The first time a family asked me about “other things we could do” beyond chemotherapy, it wasn’t because they doubted the treatment plan. It was because they loved their child so deeply, they wanted to leave no stone unturned. They were searching for ways to bring comfort, hope, and healing into a journey that is overwhelming.
In pediatric oncology, we talk a lot about curing cancer. But healing — true healing — is about more than medicine. Healing means supporting the whole person: body, mind, and spirit. Sometimes healing does mean curing but it also means finding comfort, connection, and peace even when cure isn’t possible. Integrative medicine is at every intersection along the way.
What is Integrative Medicine?
Integrative medicine is a patient-centered, evidence-informed approach that combines the best of conventional medical treatments with carefully selected complementary therapies. The goal? To nurture the whole person — physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
Interestingly, many of us in medicine didn’t learn much about integrative therapies during our formal training. For a long time, these approaches were seen as “outside” traditional medical care.
Modern integrative medicine began to take shape in the late 20th century, as patients and families voiced a growing desire for healthcare that addressed the whole person — not just the illness.
Institutions like the National Institutes of Health (NIH) began funding research into complementary therapies in the 1990s, including through the creation of the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH).
Integrative oncology, specifically, gained momentum in the early 2000s thanks to organizations like the Society for Integrative Oncology (SIO), founded in 2003. Their work helped create evidence-based guidelines and research pathways to safely integrate complementary therapies into cancer care.
Today, integrative oncology is recognized as a vital part of comprehensive cancer care. However, it’s important to remember that not all complementary therapies are equally well-supported by evidence — ongoing research continues to guide safe and effective integration.
Integrative Medicine in Pediatric Care
In many ways, pediatric integrative medicine is still a young and growing field. Much of what we know about therapies like acupuncture, massage, or mindfulness comes from adult studies. As a result, we often thoughtfully adapt adult data to meet the unique needs of children and adolescents, always prioritizing safety, development, and family values.
That said, some integrative approaches are already well-ingrained in pediatric care. Therapies like music therapy and play therapy have long been recognized as powerful tools to support children’s emotional health, reduce anxiety, and promote healing during hospitalization.
Integrative Medicine vs. Alternative Medicine
It’s really important to understand the difference:
- Integrative medicine = Complementary therapies used with conventional care.
- Alternative medicine = Unproven therapies used instead of conventional care.
Choosing alternative therapies in place of evidence-based treatments can be dangerous.
Studies show that patients with cancer who choose alternative medicine instead of evidence-based treatment have significantly worse survival outcomes. For example, patients using only alternative therapies were found to have a two- to fivefold higher risk of death compared to those who received conventional cancer care (JNCI, 2017), (JAMA Oncology, 2018), (BMJ, 2017).
Our goal is to heal without compromising the treatments we know can save lives. Open communication between families and the oncology team is essential. Discussing integrative therapies openly ensures that any complementary approaches are safe, evidence-based, and truly supportive of the treatment journey.
