Q134. What are the alternative therapies?
Complementary and alternative therapies are often talked about in cancer treatment.
Complementary therapies
Complementary therapy is a treatment that is not part of the conventional treatment
routine (i.e. chemotherapy, surgery, radiotherapy or hormonal therapy) for cancer.
They are used with the conventional therapies and are unlikely to do any harm.
Complementary therapies are sometimes referred to as supportive care. Some examples
include meditation and yoga.
Alternative therapies
An alternative therapy is any treatment or therapy that may be used as an alternative
to conventional treatments. Some may be dangerous and most have not been scientifically
tested, so there is no proof that they work. Some examples of this include high
dose vitamins and shark cartilage.
There is a wide range of information available on alternative therapies on
the internet. This can be confusing and misleading. Some sites that may be helpful
include:
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