| Alternative cancer treatments refer to alternative | | | | but after testing in clinical trials were found to be |
| and complementary treatments for cancer that | | | | ineffective. Although some of these treatments |
| have not undergone rigorous scientific and clinical | | | | have been disapproved, some of them continue |
| testing as is expected by medical practitioners. | | | | to be sold. |
| Some of these alternative cancer treatments | | | | The side effects of chemotherapy as well as |
| include herbs, chemicals, mixtures, devices and | | | | other cancer treatment methods range from |
| manual procedures. Such procedures are not | | | | unpleasant to potentially fatal and this has driven |
| usually supported by evidence because they have | | | | some cancer patients to try out the alternative |
| not been tested or they lack statistically positive | | | | treatment methods. Some of the popular |
| results. Concerns have also been raised in regard | | | | alternative therapies are nutritional and they |
| to the safety of some of these alternatives | | | | include macrobiotic diet. |
| treatment methods. | | | | Other alternative cancer treatments include, |
| These alternative treatment methods can be | | | | mind-body intervention, bioelectromagnetics as |
| categorized into three groups. We have the | | | | well as other biologic and pharmacologic |
| unproven cancer treatments that are used as a | | | | treatments. Some of these alternatives have |
| substitute to the standard cancer treatment. The | | | | shown some benefits as complementary therapy |
| second group has treatments administered as a | | | | and they help to reduce pain. The popularity and |
| complement to the standard cancer treatment | | | | use of these treatments varies by region. |
| rather than as a substitute. Thirdly, we have | | | | However, early cancer detection can go along |
| treatments that have been proposed in the past | | | | way in treating the disease at its initial stage. |