Closing the gap: the evolving landscape of integrative oncology education in the United States

Abstract

Integrative oncology (IO), an evidence informed field that uses mind-body practices, natural products, and lifestyle modification alongside conventional cancer care, has entered a new phase of educational development. The Society for Integrative Oncology–American Society of Clinical Oncology joint clinical practice guidelines on pain, anxiety/depression, and fatigue have sharpened the need for an oncology workforce prepared to counsel patients on evidence-based integrative therapies. Historically, formal integrative oncology-specific training has been sparse, as seen in a published national needs assessment citing that 85.4% of oncology physicians, fellows, and program directors had little or no prior training in integrative medicine in 2022. However, this educational landscape has begun to change rapidly. The Academic Consortium for Integrative Medicine and Health now recognize oncology-specific fellowships, with two board eligible physician fellowship programs now available in the US: the Integrative Medicine in Hematology Oncology fellowship and the Integrative Oncology Scholars Program. Additionally, the (IOS) program offers a multi-disciplinary certificate track. Multiple continuing IO medical education programs have been launched across leading cancer centers, and a comprehensive IO textbook has recently been published. This narrative review maps the current IO educational infrastructure in the United States for physicians, examines competency frameworks and emerging need for curriculum standards for multiple professions, catalogues available resources, identifies persistent barriers to workforce development, and proposes priorities for the field’s next phase.