The wisdom is clear. No secrets. Yet too many people don’t know the truths. For people with cancer creating a map toward optimal health and healing, key components must address the whole person.
Defining Integrative Cancer Care
Integrative cancer care addresses the totality of body, mind, and spirit, including social and environmental health, for each individual. All of these aspects of your health and life are constantly interacting together, influencing one another, and interdependently shaping who you are.
Understanding the dimensions of integrative cancer care provides insights into addressing whole person cancer care.
Whole Body Care
Research studies have shown for many years that cancer grows in a hospitable environment in the body supporting cancerous cells. The internal physical environment strongly impacts whether or not cancer grows in each person. For many, cancer is a symptom of an altered, unbalanced system. The focus then expands from the cancer diagnosis to also include the environmental condition of the entire physical body. Along with necessary and appropriate cancer treatments for the diagnosis and symptoms, people affected by cancer need whole person, integrative cancer care.
Mind-Body Balance
The quality of your mind and emotions affects health due to the mind-body connection. Research shows that no separation exists between the mind and body. The body feeds the mind and the mind feeds the body. Since feelings, thoughts, beliefs, actions, and ego impact and literally shape aspects of biological functioning, studies indicate that mind-body vitality strengthens the mental and emotional inner life supporting optimal health and healing. Empower yourself with information and practices about mind-body wellness.
Spiritual Connection and Support
Most people perceive that they are connected to something larger than themselves and engage contact with spirit. There is a sense of being whole when spirit is united with the body. Since healing is about wholeness, spirituality is an essential component of an integrative cancer care plan addressing the whole person.
Social Wellness
For everyone, cancer is a social issue impacting the entire community. When cancer is in the picture, new perceptions and social experiences emerge. People dealing with cancer, including patients, families, and friends, endure a range of social challenges and opportunities. Social issues that existed before cancer may also intensify during and after cancer. Learning about and providing support for social issues is a part of quality cancer care. Psychological and psychosocial support improves quality of life and cancer survival.
Environmental Health
Today’s world contains high levels of environmental carcinogens. Each person must take steps to safeguard against toxic chemicals associated with diseases such as cancer. Addressing the link between cancer and the environment is central to advancing cancer risk reduction and for anyone already with the disease.
Improving Cancer Care
Everyone has the capacity to understand that health is about more than one part of the body and instead encompasses the many dimensions of self. This wisdom must be applied to cancer care and especially as studies show that integrative cancer care reduces cancer risk, improves cancer survival, and quality of life.
There are too many people with cancer that are not receiving the level of cancer care they need and deserve. Now is the time for more widespread innovation in supporting people with cancer. Integrative cancer care is that model. You can play a key role in improving lives and advancing integrative cancer care for the whole person. How will you create an integrative cancer care wellness program? Do you need a coach and navigator? What will you do for your health?
