A large percentage of cancer patients use a variety of non-conventional methods, such as alternative or complementary medicine, either to influence the course of their disease or to enhance their well-being and quality of life. Alternative medicine is often defined as techniques or medicines that are neither used as standard medical treatments nor taught in medical schools. Complementary medicine is often defined as the diagnosis, treatment, and/or prevention that may provide benefits to conventional medicine. Studies have shown that many patients do not disclose use of complementary or alternative medicine (CAM) to their physicians for fear of disapproval or lack of support. A trustful physician-patient relationship and open discussion of use of non-conventional treatments are crucial to prevent patient abandonment of standard treatments. Younger age, female gender, higher level of education, higher income and higher social class seem to be associated with more frequent use of CAM. In addition, patients with cancer of longer duration or progression of cancer seem to use CAM more often than patients with early and localized cancer. There has been great controversy regarding the effects of CAM on compliance with standard medical treatment in cancer patients. The results of a recent study, however, suggest that cancer patients using CAM do not show a reduction in compliance with their standard medical treatment, but rather use it as supplementation to their treatment. Physicians in Austria evaluated 172 cancer patients undergoing standard medical treatment. Twenty four percent of patients were utilizing CAM in addition to their standard treatment and 31% were reported as interested in it's supplemental use. Users of CAM did not show less trust or compliance in standard medical treatment and generally were younger, had progressive cancer and active coping behavior. In addition, they did not show more psychological disturbance or poorer social support in comparison to patients who did not show an interest in the use of CAM. From this study, the physicians concluded that patients seem to consider CAM as supplementary to standard treatment, not a substitution, and use it as a way to avoid passivity and feelings of hopelessness in their disease process. Many oncologists fear that use of CAM may lead patients to abandon medical treatment. This was not the case in this study involving Austrian patients. However, European patients may be more likely to accept and comply with standard medical treatment recommendations without questioning in comparison to American patients. Regardless, it is imperative that all patients and physicians have open communication with each other about the use of non-conventional treatments, so patients will continue to comply with standard treatments and the most effective combination of treatments may be taken. (Cancer, Volume 89, No 4, pp 873-880, 2000).
　　
　　(From HealthWorld Online )