What is the difference between complementary and alternative treatments?

“Complementary” and “alternative” are often used as if they mean the same thing. They are also combined as complementary and alternative therapies (CAM). Deciding whether something is complementary or alternative is not always easy, but an important difference exists.

A complementary treatment means it can be used alongside existing evidence-based medical treatment. Modern evidence-based treatments are also called conventional treatment. Complementary therapy may help you feel better and cope with cancer and treatment. Discuss any complementary therapy you are considering with your doctor.

Alternative treatment replaces the standard medical treatment for the disease. Scientific and health authorities and laws require all conventional cancer treatments to undergo rigorous testing to prove they work. Most alternatives have not undergone this testing and lack scientific evidence of effectiveness. Some may not be entirely safe and may cause harmful side effects.

If you are considering CAM:

If considering any complementary or alternative therapy, it is very important to discuss safety with your oncologist or specialist nurse. Ensure your complementary or alternative practitioner knows about your conventional cancer treatment. Some treatments may interact.

What are complementary therapies?

Complementary therapies accompany conventional medical treatment provided by your doctor. They may help people with cancer feel better and improve quality of life, and help manage cancer symptoms or treatment side effects.

A good complementary therapist does not claim their treatment will cure cancer. They should always be open to and encourage discussing their proposed treatment with your oncologist.

There are many types of complementary therapy:

• Acupuncture
• Aromatherapy
• Reflexology – massage therapy
• Herbal medicines – phytotherapy (ginger for nausea, for fatigue ginseng)
• Art therapy
• Yoga

Many health professionals strongly support people with cancer using complementary therapies. They help manage pain, nausea and vomiting, fatigue, stress, hot flushes and depression arising from cancer or treatment.

Some health professionals, however, have been reluctant to use these therapies because many have not been tested like conventional treatments. Some research trials have examined how well complementary therapies work for people with cancer, and some continue. More studies are needed to improve understanding of their best use.

What alternative therapies are there?

Unlike complementary therapies, alternatives replace conventional medical treatment. Cancer patients have various reasons for wanting to try them. Some never begin conventional treatment and choose an alternative instead; others stop conventional treatment and switch. Also, in cancer treatment, a second opinion may be unknown or not offered as an option, another reason people turn to alternatives.

Some alternative practitioners may claim they can cure cancer even when conventional treatment could not, or say conventional cancer treatments are harmful. A trustworthy practitioner does not make these claims.

There is no scientific or medical evidence that alternative therapies cure cancer. Some are unsafe and can cause harmful side effects or interact with conventional treatment, increasing serious side effects or preventing conventional treatment from helping.

Some alternatives are marketed cleverly, making readers think they work very well. Claims lack strong scientific evidence and unfortunately give some people false hope.

Examples of alternative cancer therapies include:

• Amygdalin (vitamin B17)
• Gerson therapy (drinking juice extracted from approximately ten kilograms of vegetables and fruits daily)
• Shark cartilage
• Homeopathy
• Ozone therapy
• Donkey milk
• Various diets (for example, the alkaline diet)
• Herbal medicines – phytotherapy (turmeric – curcumin, aloe vera, red reishi – the mushroom of immortality)
• Vitamins and antioxidants

Terms used for CAM practices

Several terms commonly describe complementary or alternative therapies. They may be confusing if unfamiliar. Therapies may be described as:

• Nonconventional treatments
• Complementary and alternative medicine
• Integrative (holistic) healthcare or medicine
• Traditional medicine

Nonconventional therapies

This generally means treatments not normally used by doctors to treat cancer: anything not considered part of conventional medicine. Cancer professionals understand the difference between complementary and alternative therapies and the importance of distinguishing them. Most doctors and nurses now use complementary or alternative rather than nonconventional.

CAM (complementary and alternative medicine)

CAM includes both complementary and alternative medical treatments described above.

Integrated healthcare or integrative oncology

These terms generally describe conventional medicine and complementary therapies used together. Integrated healthcare is especially common in Western societies. In cancer treatment, integrated medicine generally provides access to:

• Conventional medical treatments
• Various complementary therapies such as massage, reflexology, relaxation, herbal medicines and acupuncture
• Counseling services and support groups
• Current information about your cancer and treatment

Traditional medicine

Health professionals generally use traditional medicine to mean a therapy or health practice developed over centuries within a particular culture, often around a belief system. The term can be confusing because classical medicine in the West might be considered traditional. However, that is not how we generally use it; we usually refer to therapies or treatments developed in the East.

• Ayurvedic medicine
• Traditional Chinese medicine

More about conventional medicine

Conventional medicine consists of modern treatments your doctor normally uses for cancer. You may also hear “orthodox medical treatment”. The most common conventional cancer treatments include:

• Chemotherapy
• Radiotherapy
• Surgery
• Immunotherapies
• Hormone therapy
• Molecular therapies

Conventional treatment aims to treat cancer by eliminating or shrinking the tumor. If cure is impossible, the aim may be controlling it as much as possible. Your doctor will discuss how much treatment may help your situation. Almost half of conventional medicines or drugs are made from plants or other natural substances. Conventional medicines undergo rigorous testing and controlled use. All conventional cancer treatments have been thoroughly tested in clinical trials to prove effectiveness for specific cancer types.

Clinical trials are conducted to:

• Ensure conventional treatments are effective,
• Identify potential side effects and their severity,
• Show that a cancer treatment’s benefits outweigh all risks.

Clinical trials are discussed in more detail on our website.

In conclusion, Rather than rejecting all complementary and alternative methods thought potentially useful, the best approach is scientifically questioning them and, particularly where they improve patients’ quality of life, integrating them into clinical practice.