Receiving a cancer diagnosis is often an overwhelming and destabilizing event. Patients must navigate new emotions related to their diagnosis while also being confronted with numerous choices about their treatment. In today’s blog post, I am providing an overview on how naturopathic medicine fits into your cancer care plan. We’ll outline what Integrative Oncology is and how naturopathic doctors can support individuals in all phases of cancer.
What is Integrative Oncology?
Integrative Oncology, or Integrative Cancer Care, combines naturopathic and conventional medicine to provide the best possible outcomes for cancer patients. Naturopathic doctors who work in integrative oncology are well-versed in natural and supportive therapies and use an evidence-informed approach to safely combine these with a patient’s conventional treatment plan.
Naturopathic Oncology — ONCANP. (n.d.). OncANP. https://www.oncanp.org/naturopathic-oncology
What are the goals of Integrative Oncology?
Integrative Oncology looks beyond the treatment of active disease and focuses on improving outcomes related to all phases of the cancer process.
Prevention. As with all naturopathic doctors, those who practice Integrative Oncology are focused on minimizing the risk of cancer occurrence. This can involve patient education around appropriate screening, lifestyle and dietary habits, and building awareness around individual risk factors.
Improving quality of life. NDs strive to improve physical, emotional, and mental health so that oncology patients can maintain activities of daily living and achieve optimal levels of well-being throughout care.
Managing side effects. Side effects are a common cause for discontinuing or needed a break from conventional therapies. Integrative Oncology works to minimize these effects so patients can stay involved in the active treatment process and achieve the best results from conventional care.
Optimizing conventional care. Ongoing research has found a number of natural therapies that help to optimize the efficacy of conventional care including chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and radiation.
Improving recovery. A focus on assisting patients in transitioning from one phase of treatment to the next. This includes improving recovery from major surgeries and helping patients to adjust to life once declared cancer-free.
Preventing recurrence. Helping provide patients with guidance on choices that support the prevention of cancer recurrence.
Educating patients. No matter the phase, NDs are dedicated to taking the time to educate patients on their specific cancer, the available treatment options, and answering any questions that may arise.
What therapies are used?
Integrative cancer therapies can be used to stimulate the body’s healing power, treat the underlying cause of disease, support immune function, and maintain wellness. Scientific evidence informs the treatments chosen in each case, with special attention to avoiding interference with conventional treatment.
Each patient’s treatment plan is designed to provide them with well-rounded support and may include supplementation, botanical medicine, nutrition and lifestyle counselling, intravenous therapies, mistletoe therapy, acupuncture, massage, and more.
How to prepare for your Integrative Cancer Visit?
You’ve taken the step to book an initial visit and now you’re wondering what else you might need to do to prepare for your visit beyond filling out the intake form.
Upload your lab work and imaging results. Your ND will want as much information about your diagnosis and current treatments as possible. Uploading or bringing copies of these with you greatly helps with decision-making.
Bring someone with you. It is common to be overwhelmed when working through your diagnosis. Bringing a support person with you can help to be sure important information is retained and appropriate questions are asked.
Prepare a list of questions you may or may not have. It can be hard to remember questions to ask when put on the spot. Keep a note on paper or your phone so that you can ask your ND all the questions you build between visits.
Коментарі