Integrative Oncology (IO) is a branch of Integrative Medicine (IM), which integrates the following evidence-based complementary practices into conventional medicine: biologically based practices; mind-body techniques; body manipulation; energetic practices and whole systems. The purpose of this article is to present the results of a critical literature review on the state of the art of IO. Two procedures for selecting the material were applied: a systematic literature review undertaken in the PubMed-MEDLINE, in which 26 articles were selected; a selection of books published since 2006, mentioned in the references of the selected articles and in exploratory interviews with specialists at two international events: the ninth conference of the Society of Integrative Oncology and the MD Observer Programme. In conclusion, firstly the concept of IO is already steadily being applied in the main North-American cancer health centers and there is a consistent bibliographic production concerning this new field of knowledge. Secondly, when combined with conventional care, the integrative modalities can stimulate the effectiveness and reduce the adverse symptoms of cancer.
medical oncology; neoplasms; complementary therapies; integrative medicine