How useful are unconventional cancer treatments?

Unconventional cancer treatments are used frequently. Therefore, oncologist s need to know about them. This article gives an overview of current knowle dge on the most prevalent complementary or alternative cancer therapies. A distinction is made between alleged cures, preventive and adjunctive measur es. Shark cartilage, mistletoe, thymus therapy, essiac, hydrazine sulphate, 714-X, dietary regimens, green tea and Panax ginseng are all covered speci fically. None of these treatments offer reasonable hope for a cure. Some st rategies are promising in terms of cancer prevention. The true potential of unconventional therapies might lie in adjunctive and palliative care. It i s concluded that good evidence in this area is scarce. Vis-a-vis the high p revalence of unconventional cancer treatments, rigorous investigations are mandatory, not least for increasing the safety of future patients. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.