Discussing Complementary Therapies in an Oncology Setting

When herbal or other biologic therapies are used with conventional treatments, adverse drug-herb interactions can occur. Of course, benefits can also be derived that decrease the side effects of conventional medicine and/or support general recovery, a sense of well-being, and health. Even though people with cancer typically use complementary medicines along with conventional treatment, many of them do so without informing anyone on their health care team. This lack of discussion is of grave concern, especially for ingestible substances. This article considers some of the barriers to open communication about complementary treatments and provides support for why it is the health care professional's responsibility to bring up the topic for both medical and legal reasons. Strategies for initiating and guiding an informed dialogue are described and important resources are provided.