Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) Usage in Breast Cancer

(1) Background: Especially women with breast cancer look for offers from complementary and alternative medicine for various reasons. Unfortunately, the value of most offer has to be considered unclear. (2) Methods: This review was to identify reasonable strategies for patients with breast cancer based on current literature. (3) Results: The analyses show that there is no evidence that there are methods from alternative medicine which might result in a cure. However, there are several strategies which are likely to improve patient well-being during active conventional treatment and there are even some possibilities which might help improve the chances for cure. Examples of positive strategies which might improve patient prognosis are vitamin D supplementation, green tea, flaxseed and soy. Methods using honey or cryotherapy could help with oral mucositis. (4) Conclusions: There are rationally founded methods which may truly be considered integrative according to the definition of the National Center of Complementary and Integrative Health. Physicians should counsel patients that they are more likely to profit from these methods than those which are commonly used.