An Integrative Healthcare Program for Cancer Patients: Longitudinal Effects on Emotional Health and Immune Function

Evidence supports potential short-term benefits of integrative healthcare (IH) for cancer patients, which combines conventional Western medicine with adjunctive, complementary treatments; however, the long-term efficacy of IH has not been systematically studied. The current study examined the short- and long-term effectiveness of IH for cancer patients, relative to treatment as usual (TAU), in improving emotional and immune health. Also examined were systematic differences at baseline (i.e., emotional distress, sociodemographic and cancer variables) associated with IH usage. Patients were recruited from a University Medical Center (n = 178) and were eligible to participate irrespective of cancer diagnosis and stage. Patients opted to continue TAU or engage in an IH program. Patients were assessed at three intervals (baseline, 3-month and 12-month follow-up). A subset of the sample (29%; n = 52) was randomized to a blood draw condition. Forty percent of the sample utilized IH services between baseline and 12-month follow-up. Logistic regression analyses revealed patients utilizing IH services (0 = no usage; 1 = 1+ times) presented with higher baseline depression and anxiety. Improvements in health-related quality of life (HRQOL) were evidenced at T2 for IH participants, but were not maintained at T3. Exploratory analyses at T2 revealed psychotherapy contributes to greater reductions in depression and anxiety scores, relative to other services (i.e., massage and acupuncture). Overall, findings offer preliminary but limited support for short-term benefits of IH in improving HRQOL and suggest that integrating psychotherapy and IH may be worth further consideration for mitigating depression and anxiety in cancer patients.