According to Susan F. Sencer, in Integrative Pediatrics, by Timothy P. Culbert and Karen Olness, there are about 10,000 children under the age of twenty in the United States who will be diagnosed with cancer every year. That is hard to comprehend! What can families do to navigate the care options for their child? Are there any Integrated Medicine (IM) options that might be explored? I am going to summarize what I learned from reading the chapter on Pediatric Oncology in the above-mentioned book. My most important take away: Integrative Medicine is not usually used as the primary method of treating cancer, but some families use Integrative Medicine as a tool to help their child who has cancer.

Personal Story

While I do not personally know any child who currently has cancer, I do have a friend whose grandchild has it and I have known many people who have been diagnosed with it. Only God knows why some people are healed or have a good quality of life and who others are very sick or die from cancer. There are many ways people choose to face their cancer diagnosis. It must be even harder for families when their child is the one who has cancer. We will explore some options for Integrated Medicine that we could discuss with our family’s health care team if we ever have a child or grandchild with cancer.

Do Families Choose Integrated Medicine?

More than half of children treated for cancer in the US use some form of Integrated Medicine chosen by their parents to treat symptoms.

More than 75% of cancers are treatable with radiation therapy, conventional chemotherapy, and/or surgery. Oncologists can be afraid of alternative integrative medicine and discourage the use of IM because they believe it could interfere with the survival of children. One concern about IM is interaction of herbal preparations or supplements with chemotherapy or radiology therapy. Children and young adults get the best care from a pediatric cancer center connected with the Children’s Oncology Group (OCG).

What Are Common Pediatric Cancers?

Common pediatric cancers are leukemia and brain cancer. Here are some percentages:

• 25%- acute lymphoblastic leukemia
• 50% of cancer is from a combination of brain cancer and acute myelogenous leukemia (AML)

What Integrative Medicine Modalities Can Be Employed?

Common modalities used with children are massage, mind-body therapy, nutritional supplements, prayer, spiritual healing, and vitamins.

What Is the Role of an Integrative Oncologist?

The role of the integrative oncologist is to answer the parent and child’s questions the best they can. The following are some of the questions the family might have:

Causation- Help parents know it was not anything they ate, smoked, drank, or where they lived that caused the cancer. Genetics do sometime have an influence on cancers developing. For example, Down’s Syndrome kids might develop cancer at a later age.

Nutrition- Parents want to know what to feed their children and what foods to avoid. Obesity can predispose a child to hypoglycemia. Both hypoglycemia and obesity can worsen outcomes. Changing a child’s diet to a wholesome, hormone-free diet during a time of stressful cancer diagnosis can be difficult, but small steps can be possible. Under a registered dietitian, the entire family can make changes toward eating fresh whole foods together. Supplements are a secondary concern to boost good nutrition.

Supportive Care- The psychoneuroimmune (PNI) model identifies complex interactions among behavior, endocrine function, immune function, and neural networks. It then seeks to understand how the body reacts to stressors. IM can help children and adults modify their responses to stress of different kinds, leading to controlled responses, participation in care, and a sense of comfort. Those deciding IM modalities should consider the patient’s developmental stage of life.

Symptom relief is often the backbone of supported care. Research supports mind-body therapies being useful. Here is a list of symptoms from cancer therapy in children and some supports to consider:

Nausea and vomiting related to chemotherapy (CINV)- Acupuncture or wristbands, acustimulation, acupressure, aromatherapy (there is a lack of studies for pediatric use of ginger, spearmint, and peppermint), and herbal preparations such as ginger.

Malnutrition- Radiation therapy and chemotherapy may result in severe loss of appetite and weight loss. A nutritionist can counsel parents about healthy foods. The wasting effect of cachexia is associated with cancer treatments. Essential Fatty Acids, particularly Omega-3 fatty acids, show mixed study results in relation to cancer. The only side effect for EFAs has to do with mercury found in the fish.

Constipation- If the chemotherapy included vincristine, constipation can be a problem. Studies have not been done specifically on children with cancer, but studies using biofeedback for children with chronic constipation have shown encouraging results. Abdominal massage and yoga have also been found to be helpful. Physical activity is helpful, especially if the child has participated in sports or other pursuits previously. A bonus of activity is positive effects on depression, fatigue, and neuropathy. Dietary fiber and herbs used as laxatives could be considered with a professional’s guidance.

Diarrhea- Colostrum and probiotics may have beneficial effects.

Mucositis, the breaking down of the mucosal barrier, can lead to infection. Glutamine is a supplement that is routinely used to reduce the severity and duration of mucositis in children who have cancer.

Neuropathy- Vitamin E and Glutamine have been reported to help neuropathy in adults who have cancer. This is being studied in children.

Fatigue- Consider increasing physical exercise to decrease fatigue if the doctor gives permission. L-carnitine has been studied and reduced fatigue in hospice patients with no adverse events. Studies are needed for pediatrics.

Pain- Pediatric trained staff can evaluate pain in children. Mine-body therapies are acceptable for children and adults with cancer. Acupuncture has been shown to be effective in reducing anxiety and pain. Massage has been shown to be effective in reducing pain in adults who have cancer.

Anxiety-Insomnia- Some herbals have been used effectively with adults but haven’t been studied for use with children with cancer. Two products with some promise are valerian and the supplement melatonin. Aromatherapy use of lavender has some sedative effects that help deep sleep and greater drowsiness and relaxation. Progressive muscle relaxation has been studied and shown effective for improving sleep for people with insomnia.

Parents have many questions about how to help their children who have cancer. Health care professionals can help them by giving truthful information to consider.

Action

If a family is faced with a child’s cancer diagnosis, the best thing to do is pray and as God for guidance as they research, learn about their options, and be proactive to dialog with each member of their health care team to get facts that will help them make decisions.

May God bless your healthful endeavors!

Joni

P.S. Do you know anyone who has a child with cancer? What have they done to help their child?