Exploring Oncology Referral Practices for Complementary and Alternative Medicine: A Scoping Review

The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies is becoming increasingly popular among patients with cancer; however, referrals to CAM by oncologists remain infrequent. There is limited synthesis of oncologists' perspectives on CAM use and referral practices, despite availability of empirical studies with inconsistent findings. This scoping review aims to map the literature regarding oncologists' attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors toward CAM, with a specific focus on factors influencing referral practices.

We conducted a scoping literature review in accordance with the Joanna Briggs Institute guidelines. The protocol was registered with the Open Science Framework. We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, AMED, PsycINFO, Web of Science, and Scopus databases from January 1, 1990, to February 2026. Eligible studies were peer-reviewed articles examining oncologists' perspectives on CAM use for adults with cancer.

Out of 11,853 studies identified, 13 studies were included. Three domains were structured: Commonly referred CAM categories (natural products, mind-body practices, whole medical system, manipulative and body-based therapies, and creative art therapies); views of oncologists on CAM use (presuppositions about CAM integration, information sources and personal use, gender differences, role of workplace in CAM referral, self-reported spirituality and personal beliefs, and facilitators and barriers to CAM referral.

While oncologists expressed willingness to integrate CAM for curable cancers, educational, evidence-related, and safety-driven barriers continued to impede their referral decisions. Future research should focus on examining the specific nature of barriers to practitioner collaboration and ways to address the gaps identified in the current evidence base.