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Integrative Oncology Approaches to Supporting Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Treatment of Solid Tumours

The goal of this review was to examine the role and practical applications of integrative oncology strategies in supporting immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) treatment of adult solid tumours.

Recent Findings Beyond tumour-intrinsic factors, several patient-associated factors afect ICI response, including germline genetics, systemic infammation, the gut microbiota, and diet. Current promising supportive interventions include a Mediterranean-style diet with over 20 g of fbre, regular exercise, use of live biotherapeutics, minimisation of PPI and antibiotic use, and ensuring vitamin D repletion, with many other integrative oncology approaches under study. Caution around medical cannabis use in patients on ICIs is advised due to previously documented adverse impact on overall survival, while VAE (Viscum album extract) therapy studies have not highlighted any safety concerns so far.

Cannabis Consumption Used by Cancer Patients during Immunotherapy Correlates with Poor Clinical Outcome

Authors: Gil Bar-Sela, Cohen Idan, Salvatore Campisi-Pinto, Gil M Lewitus Published in Cancers August 2020 Abstract Cannabis or its derivatives are widely used by patients with cancer to help with…

The effect of concomitant cannabinoids during immune checkpoint inhibitor treatment of advanced stage malignancy.

Authors: Adam Biedny, Susan Szpunar, Ahmed Abdalla, Zyad Kafri, Tarik H. Hadid Published in Journal of Clinical Oncology May 2020   Abstract Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors are used in treatment…