Integrative Oncology.

Authors: Gabriel Lopez, Jun J Mao, Lorenzo CohenJournal: The Medical clinics of North AmericaPublished: August 23, 2017DOI: 10.1016/j.mcna.2017.04.011

Moderate EvidenceCohort

Cancer Pain Management

In Plain Language: cancer pain, explained

The study examined the effects of integrative oncology approaches on the health of cancer patients and their caregivers. It found that these methods can help relieve symptoms related to cancer and its treatment, improving both physical and psychosocial health. This is important as it supports the idea that combining conventional treatments with complementary therapies can enhance overall patient well-being.

Key Findings: what this cohort study found about cancer pain

✓Integrative approaches improved symptoms related to cancer treatment.
✓Enhanced communication between healthcare providers improved patient outcomes.
✓Patients reported better physical and psychosocial health after integrative therapies.

What This Means for You

For those considering reflexology as a treatment for cancer-related symptoms, this study suggests it could help alleviate discomfort and improve overall health during treatment.

What This Means for Practitioners

Reflexology practitioners can use these findings to emphasize the benefits of incorporating complementary therapies into cancer care, potentially enhancing patient outcomes and satisfaction.

Study Design: how this cohort study was run

Blinding

open label

Control

none

Duration

varies by individual

Limitations: what it cannot tell you about cancer pain

The study's limitations include a lack of standardized measurements and control groups, which may impact the reliability of the findings.

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Cancer pain: common questions

What does this study say about cancer pain?

For those considering reflexology as a treatment for cancer-related symptoms, this study suggests it could help alleviate discomfort and improve overall health during treatment.

What did this study find?

Integrative approaches improved symptoms related to cancer treatment. Enhanced communication between healthcare providers improved patient outcomes. Patients reported better physical and psychosocial health after integrative therapies.

How strong is this evidence?

This is a cohort study and we rate its evidence moderate. It was published in The Medical clinics of North America. This study is indexed here for context; it did not test reflexology itself.