The Western model of integrative oncology — the contribution of Chinese medicine

Abstract

Western integrative oncology (IO) combines conventional mainstream medicine with complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) for the care of cancer patients. Since it includes patient orientation and the holistic approach of many CAM options, IO offers not only preventive measures, but also a wide spectrum of treatment modalities for all stages of illness, from the acute phases through the rehabilitation period. Many therapeutic methods of IO are supported by scientific evidence, for example, dietary and nutritional counseling, exercise, and mind-body medicine, among others. IO also includes therapeutic interventions of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). At present acupuncture, qigong, and foot massage play an important role in the Western care of cancer patients. However, unlike in China, in Western countries herbal remedies are usually only used during those periods in which chemotherapy is not applied in order to avoid herb-drug interactions. Instead, acupuncture is widely used to manage the side-effects that often accompany chemotherapy. This paper focuses on the role of Chinese medicine in Western IO and reviews the scope and limitations of IO in the care of cancer patients today. The future challenges of IO will also be discussed in this paper.

Acupuncture as a complementary therapy for cancer care: acceptability and preferences of patients and informal caregivers

“…). As such, acupuncture is the most frequently used complementary therapy option used in Integrative Oncology settings within Western Countries [2].…”

“…Only a few non-serious adverse events such as hematoma/bleeding, needling pain and orthostatic symptoms have been reported [1]. Given that acupuncture does not interfere with primary treatments [2], it can be safely integrated within cancer treatment [3]. Evidence indicates that acupuncture can be an effective complementary therapy for those receiving cancer treatment, improving post-operative pain and chemotherapy-related nausea and vomiting [7].…”

“…Cancer and cancer treatments can cause signi cant side-effects, including nausea, hot ashes, fatigue, drowsiness, and sleeping di culties. These side-effects can be long-term and have substantial impact to quality of life, mental wellbeing and long-term health outcomes for those undergoing treatment for the disease and for survivors [1][2][3]. Arising from these side-effects can be reduced functionality, increasing dependence on informal caregivers for activities of daily living, lost productivity, etc.…”

Liver Cancer: Zheng Classification of Qi Stagnation and Blood Stasis

“…The conventional methods are taken as the mainstream, and TCM is accepted as one complementary and alternative method, including its therapeutic interventions [39]. Synergistic therapeutic effects can be attained by integrating conventional methods and TCM.…”

The Benefits of Medical Qigong in Patients With Cancer: A Descriptive Pilot Study

“…Cortisol levels tend to decrease over time when MQ is practiced for 12 weeks . Mood and fatigue also have been shown to be positively affected as a result of MQ; however, many studies included small sample sizes, so more research is necessary (Dobos, Kirschbaum, & Choi, 2012;Oh et al, 2011).…”