Dr Lee on the Rationale for Using Integrative Medicine in Patients With GI Cancers

“Patients are seeking other…approaches to incorporate as part of their cancer treatment plan. Given that there’s this increasing interest in ways to improve their cancer journey, we thought it was important to [highlight] the growing evidence that exists for [integrative medicine for] patients with GI cancers and how [these options] can improve outcomes and reduce symptoms, improve quality of life, etc.”

Richard T. Lee, MD, Cherng Family Director’s Chair, Center for Integrative Oncology, medical director, clinical professor, Supportive & Integrative Medicine, Department of Supportive Care Medicine, City of Hope, discusses the evolving role of acupuncture and integrative medicine in patients with gastrointestinal (GI) cancers.

Patients with GI cancers have a growing interest in ways to improve their cancer treatment, enhance outcomes, and mitigate symptoms associated with both their disease and the treatments they receive, Lee begins. Accordingly, it is crucial to highlight emerging evidence supporting integrative therapies, such as acupuncture and natural products, for symptom management and quality of life enhancement, he emphasizes.

Acupuncture has demonstrated clinical benefits in reducing symptoms commonly experienced by patients with GI cancers, he says. Evidence shows that nausea and vomiting—which often result from the cancer itself, as well as from treatments like chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery—can improve with acupuncture, he notes. Even with optimal pharmacologic interventions, some symptoms remain inadequately controlled, and certain antiemetic medications can cause additional adverse effects (AEs), such as constipation, Lee reports. Acupuncture provides a non-pharmacologic symptom management alternative that has been supported by clinical data, he explains.

Additionally, pain management remains a significant concern for patients with GI cancers, he states. Pain may stem from the disease itself or from treatment-related factors, such as postoperative recovery, he adds. Data suggest that acupuncture could beeffective for alleviating pain, potentially reducing dependence on opioid analgesics and other pain relief medications, according to Lee.

Beyond acupuncture, the potential role of herbal and natural supplements for symptom management is also under investigation, Lee says. Randomized, controlled trials have shown that ginger may be beneficial in alleviating nausea, whereas ginseng has demonstrated efficacy in reducing cancer-related fatigue, he explains. These symptoms are prevalent among patients with GI cancers, and herbal approaches may offer relief for patients with mild symptom severity or those seeking treatments associated with fewer AEs compared with pharmacologic options, he concludes.