Integrative Oncology Services

Integrative oncology services are therapies that are designed to be used together with your traditional medical treatment to boost your quality of life. Integrative oncology is a specialty of integrative medicine, and includes services like nurse navigation, acupuncture, therapeutic yoga, integrative nutrition and rehabilitative wellness services.

Our integrative oncology services are centered around you. Your challenges and goals are unique, and your integrative oncology plan will be, too.

Perhaps you want to improve your ability to cope with side effects of treatment, calm anxiety or boost your body image. We’ll consider your overall well-being using seven key aspects of health (sleep, resilience, purpose, environment, spirituality, nutrition and exercise) to identify the integrative oncology services that can help you meet your goals. Once we have a better understanding of your whole health and what you want to accomplish, we’ll connect you with services that can benefit you.

• Acupuncture. An ancient complementary medicine practice, acupuncture involves inserting small needles into different points in the body. Acupuncture may help reduce symptoms related to cancer treatment, such as nausea, vomiting and pain.

• Body image and sexual wellness services. Treatment for breast, gynecologic, colorectal and other cancers can leave patients feeling less confident about their appearance and sexual function. We work with patients and their partners to find solutions to scarring, vaginal dryness and other barriers to a healthy body image and sexual intimacy.

• Mental and emotional wellness services. Cancer can leave you feeling stressed, anxious or depressed. We offer a variety of services to help manage the mental and emotional effects of cancer. We offer music and art therapy, as well as psychiatry and behavioral health services, which include cognitive behavioral therapy, stress management, mindfulness and meditation.

• Rehabilitative wellness services. Need help building strength or finding new ways to perform everyday tasks? Rehab wellness services can help. Physical therapists, for example, can improve your strength, balance and range of motion, boost safety around the home, help prevent complications after surgery, and manage lymphedema and pelvic floor symptoms, such as urinary incontinence, pelvic pressure and pain during sex. Occupational therapists can help you optimize your ability to perform activities of daily living, such as cooking and driving. Speech therapists can treat problems with speaking, swallowing and communicating.

• Counseling about sleep habits and patterns. Insomnia is a common side effect of cancer treatment. We can provide recommendations to help you improve your sleep quality and quantity.

• Therapeutic yoga. A good form of exercise, yoga can help you stay active while building strength and reducing stress.

• Nutrition and weight management services. Whether your goal is to be as healthy as possible or to lose weight, we offer group and individual services designed to help you make healthy lifestyle changes. Our services for cancer patients include dietary recommendations, suggestions for foods you should incorporate into your diet, recipe sharing and advice about reducing your specific cancer risks through diet. We can also guide you through cancer treatment with advice on foods and supplements you should take or avoid based on your unique treatment plan and any side effects you are experiencing.

• Social support and financial counseling services. A nurse navigator will guide you through your cancer journey, providing education, support and answers to your questions. A social worker can offer an extra layer of support, assist in finding solutions to challenges hindering care and connect you with helpful community resources. Financial counseling can help keep concerns about payment from standing in the way of healing.

• Support groups. Connect with and find inspiration from fellow patients or survivors who understand what you’re going through.

We offer integrative oncology services in New Orleans, and Covington, as well as virtual visits for patients in Mississippi. Find a location near you.

Anyone who has received a cancer diagnosis and has a referral from a doctor is eligible for these services.

Integrative oncology uses evidence-based services to improve your quality of life by helping you meet individualized well-being goals. These services do not take the place of cancer treatment — rather, they take place alongside treatment to help you thrive. Integrative medicine cannot cure cancer, but it can help you enjoy a happier, healthier life during treatment and survivorship.

Yes. A doctor with board certification in integrative medicine helps oversee integrative oncology services at Ochsner.

Like integrative oncology services, palliative care involves a multidisciplinary team with a goal of improving quality of life for people with cancer. However, palliative care is not solely focused on treating patients with cancer, as is the case with integrative oncology. Palliative care is specialized care for patients who have a chronic illness, like cancer, that focuses on symptom relief and improved quality of life. Integrative oncology services, on the other hand, encompass all aspects of health.