Alternative therapies

Alternative therapies, also known as alternative medicine,  are different from complementary therapies. They are used instead of cancer treatments. They may claim to actively treat or even cure cancer. But there is no scientific proof to support these claims.

False claims about alternative therapies have sometimes led people to refuse cancer treatments that could have helped.

No alternative therapies have ever been proven to cure cancer or slow its growth.

If your doctor tells you that further treatment will not help control the cancer, you may find it very hard to accept. This is understandable. In this situation, you might find it helpful to get a second medical opinion.

The second doctor may be able to offer you another type of cancer treatment. Or they may confirm what you have already been told.

This may help you to accept that your doctors have tried everything. If you still want to have treatment, you could ask if there are any cancer research trials that might be suitable for you.

There are many types of alternative therapy. In this information we explain the alternative therapies that are most well-known to people with cancer. These include:

• amygdalin (Laetrile^®, Vitamin B17)
• Essiac^® (Vitaltea^®, Flor-essence^®)
• cannabis oil or CBD oil
• metabolic therapy
• diets that claim to treat cancer
• megavitamin therapy.

If you would like to talk to someone about alternative therapies, you can call the Macmillan Support Line on 0808 808 00 00. They are available to speak to 7 days a week, 8am-8pm.

You can also chat online to a Cancer Information Nurse Specialist.

Essiac comes as a drink and is sold as a nutritional supplement.

It is important not to take Essiac during cancer treatment, or with any other medicines, without checking with your cancer doctor first.

Some websites claim Essiac can slow down the growth of cancer, or even cure it. But there is no medical evidence to show that taking Essiac helps treat cancer or improves your quality of life.

Essiac affects an enzyme in the body that regulates hormones and vitamin D. It also affects how the body deals with toxins. This means that taking Essiac with other cancer treatments could make them less effective or increase side effects.

Metabolic treatments vary from one therapist to another. One of the most well-known therapies is called Gerson therapy. This may include:

• a diet of raw fruit and vegetables
• a diet with no processed foods or salt
• taking vitamin and mineral supplements
• taking enzymes or chemical supplementss
• having coffee enemas.

These are said to flush toxins out of the body. But there is no medical evidence to show that they help treat cancer.

If you have any questions about alternative diets or are thinking of following one, get advice from your cancer doctor, specialist nurse or dietitian.

Metabolic therapists think cancer is caused by a build-up of toxic substances in the body. They claim they can treat it by removing toxins and strengthening the immune system.

One study compared the effects of using a metabolic therapy with the effects of chemotherapy. The metabolic therapy included enzymes, nutritional supplements, detoxification and organic foods. The study found that the patients who had the chemotherapy lived three times longer and had a better quality of life than those who had metabolic therapy.

Possible side effects of metabolic or Gerson therapy include nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps, a high temperature and headaches. The high levels of hormones and extracts used can sometimes make people feel unwell. The risks of using coffee enemas include infections and serious damage to the large bowel.

This type of alternative therapy involves taking very large doses of vitamins as a way of preventing and treating cancer. However, there is no evidence that taking large doses of vitamins is helpful in treating cancer. Some vitamins can be harmful in high doses.

It is important to tell your cancer doctor before having high doses of vitamin C during, or within a few weeks of, cancer treatment.

High-dose vitamin C is one of the most common types of megavitamin therapy. High-dose vitamin C can make many cancer treatments less effective. This includes:

• cisplatin
• doxorubicin
• imatinib
• and vincristine.

It may also affect how radiotherapy works. High-dose vitamin C may also interact with some complementary and alternative therapies.

High-dose vitamin C is not suitable for people who have:

• kidney problems
• a condition that causes iron overload (haemachromatosis)
• a G6PDH deficiency.

We understand that people are worried about coronavirus (COVID-19). You may have questions about the different vaccines, or you may be worried about how the pandemic will affect your cancer treatment. We have detailed information about coronavirus and cancer treatment here.

Talk to an expert

We know cancer throws a lot your way, and right now, the coronavirus pandemic is making it even tougher. If you're worried about something, and you need to talk to someone, whatever is on your mind, we're here to listen.

To speak to our experts, you can:

• call the Macmillan Support Line on 0808 808 00 00
• or chat to a specialist online.