You have many choices to make about your cancer treatment. One choice you might be thinking about is complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). CAM is the term for medical products and practices that are not part of standard care. Standard care is what medical doctors, doctors of osteopathy, and allied health professionals, such as registered nurses and physical therapists, practice. Alternative medicine means treatments that you use instead of standard ones. Complementary medicine means nonstandard treatments that you use along with standard ones. Examples of CAM therapies are acupuncture, chiropractic, and herbal medicines.
CAM treatments do not work for everyone, but some methods such as acupuncture might help with nausea, pain and other side effects of cancer treatment. In general, researchers know more about the safety and effectiveness of standard cancer treatments than they do about CAM. To make sure nothing gets in the way of your cancer care, talk to your doctor before you try anything new.
National Cancer Institute
Start Here
Cancer and Complementary and Alternative Medicine(National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine)
Also available in Spanish
Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Cancer Treatment: Questions and Answers(National Cancer Institute)
Also available in Spanish
Thinking about Complementary and Alternative Medicine(National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, National Cancer Institute)
Basics
Learn More
Multimedia & Cool Tools
Overviews
Nutrition
Specific Conditions
Related Issues
No links available
Research
Reference Shelf
For You
Clinical Trials
Research
Journal Articles
Dictionaries/Glossaries
Directories
Organizations
Law and Policy
No links available
Overviews
Complementary and Alternative Methods for Cancer Management(American Cancer Society)
Also available in Spanish
What Is Complementary and Alternative Medicine?(National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine)
Also available in Spanish
Nutrition
Diet and Nutrition(American Cancer Society)
Specific Conditions
714-X (PDQ)(National Cancer Institute)
Biofeedback(American Cancer Society)
Cancell/Entelev (PDQ)(National Cancer Institute)
Cartilage (Bovine and Shark) (PDQ)(National Cancer Institute)
Chelation Therapy(American Cancer Society)
Coenzyme Q10 (PDQ)(National Cancer Institute)
Essiac/Flor-Essence (PDQ)(National Cancer Institute)
Gerson Therapy (PDQ)(National Cancer Institute)
Herbs, Vitamins, and Minerals(American Cancer Society)
Hydrazine Sulfate (PDQ)(National Cancer Institute)
Integrative Medicine & Complementary and Alternative Therapies As Part of Blood Cancer Care(Leukemia & Lymphoma Society) - Links to PDF
Laetrile/Amygdalin (PDQ)(National Cancer Institute)
Manual Healing and Physical Touch(American Cancer Society)
Milk Thistle (PDQ)(National Cancer Institute)
Mind, Body, and Spirit(American Cancer Society)
Mistletoe for Treatment of Cancer(National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine)
Newcastle Disease Virus (PDQ)(National Cancer Institute)
Pharmacological and Biological Treatment(American Cancer Society)
Selected Vegetables/Sun’s Soup (PDQ)(National Cancer Institute)
Related Issues
Beware of Online Cancer Fraud(Food and Drug Administration)
Cure-ious? Ask(Federal Trade Commission)
Dietary Supplements: How to Know What Is Safe(American Cancer Society)
Selecting a Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) Practitioner(National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine)
Also available in Spanish
Simple Test Rates Accuracy of Cancer-Related Web Sites(American Cancer Society) Return to top
Clinical Trials
ClinicalTrials.gov: Cancer Alternative Therapies(National Institutes of Health)
Complementary and Alternative Medicine Cancer Clinical Trials(Office of Cancer Complementary and Alternative Medicine) Return to top
Research
Massage Therapy to Improve Pain and Mood in Patients with Advanced Cancer(American College of Physicians) - Links to PDF
Study Offers Portrait of Complementary Therapy Use among Survivors(American Cancer Society) Return to top
Journal Articles
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
Article: Haishengsu as an adjunct therapy to conventional chemotherapy in patients...
Article: Acupuncture to relieve the pain of thoracotomy: commentary on randomized,...
Article: Randomized controlled trial of a special acupuncture technique for pain...
Cancer Alternative Therapies -- see more articles Return to top
Dictionaries/Glossaries
Dictionary of Cancer Terms(National Cancer Institute) Return to top
Directories
NCCAOM: Find Nationally Certified Practitioners(National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine) Return to top
Organizations
American Cancer Society
National Cancer Institute
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine
Office of Cancer Complementary and Alternative Medicine Return to top
Law and Policy
FDA Cracks Down on Bogus Cancer Cures(American Cancer Society) Return to top
