Cancer Alternative Therapy
On this page:
|
Key Points
- Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is a group of
diverse medical and health care systems, practices, and products
that are not presently considered to be part of conventional
medicine.
- It is important that the same scientific evaluation that is
used to assess conventional approaches be used to evaluate CAM
therapies.
- The National Cancer Institute and the National Center for
Complementary and Alternative Medicine are sponsoring or cosponsoring
various clinical trials (research studies with people) to study
CAM therapies for cancer.
- It is important that patients inform all of their health care
providers about any therapies they are currently using or considering.
This is to help ensure a safe and coordinated course of care.
|
Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), as defined by the National
Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), is a group of diverse
medical and health care systems, practices, and products that are not presently
considered to be part of conventional medicine. Complementary medicine is
used together with conventional medicine. Alternative medicine is used in
place of conventional medicine. Conventional medicine is medicine as practiced
by holders of M.D. (medical doctor) or D.O. (doctor of osteopathy) degrees
and by their allied health professionals, such as physical therapists, psychologists,
and registered nurses. Other terms for conventional medicine include allopathy;
Western, mainstream, orthodox, and regular medicine; and biomedicine. Some
conventional medical practitioners are also practitioners of CAM.
This fact sheet answers some frequently asked questions about the use
of CAM therapies among the general public, and about how CAM approaches
are evaluated, and suggests sources for further information.
Return to top 
The results of studies of CAM use have been inconsistent. One large-scale
study published in the November 11, 1998, issue of the Journal of the
American Medical Association found that CAM use among the general public
increased from 33.8 percent in 1990 to 42.1 percent in 1997. However, an analysis
of data from the 1999 National Health Interview Survey indicated that only
28.9 percent of U.S. adults (age 18 and over) had used at least one CAM therapy
in the past year. These results were published in the journal Medical
Care in 2002.
Several surveys of CAM use by cancer patients have been conducted with small
numbers of patients. One study published in the February 2000 issue of the
journal Cancer reported that 37 percent of 46 patients with prostate
cancer used one or more CAM therapies as part of their cancer treatment. These
therapies included herbal remedies, vitamins, and special diets.
A larger study of CAM use in patients with different types of cancer was
published in the July 2000 issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
This study found that 69 percent of 453 cancer patients had used at least
one CAM therapy as part of their cancer treatment. Additional information
about CAM use among cancer patients can be found in a review article published
in Seminars in Oncology in December 2002.
Return to top
It is important that the same rigorous scientific evaluation used to
assess conventional approaches be used to evaluate CAM therapies. The
National Cancer Institute (NCI) and NCCAM are funding a number of
clinical trials (research studies) at medical centers to evaluate CAM
therapies for cancer.
Conventional approaches to cancer treatment have generally been studied for
safety and effectiveness through a rigorous scientific process that includes
clinical trials with large numbers of patients. Less is known about the safety
and effectiveness of complementary and alternative methods. Some CAM therapies
have undergone rigorous evaluation. A small 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 (NIH) Consensus Conference
in November 1997, acupuncture has been found to be effective in the management
of chemotherapy-associated nausea and vomiting and in controlling pain associated
with surgery. In contrast, some approaches, such as the use of laetrile, have
been studied and found ineffective or potentially harmful.
Return to top
The Best Case Series Program, which was started by the NCI in 1991, is one
way CAM approaches that are being used in practice are being evaluated. The
program is overseen by the NCI's Office of Cancer Complementary and Alternative
Medicine (OCCAM). Health care professionals who offer CAM services submit
their patients' medical records and related materials to OCCAM. OCCAM conducts
a critical review of the materials and develops followup research strategies
for approaches that have therapeutic potential.
Return to top
The NCI and NCCAM are currently sponsoring or cosponsoring various clinical
trials to study complementary and alternative treatments for cancer. Some
of these trials study the effects of complementary approaches used in addition
to conventional treatments, while others compare alternative therapies with
conventional treatments. Current trials include the following:
- acupuncture to reduce the symptoms of advanced colorectal cancer,
- combination chemotherapy plus radiation therapy with or without shark
cartilage in the treatment of patients who have non-small cell lung cancer
that cannot be removed by surgery,
- hyperbaric oxygen therapy with laryngectomy patients (people who have
had an operation to remove all or part of the larynx (voice box)),
- massage therapy for cancer-related fatigue,
- chemotherapy compared with pancreatic enzyme therapy plus specialized
diet for the treatment of pancreatic cancer, and
- mistletoe extract and chemotherapy for the treatment of solid tumors.
Return to top
Cancer patients using or considering complementary or alternative therapy
should discuss this decision with their doctor or nurse, as they would any
therapeutic approach. Some complementary and alternative therapies may interfere
with standard treatment or may be harmful when used with conventional treatment.
It is also a good idea to become informed about the therapy, including whether
the results of scientific studies support the claims that are made for it.
Return to top
- What benefits can be expected from this therapy?
- What are the risks associated with this therapy?
- Do the known benefits outweigh the risks?
- What side effects can be expected?
- Will the therapy interfere with conventional treatment?
- Is this therapy part of a clinical trial? If so, who is sponsoring
the trial?
- Will the therapy be covered by health insurance?
Return to top
Patients, their families, and their health care providers can learn
about CAM therapies from the following Government agencies and
resources:
NCCAM is the Federal Government's lead agency for
scientific research on CAM. NCCAM 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.
The NCCAM Clearinghouse provides information on NCCAM and on CAM,
including fact sheets, other publications, and searches of Federal
databases of scientific and medical literature. Publications include:
Return to top
