If you have cancer, you might be curious about acupuncture for pain, yoga for fatigue, or supplements to help you feel better. But when you ask your oncologist, they may not have much to offer. A new review of cancer care in the United States found that most oncology professionals have little or no training in these complementary approaches.
The review, which looked at the current state of integrative oncology education, found that 85.4% of oncology physicians, fellows, and program directors had little or no prior training in integrative medicine in 2022. Integrative oncology combines standard cancer treatments with evidence-based complementary therapies like nutrition, mind-body practices, and acupuncture.
Right now, there are only two board-eligible physician fellowship programs in this area: the Integrative Medicine in Hematology Oncology fellowship and the Integrative Oncology Scholars Program. That's a very small pipeline for training the next generation of cancer doctors.
This review is a snapshot, not a test of a new treatment. It maps the current educational landscape and highlights a clear gap. The authors also examined competency frameworks and identified barriers to workforce development, pointing to an urgent need for curriculum standards. If you're a patient, this means your doctor may not be equipped to guide you on integrative therapies, even if they're open to them. It's a call to action for medical training, not a study of what works best for patients.
