<p>Various surveys show that interest in complementary and alternative medicine (<sc>cam</sc>) is high among cancer patients. Patients want to explore all options that may help their treatment. Many <sc>cam</sc> modalities offer patients an active role in their self-care, and the resulting sense of empowerment is very appealing. On the other hand, many unscrupulous marketeers promote alternative cancer “cures,” targeting cancer patients who are particularly vulnerable. Some alternative therapies can hurt patients by delaying effective treatment or by causing adverse effects or detrimental interactions with other medications. It is not in the best interest of cancer patients if they cannot get appropriate guidance on the use of <sc>cam</sc> from the health care professionals who are part of their cancer care team.</p> <p>The Integrative Medicine Service at Memorial Sloan–Kettering Cancer Center in New York was established in 1999 to address patient interest in <sc>cam</sc>, to incorporate helpful complementary therapies into each patient’s overall treatment management, to guide patients in avoiding harmful alternative therapies, and to develop prospective research to evaluate the efficacy of <sc>cam</sc> modalities.</p>
<fn-group><fn><p>URL: <ext-link ext-link-type="uri" xlink:href="http://www.current-oncology.com/index.php/oncology/article/view/276/238">http://www.current-oncology.com/index.php/oncology/article/view/276/238</ext-link></p></fn><fn><p>*With the increasing national and international popularity and exposure of Current Oncology, the queue of excellent submissions continues to lengthen. After substantial consideration, the journal’s management has determined that the best way to manage this abundance is to move to a “hybrid” of combined print and electronic publication, with every e-manuscript being supported by a full print abstract and key words, and of course, indexing in PubMed for international recognition.</p></fn></fn-group>
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Curr Oncol. 2008 Aug; 15(Suppl 2):s108.es68-s108.es71