Discussing Complementary Therapy Use With Early-Stage Breast Cancer Patients: Exploring the Communication Gap

"These findings indicate that doctors require further education about CAM therapies and supplements as well as guidance in how to raise and effectively discuss CAM issues with concern for their safety while balancing respect for the patients’ beliefs."

Editorial: Conventional and Complementary Therapies: A Tale of Two Research Standards? -- Levine 28 (12): 1979 -- Journal of Clinical Oncology

"Recently, there has been a shift from single CAM modalities for cancer management to a more comprehensive approach called integrative oncology, which is "an evolving, evidence-based specialty that uses CAM therapies in concert with biomedical cancer treatments to enhance its efficacy, improve symptom control, alleviate patient distress and reduce suffering. I am encouraged that the leaders of the Society of Integrative Oncology (Dundas, Ontario, Canada) have developed evidentiary levels to gauge the strength of evidence for CAM therapies. It is not surprising that these levels are based on the foundational principles of evidence-based medicine established by Sackett et al.15 I look forward to future well-designed clinical trials that provide high-quality evidence on how CAM therapies can improve the quality of life of our patients."