Alternative Cancer Therapies

Standard cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy, surgery and radiation therapy, are notoriously hard on the patient. Hair loss, exhaustion, nausea and damage to healthy organs are just a few of the side effects patients may experience with these treatments, according to the Mayo Clinic. It is no wonder that some cancer patients are interested in alternative treatments that may spare them these negative impacts, but they may question the safety of alternative treatments. When it comes to alternative cancer therapies, the key is to proceed with caution and keep your doctor in the loop.

Standard versus Alternative Cancer Treatments

• According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), the standard approach to treating cancer is using proven treatments. A treatment is considered proven when it has gone through a significant amount of research and testing, and there is evidence of its effectiveness. Almost all proven treatments are approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Standard treatment, which is also sometimes called "mainstream treatment," includes things like chemotherapy, radiation and certain drugs. The term "alternative treatment" is a catch-all term to describe all other treatments that have not met the criteria of a proven treatment. Alternative treatments can range from drugs that are still in the clinical trial phase to holistic and natural remedies, including special diets, vitamin and herb treatments and hypnosis.

Integrated Therapy versus Alternative Therapy

• If you choose to use an alternative treatment for cancer, there are two approaches to take: integrated therapy and alternative therapy. With integrated therapy, you combine standard treatments with alternative treatments. This can include things like taking part in a clinical trial for a new medication while still receiving other treatment or using acupuncture or hypnosis to deal with the effects of chemotherapy. According to the ACS, many oncology (cancer) clinics have adopted integrated therapy for cancer treatment.

  Alternative therapy means you are eschewing all standard treatments in favor of alternative treatments. Again, the application of alternative therapy varies from patient to patient. It can mean participating in a clinical research trial without receiving any other treatment, using natural remedies or sticking to special diets to conquer your cancer. The field of alternative cancer treatments is vast, and specific treatments usually depend on the kind of cancer you have. However, many treatments focus on using different herbs, vitamins or food to "flush" your body of toxins and create an inhospitable environment for your cancer to grow.

Evaluating Safety

• The ACS recommends patients involve their doctors in any decision to use alternative cancer treatments, whether they plan to integrate them into standard treatments or use them exclusively. Among the concerns raised by the ACS regarding alternative treatments is the fact that they have not been tested and that there is no data proving their safety, let alone their effectiveness. The ACS points out that alternative treatments involving vitamins and herbs are assumed by many to be safe because they are "natural", but in some instances, high doses of vitamins and herbs have been shown to actually cause cancer. Work with your doctor to determine which alternative treatments may help you and which may actually compromise your chances of recovery.