Studies to determine the prevalence of complementary and alternative medici
ne (CAM) use among cancer patients show international interest in a wide co
llection of therapies and a broad span of use, ranging from 7% to 64% of pa
tients sampled. The absence of consistent results across studies is due pri
marily to differing definitions of unconventional cancer therapies from stu
dy to study. Treatments promoted as alternatives to mainstream cancer cures
(e.g., the recently disproved "cancer cure" of Italy's Dr. Di Bella) shoul
d be distinguished from complementary therapies, which are applied as adjun
cts to mainstream care in an integrated fashion. The latter include mind-bo
dy techniques and herbal remedies, among many other remedies, all aimed at
symptom control and enhanced quality of life. This differentiation provides
a clearer understanding of CAM activity and enables selective evaluation o
f CAM's clinical effects. It permits us to avoid accepting or rejecting all
of CAM out of hand. Health care professionals as well as patients and thei
r families have become increasingly knowledgeable about complementary thera
pies that cart be helpful to patients with cancer. Many such therapies have
been well studied (meditation, tai chi), and others remain highly question
able (homeopathy, electromagnetics). Their benefits and potential problems
are reviewed.