Via practica 4/2021

Non-pharmacological therapy of patient with cancer

Non-pharmacological therapy is an important organic part of systemic anticancer therapy (including chemotherapy, biological therapies like stem cell transplant, hormonal treatment), radiotherapy and surgical cancer treatment. Comprehensive cancer treatment can be delivered and completed only with a full support of these non-pharmacological interventions in order to control or cure cancer disease. Some of the most important modalities of non-pharmacological therapies are nutrition of patients with cancer, regular exercise and psycho-oncology interventions like logotherapy by prof. Viktor Frankl from Vienna University, forgiveness therapy by prof. Robert Enright from Wisconsin and Madison University and management of depression covered by clinical evidence-based medicine guidelines. General practitioners can improve comfort, quality of life of patients with cancer and outcomes of their comprehensive cancer treatment not only by prescribing supportive medication but also non-pharmacological interventions, supported by evidence-based medicine data which are described in this review paper.

Keywords: nutrition of cancer patient, exercise of cancer patient, psycho-oncology, logotherapy, forgiveness therapy, depression of cancer patient