6 Complementary (Alternative) Breast Cancer Therapies for Side Effects and Stress

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Look before you leap

Often, it takes digging and some trial and error before a woman finds an approach that works for her. Be sure to use common sense as you evaluate a potential therapy—and a potential therapist—cautions Gauthier. "Especially when patients are diagnosed with a serious illness like cancer, it can make them quite vulnerable to a host of charlatans that will offer everything under the sun and tell them they can cure their cancer."

Also, whatever treatments you opt to try, be sure to fill your doctor in: Your medical oncologist and breast surgeon in particular need to know what you're doing or taking, in case it interferes with the treatment they're prescribing for you. According to one 2005 survey, 75% of cancer patients who used complementary and alternative medicine didn't tell their physicians.

Here's a quick look at some of the most common therapies.

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