CAM Therapies Popular Choice For Treating Childhood Cancers

Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) therapies are gaining more currency the world over and in particular CAM therapies are a popular option when treating children with cancer.

A study conducted on 3,500 children found that up to 91 percent of the participating children had, at some point or other during their treatment of cancer used some form of CAM therapy.

It is not clear whether the CAM therapies formed part of the treatment; as in whether they were using them as an adjunct to mainstream therapy, or as the principle/only form of cancer treatment. But it was clear from the study that a substantial proportion of the pediatric cancer patients were using some form of cancer therapy.

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The reason people opt for CAM options is that they are perceived as safe and natural, causing no harmful side effects. While some CAM therapies are excellent for combating cancer and form a valuable form of combat against the cancer, others have to be used with caution particularly when used in combination with mainstream cancer medications.

The efficacy of some cancer medications can be lessened by excessive vitamin C, Green tea compounds and St John’s wort.

Whether CAM therapies can be used for cancer or not is certainly a subject that should be discussed with one’s doctor.

Source: Cancer Health