‘Integrated Cancer Care’

Introduction The holistic approach to care for patients with cancer or other illness aims to mobilise their own self-healing powers rather than using extraneous treatments to combat their disease. This entails energising and balancing the ‘whole person’ body, emotions, mind and spirit. Interventions include diet, complementary therapies, healing and psychological and spiritual counselling, combined within an individually tailored package. The approach is mainly offered in the private and voluntary sectors, with a large self-help element. Input from oncologists or liaison psychiatrists has been very limited; indeed there has been some hostility from orthodox professionals at least until recently. Whether the holistic approach improves survival from cancer is a controversial question on which the evidence is conflicting. However there is evidence for improvements in quality of life, symptom control and patient satisfaction. A selection of quotations, mainly from the book ‘Integrated Cancer Care’, will be used to illustrate the approach. Experience with a group programme, CHRYSALIS, to introduce it to patients and staff within an NHS setting, is described.