Are Alternative Therapies As Effective As Chemotherapy Or Radiation Therapy?

— -- Question: Are alternative therapies as effective as chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy?

Answer: Using any of these therapies as an alternative therapy and expecting it to be as effective as therapy that we know works by research is a little bit of risk-taking because we do not have the same research to quantify the effects of these therapies. So, to use any of them as a true alternative is something that would require some serious discussion and also some very serious analysis in terms of your situation and whatever else you may or may not have.

Looking at information -- the Internet has good information but it also has some bad information, so you want to be very careful about your source of information.

Right now, there's no therapy that we know of that we would list as complementary or alternative that holds the same statistical impact for cure as does traditional therapy. On the other hand, it might be helpful for symptom management, in terms of side effects, when appropriately used.

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