Outlining Strategies for Effectively Implementing Integrative Oncology Care

In an interview with CancerNetwork®, Richard T. Lee, MD, a clinical professor and medical director of Supportive and Integrative Medicine at City of Hope’s Center for Integrative Oncology, discussed strategies he employs to overcome challenges related to the integration of non-pharmaceutical approaches into conventional oncology practice.

He began by highlighting that challenges arise when implementing integrative oncology within a comprehensive cancer center to allow for interdisciplinary collaboration, but listed strategies his practice employs to overcome them. One strategy, Lee claimed, is raising awareness and bolstering efforts to ensure that clinicians and patients are familiar with services associated with integrative oncology.

Another strategy, he asserted, is focusing on research. Pointing to prospective data from randomized controlled trials conducted in recent years as well as ongoing clinical research, he suggested that evidence can be drawn to inform the integration of these services into conventional standards for care. Furthermore, he stressed that City of Hope considers strategies for the successful integration of non-pharmaceutical approaches within its already existing supportive care services, emphasizing interdisciplinary collaboration to help coordinate care for patients who may have challenging or complex cancers.

Lee spoke with CancerNetwork at the 2025 Oncology Nursing Society Congress.

Transcript:

There have been many challenges [relating] to the implementation of integrative oncology services within a comprehensive cancer center to allow for more interdisciplinary collaboration. One of the strategies we have taken on at City of Hope is [focusing] on awareness and education of integrative oncology services. Surveys indicate that patients and clinicians are not familiar with the different services such as mind-body medicine, acupuncture, massage, and the field of integrative oncology.

A second strategy is to focus on the research. Over the last decade or more, there have been high-quality, prospective, randomized, controlled trials demonstrating the value and benefit for patients with cancer utilizing these types of services. Focusing on the evidence base that exists today, as well as ongoing clinical trials, is another great strategy.

Lastly, at City of Hope, we are thinking about how to interweave these types of services within [the] already great supportive care services that we provide. It is important to work closely with your colleagues in other areas such as supportive and palliative care medicine, social work, psychiatry, psychology, interventional pain, physical medicine, and rehabilitation. One of the things we have implemented is a weekly interdisciplinary team meeting in which all these individuals from different backgrounds including nursing, social work, and others that I [previously] mentioned are part of this team meeting to help coordinate care for [patients with] more complex and challenging [cases].