The emerging field of integrative oncology

Yoga, meditation, acupuncture and more can be safely used to relieve side effects of standard treatment

Integrative oncology coordinates the delivery of evidence-based complementary therapies with conventional cancer care. It’s not about using acupuncture or yoga or meditation or other therapies instead of surgery, chemo, radiation and hormone therapy, but rather using them with standard treatments to alleviate their well-documented side effects. Integrative oncology is informed by scientific, not anecdotal, evidence; it also takes a more holistic approach than conventional Western medicine by catering to a patient’s mind, body and spirit.

The American Society of Clinical Oncology has endorsed the integrative oncology this year. And at the same time has offered advice for a higher recognition of it.

How did the various therapies rank?

1. Meditation, music therapy, yoga and group stress management programs were all recommended for reducing anxiety, while acupuncture, massage and relaxation could be “selectively offered” to individual patients.
2. Acupressure, electro-acupuncture, ginger and relaxation could also be “selectively offered” to individual patients along with anti-emetic drugs for nausea and vomiting during chemo. Use of the supplement glutamine was discouraged, though, due to lack of an effect.
3. Meditation (particularly mindfulness-based stress reduction), relaxation, yoga, massage and music therapy were all recommended for treating depression and mood disturbance while acupuncture, healing touch, and stress management could be “selectively offered” to individual patients.
4. Hypnosis, ginseng, acupuncture and yoga could be “selectively offered” to individual patients to help with treatment-related fatigue, but ASCO advised patients to seek guidance from their health care team before using ginseng or any dietary supplement. Some ginseng has estrogenic properties, which could harm certain breast cancer patients. ASCO also discouraged the use of Acetyl-L-carnitine and guarana for fatigue.
5. Low-level laser therapy, manual lymphatic drainage and compression bandaging, ASCO found, could be “selectively offered” to individual patients for lymphedema.
6. Acupuncture, healing touch, hypnosis and music therapy could also be selectively offered to individual patients for managing pain.
7. Meditation and yoga were recommended for improving quality of life; acupuncture, mistletoe, qigong, reflexology, and stress management could be considered and “selectively offered.”
8. Natural medicine like mistletoe use should only be subcutaneous, since ingestion of high doses of mistletoe berry or leaf can cause serious adverse reactions.