Integrative approaches to breast oncology

This chapter explores integrative oncology approaches to breast cancer. In 2022, there were 2.3 million new cases of breast cancer, and it ranks as the second most diagnosed cancer in the world after lung cancer. Breast cancer risk is highest in industrialized nations like the United States, while mortality risk from breast cancer is highest in third world and transitioning countries. Global trends show breast cancer to be a largely lifestyle disease although genetic risk can dramatically influence individual risk. Early integration of evidence-based integrative therapies can improve quality of life and enhance treatment efficacy and overall survival through biobehavioral models. Emphasis is placed on how integration/implementation should start from the moment of diagnosis, as every cancer-related event is an opportunity for compassionate attention, reduction in anxiety/fear that can lead to poor decision making, and improved treatment fidelity and cancer-specific outcomes through the education, empowerment, and self-agency of each human being.