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 <i>et al</i> 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.