Overview

An Integrative Health approach to cancer care focuses on the whole person, building on what matters most to them and drawing in mindful awareness and self-care along with conventional and complementary approaches to health and well-being.  Whether it is exploring cancer prevention, looking at the research related to various therapeutic approaches, or helping a person deal with effects of conventional cancer treatments, Integrative Health can prove beneficial. 

Empowerment through Self-Care is key.  The Circle of Health highlights eight areas of self-care:  Surroundings; Personal Development; Nutrition; Recharge; Family Friends, & Co-Workers; Spirit & Soul; Mind and Emotions; and Physical Activity.  Using an example of an Integrative Health visit, this overview and related tools offer an array of options to consider. 

Meet The Patient

Pam is a 48-year-old nurse who recently found a painless 1 cm lump in her left breast that grew over the past two months.  Her primary care provider ordered a mammogram which showed a concerning lesion.  The biopsy revealed estrogen and progesterone negative breast cancer.  After a mastectomy and axillary node dissection, it was confirmed that the cancer had metastasized to some of the local lymph nodes.  Her oncologist explained that her cancer treatment will need to include chemotherapy and radiation.

Pam is devastated by the news.  She has many responsibilities as a single mother of two teenage sons working a full-time job.  She is a former smoker with a 25-pack/year history, and the stress of the cancer diagnosis has caused her to pick up smoking again to calm her nerves.  In addition, she is having trouble sleeping, which is making her fatigued at work.  She is worried that the anxiety will get in the way of providing good nursing care to her patients.  Her life stress over the past 10 years has contributed to a 30-pound weight gain, making her overweight.