Focus on Alternative and Complementary Therapies
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Focus Alternat Complement Ther©2005 Pharmaceutical Press
Focus Altern Complement Ther 2004; 9: 16
Alternative methods are a source of hope for cancer patients. Many are of unproven effectiveness, some are even harmful. Some improve the quality of life, but promise other results. Which methods are of interest to German patients?
The German Cancer Information Service (Krebsinformationsdienst KID) is a service giving science-based information to the public via phone, e-mail and the internet. Evaluation of the almost 240 000 record forms provides data on the users’ questions and their personal beliefs about cancer. In 1991, 1996, 2001 and 2003, samples were evaluated concerning questions aiming at alternative methods.
German cancer patients categorise a wide spectrum as ‘alternative’, from mistletoe to ethnic medicine. The requests for ‘holistic’ or ‘complementary’ methods, however, have decreased from more than 20% of the overall questions in the early 1990s down to less than 14% in 2003. Today more questions concern unconventional therapies, which mimic clinical trials and claim to be science based, even when no data on effectiveness are available. These methods cannot be identified as unproven or even illegal by patients and most physicians.
Between 1991 and 2003, most questions concerning alternative methods to KID were not covered by official statements, at least not at the time they were popular. Science-based medicine seems to have gained a much higher reputation over the years, and unconventional methods nowadays often mimic evidence-based therapy.
The German Cancer Information Service is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Health and Social Security.
