Naturopathic Medicine in Cancer Care

Naturopathic Medicine and Professionals in Cancer Care

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Naturopathic medicine: an overview ›

Find naturopathic oncologists and physicians ›

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Naturopathic medicine: an overview

Naturopathic medicine is a distinct primary healthcare profession that emphasizes prevention, treatment, and achieving optimal health by using therapeutic methods and natural products to stimulate the body’s inherent self-healing processes. According to the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians, naturopathic medicine encourages a holistic approach to care, focusing on treating the whole person rather than just the disease.¹American Association of Naturopathic Physicians. Principles of Naturopathic Medicine. Viewed October 8, 2024.

What do naturopathic practitioners offer?

Naturopathic oncologists, particularly those who are board-certified, integrate conventional cancer care with evidence-based naturopathic approaches to provide comprehensive care for cancer patients. The core therapies employed by naturopathic practitioners may include:

• Botanical medicine: Using evidence-based herbal therapies to support the body’s resilience, reduce side effects from conventional treatments, and promote healing.
• Nutritional interventions: Individualized dietary plans aimed at improving overall health, supporting the immune system, and reducing cancer recurrence risk.
• Lifestyle modifications: Guidance on exercise, stress management, and other lifestyle factors to enhance overall well-being and support recovery during and after cancer treatment.
• Supplements: Targeted nutritional supplementation to address deficiencies, support immune function, and reduce treatment side effects.

These approaches can be applied at various stages of cancer care, from enhancing resilience before treatment, to minimizing side effects during treatment, and promoting healing and reducing recurrence risk afterward.

Who are naturopathic practitioners?

Naturopathic doctors (NDs) who specialize in oncology can earn a board certification through the American Board of Naturopathic Oncology (ABNO). Physicians who hold the FABNO designation (Fellow of the American Board of Naturopathic Oncology) have undergone additional training in cancer biology, conventional treatments, and the mechanisms of cancer progression. This enables them to create complementary treatment plans that align safely with conventional therapies.

• FABNO-certified naturopathic oncologists: These professionals are trained to work alongside conventional cancer treatments, integrating naturopathic approaches to improve outcomes.
• Non-oncology-trained naturopathic doctors: While some NDs may not hold board certification in oncology, they can still provide valuable guidance on the use of complementary therapies and lifestyle practices. However, their expertise in using these therapies alongside conventional cancer treatments may be more limited.

Licensing and access to care

Naturopathic physicians are not universally licensed across the United States and Canada, and the title “naturopath” may signify different qualifications depending on the location. Therefore, it is important for patients to verify a practitioner’s credentials and scope of practice in their region.

For patients who do not have access to a naturopathic doctor or oncologist locally, some practitioners offer phone consultations to provide guidance on naturopathic and complementary approaches to cancer care.

Find naturopathic oncologists and physicians

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Explore the research on naturopathic-related therapies

Learn about other medical approaches

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• How to integrate your choices
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• Integrative medicine at NCI cancer centers
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• Affordability and access to care
• Cancer advocates and navigators

Authors

Laura Pole, MSN, RN, OCNS

Senior Clinical Consultant

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Laura Pole is senior clinical consultant for CancerChoices. Laura is an oncology clinical nurse specialist who has been providing integrative oncology clinical care, navigation, consultation, and education services for over 40 years. She is the co-creator and co-coordinator of the Integrative Oncology Navigation Training at Smith Center for Healing and the Arts in Washington, DC. Laura also manages the “Media Watch Cancer News That You Can Use” listserv for Smith Center/Commonweal. In her role as a palliative care educator and consultant, Laura has served as statewide Respecting Choices Faculty for the Virginia POST (Physician Orders for Scope of Treatment) Collaborative as well as provided statewide professional education on palliative and end-of-life care for the Virginia Association for Hospices and Palliative Care.

For CancerChoices, Laura curates content and research, networks with clinical and organizational partners, brings awareness and education of integrative oncology at professional and patient conferences and programs, and translates research into information relevant to the patient experience as well as clinical practice.

Laura sees her work with CancerChoices as a perfect alignment of all her passions, knowledge and skills in integrative oncology care. She is honored to serve you.

Laura Pole, MSN, RN, OCNS Senior Clinical Consultant

Nancy Hepp, MS

Lead Researcher

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Ms. Hepp is a researcher and communicator who has been writing and editing educational content on varied health topics for more than 20 years. She serves as lead researcher and writer for CancerChoices and also served as the first program manager. Her graduate work in research and cognitive psychology, her master’s degree in instructional design, and her certificate in web design have all guided her in writing and presenting information for a wide variety of audiences and uses. Nancy’s service as faculty development coordinator in the Department of Family Medicine at Wright State University also provided experience in medical research, plus insights into medical education and medical care from the professional’s perspective.

Nancy Hepp, MS Lead Researcher

Miki Scheidel

Co-Founder and Creative Director

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Miki Scheidel is Co-founder and creative director of CancerChoices. She led the effort to transform Beyond Conventional Cancer Therapies, the prior version of CancerChoices, to its current form. Miki and her family were deeply affected by her father’s transformative experience with integrative approaches to metastatic kidney cancer. That experience inspires her work as president of the Scheidel Foundation and as volunteer staff at CancerChoices. She previously worked with the US Agency for International Development and Family Health International among other roles. She received her graduate degree in international development from Georgetown University, a graduate certificate in nonprofit management from George Mason University, and a Bachelor of Arts from Gettysburg College.

Miki Scheidel Co-Founder and Creative Director

Reviewers of selected sections

Santosh Rao, MD

Medical oncologist and CancerChoices advisor

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Dr. Rao is a medical oncologist, the medical director of integrative oncology at University Hospitals Connor Whole Health, and director of medical oncology for genitourinary cancer at University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center. He is the 2022-23 president-elect of the Society for Integrative Oncology. Dr. Rao is also the host of the podcast Integrative Oncology Talk, with support from the Society for Integrative Oncology.

After graduating from the University of Michigan Medical School and completing a residency program in internal medicine at the University of California San Diego, Dr. Rao completed a fellowship in integrative medicine at the University of Arizona and later obtained a board certification in integrative medicine through the American Board of Integrative Medicine. Dr. Rao has trained in Ayurveda and Healing Touch. He also attended the Leadership Program in Integrative Medicine at Duke University. His research interests include genitourinary oncology, sleep, and integrative medicine implementation and program development.

Santosh Rao, MD Medical oncologist and CancerChoices advisor

Erin Price, MSW, LICSW, OSW-C

Director of Young Adult and Psychosocial Support Programs, Smith Center for Healing and the Arts

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Erin Price, MSW, LICSW, OSW-C, was driven to help others facing cancer shortly after her own breast cancer diagnosis in 2010 at the age of 27. Erin currently serves as the Young Adult and Psychosocial Support Programs Director at Smith Center for Healing and the Arts in Washington, DC, where she manages various programs and serves as a therapist and integrative patient navigator. Her areas of expertise include cancer survivorship, adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer, and integrative cancer care. She is also a graduate of the National Breast Cancer Coalition’s Project LEAD scientific research advocacy training, an experienced grant reviewer for the Department of Defense Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program, and a member of the Georgetown Breast Cancer Advocates. She has presented at several national conferences and been published in peer-reviewed journals. In 2021, she was recognized as a 40 Under 40 Rising Star and Emerging Leader in Cancer.

Erin Price, MSW, LICSW, OSW-C Director of Young Adult and Psychosocial Support Programs, Smith Center for Healing and the Arts

Christine Mineart, MPH

CancerChoices Program Director

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Christine has a dynamic background in the life sciences, public health, and program operations. Her career began at the lab bench with a Gates Foundation-funded HIV Vaccine research group, which led her to graduate studies in public health epidemiology at UC Berkeley. Her research experience spans clinical epidemiology research to evaluating the impacts of community nutrition programs in Los Angeles, the Central Valley, and Oakland. Most recently she has worked in executive operations for a seed-stage venture capital firm based in San Francisco. Personally, Christine is passionate about holistic health and wellness. She is a clinical herbalist and Reiki master, and she has been practicing yoga for 15+ years. She brings a breadth of experiences to her work leading the CancerChoices program.

Christine Mineart, MPH CancerChoices Program Director

Last update: October 31, 2024

Last full resource review: August 2021

CancerChoices provides information about integrative in cancer care, a patient-centered approach combining the best of conventional care, self care and evidence-informed complementary care in an integrated plan cancer care. We review complementaryin cancer care, complementary care involves the use of therapies intended to enhance or add to standard conventional treatments; examples include supplements, mind-body approaches such as yoga or psychosocial therapy, and acupuncture therapies and self-care lifestyle actions and behaviors that may impact cancer outcomes; examples include eating health-promoting foods, limiting alcohol, increasing physical activity, and managing stress practices to help patients and professionals explore and integrate the best combination of conventionalthe cancer care offered by conventionally trained physicians and most hospitals; examples are chemotherapy, surgery, and radiotherapy and complementary therapies and practices for each person.

Our staff have no financial conflicts of interest to declare. We receive no funds from any manufacturers or retailers gaining financial profit by promoting or discouraging therapies mentioned on this site.