Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Integrating complementary medicine in supportive cancer care models across four continents

  • Review Article
  • Published:
Medical Oncology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The need to integrate complementary medicine (CM) consultation in supportive care of patients with cancer is acknowledged by oncologists owing to the ongoing research on CM efficacy and awareness of its potential risks. In this article, we aim to provide oncologists with models for CM integration within supportive care. Descriptive analysis of key elements which facilitate CM integration is presented by physicians leading six integrative cancer care programs across four continents. Perspectives of integration are supplemented by a literature review, quantitative data on the clinical activity in each center, and qualitative narrative-based citations of seven oncology patients and healthcare providers. It is recommended that CM consultation be provided by physicians with extensive CM training. The following key elements were identified as essential for integrative program design within oncological supportive care: (1) Location of the integrative physician (IP) room within the oncology department area, (2) Required oncologist referral to CM consultation, (3) Allocated time to IP-oncologist communication, (4) Research-based integrative practice, (5) Inclusion of paid professional CM practitioners, (6) Institutional cost covered service. Integration of CM consultation within oncological supportive care needs to take in account six key elements that ensure high-quality evidence-based concomitant integrative practice.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Burstein HJ. Discussing complementary therapies with cancer patients: what should we be talking about? J Clin Oncol. 2000;18:2501–4.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. White F. Annual report on complementary and alternative medicine–Fiscal year 2009. Office of cancer complementary and alternative medicine, National Cancer Institute, 2009.

  3. Geffen JR. Integrative oncology for the whole person: a multidimensional approach to cancer care. Integr Cancer Ther. 2010;9(1):105–21.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Frenkel M, Cohen L, Peterson N, et al. Integrative medicine consultation service in a comprehensive cancer center: findings and outcomes. Integr Cancer Ther. 2010;9(3):276–83.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Deng G. Integrative Cancer Care in a US Academic Cancer Centre: The Memorial Sloan-Kettering Experience. Curr Oncol. 2008;Suppl 2(s108):es68–71.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Deng GE, Frenkel M, Cohen L, et al. Evidence-based clinical practice guidelines for integrative oncology: complementary therapies and botanicals. J Soc Integr Oncol. 2009;7(3):85–120.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Ben-Arye E, Schiff E, Steiner M, Silbermann M. Wheatgrass in Afifi’s garden: sprouting integrative oncology collaborations in the Middle East. J Clin Oncol. 2011;29(7):944–6.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Koithan M, Bell IR, Caspi O, et al. Patients’ experiences and perceptions of a consultative model integrative medicine clinic: a qualitative study. Integr Cancer Ther. 2007;6(2):174–84.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Harrington JE, Baker BS, Hoffman CJ. Effect of an integrated support programme on the concerns and wellbeing of women with breast cancer: a national service evaluation. Complement Ther Clin Pract. 2012;18(1):10–5.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Kligler B, Homel P, Harrison LB, et al. Impact of the Urban Zen initiative on patients’ experience of admission to an inpatient oncology floor: a mixed-methods analysis. J Altern Complement Med. 2011;17(8):729–34.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Ben-Arye E, Schiff E, Steiner M, et al. Attitudes of patients with gynecological and breast cancer toward integration of complementary medicine in cancer care. Int J Gynecol Cancer. 2011;22(1):146–53.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Kligler B, Homel P, Harrison LB, et al. Cost savings in inpatient oncology through an integrative medicine approach. Am J Manag Care. 2011;17(12):779–84.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Ben-Arye E, Schiff E, Golan O. Ethical issues in integrative oncology. Hematol Oncol Clin North Am. 2008;22(4):737–53.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Coulter ID, Ellison MA. Hilton L, et al. Hospital-based integrative medicine. Hospital-based integrative medicine: a case study of the barriers and factors facilitating the creation of a center. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 2007. http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/MG591.

  15. Ben-Arye E, Schiff E, Shapira C, et al. Modeling an integrative oncology program within a community-centered oncology service in Israel. Patient Educ Couns. 2012;. doi:10.1016/j.pec.2012.02.011.

    Google Scholar 

  16. Smithson J, Britten N, Paterson C, et al. The experience of using complementary therapies after a diagnosis of cancer: a qualitative synthesis. Health (London). 2012;16(1):19–39.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Frenkel M, Cohen L. Incorporating complementary and integrative medicine in a comprehensive cancer center. Hematol Oncol Clin North Am. 2008;22(4):727–36.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Caspi O, Bell IR, Rychener D, et al. The tower of babel: communication and medicine: an essay on medical education and complementary-alternative medicine. Arch Intern Med. 2000;160(21):3193–5.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Schiff E, Frenkel M, Shilo M, et al. Bridging the physician and CAM practitioner communication gap: suggested framework for communication between physicians and CAM practitioners based on a cross professional survey from Israel. Patient Educ Couns. 2011;85(2):188–93.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Schiff E, Ben-Arye E, Attias S, et al. Perceiving integration of a complementary medicine service within a general surgery department through documentation of consultations: a thematic analysis. Patient Educ Couns 2012; 2012 Mar 16. [Epub ahead of print].

  21. Bar-Sela G, Goldberg H, Beck D, et al. Reducing malignant ascites accumulation by repeated intraperitoneal administrations of a viscum album extract. Anticancer Res. 2006;26(1B):709–13.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Xu H, Chen K. Integrative medicine: the experience from China. J Altern Complement Med. 2008;14(1):3–7.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Sharf BF, Geist Martin P, Cosgriff-Hernández KK, et al. Trailblazing healthcare: institutionalizing and integrating complementary medicine. Patient Educ Couns 2012; 2012 Apr 1. [Epub ahead of print].

  24. Lawenda BD, Friedenthal SA, Sagar SM, et al. Systems modeling in integrative oncology. Integr Cancer Ther. 2011;11(1):5–17.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Beatty L, Koczwara B, Knott V, et al. Why people choose to not use complementary therapies during cancer treatment: a focus group study. Eur J Cancer Care (Engl). 2012;21(1):98–106.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Ben-Arye E, Steiner M, Karkabi K, et al. Barriers to integration of traditional and complementary medicine in supportive cancer care of Arab patients in northern Israel. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2012;401867:2012.

    Google Scholar 

  27. Bar-Sela G, Wollner M, Hammer L, et al. Mistletoe as complementary treatment in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer treated with carboplatin-based combinations: a randomised phase II study. Eur J Cancer. 2012.

  28. Büssing A, Hedtstück A, Khalsa SB, et al. Development of specific aspects of spirituality during a 6-month intensive yoga practice. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2012;2012:981523.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The article is a follow-up to the UK-Israeli CAM-Integrative Medicine workshop that was held at Bnai-Zion Medical Center in Haifa, Israel, with the support of the Israeli Society for Complementary Medicine, the UK College of Medicine, Bnai Zion Medical Center, the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Lin Medical Center of Clalit health services, and the Academic Study Group for Israel and the Middle East.

Conflict of interest

The authors have declared no conflicts of interest.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Integrative Oncology Program, The Oncology Service, Lin Medical Center, Clalit Health Services, 35 Rothschild St., Haifa, Western Galilee, Israel

    Eran Ben-Arye

  2. Complementary and Traditional Medicine Unit, Department of Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel

    Eran Ben-Arye

  3. Department of Internal Medicine, Bnai-Zion Medical Center, Haifa, Israel

    Elad Schiff

  4. Penny Brohn Cancer Care, Bristol, UK

    Catherine Zollman

  5. Center for Integrative Medicine, University of Witten/Herdecke, Witten, Germany

    Peter Heusser

  6. Fundaleu Institute, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Pablo Mountford

  7. Integrative Medicine Program, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA

    Moshe Frenkel

  8. Department of Oncology and Radiation Therapy, Rambam Health Care Campus, Haifa, Israel

    Gil Bar-Sela

  9. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Gynecologic Oncology Service, Carmel Medical Center, Haifa, Israel

    Ofer Lavie

Authors
  1. Eran Ben-Arye
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Elad Schiff
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Catherine Zollman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Peter Heusser
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Pablo Mountford
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Moshe Frenkel
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Gil Bar-Sela
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Ofer Lavie
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Eran Ben-Arye.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Ben-Arye, E., Schiff, E., Zollman, C. et al. Integrating complementary medicine in supportive cancer care models across four continents. Med Oncol 30, 511 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12032-013-0511-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12032-013-0511-1

Keywords

Search

Navigation