An article by Victoria Stern, MA published on the Medscape website in September, 2014 details information on many complementary and alternative cancer treatments. Because not all my readers are likely to have subscriptions to Medscape, and because the article is rather long, I am going to summarize a lot of it here. The comments and opinions below are my own unless cited, and I am not a doctor; the information on studies and data comes primarily from the Medscape article and it, along with Medscape in general, is worth reading if you sign up.

The takeaway on complementary vs alternative treatments remains consistent with what I would refer to as, basically, all legitimate doctors: complementary treatments are used — and should be used — to complement the traditional or mainstream treatment from a proper doctor. The term “alternative” should be a tip-off to patients, because anything that actually works is referred to as “medicine.” If a substance or process is legitimately medicinal, it becomes mainstream quickly. If it bares the “alternative” moniker, that is basically just another way of saying there is no substantive evidence that it works (do not even begin to talk about something as specific and undeniable as “proof”). And, worse, many alternative treatments are potentially dangerous, especially when they are used to replace proven treatments. Complementary treatments may pose their own danger, too: always discuss what you are planning with your oncologist before you commence on a treatment program of any sort. Some herbs may not react well with some chemo drugs, for example, and the same can be said of vitamins. Fad diets that are super high in antioxidants may interfere with the chemotherapy’s ability to do its job. Always check.

Exercise is good. If you can do it, there is a lot of potential good that can come of being physically fit. Like most complimentary activities, it helps the patient to feel better and can improve quality of life for that alone. But it also makes the lymphatic system work (being sedentary is a potential cause of some cancers, too). There is evidence to support that exercise, even just walking, helps to prolong the life of cancer patients. Gary Deng, MD, PhD, interim Chief of Integrative Medicine at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City stated that “Physical activity is the only integrative oncology therapy with a survival advantage.” Vigorous exercise four or five days a week seems to have the best results for those who can do it, but even getting out and walking every day has its advantages.

Acupuncture remains scientifically unproven, but is considered “plausible for pain, nausea, and vomiting” as an integrated therapy. Whether this is a placebo effect really doesn’t seem to matter because a high percentage of patients responds positively. There are indications that it may work on other levels, too, relieving more symptoms for some of the people who respond to the treatment. While there do not seem to be negative side effects to acupuncture, it does remain one of those things that appears to work for some people and simply does nothing for others. The high percentage of patients using acupuncture who claim a positive response may also be tied to the fact that these could be people who were expecting a specific response from the process and sought it out with that intent, creating the possibility that the belief it works may have something to do with the effects reported. On the other hand, the rate of relief for certain side effects of chemotherapy makes acupuncture a strong complementary option for many patients.

Massage, much like acupuncture, is a scientifically unproven yet potentially helpful form of complementary therapy. Some studies have shown that forceful styles of massage, such as Rolfing or Shiatsu, could be harmful and lead to internal bruising or worse. At best, it could offer limited aid in improving quality of life through helping with sleep issues, pain, relaxation and stress. Also like acupuncture, it is a technique that some people respond well to and others simply do not. For both acupuncture and massage, I have marveled for years at how well my wife responds to those techniques while they really do nothing therapeutic for me most of the time.

One of the many fad diets purporting to slow the growth of cancer cells revolves around simply removing sugar from the diet. This is based on the fact there are definite metabolic changes in cancer cells and that certain lab studies have shown positive effects in a petri dish. However, the way human cancer cells behave in a dish are very different from how they behave in their host body; in actual practice, removing sugar from the diet will not starve the cancer cells, which will continue burn other fuel. On the other hand, there is plenty of evidence that too much sugar is simply bad for you in the first place, so there is plenty of good reason to limit intake. The main thing to consider is, whether a direct cancer correlation will ever be discovered or not, eating a healthy diet in general is going to assist in leading a longer and healthier life. Stay away from too many processed foods with unnecessary sugar or fat. But also be wary of any “anti-cancer diet” that is not also a balanced and healthy diet. Aside from lacking in nutrients, some of these diets may also be removing one of the most essential components of eating from the patient: joy. When it comes to complementary therapies, it is important to consider the “quality of life” issue. Since no specific diet outside of simple, healthy guidelines has been shown to improve the life span of patients, I think it is essential that we take some time to focus equally on the value of our meals as a healthy and emotionally positive component of our lives.

Also of dietary concern is the practice of taking high doses of antioxidants. I’ve taken a multivitamin for many years, and had begun taking Vitamin C as a child during the winter because it had such a profound effect on my father when he began using it back in the 1970s to fight off colds. For years, I’ve seen claims that antioxidants prevent cancer. This was rationale that I often cited for my coffee and chocolate consumption. It was just me being proactive. I was not surprised that Vitamin C therapy was promoted as a form of cancer treatment on some of the blogs and forums I visited during the weeks following my own diagnosis. However, studies have shown that not only do supplements not help to either prevent or even fight cancer, they may actually be linked to an increased risk of dying from cancer. That may seem somewhat surprising, considering the essential role that antioxidants play in the body, but there is plenty of evidence to avoid too much supplementation. An analysis in the journal Lancet back in 2004 notes that “consuming vitamins A, C, and E and beta-carotene and selenium supplements actually increased overall mortality,” and other published reports indicate that Vitamin E increases the risk of prostate cancer in otherwise healthy men.

My own oncologist and I had broached the antioxidant subject when I mentioned the carrot juice diet being circulated online where consuming the juice of five pounds of carrots each day was being recommended as a cure. I sensed this was complete nonsense, but decided to get my doctor’s opinion. He good-naturedly humored me on the topic, explaining how chemotherapy works, in part, by oxidizing the cancer cells. Just on the surface, it seemed pretty clear that antioxidants might not be something you want to increase during the chemotherapy process. On a broader level, that diet seemed pretty foolish to me for other reasons, not the least of which were the amount of sugar consumption it would include and the eventual orange coloration that the drinker would take on — beyond that, I registered concern for my own kidneys and bladder and a potential revulsion toward the carrots I currently love to snack on occasionally. My doctor’s advice that day: eat a few carrots, even every day if I wanted to, but skip the juice. It seemed like reasonable advice to me and I have happily stuck with it, maintaining a healthy intake of fresh fruits and vegetables every day, along with as wide a variety of other healthy things I like to eat as possible.

I have also heard a lot lately about the spice turmeric, which I have enjoyed cooking with and had been using in an increased amount over the past few months. It is reputed to have “anti-inflammatory” properties and is very popular in Indian cuisine and curries. Medscape points out that the component in turmeric that is responsible for this reputation is called curcumin, and studies are being done on whether a supplement of this ingredient will assist in shrinking tumors within the human body as it does in a cell culture in the lab. But studies are still being carried out to discover whether curcumin is toxic to patients in high doses and whether it has a measurable effect on shrinking tumors. At this point, it remains unconfirmed, but it should be noted that questions remain about whether curcumin could be harmful in conjunction with certain chemotherapies, also whether or not the body will naturally purge the substance from the system before it can have any real effect. In general dietary consumption, the body apparently does not absorb a significant amount of this substance, and there are questions also about whether it works best by itself or alongside other ingredients. It could be a long time before there are any decisive answers on this subject, but for now I will continue to use turmeric when I cook because I like it in my food. If it turns out there are positive effects from using it, that would be great, but it won’t be my motivation.

The subject of Reiki has been brought up around me for a long time and, frankly, I’ve never been completely clear on what it was supposed to be or do. According to the Medscape article, there isn’t any indication it does anything. I watched a video demonstration on television a few weeks ago that, while fairly amusing, indicated to me that it was clear snake oil based on the idea that there could be a transfer of energy from the “practitioner” to the “patient.” It requires such a reliance on belief in the process that it does not surprise me that some patients respond to it because all they need to do is believe that it works to “feel better” when the purpose is to either relieve stress or the feeling of pain (which is subjective to begin with). Scientifically speaking, I would put it a few notches below hypnosis, but it seems to be kind of the same thing. Anxiety can be reduced through the power of suggestion and my reading of the literature indicates that very thing is likely at play. But, in addition to not being a doctor, I’m also not a psychologist. I am, however, a logical human being with a clear understanding of the natural sciences. What I see here is a process that many people truly believe in; some passionately so, even though it has no scientific evidence to back it up. Does this mean it cannot work as a palliative therapy for someone who believes in it? Of course not. Belief and perception are important components of any psychologically based care, and if it reduces anxiety (even if it works just as well with fake practitioners as it does with “real” ones, as studies have shown) it might be the right choice for the patient who wants to try it. Chalk this one up to a “spiritual experience” for the believers; that is a condition that cannot be argued in the realm of either science or logic, and is best left for the patient to simply enjoy.

Meditation, on the other hand, has been shown consistently enough to work as a stress and anxiety reducer that it is often promoted by the scientific community as a complimentary therapy. There isn’t any proof, per se, that it affects cancer growth or longevity in patients, but it appears to ease depression. At the end of the day, that remains a key point of any therapy: if the patient is happier and living a fulfilling life, the therapy is working and worthwhile. There are definite benefits to enduring the bumps of chemotherapy if the eyes remain fixed on the road ahead.

May it be a beautiful one. Whenever possible, I highly recommend the scenic route.