Cancer is the second leading cause of death after heart disease. Around 70 new cancer cases are detected annually, for every 100,000 populations in India, and in any given year, there are almost 15 lakh cancer patients. Conventional therapies like surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation can reduce symptoms or prolong the patient's survival but may cause severe adverse effects and obliterate the quality of life. Although cancer is not specifically mentioned in Ayurvedic literature, symptoms associated with the Granthi and Arbuda are closely comparable to different forms of cancer or symptoms associated with cancer. All the classical texts of Ayurveda (Charaka Samhita, Susruta Samhita, Ashtanga Hridaya) were referred for this conceptual study. Various published research articles, review articles, and information from various search engines were referred for recent information. The present study focuses on the pathophysiology of cancer, an integrated approach to improve the quality of life of patients undergoing conventional therapy.

Adhering to the principles of Ayurveda, “Swasthasya swasthya samrakshana, Aturasya vikara prashamana” it works as an adjuvant or co-therapy along with conventional treatment, to minimize the side effects, slow the progress of cancer, improve the quality of life, and to enhance the mental status of patients. Palliative management can be done using drugs possessing cytotoxic activity like Curcumin, Rotula aquatica, Withania somnifera, Phyllanthus emblica, Ocimum sanctum, etc. Application of concepts of Ayurveda like Ahara (food), Vihara (routine), Dinacharya, Ritucharya, Achara Rasayana, Sadvritta, Panchakarma, Rasayana, Samshamana, Satwavajaya, along with conventional management will definitely prove a boon for them to improve quality of life while moving towards the end.

Keywords: Conventional therapy, Swasthya samrakshana, Aachara Rasayana, Satwavajaya, Naishthiki chikitsa.