Complementary data.

Where you practice probably determines how many times a day you get asked about the utility of alternative medicines to help cure cancer. And that’s among those willing to come to a radiation consultation. Here is a systematic review of trials evaluating the use of complementary and integrative medicine, so called because they were all done in conjunction with radiation therapy. Across 65 trials deemed high-quality, 60% showed some type of “favorable” outcome, primarily patient- (41%) and provider- (22%) reported side effects, especially psychological ones. Importantly, none of these 65 trials showed an unfavorable outcome. As complementary, but really alternative, medicine has received a bad rap lately, this is an important step in demonstrating the merits of historically less conventional therapies when—and this is crucial—done in conjunction with data-driven oncologic therapies such as radiation. | Lapen, Support Care Cancer 2021