Integration of conventional medicine with holistic medicine: personalized approach, integrative concept
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.52692/1857-0011.2025.2-82.49Keywords:
concept, conventional medicine, holistic medicine, integrative medicine, personalized medicineAbstract
In recent decades, conventional medicine has made remarkable advances in the diagnosis and treatment of acute and chronic diseases. However, a significant number of patients continue to experience residual symptoms, poor quality of life, or adverse reactions to standardized therapies. In this context, there is a growing trend toward integrating classical medicine with scientifically validated complementary approaches, within a patient-centered model tailored to individual biotypes. This article explores the scientific rationale for such integration, outlines the principles of personalized intervention, and illustrates its applicability through a documented clinical case of an oncology patient undergoing adjuvant therapy. Comparative tables of biological parameters and quality-of-life assessments are included, alongside a critical discussion of the limits and prospects of integrative medicine.
References
Hunter DJ, Reddy KS. Noncommunicable diseases. In: N Engl J Med. 2013, 369(14), p. 1336-1343.
Block KI, Gyllenhaal C. Integrative therapies in cancer: Modulation of the tumor microenvironment. In: Integr Cancer Ther. 2015, 14(3) p. 228-240.
Seely D, Singh R, et al. A systematic review of integrative oncology programs. In: Curr Oncol. 2012, 19(3), p. e208-e222.
Leroy EC, Routhier F. The Systems Biology Revolution. In: Nature Rev Mol Cell Biol. 2018, 19(6), p. 400-414.
Witt CM et al. Integrative medicine in oncology: evidence, challenges and future directions. In: Nature Rev Clin Oncol. 2017, 14, p. 536-548.
Esposito K, et al. Anti-inflammatory effects of Mediterranean diet: the experience of the PREDIMED study. In: Proc Nutr Soc. 2010, 69(3), p. 331-336.
Kharat M, Du Z. Curcumin and health: a review. In: Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2020, 60(2), p. 172-180.
Ulbricht C, et al. An evidence-based systematic review of boswellia. In: J Diet Suppl. 2008, 5(2), p. 193-208.
Yan J, et al. Intravenous high-dose vitamin C for cancer therapy: a systematic review. In: Nutrients. 2022, 14(2), p. 350.
Forman HJ, Zhang H. Targeting oxidative stress in disease. In: Nat Rev Drug Discov. 2021, 20(9), p. 689- 709.
Horneber M, et al. Complementary therapies in cancer: what is evidence-based? In: CA Cancer J Clin. 2012, 62(3), p. 170-193.
Ben-Arye E, et al. Complementary medicine in the supportive care of oncology patients. In: J Natl Cancer Inst Monogr. 2017, 52, p. 85-91.
Deng G, et al. Integrative medicine therapies in patients with head and neck cancer. In: J Soc Integr Oncol. 2008, 6(3), p. 102-109.
Dobos GJ, et al. Integrative oncology in Europe. In: J Tradit Chin Med Sci. 2021;8(3), p. 203-210.
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center – Integrative Medicine Service. [mskcc.org]
Bao T, et al. Complementary and alternative medicine in oncology. In: J Natl Cancer Inst Monogr. 2020, 2020(55), p. 54-61.
Ben-Arye E, et al. Integration of complementary medicine into supportive cancer care. In: Eur J Integr Med. 2013, 5(1), p. 58-62.
Kalapatapu VR, et al. Glutathione in chemotherapy - induced neuropathy. In: J Oncol Pharm Pract. 2022, 28(1), p. 56-63.
Cicero AFG, et al. Berberine and metabolic syndrome. In: Nutrients. 2021, 13(9). p. 2933.
Sharma P, et al. Traditional antidiabetic plants. In: J Ethnopharmacol. 2020, 261, p. 113157.
Smith M, et al. Natural supplements in aging males. In: Aging Male. 2018, 21(3), p. 161-168.
Furman D, et al. Chronic inflammation in the etiology of disease. In: Nat Med. 2019, 25(12), p. 1822-1832.
Zhang Y, et al. Epigenetic regulation of immune genes. In: Front Immunol. 2021, 12, p. 632772.
Spelman K, et al. Modulation of cytokines by phytotherapeutic agents. In: J Ethnopharmacol. 2006, 109(2), p. 199-205.
Hood L, Friend SH. P4 cancer medicine. In: Nat Rev Clin Oncol. 2011, 8(3), p. 184-187.
López-Lázaro M. Luteolin distribution and biological activity. In: Mini Rev Med Chem. 2009, 9(1), p. 31-59.
Horwitz RI, et al. From evidence-based to medicine- based evidence. In: Am J Med. 2017, 130(11), p. 1246- 1250.
Jameson JL, Longo DL. Precision medicine. In: N Engl J Med. 2015, 372, p. 2229-2234.
Epstein RM, Street RL. Patient-centered care. In: Ann Fam Med. 2011, 9(2), p. 100-103.
Laidlaw TM, et al. Inflammation in chronic disease. In: J Intern Med. 2021, 289(5), p. 560-578.
De Mello VD, et al. Diet and inflammation. In: Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. 2019, 22(5), p. 385-392.
Aggarwal BB, et al. Curcumin: the Indian solid gold. In: Adv Exp Med Biol. 2007, 595, p. 1-75.
Ulbricht C, Basch E. Ganoderma lucidum review. In: J Diet Suppl. 2010, 7(4), p. 365-439.
Mikirova N, et al. IV vitamin C in cancer. In: J Transl Med. 2013, 11, p. 191.
Foster JA, et al. Microbiome and anxiety. In: Trends Neurosci. 2013, 36(5), p. 305-312.
Pizzorno J. Detoxification strategies. In: Integr Med (Encinitas). 2015, 14(1), p. 8-16.
Downloads
Published
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Bulletin of the Academy of Sciences of Moldova. Medical Sciences

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
