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What Is Integrative Oncology?
Integrative oncology is the use of complementary therapies alongside conventional lung cancer treatments like chemotherapy, targeted therapy, surgery, or immunotherapy. Integrative oncology—also called integrative medicine—is an evidence-informed whole-body approach to health. It is often used to address symptoms and side effects caused by disease or treatment and improve overall quality of life.
Specific examples of integrative oncology for lung cancer include:
- Acupuncture or massages to address pain or nausea
- Exercise to reduce pain and improve overall quality of life
- Mind-body practices like meditation or breathing exercises to improve mood and reduce stress
- Music therapy to reduce anxiety
- Nutrition and supplementation to improve recovery from treatment and overall health
Integrative oncology is similar to palliative care, which has a goal of anticipating, preventing, and treating the symptoms and side effects of disease and treatment. The difference is that integrative oncology is used in combination with traditional cancer treatment.
Who Can Benefit from Integrative Oncology?
Every person undergoing conventional treatment for lung cancer is a possible candidate for integrative oncology. As with any change to diet, exercise, supplementation, or medication, this is a conversation and decision between the person with lung cancer and their doctor.
Questions to consider and discuss with a doctor include:
- What is the reason for adding complementary therapies?
- Does the hospital or cancer center have a specialist?
- Are there available clinical trials?
- What are the risks and benefits?
- What is the cost?
You can find clinical trials that study the effects of integrative oncology on the official ClinicalTrials.gov website.
Integrative Oncology and Immunotherapy
For more information about integrative oncology—specifically combining it with immunotherapy to improve treatment outcomes—make sure to watch the video below with Vikas Sukhatme, MD, ScD, Robert W. Woodruff Professor of Medicine at Emory University, and Vidula Sukhatme, CEO of GlobalCures, Inc.
The types of integrative medicine discussed include:
- Morning infusions for immunotherapy
- Vitamin D
- Magnesium
- Fiber
- Antihistamines/anti-allergy medications