Astragalus spp

Astragalus is a plant belonging to the Leguminosae family. The roots of Astragalus membranaceous or mongholicus are most commonly used for medicinal purposes. Also known as milk vetch or huangqi, Astragalus is one of the most commonly used herbs in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for conditions where there is a deficiency of qi.  In the context of Western medicine it is claimed to have immune modulating effects, anticancer actions, and support quality of life for people with cancer. 

Curcumin

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If you have any questions regarding the website, its content, our methodology or about the Collaboration, you are welcome to contact us. Please note that we are not able to provide treatment advice or advice about buying products. CAM Cancer does not endorse or recommend any treatments/therapies or any particular person/organisation providing therapy.

If you have any questions regarding the website, its content, our methodology or about the Collaboration, you are welcome to contact us. Please note that we are not able to provide treatment advice or advice about buying products. CAM Cancer does not endorse or recommend any treatments/therapies or any particular person/organisation providing therapy.

CAM Cancer in other languages

The original CAM Cancer summaries are published in English on this website. Via a network of official partners, they are also available in some other languages. If your organization is interested in making them available in your language, please contact us.

The original CAM Cancer summaries are published in English on this website. Via a network of official partners, they are also available in some other languages. If your organization is interested in making them available in your language, please contact us.

Special topics

Here, you will find articles on special topics related to CAM in cancer

CAM Cancer’s position paper on terminology

CAM Cancer covers treatments that are often identified through different terms, such as complementary, alternative, traditional or even integrated medicine. These terms may be confusing, as they signal different aspects of when, where, how and by whom the treatments are provided. CAM Cancer covers the evidence of such treatments specifically in the context of cancer.

CAM Cancer covers treatments that are often identified through different terms, such as complementary, alternative, traditional or even integrated medicine. These terms may be confusing, as they signal different aspects of when, where, how and by whom the treatments are provided. CAM Cancer covers the evidence of such treatments specifically in the context of cancer.

The use of placebo in cancer research

When confronted with a cancer patient, the health professional faces several challenges. Some of them involve the use of CAM. Many cancer patients will seek CAM treatment at some point in their disease trajectory, and some of them will ask their GP, surgeon, oncologist or cancer nurse about it. When giving advice about this, it is important to have thought through in which situations one should look for placebo-controlled trials and when other trial designs are more relevant.

When confronted with a cancer patient, the health professional faces several challenges. Some of them involve the use of CAM. Many cancer patients will seek CAM treatment at some point in their disease trajectory, and some of them will ask their GP, surgeon, oncologist or cancer nurse about it. When giving advice about this, it is important to have thought through in which situations one should look for placebo-controlled trials and when other trial designs are more relevant.

Aromatherapy

Aromatherapy, also called essential or volatile oil therapy, entails the controlled use of essential oils that have been extracted from a variety of plant sources. Therapy is usually given via massage, inhalation or a foot- or full-body bath. Claims of benefits for cancer patients include reduced anxiety levels and relief of emotional stress, pain, muscular tension and fatigue. Claims for the effect of certain oils range from ‘restoring harmony to the energy’ of the body, altering mood and improving overall health, to more specific claims such as having anticonvulsive and spasmolytic properties.

Dichloroacetate (DCA)

                        

This summary is currently being updated. The version published here was last updated in May 2019.

Red clover (Trifolium pratense)

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