Shalom–Sharabi I, et al. – The impact of a complementary and integrative medicine (CIM) intervention on gastro–intestinal (GI)–related concerns, was inspected in patients with breast/gynecological cancer undergoing chemotherapy. As per the findings, the integration of a 12–week CIM intervention in conventional supportive cancer care seemed to reduce nausea. In addition, it exhibited positive impact on appetite in patients with breast/gynecological cancer undergoing chemotherapy.

Methods

• By their cancer care providers patients reporting chemotherapy-related GI concerns were referred to a CIM consultation and treatments.
• These patients were assessed at baseline and at 12 weeks.
• This study used the following tools: Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale (ESAS), Measure Yourself Concerns and Wellbeing (MYCAW) and European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30).
• According to adherence to the integrative care program (AIC), defined as attending ≥ CIM treatments with ≤30 days between each session, the intervention group was subdivided.
• Moreover, controls chose not to undergo the CIM consultation or treatments.
• 42 were treated with CIM and optimally assessed (intervention arm; AIC = 33), as were 32 of controls, among 289 patients reporting GI-related concerns.

Results

• In the intervention group, ESAS scores for appetite and nausea improved more significantly, more so in the AIC subgroup (appetite, p = 0.025; nausea, p = 0.033).
• Again more so in the adherent subgroup, MYCAW scores for GI-related concerns also improved in the intervention group.
• When compared to controls, EORTC scores improved more significantly with respect to global health (p = 0.021) and cognitive functioning (p = 0.031) in the intervention group.