Are the NCI and NCCAM sponsoring clinical trials in complementary and alternative medicine?
The NCI and NCCAM are currently sponsoring or cosponsoring various clinical trials to study complementary and alternative treatments for cancer. Some of these trials study the effects of complementary approaches used in addition to conventional treatments, while others compare alternative therapies with conventional treatments. Current trials include the following: • Acupuncture to reduce the symptoms of advanced colorectal cancer • Combination chemotherapy plus radiation therapy with or without shark cartilage in the treatment of patients who have non-small cell lung cancer that cannot be removed by surgery • Hyperbaric oxygen therapy with laryngectomy patients (people who have had an operation to remove all or part of the larynx (voice box)) • Massage therapy for cancer-related fatigue • Chemotherapy compared with pancreatic enzyme therapy plus specialized diet for the treatment of pancreatic cancer • Mistletoe extract and chemotherapy for the treatment of solid tumors Patients who a
