Cancer Patients - Complementary and Alternative Therapies

A recent edition of Seminars in Oncology Nursing (Vol21, Issue3) devoted it's content to complementary and alternative therapies for cancer patients.

The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) has developed a framework entitled “Major Domains of CAM” (complementary and alternative medicine*) which assists clinician and consumers in finding information. The NCCAM groups complementary and alternative medicine into four domains: biologically based practices, mind-body medicine, energy medicine, and manipulative and body-based practices. This issue of Seminars in Oncology Nursing includes information on each of these as well as articles focusing on education of nurses, future research, and resources for patients and clinicians including centers of excellence funded by NCCAM.

• Spiritual complementary therapies in cancer care
• Alternative nutrition therapies in cancer patients
• Acupuncture for side effects of chemoradiation therapy in cancer patients
• Communicating facts anf knowledge in cancer complementary and alternative medicine

NCCAM is one of the centers that make up the National Institute of Health. It is dedicated to exploring complementary and alternative healing practices in the context of rigorous science, training complementary and alternative (CAM) researchers, and disseminating authoritative information to the public and professionals.


*A complementary therapy is an adjunct and support to a conventional medical intervention, and an alternative therapies is a replacement.