Complementary and alternative therapies
Complementary therapies are a range of approaches to care aimed at enhancing quality of life and improving wellbeing.
Complementary therapies may be used alongside conventional treatments such as surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, hormonal therapies or targeted therapies.
Complementary therapies may include acupuncture, relaxation therapy and meditation, gentle exercise, guided imagery, music or art therapy, massage, aromatherapy, dietary therapies and some support group programs.
You may also hear people talk about alternative therapies. These are therapies that are taken instead of conventional approaches to treatment. There’s no evidence to support the use of alternative therapies in the treatment of breast cancer.
What complementary therapies are helpful in breast cancer?
There’s evidence that some complementary therapies can improve the wellbeing of people with cancer.
For example:
- relaxation techniques and guided imagery can reduce feelings of anxiety, stress or depression
- exercise can improve feelings of fatigue and distress
- relaxation techniques, guided imagery, massage and reflexology can relieve pain and some side effects caused by cancer and its treatments.
These therapies are encouraged by health professionals and are part of clinical practice guidelines.
Healthy living, including a good diet, exercise within limits, enough sleep and relaxation and effective management of stress is important for everybody.
Can complementary therapies be harmful?
A number of complementary therapies have not been tested in clinical trials so we do not know how effective they are or what their long-term side effects might be. Some complementary therapies can interact with conventional treatments and make them less effective. Others may actually be harmful if taken with conventional treatments.
It’s important for women to talk to their doctor before starting any complementary therapies to check that they won’t interact with conventional treatments.
There’s no evidence that complementary therapies can remove breast cancer, prevent it from coming back, or prevent it from spreading to other parts of the body.
Questions to ask a complementary health practitioner
Before deciding on any course of treatment or activity, it’s important to be well informed.
This includes being confident about the training of any complementary health practitioner.
Questions that may be helpful include:
- What training do you have?
- Exactly what is the therapy you are proposing?
- What do you hope it will do?
- What is the evidence for the success of this therapy?
- What side effects could there be?
- How common are the side effects?
- Will this therapy affect other treatments I am receiving?
- How much will this therapy cost?
Where to find more information about complementary therapies
Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital in the USA has developed a website with information about complementary therapies. The website About Herbs, Botanicals and Other Products describes what is currently known about a range of herbal products and supplements. Please note that this is a USA website and not all of the products listed may be available in Australia.