Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is a term used to describe a diverse group of treatments, techniques, and products that are not considered to be conventional or standard medicine. Conventional/standard treatments are those that have been scientifically tested, found to be safe and effective, and approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Complementary medicine is used in addition to conventional treatments. Alternative medicine includes unproven therapies and products used instead of conventional treatments.
People with cancer who are considering complementary or alternative therapies should first discuss them with their doctor, just as they would any other treatment approach, because some CAM therapies may interfere with conventional therapies.
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Questions to Ask When Considering CAM:
When considering CAM, it is important to first discuss all treatment options with your doctor. This list of questions may help gather the necessary information on the potential benefits and risks of a therapy.
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About Complementary Medicine:
Complementary therapies are used in combination with standard/conventional therapies; this approach is often called integrative medicine. Find out more about the many therapies that can be safely used to manage side effects of conventional treatment or improve a patient's physical or emotional well-being.
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About Alternative Medicine:
Alternative therapies are those treatments used in place of standard/conventional treatments. Patients considering alternative therapies are strongly encouraged to learn about the risks involved with this approach.
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CAM and Clinical Trials:
Formal study of individual CAM therapies is underway at major cancer treatment centers through clinical trials in order to determine safety and effectiveness.
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About Dietary and Herbal Supplements:
A closer look at how dietary and herbal supplements are used in CAM, and how to evaluate the safety of individual supplements.
Other Cancer.Net Resources on CAM: In addition to the information above, Cancer.Net offers these resources regarding complementary and alternative medicine:
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