Astragalus spp

By the CAM Cancer Collaboration | 22. Jun 2020

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

By the CAM Cancer Collaboration | 28. May 2020

Curcumin or diferuloylmethane is the major constituent and the active component in the spice turmeric (rhizomes of Curcuma longa).  Curcumin is used medicinally as a supplement, and is claimed to have anticancer and chemopreventive properties. 

Contact us

| 24. Apr 2020

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

| 15. Apr 2020

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

| 15. Apr 2020

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

CAM Cancer’s position paper on terminology

Barbara Wider | 06. Apr 2020

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

Barbara Wider | 06. Apr 2020

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

By the CAM Cancer Collaboration | 14. Feb 2020

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)

By the CAM Cancer Collaboration | 31. May 2019

Dichloroacetate (DCA) is a substance that is being used for medical treatment of rare congenital forms of lactic acidosis, particularly pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDC) deficiency. The current interest in DCA as a cancer remedy evolved after the publication of a scientific article in 2007 that reported the ability of this compound to cause selective death of human cancer cells studied in tissue culture or after implantation into animal hosts. Subsequent claims by various non-scientific, for-profit groups were directed at the lay public regarding DCA’s purported anti-cancer effectiveness, based on results from the original pre-clinical studies and subsequent mostly unverifiable testimonials.

Red clover (Trifolium pratense)

By the CAM Cancer Collaboration | 08. Jan 2019

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