Abstract
Many oncology patients are empowering themselves to self-treat with herbs, nutritional supplements, and mind–body techniques. Other practitioners, such as acupuncturists, are becoming involved in the supportive care of cancer patients. Government research agencies are supporting studies that evaluate complementary therapies. This educational article provides an overview of the challenges in designing appropriate studies of complementary and alternative therapies, evaluating the results, and regulating implementation of useful therapies.
Keywords: Integrative oncology, cam, research, regulation, acupuncture, natural health products, herbs
Footnotes
*With the increasing national and international popularity and exposure of Current Oncology, the queue of excellent submissions continues to lengthen. After substantial consideration, the journal’s management has determined that the best way to manage this abundance is to move to a “hybrid” of combined print and electronic publication, with every e-manuscript being supported by a full print abstract and key words, and of course, indexing in PubMed for international recognition.