As a noncommunicable disease, cancer is the second leading cause of death in the world.1 The incidence of cancer has been increasing, especially in the developing countries. The global cancer burden is expected to increase by 28% in 2040, which will be 47% higher than in 2020.2 In Iran, cancer is the third most common cause of death after cardiovascular diseases and accidents,3,4 and the estimated mortality rate is 106.1 per 100,000 people (65 men and 41.1 women).5

Due to the growing trend of cancer in Iran and the relative success of medical and surgical treatment methods,6 traditional and complementary medicine (TCM) has become more popular with patients. Traditional medicine is defined as “a collection of knowledge, skills, and practices based on the theories, beliefs, and indigenous experiences of different cultures, which is used to maintain health, prevent, diagnose, recover, or cure physical and mental illnesses,” whereas complementary medicine is defined as “a broad collection of health care practice approaches which are not part of the tradition or the traditional medicine of that country, and are not fully integrated into the primary health care system.”7

Research in Iran shows that Iranians have a positive attitude toward complementary methods, and many of them use complementary treatment methods for cancer. To cope with the frequent problems caused by conventional treatments, cancer patients look for interventions such as complementary medicine and traditional medicine, which can be applied outside medical clinics.8 The main reasons behind the willingness to use complementary medicine include previous acquaintance with these methods, increasing the feeling of physical recovery, believing in the safety of these methods, believing in the ineffectiveness of treatment methods, worrying about the complications caused by chemical drugs,8 relieving pain or managing the treatment complications,9,10 as well as reducing the symptoms such as anxiety and fatigue.8 Among different types of patients, the highest rate of referring to TCM occurs in patients with breast or gastrointestinal cancers,11 of whom 29% were completely satisfied and 63% expressed their relative satisfaction with the use of TCM.10,11

Due to the lack of strong evidence proving the effectiveness of these treatments, patients who use these methods are exposed to the potential risks and the complications.8 In some cases, patients do not feel the need to continue treatment protocols and stop treatment early.12 In addition, these drugs may interfere with patients’ conventional treatments and reduce treatment effectiveness. Therefore, to ensure the safe and effective use of complementary drugs, the amount and manner of their use must be monitored.13 Care providers’ awareness of the current status of complementary drug use in cancer patients can lead to their becoming familiar with patient preferences and guiding them regarding making decisions about their use.14

Considering the benefits of using these methods along with conventional methods in the treatment and care of cancer on the one hand, and the need to prevent and manage the potential risks of the arbitrary and uncontrolled use of them has led to the development of an integrated model of cancer supportive care besides conventional methods.15,16 Integrative oncology (IO) provides physical, mental, and spiritual health by combining evidence-based complementary treatments with conventional therapeutic care, taking into account each patient's values and priorities.17 These services are provided under the guidance of care providers, who have been trained in both supportive care and TCM; their services include culture-sensitive, patient-centered, objective, and evidence-based guidance.18 Nevertheless, there is still widespread disagreement among care providers regarding whether such a model should be fully implemented in conventional oncology centers.15,19 In Iran, too, despite the patients’ willingness to use complementary and traditional methods, one of the main challenges in establishing IO has been challenges related to service providers.20

Considering the popularity of complementary and traditional medicine methods with cancer patients in Iran, and given the importance of identifying the reasons for not providing these types of care despite patient desire, and the results of recent studies that show the development of IO in developed countries, identifying the barriers to the provision of these services by care providers is crucial. The present study aims to explain and determine the use of IO from the perspective of cancer care providers.