Integrating traditional therapies into palliative oncology care: Insights from bottle gourd moxibustion and umbilical therapy

Cancer-related incomplete bowel obstruction presents a significant challenge in oncology, with conventional palliative treatments often proving insufficient in alleviating symptoms and controlling inflammation. In this issue, Wu et al report that bottle gourd moxibustion combined with umbilical therapy (BGM-UT) leads to notable improvement in gastrointestinal recovery, reduced opioid dependency, and lower key inflammatory cytokine levels. These findings suggest that BGM-UT may help interrupt the cycle of pain, opioid side effects, and bowel dysfunction, and could be associated with systemic anti-inflammatory effects. Beyond its clinical implications, this work highlights the possibility that evidence-supported traditional therapies may be integrated into modern oncology care. However, the retrospective, single-center design highlights the need for future prospective, multicenter trials and mechanistic studies. If validated in future studies, BGM-UT may emerge as a promising complementary treatment, offering a potentially less invasive and patient-centered approach that warrants further scientific evaluation.