SPECIAL ISSUE : "Integrative medicine in oncology: another step forward" - PREFACE Integrative and complementary therapies in oncology: a holistic approach

Abstract

Patients from across the world and different cultures who face the challenges of cancer diagnosis and treatment are seeking out non-conventional medicine. The prevalence of this practice may exceed 50% among patients undergoing che- motherapy and other active oncology therapies. The motives behind the use of “natural” remedies such as herbal and non-herbal dietary supplements, as well as nutritional modi cations, may vary from a desire to “treat” or “ ght” the cancer on the one hand; and/or for more realistic expectations such as improving quality of life (QoL) and enhancing coping and daily function. Within the context of can- cer care terms such as “natural”, “traditional”, “alternative”, “complementary” and “integrative” express different approaches to the context in which patients and healthcare practitioners perceive these practices and modalities, as they relate to the conventional oncology regimen. The past two decades has seen a shift from the approach of “alternative medicine”, in which non-conventional medicine is practiced in opposition to conventional medicine; to “complementary medicine”, where these practices do not con ict but take place outside the conventional set- ting; and nally, to the rise of “integrative medicine”, in which evidence-based complementary medicine is provided within the conventional medical setting. This last concept has evolved signi cantly in the eld of oncology (termed “inte- grative oncology”), and is often an integral part of conventional supportive and palliative care.