Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2022 May;30(5):4345-4354.
doi: 10.1007/s00520-022-06865-2. Epub 2022 Jan 29.

Can integrative oncology increase adherence to chemotherapy in advanced gynecologic cancer?

Eran Ben-Arye #  1   2 , Naama Nijk #  3 , Ofer Lavie  3   4 , Orit Gressel  5   3 , Elad Schiff Md  3   6 , Noah Samuels  7
Affiliations

Can integrative oncology increase adherence to chemotherapy in advanced gynecologic cancer?

Eran Ben-Arye et al. Support Care Cancer. 2022 May.

Abstract

Objective: Integrative oncology (IO) has been shown to improve quality-of-life (QoL) and increase adherence to planned chemotherapy regimens. This study examined the impact of a patient-tailored IO program on adherence to chemotherapy among patients with advanced gynecological cancer.

Methods: This prospective non-randomized, pragmatic, preference study examined patients with stage III/IV gynecological cancers undergoing 6 weeks of weekly IO treatments. Adherence to the planned chemotherapy regimen was assessed using the relative dose intensity (RDI) calculation. Patients consistently attending IO treatments (consistent-IO group) were compared to those who were not (non-consistent IO group).

Results: RDI was calculated for 73 patients in the consistent-IO group (99 chemotherapy cycles) and 61 in the non-consistent-IO group (96 cycles with IO care, 126 cycles without). Both groups had similar baseline demographic characteristics, with endometrial cancer more prevalent in the consistent-IO group. RDI was significantly less reduced in the consistent-IO chemotherapy group (p = 0.005). During taxane-based regimens, RDI was better maintained in the consistent-IO group (0.93 vs. 0.87, p = 0.012), though not with platinum-based cycles. Linear regression model found a correlation between preserved RDI and consistent attendance at weekly IO treatments, and lower rates of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy and pain.

Conclusion: Patient-tailored IO programs for patients with advanced gynecological cancer may help preserve adherence to chemotherapy at 6 weeks, especially with taxane-based regimens. Further research needs to explore whether this correlation is chemotherapy agent-specific.

Keywords: Adherence; Chemotherapy; Complementary medicine; Gynecological cancer; Integrative oncology; Pain; Relative dose intensity.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Witt CM, Balneaves LG, Cardoso MJ, Cohen L, Greenlee H, Johnstone P, Kücük Ö, Mailman J, Mao JJ. A comprehensive definition for integrative oncology. J Natl Cancer Inst Monogr. 2017;2017(52). https://doi.org/10.1093/jncimonographs/lgx012
    1. Shalom-Sharabi I, Samuels N, Lavie O, Lev E, Keinan-Boker L, Schiff E, Ben-Arye E (2017) Effect of a patient-tailored integrative medicine program on gastro-intestinal concerns and quality of life in patients with breast and gynecologic cancer. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 43(7):1243–1254 - DOI
    1. Dhruva A, Wu C, Miaskowski C, Hartogensis W, Rugo HS, Adler SR, Kaptchuk TJ, Kelkar R, Agarawal S, Vadodaria A, Garris E, Hecht FM (2020) A 4-month whole-systems Ayurvedic medicine nutrition and lifestyle intervention is feasible and acceptable for breast cancer survivors: results of a single-arm pilot clinical trial. Glob Adv Health Med 9:2164956120964712. https://doi.org/10.1177/2164956120964712 - DOI - PubMed - PMC
    1. Cheung DST, Yeung WF, Chau PH, Lam TC, Yang M, Lai K, Ip CY, Lao L, Lin CC. Patient-centred, self-administered acupressure for Chinese advanced cancer patients experiencing fatigue and co-occurring symptoms: a pilot randomised controlled trial. Eur J Cancer Care (Engl). 2020:e13314. https://doi.org/10.1111/ecc.13314
    1. Ben-Arye E, Samuels N, Schiff E, Raz OG, Sharabi IS, Lavie O (2015) Quality-of-life outcomes in patients with gynecologic cancer referred to integrative oncology treatment during chemotherapy. Support Care Cancer 23(12):3411–3419. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-015-2690-0 - DOI - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources