Learnings from a veteran oncologist's long-standing efforts in integrative oncology

Abstract

Kerala’s first medical oncologist, the erstwhile Dr. CP Mathew, has left a rich legacy in cancer patients' case diaries and medical records. These documents contain valuable information about his attempts to integrate Siddha and Ayurveda treatments to manage cancer. A preliminary examination of these documents compiled over more than four decades gives us a glimpse of his contributions relevant to the development of Integrative Oncology in India. Patients who received treatment from Dr. CP Mathew presented with different types of cancer in varying stages of progression. In his clinical practice, he developed treatment approaches that integrated Ayurveda and Siddha with the standard of care for specific types and presentations of cancer. At Cherian Ashram in Kottayam, where he treated cancer patients, a team of medical doctors, including a senior Ayurveda physician and a Naturopathy and Yoga expert, worked together to offer integrative care. Based on his experience, he emphasized that the public should be made aware of the available options for alternative treatments even in advanced stages of cancer. While Ayurveda and Siddha could bolster the patient's immunity and improve clinical outcomes, he pointed out that such interventions could also improve tolerance to chemotherapy and radiation. In the wake of the growing global interest in Integrative Oncology, the work of Dr. CP Mathew preserved in the medical records of his cancer patients deserves to be studied with an open mind.