Will you accept Alternative medicine work for Cancer?

Alternative medicine was once scorned or simply ignored by most M.D.s and other guardians of the medical mainstream. Those days are gone. The American Cancer Society recently released its Complete Guide to Complementary and Alternative Cancer Therapies. This massive reference book spells out the evidence, or lack of it, for hundreds of therapies, as well as their possible side effects.

More than 70% of cancer patients use complementary and alternative (CAM) medical therapies, according to a study in the journal Cancer. The therapies may include acupuncture, meditation, supplements, hypnosis, and homeopathy--as well as prayer and religion, which many experts consider CAM therapies. Most patients learn about such treatments through the Internet, articles, or word of mouth.

The Cancer Society guide also covers many therapies for which evidence is strikingly absent, such as shark cartilage, enzyme therapy, and electromagnetic devices to zap cancer cells. Some alternative therapies can be downright dangerous, according to the guide, including chelation therapy, oxygen therapy, and whole-body heating (hyperthermia).

As a result, chemotherapy can become less effective--or worse, too toxic. Antioxidants such as vitamin A or vitamin E, often promoted as reducing the risk of cancer, may also interfere with conventional cancer treatments. That's because chemo and radiation actually work by doing "oxidative damage" to the DNA in cancer cells. Taking an antioxidant, Abrams explains, can mean you "may be protecting the cancer cells from the destructive effects of the chemotherapy and radiation."

How can you tell which interventions are safe? My advice is to talk about alternative medicine with your doctor or oncologist.