What are integrative and complementary therapies?
The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine at the National Institutes of Health defines complementary therapies as:
"a group of diverse medical and health care systems, practices, and products that are not presently considered to be part of conventional medicine" [1].
This means that complementary therapies are not covered in great detail in Western medical school curricula and usually, they are not recommended as medical treatments. However, over time, some complementary therapies have become accepted as an integrated part of medical care. When complementary therapies are used alongside standard medical treatments, they are often called integrative therapies.
Integrative and complementary therapies versus alternative therapies
Though they’re often lumped together, it’s important to understand the difference between complementary therapies and alternative therapies. Integrative and complementary therapies are used in addition to standard medical treatments like surgery, chemotherapy and hormone therapy. Alternative therapies are used instead of such treatment.
While some complementary therapies have shown benefit when used with standard treatment, no one should ever use complementary therapies in place of standard medical care. Surgery, radiation, chemotherapy and hormone therapy have all been proven to increase breast cancer survival. Using alternative therapies instead of these proven treatments is not safe.
Scientific studies on integrative and complementary therapies
Integrative and complementary therapy is a broad field with a growing body of scientific evidence. However, few complementary therapies have been studied with the same degree of scientific rigor as standard medicine. While some integrative and complementary therapies have been shown to be safe and to offer some benefit, others should be avoided. Some complementary therapies have been shown to be unsafe or ineffective. Others, although safe, lack enough evidence to draw solid conclusions.
Despite the hopes of many, complementary therapies do not offer “magic bullets” to cure breast cancer. Media articles, advertising and labeling can make it easy to think otherwise. The current scientific evidence supporting complementary therapy is stronger for reducing side effects related to treatment (like nausea) and side effects of the tumor (like pain) than for treating the breast cancer itself.
Updated 08/29/11
