Nutrition as a component of alternative therapy.
OBJECTIVE
To discuss common "alternative" nutritional strategies that may be used by patients as a primary or adjunctive means of cancer treatment.


METHODS
Government reports, textbook chapters, published articles, and research reports.


CONCLUSIONS
The use of diet and nutrition to prevent and treat disease is one of six fields of alternative medicine. A number of dietary regimens have been purported to be effective in the treatment of cancer. Most have been inadequately tested with regard to safety and efficacy.


CONCLUSIONS
Oncology nurses need to be knowledgeable of the use of alternative methods so that they may provide accurate information to patients considering these approaches.
Cunningham
R S
RS
University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, Philadelphia, USA.
Herbert
V
V
D000529:Complementary Therapies; D004032:Diet; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000451:nursing* / Q000628:therapy*; D009747:Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D009859:Oncology Nursing