Informing Patients on Integrative Oncology Can Enhance Supportive Care

Educating patients on what integrative oncology options are available improves the supportive care that oncology nurses and advanced practice providers (APPs) give patients, according to Richard Lee, MD, FASCO.

In an interview with Oncology Nursing News, Lee discussed his presentation on integrative oncology approaches, which he presented at the 50th Annual Oncology Nursing Society Congress.

Lee explained that many patients are unaware of integrative oncology options or that those options may even be covered by insurance. He added that patients often do not inform their cancer care teams of integrative oncology therapies they are currently using or have interest in trying, such as medical cannabis.

Lee is the Chern Family Director’s Chair at the Center for Integrative Oncology at City of Hope in California.

Transcript

Access to integrative oncology services is one of the important barriers that we’ve run into as we think about these types of approaches for our patients with cancer, and so I think one [way to make services accessible to patients] is to be aware and educated about what types of integrative oncology services have the best evidence and what might be available, both within your institution or locally.

There are some nonprofits or foundations that are providing these types of services for free to patients with cancer, and there might be foundations or philanthropic support to allow patients to access these types of programs. In addition, we’re starting to see insurance companies begin to cover these types of services.

For instance, Medicare now covers acupuncture for low back pain, and so that’s a service widely available to many patients, but they’re not aware of this new coverage. And I anticipate in the future, there’ll be additional coverage through different insurance payers.

Nurses and advanced practice [providers] can continue to grow and advance their supportive care approach by really thinking about the whole person, which is really inherent to the nursing education and training.

When we think about integrative oncology, it’s another tool for us to really create a more comprehensive approach, and that needs to be evidence-based through the clinical research.

Keeping on top of the latest information as it relates to clinical trials and research and practice guidelines, such as those through Society for Integrative Oncology and American Society for Clinical Oncology, are important ways we can continue to grow and learn and incorporate a more holistic approach.

Nurses and advanced practice [providers] have a very important role as it relates to helping patients as they think about medical cannabis. One of the most important things we should be doing is talking with our patients about all the different therapies they might be interested in or are currently using.

There’s large survey data that indicates patients often don’t inform their cancer treatment teams that they’re utilizing integrative therapies, including medical cannabis. This is really important, because there can be drug-drug interactions or other side effects.

We also need to explore why patients are utilizing or seeking out these medical cannabis options. And then I think we have to work as a team together with the nursing staff as well as physicians and social workers and other supportive care staff to really think about what’s the best approach for that individual patient.

This transcript has been edited for clarity and conciseness.