REVIEW article
Front. Nat. Prod.
Sec. Biological Activities of Natural Products
Volume 4 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fntpr.2025.1635197
This article is part of the Research TopicBridging Traditional and Modern Medicine: The Role of Botanicals in HealthcareView all 5 articles
A Review on Integrative Approaches in Oncology: Bridging Ayurvedic Medicine and Modern Cancer Therapeutics
Provisionally accepted
Sudhanshu Kumar Jha1
Neha Singh1Ozasvi R Shanker1Ishika Antil2Jaydeep Singh Baghel3
Vitthal Huddar1*
Richa Tripathi1*- 1All India Institute of Ayurveda, University of Delhi, New Delhi, India
- 2Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, Kurukshetra University, Haryana, India
- 3Chameli Devi Institute of Pharmacy, Indore, India
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Background: Common malignancies such as breast, lung, colorectal, prostate, and stomach cancers significantly contribute to cancer related death worldwide. Although conventional therapies including chemotherapy, radiotherapy, immunotherapy, and targeted agents have substantially improved cancer outcomes, their effectiveness is often constrained by off-target toxicities, therapeutic resistance, and limited efficacy in advanced-stage disease.Objective: This review explores the potential of Ayurvedic formulations and bioactive phytochemicals alongside modern cancer treatments to enhance the safety and efficacy of cancer therapies.The review highlights recent advancements in both conventional and alternative cancer treatments, focusing on the pharmacological properties of Ayurvedic botanicals and their integration with modern oncology through translational research and precision medicine.Results: Ayurvedic plants like Phyllanthus emblica (Amalaki), Piper nigrum (Piperine), Withania somnifera (Ashwagandha) and Curcuma longa (Haridra) contain bioactive phytochemicals that exhibit anti-proliferative, pro-apoptotic, and anti-metastatic effects, effectively targeting key cancer hallmarks. These phytochemicals are integrated into evidence-based oncology through reverse pharmacology. Modern oncology complements this approach with immunotherapies like Pembrolizumab and CAR-T cell therapies, targeted therapies such as Bevacizumab and Dabrafenib, and precision medicines like Imatinib, Trastuzumab, and Osimertinib. Additionally, hormonal therapies, along with innovations like radiopharmaceuticals and PARP inhibitors, expand the range of therapeutic options.Integrating Ayurvedic phytochemicals with modern oncology provides a comprehensive framework for overcoming the limits of existing cancer treatments. This integrative approach enhances the safety, efficacy, and personalization of cancer medicines by combining conventional knowledge with new advances to generate creative cancer care.
Keywords: Ayurveda, Cancer, Integrative approach, phytochemicals, Molecular signaling mechanism
Received: 26 May 2025; Accepted: 23 Jul 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Jha, Singh, Shanker, Antil, Baghel, Huddar and Tripathi. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Vitthal Huddar, All India Institute of Ayurveda, University of Delhi, New Delhi, India
Richa Tripathi, All India Institute of Ayurveda, University of Delhi, New Delhi, India
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.