Colorado Breast Cancer Support Resources Directory

Complementary and Alternative Medicine, or CAM, includes a range of therapies that can help alleviate side effects of breast cancer treatment and improve quality of life. Many people use CAM therapies along with conventional medical treatment, and the combination is sometimes called integrative medicine or integrative care. Examples of CAM therapies are acupuncture, herbs and vitamins, meditation and visualization, touch therapies like massage and Reiki, and there are more. It is vital to discuss any use of CAM therapies with your medical team.

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Finding A Good CAM Practitioner

Once you have decided to try a CAM therapy, finding the right practitioner is important. Look for:

•   Training and licensure — Did they take legitimate course work? How many hours? Accredited program? If they need a license, do they have one?

•   Experience with the symptom — Are they comfortable working with patients with cancer? Beware of anyone who promises a cure — even conventional medicine can’t do that. Remember the adage “if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.”

•   Risks associated with treatment — Nothing is risk free, though many CAM therapies are quite safe.

•   Costs / reimbursement — Don’t overlook this one — many CAM therapies aren’t covered by insurance. Don’t fall for a “pay up front” type of program — what if you get better after just a few treatments but have already paid for 25 more?

•   Time frame / progress assessment — This goes with the comment above — ask what a fair time frame would be to expect improvement in symptoms, and how will your progress be assessed.

•  Ability to work with conventional physicians —Beware of anyone who talks of conventional medicine as 100% harmful — certainly it has its risks, but it has benefits, too — not recognizing that is as short sighted as not recognizing benefits of CAM. Would this practitioner be willing to send periodic updates to your doctors?

Getting the Most Out of CAM Treatment

To get the most out of your visit to a CAM provider:

•   Identify the chief symptom(s) to be treated, expectations and goals.

•   Keep a symptom diary to improve objectivity.

•   Reassess at a predetermined time.

•   Continue to discuss with your conventional providers (physicians, etc.)

CAM therapies for patients with cancer to strongly consider:

•   Certain supplements and diets (discuss with herbalist / pharmacist or nutritionist)

•   Acupuncture for nausea, pain, and hot flashes

•   Massage for anxiety, pain, lymphedema, and post operative wound healing

•   Mind-body therapies for depression / anxiety, grief, relaxation, pain, and nausea

•   Exercise for sleep, mood, and pain control

CAM therapies with much higher risk of harm than any proof of benefit:

•   Colonic hydrotherapy (colonic enemas)

•   Chelation therapy

•   IV therapies with non-approved supplements / medicines

•   Certain supplements and diets (again, discuss with an expert!)

"Finding A Good CAM Practitioner" and "Getting the Most Out of CAM Treatment" were written by Lisa Corbin, MD, Medical Director at The Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Colorado Hospital