Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) is any medical system, practice, or product that is not thought of as standard care. Standard medical care is care that is based on scientific evidence. For cancer, it includes chemotherapy, radiation, biological therapy, and surgery.
Complementary Medicine
Complementary medicine is used along with standard medical treatments. One example is using acupuncture to help with side effects of cancer treatment.
Alternative Medicine
Alternative medicine is used in place of standard medical treatments. One example is using a special diet to treat cancer instead of a method that a cancer specialist (an oncologist) suggests.
Integrative Medicine
Integrative medicine is a total approach to care that involves the patient's mind, body, and spirit. It combines standard medicine with the CAM practices that have shown the most promise.
For example, some people learn to use relaxation as a way to reduce stress during chemotherapy.
Mind-Body Medicines
These are based on the belief that your mind is able to affect your body. Some examples are:
- Meditation: Focused breathing or repetition of words or phrases to quiet the mind
- Biofeedback: Using simple machines, the patient learns how to affect certain body functions that are normally out of one's awareness (such as heart rate)
- Hypnosis: A state of relaxed and focused attention in which the patient concentrates on a certain feeling, idea, or suggestion to aid in healing
- Yoga: Systems of stretches and poses, with special attention given to breathing
- Imagery: Imagining scenes, pictures, or experiences to help the body heal
- Creative outlets: Such as art, music, or dance