Three members of the Integrative Medicine Service at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City have published their views.

“Complementary therapies are noninvasive, inexpensive, and useful in controlling symptoms and improving quality of life, and they may be accessed by patients themselves. Rigorous scientific research has produced evidence that acupuncture, massage therapy, music, and mind-body therapies effectively and safely reduce physical and emotional symptoms.

Compared to pharmacologic treatments, “these therapies provide a favorable risk-benefit ratio and permit cancer survivors to help manage their own care,” conclude the authors.

6/23/08 22:02 JR