Most academic cancer centers now have integrative or complementary medicine clinics or programs, allowing cancer patients who are interested in complementary care to combine these techniques with their regular treatments.
The National Cancer Institute's Office of Cancer Complementary and Alternative Medicine distinguishes between complementary medicine—which it defines as any medical system, practice, or product not thought of as standard care but used along with standard medicine— and alternative medicine, which is used in place of standard treatments. Most forms of nontraditional approaches can be used in either way.
It is very important for women with breast cancer to look for complementary, rather than alternative, treatments. For all its limitations, Western medicine is still probably the most important component of any successful effort to cure cancer or to put it into significant remission.
Complementary Therapies
Some of the most popular complementary therapies are:
Herbs, Botanicals, and Other Supplements
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) defines dietary supplements as "any product intended for ingestion as a supplement to the diet." The category includes herbs, vitamins, minerals, and amino acids. Many people think that these products are, at best, good for you and, at worst, harmless. But just because they are "natural" does not mean they are safe. Further, unlike pharmaceuticals, herbal remedies do not have to be approved by the FDA to reach the market.
It is important that you speak with your physician about any herbs, botanicals, or supplements you are using as some of these products should not be used by cancer patients before surgery or while undergoing cancer treatments.
You can learn more about herbs, botanicals, and other supplements on these websites:
Acupuncture
The ancient Chinese science of acupuncture sees healing in terms of "meridians," energy channels that run through the body. Special needles are inserted into the meridians. Practitioners of Traditional Chinese Medicine like to combine acupuncture with Chinese healing herbs. Some acupuncturists are also trained physicians (with an MD). Others have a doctorate in Oriental Medicine (OMD) and/or have a diploma in Acupuncture or Chinese Herbology (Dipl. Ac. or Dipl. C.H.). Although these acupuncturists are typically referred to as doctors, they have not had the same training as a physician who has gone to medical school. If you are interested in using herbs, you should find out what herbs the acupuncturist would recommend and discuss them with your physician before using them, as some herbs may reduce the effectiveness of chemotherapy or radiation.
Diet
There is no diet that can cure cancer. Even so, there are many diets recommended for people with cancer in general and those with breast cancer in particular. Most of these are low in fat and high in fruits and vegetables, and often suggest avoiding processed foods, sugar, alcohol, and beef and chicken treated with hormones. If you decide to include a nutrition approach to your healing, you should work closely with your physician and a nutritionist to coordinate it with your other treatments.
I would suggest avoiding a macrobiotic diet while you're being treated for cancer. Though generally helpful, it can cause problems for a patient undergoing chemotherapy or radiation, or recovering from surgery. It's low in calories and protein, and when your body is depleted from cancer treatments, this can be dangerous. If you're on a macrobiotic diet while undergoing medical treatments, make certain it's not causing medical problems.
Homeopathy
Homeopathy is a method of self-healing stimulated by small, highly diluted quantities of medical substances to cure symptoms that in a healthy person would cause the symptoms to develop. These small doses of medicines are believed to be able to stimulate the body's own defense and healing process. There is no evidence that it can cure cancer.
Meditation and Visualization
While there are many forms of meditation, the ones most commonly used in conjunction with healing work are variants of that very simple one in which the person sits in a comfortable position, eyes closed, focusing on the inhaling and exhaling of breath, and chanting a mantra, a particular word or phrase. The Eastern om is fine, but you can also use different words—peace, for example, or a brief phrase from a prayer. This form of meditation is often referred to as the Relaxation Response. Most programs that use meditation combine it with visualization, or imagery. Studies have found that visualization and meditation combined can reduce pain and the uncomfortable side effects of cancer treatments, which certainly makes them worth trying.
Prayer
For centuries, people of all religions have believed in the power of prayer—and for some of them it seems to have worked. Estelle Disch, a Boston-area therapist who has worked with many cancer patients, says, "If you're praying for health, on some level you're seeing yourself as healthy, and I believe that makes a difference." Faith in a power that can make you well—whether that's God, or your surgeon, or your own will—can help you to get well.
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