Complementary and Alternative Approaches

The term "complementary and alternative medicine (CAM)" is used to describe non-traditional methods of the diagnoses and treatment of disease, including breast cancer. According to a study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology in July 2000, 69 percent of 453 cancer patients in the study had used at least one CAM therapy. According to the National Institutes of Health’s National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, a number of CAM therapies originally considered to be purely alternative approaches are finding a place in cancer treatment—not as cures, but as complementary therapies that may help patients feel better and recover faster.

One example is acupuncture. According to a panel of experts at a National Institutes of Health Consensus Conference in 1997, acupuncture has been found to be effective in the management of chemotherapy-associated nausea and vomiting and in controlling pain associated with surgery. On the other hand, the organization says, studies can weed out questionable practices. Hospitals are increasingly integrating CAM therapies into cancer care, and some are undertaking their own clinical studies. Both conventional and CAM healthcare practitioners underscore the usage of CAM therapies as support, not replacement, for breast cancer treatment. Many reputable sources offer extensive information for exploring CAM therapies and their therapeutic effects for cancer care.

Complementary Medicine Resources

American Cancer Society
www.cancer.org
An exhaustive and well-documented listing of more than 200 complementary therapies

National Institutes of Health’s National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM)
http://nccam.nih.gov
The federal government’s lead agency for scientific research on CAM, the group is dedicated to exploring complementary and alternative healing practices in the context of rigorous science, training CAM researchers and disseminating authoritative information to the public and professionals. NCCAM sponsors or co-sponsors (with the National Cancer Institute) clinical trials for CAM cancer treatments. Breast cancer patients can find study updates on the agency’s Web site. In addition to offering fact sheets and federal databases of scientific and medical literature, NCCAM provides downloadable publications.

Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine
www.alternative-therapies.com
This physician-reviewed journal of CAM clinical studies offers research including that for breast cancer. As with any medical treatment, there can be risks, but once you are aware of those risks, you can maximize therapeutic benefits. The Lynn Sage Breast Cancer Program at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, NCCAM and other organizations suggest the following:

• Take charge of your health by being an informed consumer. Familiarize yourself with your CAM therapy’s benefits, side effects, possible interference with conventional treatment and clinical studies.

• Share your findings with your physician, as not all conventional medical practitioners are familiar with CAM therapies. This is important for your safety, because herbal or dietary products may interact with medications. For example, the herb St. John’s Wort, which is used to treat depression, may cause certain prescription drugs to become less effective.

• If you have a team of healthcare providers, tell all of them about CAM and conventional therapies you are using to make sure your treatments complement each other.

• If you decide to use a CAM therapy, choose the practitioner carefully. Ask for referrals, utilize reputable community and healthcare sources, or contact practitioner organizations on the Internet. Make sure the practitioner is certified and/or licensed.

This article first appeared in Lifeline.

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