Complementary and alternative medicine in present day oncology care: promises and pitfalls.
Cancer is already a well-recognized global phenomenon. The traditional approaches to cancer therapy have been surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. These modalities have shown considerable promise and presently form cornerstones of management of most malignancies. However, these conventional approaches have associated toxicities and suffer from limitations in curing advanced lesions. Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), for reasons varying from cost to accessibility, has assumed significant importance in cancer therapy. In this article, we review the prominent modalities in CAM in present day cancer management and critically analyze their emerging potential into an evidence-based oncology practice.
Munshi
Anusheel
A
Department of Radiation Oncology 120, Tata Memorial Hospital, Parel, Mumbai 400012, India. anusheel8@hotmail.com
Ni
Lee Hsueh
LH
Tiwana
Manpreet Singh
MS
D000529:Complementary Therapies; D006801:Humans; D008495:Medical Oncology; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*