Cancer Treatment and the Need for Complementary Integrative Therapy
The various side effects cancer patients experience while undergoing cancer treatment, such as vomiting, pain, fatigue, and neuropathy, significantly reduce patients' quality of life. Major Western cancer institutions—such as the Mayo Clinic, MD Anderson Cancer Center, and Memorial Sloan Kettering—are already actively introducing acupuncture, herbal medicine, and various complementary therapies as supportive treatments to alleviate the side effects of standard treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy. This Integrative Oncology approach is based on scientific evidence and clinical research findings showing that it is effective in symptom management and promoting recovery.
International Cases: An Integrative Oncology Model with Proven Safety and Efficacy
In the United States and Europe, the efficacy of complementary therapies has been systematically verified through multiple studies and clinical guidelines.
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The Role of Acupuncture:
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According to guidelines from the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and the Society for Integrative Oncology (SIO), acupuncture is effective for chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy, post-radiation therapy xerostomia (dry mouth), and pain management. Actual meta-analysis results showed that the acupuncture group had a Karnofsky Performance Scale score improvement of 30–40%, and the frequency of pain and vomiting decreased significantly. MD Anderson Cancer Center has also reported effects of speeding up recovery and reducing opioid dependence through the application of acupuncture before and after surgery.
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Complementary Effects of Herbal Medicine and Alternative Therapies:
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Herbal medicines such as ginger extracts or Astragalus preparations help alleviate chemotherapy-induced nausea and fatigue, and some studies have confirmed platelet maintenance and vomiting reduction effects through the 5-HT3 receptor antagonistic effect and bone marrow function-enhancing action of herbal medicine. Furthermore, when Korean medicine and Western medicine treatments are combined within an integrative medical model, effects on pain reduction and functional improvement in chronic diseases such as arthritis are repeatedly being demonstrated.
As such, international cases demonstrate that complementary therapies based on safety and evidence are contributing to alleviating patient discomfort and making the treatment process more comfortable.
Safety and Clinical Application of Korean Medicine: Scientific Evidence
Recent domestic and international studies are presenting positive results regarding the safety of Korean medicine treatments.
- Safety of Acupuncture:
- The side effects experienced by most patients are limited to localized pain or minor bleeding, and serious side effects are extremely rare when performed by a professionally trained Korean medicine doctor.
- Safety of Herbal Medicine:
- In the case of herbal medicine preparations covered by health insurance, an analysis of large-scale patient data showed that the incidence rate of serious side effects such as liver injury was very low.
As described, diverse clinical studies support that when Korean medicine is used under appropriate diagnosis and customized prescription, side effects are minimized and it is rather effective in alleviating the side effects of cancer treatment.
The Reality in Our Country and the Need for Improvement
However, in our country, due to the Western medicine-centered cancer treatment system and cultural prejudices, many patients are not receiving help from Korean medicine complementary therapies for the side effects they experience during cancer treatment.
- Cultural and Institutional Constraints:
- While foreign countries actively adopt all possible safe methods—namely, alternative therapies and integrative treatments—to reduce patient discomfort, in our country, the reality continues where patients are forced to 'simply endure' the side effects of anticancer treatments due to negative perceptions of Korean medicine and related institutional limitations.
- This situation can be seen as an outcome where the positive effects and scientific evidence of Korean medicine are not fully recognized entirely within the Western medical system. As Western medicine doctors spread negative information about Korean medicine, it is deeply regrettable that patients are losing opportunities for safer and more effective adjunctive treatments.
Conclusion: The Path of Supportive Care That Patients Can Choose for Themselves
Instead of simply enduring the side effects caused by chemotherapy, there are ways to endure the anticancer process more safely and comfortably through internationally verified supportive therapies—especially Korean medicine approaches.
If patients in our country experience difficult or uncomfortable symptoms during chemotherapy, consulting a Korean medicine clinic to explore adjunctive treatment options is also a wise choice. Moving beyond merely having a positive perception of Korean medicine, this is a path that provides each individual patient with an effective integrative treatment model backed by scientific evidence and clinical research.
I would like to emphasize that enabling patients themselves to thoroughly review various treatment options and consult with professionals to select the optimal therapy is the direction our healthcare system should move toward.
