Complementary treatments have not been proven to cure cancer in scientific research trials. However, there are cases whereby cancer patients survive miraculously after receiving certain forms of complementary treatment. Some treatments have been beneficial in helping patients cope with the side effects of their conventional medical treatments. Most cancer patients enjoy a better quality of life and are able to prolong their lives by receiving some forms of complementary treatment.

Each cancer patient's experience is unique and what works for one patient may not work for another. Before you decide to try out any form of complementary treatment, you must first exercise your own judgement carefully and try not to trust someone else's recommendations blindly. You alone are fully responsible for your decisions and courses of action.

To help you to understand more about unconventional treatments in cancer, please read the booklet on "Alternative Therapy - Making Your Choice" published by The Cancer Education & Information Service at CancerStory Electronic Books Corner.

You must inform your doctor about your intention to try out some forms of complementary treatments in order to ensure that they will not jeopardize the effect of conventional treatment. My late mother was advised by her oncologist that she could take Chinese herbs.

There are many other complementary and alternative methods and a detailed listing of complementary and alternative cancer methods has been compiled for easy reference. Please click here.

Please note that some of these methods are not safe and have adverse effects on cancer patients. If you wish to know the possible problems or complications arising from each of these methods, please refer to the American Cancer Society's Guide to Complementary and Alternative Cancer Methods.

Complementary & Alternative Cancer Methods - Links

• American Botanical Council

  It is a non-profit research and education organization. They publish a journal called HerbalGram, and offer an online herb reference guide, and selections from the Commission E monographs.
  
  
  

• American Cancer Society

  It offers comprehensive, up-to-date cancer information, including information related to complementary and alternative methods.
  
  
  

• Canadian Breast Cancer Research Initiative

  It is a partnership of seven Canadian breast cancer organizations and governmental bodies that encourages and supports research related to the prevention and treatment of breast cancer. They offer extensive reviews of scientifically credible and methodologically rigorous research on several unconventional therapies.
  
  
  

• CancerNet PDQ

  It provides recent and accurate cancer information from the NCI which is the US Government's cancer research agency. PDQ contains treatment information on more than 80 types of adult and childhood cancers, and is beginning to include summaries on complementary and alternative medicine.
  
  
  

• FDA Centre for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition

  It is an office of the US Food and Drug Administration and offer information on dietary supplements, and the Special Nutritionals Adverse Monitoring System.
  
  
  

• Healthscout

  It is a general health web site that provides health care news and medical information, including information about complementary and alternative medicine.
  
  
  

• National Agricultural Library Food and Nutrition Information Centre

  It provides information on dietary supplements including vitamins, minerals and herbs.
  
  
  

• National Institutes of Health, National Centre for Complementary and Alternative Medicine

  It evaluates alternative medicine practices to determine their effectiveness, to serve as a public information clearinghouse, and to provide a research-training program.
  
  
  

• NIH Office of Dietary Supplements

  Its web site contains articles and abstracts from scientific journals, information about dietary supplements and a search engine that allows uers to search for specific vitamins, minerals and herbal products.
  
  
  

• Oncolink

  It is a web site that was founded by the University of Pennsylvania to help cancer patients, families, health care professionals, and the general public obtain accurate cancer-related information free of charge. It provides comprehensive information about research advances, specific types of cancer, cancer treatment, and information about complementary and alternative medicine.
  
  
  

• Quackwatch

  It is a non-profit corporation whose purpose is to combat health-related frauds, myths, fads and fallacies. The Quackwatch web site is a comprehensive source of information regarding fraudulent claims.
  
  
  

• Hotwired: Hotseats: If it Ducks Like a Quack

  An outstanding RealAudio based interview with John H. Renner and Wiliam Silberg of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).
  
  
  

• Others

  Self-Help Cancer

  Gerson Institute

  Macrobiotics Online