On the occasion of National Cancer Awareness Day, Padma Shri Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, Secretary, Ministry of Ayush, speaks to THE WEEK about how Ayurveda and other traditional systems are being integrated into India’s oncology landscape.
In this detailed conversation, he outlines the Ministry’s vision for evidence-based integrative oncology, ongoing collaborations with premier cancer institutes like Tata Memorial Centre, and the growing role of personalised, Prakriti-based approaches in cancer care and recovery.
Q: How does the Ministry of Ayush envision the role of Ayurveda in India’s evolving oncology landscape?
A: The Ministry of Ayush is the Government of India’s nodal ministry responsible for the development, education, research, regulation and global promotion of traditional Indian medical systems — Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, Sowa-Rigpa and Homoeopathy.
A recent NSSO Survey (2022–2023) found that 40.5 per cent of rural and 45.5 per cent of urban respondents used Ayurveda for the prevention or treatment of ailments, making it the most commonly used system across both rural and urban areas.
Cancer incidence continues to rise in India. The estimated number of incident cancer cases in 2022 was 14,61,427 (crude rate: 100.4 per 100,000). Many patients use culturally familiar and lower-cost traditional practices—such as yoga, meditation, and herbal medicine—alongside their cancer treatments. Since 2002, the WHO Traditional Medicine Strategy has encouraged member nations to recognise and integrate traditional, complementary, and integrative medicines (TCIMs) within national health systems.
In this context, the Ministry envisions Ayurveda and other Ayush systems as safe, evidence-based, and supportive components of cancer care. Ayurveda offers approaches such as Rasayana for rejuvenation, palliative care practices, dietary and lifestyle guidance, and strong support for mental and emotional well-being. These strengths directly address major patient needs—reducing treatment-related side effects, improving quality of life, enhancing immunity, and aiding recovery and rehabilitation.
Ayush can play a stronger role in integrative oncology by standardising formulations, conducting collaborative research with major cancer centres, training professionals in oncology-oriented Ayurveda practice, and creating Ayush units within cancer hospitals. With scientific validation and proper protocols, Ayurveda can complement modern oncology to provide holistic, patient-centred care for India’s growing cancer burden.
Q: What prompted the government to support integrative oncology research — combining Ayurveda with mainstream cancer treatment?
A: The government’s support for integrative oncology research was driven by several key factors. Cancer patients often face unmet needs such as physical discomfort, emotional distress, and poor quality of life. Many already rely on traditional practices like yoga, meditation, or herbal remedies to cope with their treatment journey. Recognising this widespread patient behaviour, expert bodies like the ICMR and the Parliamentary Standing Committee recommended that Ayush therapies be studied scientifically to understand their benefits and limitations.
Current cancer care, especially in low- and middle-income regions, faces major challenges: limited access to early screening, trained oncologists, advanced treatments, and supportive care. This makes it essential to explore safe, accessible, and cost-effective supportive options that can work alongside mainstream treatments and reduce suffering.
The 139th Parliamentary Standing Committee Report specifically highlighted the potential role of Ayush systems in cancer care and called for their meaningful integration with modern medicine. It also recommended better training for Ayush professionals, stronger research infrastructure, and adequate funding to build scientific evidence. Accordingly, the Ministry prioritised collaborative research with leading oncology institutions to document, validate, and safely integrate Ayurveda and other Ayush systems into cancer care.
Q: How did the collaboration between CCRAS and ACTREC (Tata Memorial Centre) come about?
A: The Central Ayurveda Research Institute (CARI), Mumbai, under CCRAS, has a specific mandate to undertake research on Ayurvedic interventions for cancer, develop evidence-based formulations, and work with major hospitals for clinical validation. In line with this mandate, CCRAS–CARI Mumbai signed an MoU with Tata Memorial Centre (TMC) to collaborate on research and development in Ayurveda for cancer care, creating a structured platform for long-term scientific studies and patient-focused integrative oncology work.
The main activities include joint preclinical, translational and clinical studies, drug discovery support, joint clinics, and developing Centres of Excellence for Ayush-based cancer care.
Q: What are the key research projects currently underway under this collaboration — for example, studies on Ayurvedic formulations used alongside chemotherapy?
A: Several important research projects are currently underway under the CCRAS–TMC collaboration. These include Phase-II clinical trials such as the Carctol-S study in ovarian cancer, which assesses how the Ayurvedic formulation affects treatment outcomes, reduces toxicity, and supports immune function.
The partnership is also conducting Prakriti-based studies in breast cancer, as well as gut microbiome and metabolomics research to understand how individual body types respond to treatment. Other trials are exploring Ayurvedic formulations as supportive therapies alongside chemotherapy or radiotherapy to evaluate their safety, potential to reduce side effects, and impact on patients’ quality of life. Many of these projects are listed on the Ayurveda Integrated Framework for Cancer (AIFC) portal.
Q: How are traditional formulations being standardised, tested, and validated through scientific protocols?
A: Evidence generation is crucial. The classical process of drug development involves various stages of preclinical and clinical trials. Traditional formulations used in clinical studies undergo preclinical studies to understand their mechanisms of action. The CCRAS guidelines for drug development are followed for standardisation and validation, along with ICMR biomedical ethics guidelines.
Q: What parameters are being used to measure efficacy — reduction in toxicity, improved quality of life, or survival outcomes?
A: The clinical studies under the CCRAS–TMC collaboration use a range of scientific parameters to evaluate the effectiveness of Ayurvedic interventions in integrative oncology. The key focus areas include reduction in treatment-related toxicity—such as relief from chemotherapy- or radiation-induced side effects like mucositis, nausea, fatigue, vomiting, and appetite loss.
Researchers also track symptom scores and use validated quality-of-life (QoL) assessment tools to measure improvements in overall well-being and emotional health. In addition, immunological and molecular biomarkers are monitored to understand how Ayurvedic formulations influence immune response or cellular recovery during treatment. The parameters capture both clinical benefits and measurable biological evidence, ensuring findings are robust and aligned with modern research standards.
Q: Is the Ministry encouraging studies on the gut microbiome and Prakriti-based personalisation of cancer treatment?
A: Yes. The Ministry of Ayush is encouraging studies on both the gut microbiome and Prakriti-based personalised cancer care, as these align with Ayurveda’s core principles. Under the CCRAS–TMC collaboration, researchers are examining how a patient’s Prakriti (constitution) may influence cancer risk, treatment tolerance, and clinical outcomes.
Parallel research on the gut microbiome and metabolomics explores how cancer treatments disrupt gut health and immunity, and whether Ayurvedic Prakriti-based interventions can help restore balance or improve treatment responses. These efforts demonstrate the Ministry’s commitment to building a scientific, personalised integrative oncology framework.
Q: What kind of budget has been allocated to integrative oncology research?
A: The Ministry supports integrative oncology research primarily through its research councils (such as CCRAS) and national institutes, which allocate funds from their annual budgets for cancer-related studies, clinical trials, and collaborations with institutions like TMC and AIIMS.
Q: Are there plans to establish dedicated “Integrative Oncology Centres” in major cancer hospitals across India?
A: Yes. The Ministry of Ayush has established dedicated Integrative Oncology Centres and services at the AIIA–AIIMS Centre for Integrative Oncology in Delhi, the Ayurveda Cancer Care Unit at AIIA–Goa, the Integrative Oncology Unit at NCI–AIIMS, and a Centre of Excellence at ACTREC/Tata Memorial Centre.
Q: What steps are being taken to ensure safety, quality control, and ethical oversight in the trials of Ayurvedic formulations for cancer patients?
A: Good Clinical Practices for Clinical Trials in Ayurveda, Siddha, and Unani Medicines (GCP-ASU), along with CCRAS guidelines for drug development, safety, toxicity, and clinical evaluation, are mandatory principles followed during trials.
A recent ICMR addendum on ethical requirements for integrative medicine mandates the inclusion of Ayush experts on Ethics Committees and provides streamlined guidance for the use of approved Ayush products in research. The AIFC portal offers standardised documentation of studies, formulations, and outcomes. Together, these mechanisms strengthen safety, quality control, and ethical oversight in integrative oncology research.
Q: How is the Ministry addressing skepticism among allopathic oncologists about the scientific basis of Ayurvedic formulations?
A: The Ministry is working with leading cancer hospitals—such as AIIMS, Tata Memorial Centre, NCI, and AIIMS Nagpur—to jointly conduct clinical trials and safety evaluations. This collaborative approach allows both Ayush and oncology experts to review and understand the evidence together.
To strengthen credibility, the Ministry supports randomised controlled trials, preclinical studies, and biomarker research, ensuring results are published in peer-reviewed journals and shared at conferences. Capacity-building programmes train Ayush researchers in clinical trial methods, ethics, and oncology basics, enabling them to contribute effectively to multidisciplinary teams.
The Ministry also collaborates with international organisations like the NCI and maintains transparent documentation through the AIFC portal. These steps are helping build trust, mutual understanding, and a shared scientific foundation where modern oncology and Ayurveda can work together for the benefit of patients.
Q: Do you see integrative oncology becoming part of India’s National Cancer Control Programme?
A: Yes. Considering the rising demand for supportive, patient-centred cancer care and the growing role of integrative oncology in major institutions, there is strong potential for its inclusion in India’s National Cancer Control Programme. Patients increasingly seek safe, holistic therapies—such as Ayurveda, yoga, and lifestyle interventions—to manage side effects and improve quality of life. This trend, along with the global shift toward integrative and personalised care, creates an important opportunity for Ayush systems.
Q: Are there any preliminary results or patient case studies that demonstrate the success of this integrative approach?
A: Yes. Clinical studies and randomised trials have shown that adding Ayurveda-based supportive care and yoga to standard cancer treatment can improve patients’ quality of life and reduce chemotherapy- and radiation-related side effects such as nausea, mucositis, and fatigue.
In a study conducted by TMC on yoga in breast cancer, inclusion of yoga resulted in a 15 per cent relative improvement in disease-free survival and a 14 per cent improvement in overall survival. An AIIMS pilot study using the QOL-2C Ayurvedic formulation as an adjuvant showed better local control and higher survival in the integrative arm compared to standard care alone.