lymphoma
- The effects of a presurgical stress management intervention for men with prostate cancer undergoing radical prostatectomy
- Meditation programs for psychological stress and well-being: a systematic review and meta-analysis
- Mindfulness-based stress reduction for breast cancer-a systematic review and meta-analysis
- A presurgical psychosocial intervention for breast cancer patients. psychological distress and the immune response
- A randomized clinical trial of a brief hypnosis intervention to control side effects in breast surgery patients
Resources and Helpful Information
We recommend the following list of websites for more information about integrative oncology and cancer medicine: