How To Evaluate Alternative Cancer Treatments

Alternative cancer treatments are widely used. According to www.cancer.gov, a 2000 study published in the "Journal of Clinical Oncology" showed that 69 percent of 453 cancer patients had received at least one alternative treatment as part of their treatment for cancer. A high demand for alternative treatments has led to a high number of available options. Evaluating the effectiveness of these options is important.

Instructions

• 1

  Consult www.cancer.gov to find out if the alternative treatment you are considering has been evaluated by the Best Case Series Program. The Best Case Series Program, developed by the National Cancer Institute, is used to rigorously evaluate alternative treatments for therapeutic potential.

• 2

  Use the "three D's" approach to evaluating information regarding alternative treatments. The Mayo Clinic recommends evaluating all information using this approach. The first "D" stands for dates: check the date of the information--it may not be recent. The second "D" stands for documentation: check the source in order to distinguish advertising from sound professional information. The third "D" stands for double-check: don't rely on just one source but find out if the information is supported by other reliable sources.

• 3

  Chose an alternative medicine provider wisely. If you decide to consult an alternative medicine provider, the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine recommends that you ask your conventional doctor for recommendations, call your local health department to determine if the provider is certified, and ask potential providers questions such as whether they specialize in a particular disease.

• 4

  Purchase "Evaluating Alternative Cancer Therapies" by Dr. David Hess, cultural/medical anthropologist and Professor of Science and Technology Studies at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. The book does not promote particular treatments, but instead presents the information Dr. Hess has gathered from alternative cancer therapy field clinicians, researchers, patient advocacy leaders and journalists about how they evaluate alternative treatments.