Integrative Oncology – Improving Cancer Outcomes and Quality of Life with Scientifically Proven Methods

Worldwide, 18 million people receive a new cancer diagnosis each year, and with 9.6 million deaths annually, cancer is the second leading cause of death after cardiovascular disease. By 2030, the number of newly diagnosed patients is estimated to reach 23.6 million. Yet we know that more than half of cancer cases could be prevented through lifestyle changes (see the 8 most preventable cancer types). To achieve these changes as effectively as possible, the Complementary / Integrative Oncology approach is attracting increasing interest.

What Is Complementary / Integrative Oncology?

Integrative Oncologyis a patient-centered, evidence-supported approach to cancer treatment that uses mind–body activities and supportive therapies alongside standard cancer treatments such as chemotherapy, radiation therapy, surgical procedures, and immunotherapy. Examples include meditation, yoga, music therapy, massage therapy, and acupuncture. Naming this approach is somewhat difficult because “holistic” may be confused with “traditional and alternative” and similar terms. Alternative practices not derived from Western medical methods do not replace any standard treatment. - Related topic: Steve Jobs and thousands of lives are being sacrificed to alternative cancer treatments! Integrative methods, on the other hand, add supportive practices to standard treatments. Oncology treatments have also gradually begun to adopt, as supportive additions to standard cancer treatment, activities scientifically proven to contribute to patients' physical and mental health.

An Important Need for Cancer Patients

Between %30-%50 of cancer patients receive integrative therapies to relieve signs and symptoms and improve quality of life. However, using traditional and alternative medical treatments instead of standard treatment reduces survival rates. Patients who also benefit from integrative methods alongside their primary treatment, however, have reported very positive outcomes and feedback. Acupuncture, massage, meditation, yoga, tai chi, and qi gong are examples of holistic practices that can improve patients' quality of life and physical, psychological, and spiritual well-being. Accordingly, these activities have the potential to positively affect clinical outcomes. Of course, important factors such as the patient's condition must be considered when using these practices and certain dietary supplements, and an oncologist's opinion must certainly be sought.

Holistic Oncology Programs

These programs have begun to be implemented in many leading cancer centers. “Cancer is like a weed. My job is to make the garden as inhospitable as possible to the growth and spread of those weeds.” -Dr. Abrams – Oncologist – University of California San Francisco. In the integrative oncology approach, nutrition is a treatment methodand is considered one of the most important interventions. Before and during treatment, a plant-focused diet based on unprocessed foods is encouraged, for example the Mediterranean Diet. - Related topic: List of the best diets 2020 A cancer diagnosis can leave a person feeling helpless, but the perspective in these circumstances can be expressed in Dr. Abrams's words: “If you are a patient of an integrative oncologist, you are not merely a patient with lung cancer or pancreatic adenocarcinoma. You are an individual living with cancer who wants to draw strength from the options ahead of you.” These options include dietary changes, stress reduction methods, exercise and yoga, acupuncture, and other activities that bring you joy and with which you can connect.

What Does Research Say About Using Integrative Medicine Practices in Cancer?

One study found that patients with stage 4 breast cancer receiving a holistic approach had better survival rates than those receiving standard treatment. The 5-year survival rates were %27 in patients receiving holistic treatment and %17 in those receiving standard treatment. However, few studies show a survival benefit, and some are contradictory. Nevertheless, the integrative oncology approach demonstrates its clear benefits in the quality of life of cancer patients. Journal of Clinical Oncology published the guideline in 2018, and ASCO (American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) endorsed it; some recommendations in this “Integrative Therapy Guideline” for breast cancer are as follows:

• Anxiety and stress reduction: music therapy, meditation, stress management, and yoga are recommended.
• Depression and mood disorders: meditation, relaxation, yoga, massage, and music therapy are recommended.
• Quality of life improvement: meditation and yoga are recommended.
• To reduce chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, in addition to anti-nausea medication, acupuncture is recommended.
• Glutamine for improving nausea and vomiting during chemotherapy isnotrecommended.
• Carnitine is not recommended for preventing chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy because of its risk of harm .
• Strong evidence supporting the use of dietary supplements taken to manage side effects of breast cancer treatment doesnot exist.

To Explain What the Evidence Levels Mean:

• Evidence Level A

: a high level of certainty that the treatment provides substantial benefit
• Evidence Level B: a high level of certainty that the treatment provides moderate to substantial benefit
• Evidence Level C: a moderate level of certainty that the treatment provides a small benefit
• Evidence Level D: an effect of the treatment has not been demonstrated
• Evidence Level H: the treatment causes harm
• Evidence Level I: the available evidence for the treatment is inconclusive

When the evidence level is A or B, meaning a high level of evidence, providing the treatment is recommended. At evidence level C, the benefit is debatable. At evidence levels D, H, and I, providing the treatment is not recommended.

The Future of Holistic Oncology

It is very welcome news that two different treatment disciplines are coming together to make cancer patients' treatment more effective and efficient in scientifically proven ways, but work remains to be done. The integrative oncology approach took an important step when ASCO endorsed the clinical guidelines for breast cancer offered by the Society for Integrative Oncology = SIO. However, to advance further and reach its full potential, scientific studies focused on integrative oncology must be supported, and the use of these practices during patients' treatment must become routine.