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November 2021
Many people who have been diagnosed with cancer use complementary health approaches. Findings from a substantial amount of research suggest that some complementary psychological and/or physical approaches, such as acupuncture, mindfulness-based stress reduction, and yoga, may help manage cancer symptoms and side effects of treatment.
The Society for Integrative Oncology has issued evidence-based clinical practice guidelines for health care providers to consider when incorporating complementary health approaches in the care of people with cancer. The guidelines state that, when used in addition to conventional therapies, some of these approaches help to control symptoms and enhance patients’ well-being. The guidelines warn, however, that unproven methods shouldn’t be used in place of conventional treatment because delayed treatment of cancer reduces the likelihood of a remission or cure.
This issue of the digest provides a summary of available research on complementary psychological and/or physical approaches for cancer-related symptoms and treatment side effects.
What the Science Says:
Complementary Psychological and/or Physical Approaches for Cancer Symptoms and Treatment Side Effects
Modality and Summary of Current Research
Additional Resources
Visit NCCIH’s website to read the full issue of this month’s Clinical Digest.
NCCIH Clinical Digest is a service of the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), National Institutes of Health (NIH), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NCCIH Clinical Digest, a monthly e-newsletter, offers evidence-based information on complementary and integrative health, including scientific literature searches, summaries of NCCIH-funded research, fact sheets for patients, and more.
NCCIH is 1 of 27 institutes and centers at the NIH. The mission of NCCIH is to define, through rigorous scientific investigation, the usefulness and safety of complementary and alternative medicine interventions and their roles in improving health and health care. For additional information, call NCCIH’s Clearinghouse toll free at 1-888-644-6226, or visit the NCCIH website at nccih.nih.gov.
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