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Conventional cancer treatment is approved by the FDA or medical sanctioning bodies and widely accepted, used, and prescribed treatment by a great majority of medical doctors, oncologists, radiologists, or other healthcare professionals for cancer. This includes the medically approved uses for chemotherapy, radiation, surgery, and hormone treatments. This is also called “the standard of care.

Complementary alternative medicine (CAM) was defined by the National Institutes of Health and has two categories identified as a complementary medicine and alternative medicine used independently or joined therapeutically to prevent or improve patient outcomes. Alternative medicine may use vitamin infusions, non-medicinal infusions, manufactured therapeutic equipment, physical therapies, supplementation, or diagnostic tools outside the scope of conventional cancer treatment. They are used instead of conventional cancer treatment. Complementary medicine may include but is not limited to lifestyle modifications, meal modification, or physical therapies. As an example, CAM may include acupuncture to ease nausea caused by chemotherapy. Since CAM goes beyond the scope of conventional cancer treatment, it is not paid for by health insurance policies, which pays for a large portion of conventional cancer treatment.

Including the preceding CAM definition, Alternative cancer treatment is believed to diagnose, treat, or prevent cancer without conventional cancer treatment. Other examples of alternative cancer treatment include hyperthermia, vaccines, stem cells, experimental medicines, Chinese medicine, hypnosis, and other mind sciences designed to treat cancer. You are likely to find within these alternative cancer treatments (CAM), detoxification methods (coffee enemas, liver flush, etc.) and various nutritional meal plans that promote health and wellness. 

Depends on who you ask and how they define alternative and natural. Alternative includes the preceding CAM definition. Additionally, a medical doctor or oncologist may administer an FDA approved chemotherapy in a lower dose to reduce patient toxicity. This is an alternative treatment going outside the scope of approved conventional cancer treatment. A medical doctor may prescribe an FDA approved medication for diabetes but repurposes it for a patient to reduce glucose levels to starve cancer cells. This medical doctor is practicing an alternative treatment that will likely be partially paid for by insurance plans since it is an FDA approved drug. There are nuances and we encourage patients to ask their health care professional which type(s) of treatments they will use and why. 

Cancer Doctor lists 300+ centers in the U.S., Mexico, Canada, and other parts of the world. We feature On-Site Certified Centers who are dedicated to treating cancer. These locations have passed a rigorous annual inspection by our team that includes passing a 200+ point proprietary audit that evaluates their services, safety, & effectiveness. Audits include interviews with cancer patients that received treatments at the center & discussions with their caretakers. You can use our map tool to find a fully dedicated On-Site Certified Cancer Treatment Center or a Verified Center near you. 

One of the earmarks of patients’ commitment to treatment is the acknowledgment of the cancer diagnosis. The patient does not deny cancer; they meet it head-on and accept it spiritually. The patient goes all-out to do the very best they can for their minds, their bodies, and their spirit – and they do not compromise..

Each cancer is specific to the patient; no two are alike. However, there are effective CAM therapies with research to support their usefulness. Intravenous High-Dose Vitamin C, hyperthermia, acupuncture, aromatherapy, massage, and yoga are examples of CAM therapies. 

Most often, no – but some insurance plans do allow for payment of portions of the conventional cancer therapy. An example would be an FDA drug prescribed by a medical doctor that was used alternatively. Contact your insurance company to find out. If you choose to pay for CAM you will not be alone. According to the most recent study by the CDC’s National Health Interview Survey, out-of-pocket spending topped $30 billion in 2012. Americans doled out $14.7 billion to complementary and integrative acupuncturists, chiropractors, and massage therapists. See our Funding Options. 

It depends on both doctors but don’t count on it. Some oncologists will not venture into a “partnership” with an integrative doctor after diagnosis. Sometimes an oncologist will work with outside health care providers using conventional cancer treatments. In this situation, the conventional treatment – surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, or immunotherapy – will be part of the overall treatment plan. In contrast, the integrative treatment aspect will include a focus on supporting the patient’s body, mind, and spirit. When everything is said and done, everyone wants to be paid for any of their services. This includes ongoing patient prognosis consultations with other healthcare professionals about your case that will result in hours of additional work. Since there are no guarantees, we suggest you work primarily with who you will trust with the majority of your cancer care.