Complementary therapies for people with cancer

Almost everyone with a diagnosis of cancer will try complementary and alternative therapies (CAM) or will seriously consider using them. There are many reasons for this, not least a determination to "leave no stone unturned". Unfortunately, there are few sources of good information and many treatments are totally ineffective or even dangerous. No CAM therapies will cure cancer but a surprisingly large number have been shown in high quality research studies to reduce symptoms and/or increase quality of life. Most•health care professionals receive little if any teaching on evidence-based CAM and their patients often have questions on the subject, usually based on information in weekly magazines and the internet. This presentation gives an overview on which CAM therapies can help people with cancer, which do not help or can harm....and how to tell the difference.