NBOCC position statements
Complementary Therapies
1 April 2004
The National Breast Cancer Centre recognises that a high proportion of Australian women with breast cancer use complementary therapies, and that many of these women do not discuss their therapy use with their clinicians. The NBCC is also aware of the paucity of evidence supporting the safety and efficacy of many complementary therapies.
To date, the NBCC has primarily focussed on quality of life improvements through complementary therapies in the cognitive and behavioural group, such as progressive muscle relaxation, guided imagery and systematic desensitisation. There is considerable evidence for the efficacy of these therapies, which have been reviewed in NBCC clinical practice guidelines (approved by the National Health and Medical Research Council).1–4
In preparing the advanced breast cancer and early breast cancer guidelines,3,4 evidence for additional complementary therapies was reviewed and a lack of evidence for efficacy and safety was acknowledged. The potential for harm or for interactions with conventional therapies was identified where relevant. In the guidelines for advanced breast cancer, evidence for the safety of some complementary therapies was outlined and therapies considered potentially dangerous for women with advanced breast cancer were listed. These include: calcium supplementation for bone disease; iron and vitamin C supplementation by women receiving blood transfusions; vitamin C supplementation; some diets which may be nutritionally inadequate; and the frequent use of enemas.
The NBCC is about to commence a program of systematic reviews of specific complementary therapies commonly used by women with breast cancer.
References
The following NBCC clinical practice guidelines can be downloaded
from this website - National Breast
Cancer Centre Resource List
1. National Breast Cancer Centre. Clinical practice guidelines for
the management and support of younger women with breast cancer.
Canberra: Commonwealth of Australia, 2004.
2. National Breast Cancer Centre and the National Cancer Control
Initiative. Clinical practice guidelines for the psychosocial care
of adults with cancer. Canberra: Commonwealth of Australia, 2003.
3. National Breast Cancer Centre. Clinical practice guidelines for
the management of early breast cancer: Second edition. Canberra:
Commonwealth of Australia, 2001.
4. National Breast Cancer Centre. Clinical practice guidelines for
the management of advanced breast cancer. Canberra: Commonwealth
of Australia, 2001.