Alternative and Popular Cancer Diets
Also known by these names
- Alkaline diet
- Budwig Diet
- Gerson Diet
- Gonzalez Diet
- Living foods diet
- Macrobiotic diet
- Moerman Diet
- Raw foods diet
- Paleolithic (Paleo) Diet
- Vegan Diet
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Key Points
- Many alternative diets are available.
- Some diets are part of a larger therapy regimen.
- Many alternative diets are not harmful, although cautions are noted regarding obtaining sufficient protein and avoiding high glycemic loads with some.
- BCCT does not recommend relying on diet alone to treat cancer.
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Authors
Laura Pole, RN, MSN, OCNS, BCCT Senior Researcher
Read more Ms. Pole is an oncology clinical nurse specialist who has been providing integrative oncology clinical care, navigation, consultation and education services for more than 30 years. View profile.

Nancy Hepp, MS, BCCT Project Manager
Read more Ms. Hepp is a science researcher and communicator who has been writing and editing educational content on varied health topics for more than 20 years. View profile.
Reviewer
Rebecca Katz, MS, BCCT Advisor
Read more With a master of science in health and nutrition education and several books on food in healing, Ms. Katz is founder of the Healing Kitchens Institute and has been a visiting chef and nutrition educator at the Commonweal Cancer Help Program. View profile.
Last updated May 24, 2021.
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Dozens or even hundreds of diets are available, promising outcomes that may include weight loss, muscle gain, greater energy, detoxification, philosophical or spiritual purity, disease prevention and even cure. Some people may use diets promoted as “alternative” while also undergoing conventional treatments. A number of these are strictly diets, but others are a component of an alternative therapy regimen that may also include coffee enemas and a host of nutritional supplements, as well as other components.
While most of the diets discussed here show at least some benefit regarding cancer, some risk may also be involved, including nutrient insufficiencies and elimination of food groups proven beneficial for cancer prevention and general health.
For more information about nutritional needs with cancer, see our Eating Well summary.
Specific Diets
Some of the more commonly used alternative cancer diets are described here.
Macrobiotic Diet
Part of an overall program of healthy living, this diet is derived from a traditional Japanese diet. When a few people found improvements from following this diet, it became regarded as an anticancer diet.
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For example, Anthony Sattilaro, MD, diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer, figured he had nothing to lose and adopted the macrobiotic diet. He experienced complete resolution of his bone lesions at one and four years after diagnosis. His and other similar stories were published in popular media, creating great interest among cancer patients.
Whole grains make up the bulk of the diet, then vegetables, then beans and sea vegetables, then vegetable soups. Other foods such as nuts, seeds, fruits and fish are eaten occasionally. Dairy, red meat and sugar are all absent. Macrobiotic dietary counselors will advise patients to adapt the diet based on the season, the climate, and personal and other factors.
Evidence
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A 2001 review concluded: “The role of the macrobiotic diet in cancer prevention and survival has not been investigated adequately to justify scientifically the recommendation that macrobiotics be used in the context of cancer. However, the lack of studies that examine directly the effects of macrobiotics on cancer prevention, survival or quality of life cannot be taken as evidence against a beneficial effect of macrobiotics. In particular, there is extensive indirect evidence that macrobiotic dietary patterns are associated with reduced cancer risk as well as the potentially reassuring results of the few studies that evaluated directly the effects of the macrobiotic diet on estrogen metabolism and cardiovascular risk.”
A 2014 review reported that experts evaluating six case reports “did not find a proof of a positive impact of the diet in any case.”
In sum:
- Evidence supporting the use of this diet for cancer risk reduction, survival or quality of life is lacking.
- Scientific proof is a very high standard and difficult to achieve. Indirect evidence suggests that this diet is associated with lower cancer risk.
- Lack of evidence in this case could indicate that more research is needed and not that the diet is ineffective.
Cautions
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This diet involves particular preparation requirements that are often quite involved and labor-intensive, which could be a problem if no one with sufficient energy or time is available to prepare this diet.
Block and Gyllenhaal caution that difficulty with this diet can “arise for patients with cachexia [body wasting and weakness] due to the low caloric density of this diet.”
More Information on Macrobiotic Diet
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Gerson Diet
Developed by Max Gerson, MD, in the 1930s to 1950s, the Gerson Therapy Regimen is complex and exacting. It includes strict diet, dietary supplements, fasting and coffee enemas. The regimen is based on the “theory that disease can be cured by removing toxins from the body, boosting the immune system, and replacing excess salt in the body's cells with potassium.” The diet is vegetarian and emphasizes raw vegetables and fruit juices. Clinics in the US, Mexico, Canada and Europe include the Gerson Regimen solely or in combination with other therapies.
Evidence
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NCI’s PDQ states that “The data that are available are not sufficient to warrant claims that the Gerson therapy is effective as an adjuvant to other cancer therapies or as a cure.” In his 1994 book, Michael Lerner predicted that controlled clinical trials of the regimen would likely find a small but significantly increased number of cures, along with a wide range of increase in life expectancy and improved quality of life. A 2014 review of evidence to that point, including a National Cancer Institute expert panel review, did not find convincing evidence of benefit.
Cautions
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Block and Gyllenhaal state that the Gerson regimen can be rigorous and difficult to follow. They emphasize that monitoring the patient with cachexia for adequate protein intake is important, and caution that fruit juice intake may compromise blood sugar control.
More Information on The Gerson Diet and the Gerson Regimen
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Gonzalez Diet
Part of a larger regimen developed by the late Nicholas Gonzalez, MD, this diet “emphasizes fresh raw fruits, raw and lightly steamed vegetables, and freshly made vegetable juice daily. The diet protocol relies on plant-based sources such as cereals, nuts and seeds and whole-grain products such as whole-grain bread and brown rice. The patient may eat one or two eggs daily, whole-milk yogurt daily, and fish two or three times a week, but no red meat or poultry.”
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The full regimen also includes pancreatic enzymes, a host of supplements (about 130 capsules per day), fasting, colonic irrigation and coffee enemas. It is a variant of the Kelley Method developed by dentist William Kelley, also borrowing from the Gerson Regimen. Like the Gerson regimen, the Gonzalez one can be rigorous and difficult to follow. The number of supplements alone can be a challenge for some patients. However, BCCT staff have known patients who claim to have been helped by the Gonzalez Regimen.
Evidence
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Pilot Study
According to Linda Isaacs, MD, colleague of Dr. Gonzalez, at the urging of the associate director of the National Cancer Institute, she and Dr. Gonzalez pursued a pilot study of their methods in ten patients suffering inoperable pancreatic cancer. “The study was completed and the results were published in the June 1999 issue of Nutrition and Cancer. Of 11 patients followed in the trial, eight suffered stage 4 disease, the most advanced stage. Results:
- Nine of 11 (81 percent) lived one year or longer
- Five of 11 (45 percent) lived two years or longer
- Four of 11 (36 percent) lived three years or longer
- Two (18 percent) lived longer than four years
In comparison, in a trial of the drug gemcitabine studying 126 patients with pancreatic cancer, not a single patient lived longer than 19 months.
Clinical Trial
The encouraging results of this pilot study were the impetus for the National Cancer Institute and the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine to approve funding for a large-scale clinical trial. That controlled trial involved patients with advanced pancreatic cancer who were allowed to choose treatment with either the chemotherapy drug gemcitabine (control group) or an enzyme treatment including orally ingested proteolytic enzymes, nutritional supplements, detoxification and an organic diet (experimental group). “The median survival in the experimental group was 4.3 months, in the control group 14 months. The quality of life ratings were significantly better in the chemotherapy group compared to the enzyme-treated group.”
The clinical trial results seem to be bad news for those following the Gonzalez Regimen. However, Isaacs explains, “Unfortunately, the study was ineptly managed by the academicians involved, who were used to studies involving drugs, not lifestyle changes, and many if not most of the patients assigned to the nutritional protocol did not comply with their treatment.”
Isaacs points out that the researchers flooded the Gonzalez Regimen arm of the study with patients who were not actually doing the protocol. The researchers did not mention this in their research publication. Dr. Isaacs says that “like so many other studies in alternative medicine, because of flaws in design and execution this study failed to answer the questions it was meant to address.” See Dr. Gonzalez' book What Went Wrong or Dr. Isaac’s article Research Battles for further information.
2019 Case Study
Two patients, one with colon cancer metastatic to the liver and lung and another with lung cancer with brain metastasis, followed an enzyme-based nutritional protocol using diet, supplements and detoxification methods of the Gonzalez program. Both patients experienced "prolongation of life and resolution of radiographically apparent disease." The author points out that "case reports cannot be considered as proof of efficacy, these cases added to others of patients treated with the same method would suggest that this is a viable option for those patients whose disease cannot be treated successfully with other modalities.."
For a description of individualized nutritional protocols following the Gonzalez Regimen, see Dr. Linda Isaacs—Individualized Nutritional Protocols.
More Information on the Gonzalez Regimen
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Living Foods Diet (Raw Foods Diet)
Developed by Ann Wigmore of the Hippocrates Institute, this diet consists of only raw foods, fermented vegetables, sprouted grains, and juices such as wheat grass juice.
Evidence
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A 2014 review "did not find clinical evidence supporting” its use in cancer patients.
Cautions
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Block and Gyllenhaal caution that long-term use of this diet may result in inadequate protein and omega-3 fatty acid intake.
A 2014 review concluded that raw foods can be irritating or difficult to tolerate in patients with chemotherapy-induced mucositis or stoma, and may incur a higher risk of gastrointestinal infections.
BCCT senior scientist Laura Pole, RN, MSN, who is also a health-supportive chef, and chef Rebecca Katz, MS, caution that some raw foods may be difficult to digest and cause any number of gastrointestinal discomforts as well as feeling cold, particularly when eaten in cold climes and seasons. At the Hippocrates Institute in Florida, a raw-foods diet is more in tune with the seasonal foods available there than it might be in other climates. Furthermore, some foods need to be cooked in order for the body to digest and absorb their nutrients—for example dark leafy greens such as kale. Mushrooms should be eaten only if cooked to neutralize naturally occurring toxins.
Alkaline Diet
This diet, currently quite popular among many cancer patients, is a plant-based diet that people can follow on their own. Promoted as helpful for weight loss and fighting cancer, it recommends high intake of foods that supposedly produce higher blood alkalinity, particularly vegetables and other plant foods. Those following the diet are supposed to measure their pH (in saliva or urine) on a regular basis. Some patients claim it is a complex regimen to follow and eliminates many of the foods that are allowed on more moderate regimens, such as lean meat, gluten and low-fat dairy.
Evidence
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According to the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR), “The unsubstantiated theory is based on lab studies that suggest cancer cells thrive in an acidic (low pH) environment, but cannot survive in alkaline (high pH) surroundings. . . While these findings are accurate, they apply only to cells in an isolated lab setting. Altering the cell environment of the human body to create a less acidic, less cancer-friendly environment is virtually impossible.” AICR advises: “What you eat can have a profound effect on your cancer risk, but the acidity or alkalinity of foods is not important. Instead, focus on making dietary choices that can truly affect your risk: Eat a wide variety of vegetables, fruits, whole grains and beans; limit consumption of red and processed meats; enjoy alcohol in moderation, if at all.”
Naturopathic oncologist Neil McKinney, ND, states: “An alkalizing diet is good for cancer patients. . . but why it works well has very little to do with pH. Extreme pH therapies are not recommended.” Thus eating these types of foods can be beneficial, even though the theoretical basis of the diet is questioned.
However, some credible integrative oncology clinicians say there may be some validity to this diet. According to naturopathic oncologist Lise Alschuler, ND, FABNO, acidosis is associated with impaired immunity, reduced glutathione and reduced insulin sensitivity. She points to growing evidence that reducing acidosis may provide benefits and that an alkaline diet doesn’t need to be extreme to be helpful.
More Information on the Alkaline Diet
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Paleolithic (Paleo) Diet
From Pros and cons of dietary strategies popular among cancer patients:
The Paleolithic diet has an emphasis on fruit, vegetables, nuts, and seeds, while restricting refined carbohydrates, processed meats, and alcohol. However, the diet opposes AICR dietary guidelines by being high in saturated fat and low in legumes and cereal grains, a combination associated with worsened colorectal cancer survival.
Evidence
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As with the Mediterranean diet, higher adherence to the Paleolithic diet is associated with lower mortality either from cancer or from all causes or with lower risk of incident, sporadic colorectal adenomas. Mortality benefits were slightly greater from the Mediterranean diet.
In conclusion, the Paleolithic diet shares characteristics with other healthy diets, but strict adherence may eliminate food groups proven to be beneficial for cancer prevention and general health.
More Information on the Paleo Diet
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Vegan Diet
From Pros and cons of dietary strategies popular among cancer patients:
A vegan diet excludes all animal products, including meat, fish, eggs, dairy and honey. This goes beyond the plant-based diet, which includes small amounts of eggs, dairy, fish, fowl and red meat.
Eating a vegan diet is thought to increase intake of foods regarded as “cancer-fighting”, such as berries, greens, whole grains, nuts and seeds, while eliminating foods such as dairy products and red and processed meats that may increase cancer risk.
Evidence
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A meta-analysis found an estimated 15 percent reduced incidence of total cancer from following a vegan diet.
Whether avoiding all animal products is necessary for obtaining the positive health benefits of a vegan diet is not clear.
- Vegans, vegetarians, and fish-eaters all showed reduced risk for all cancers compared to non-vegetarians in a large European study.
- A 2018 review found no beneficial effect of a vegetarian/vegan diet on breast cancer recurrence.
- A vegan diet's elimination of dairy foods may confer benefit in some types of cancer, such as prostate cancer and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. However, dairy foods may be protective against colorectal cancer. Consistent with this, a large study in 2016 found that vegan diets are associate with reduced prostate cancer risk,.
- Colorectal cancer incidence in a large prospective cohort study was lowest in those who ate a vegetable-based diet with the addition of seafood, while vegans and vegetarians had lower and similar reduced risk compared with non-vegetarians.
Cautions
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A vegan diet eliminates natural food sources of vitamin B12, essential for the body to produce red blood cells and prevent anemia. Either supplements or foods fortified with vitamin B12 are needed to prevent a deficiency that can lead to serious health problems.
Calcium from milk products is also missing from a vegan diet but can be addressed by vegetable foods rich in calcium:
- Dark green vegetables including turnip and collard greens, kale and broccoli eaten in sufficient quantities
- Calcium-enriched and fortified juices, cereals, soy milk, soy yogurt and tofu
More Information on the Vegan Diet
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Other Popular Alternative Diets
Budwig Diet
Moerman Diet
Cautions
Although many of the diets are plant-based and generally considered safe, attempting to use diet alone as treatment can be dangerous, especially when effective evidence-based therapies are available. Naturopathic oncologist Neil McKinney cautions that raw food and juice plans such as the Gerson Diet, Living Foods and the Hallelujah Acres regimes are “dangerous to the majority of cancer patients because they are grossly deficient in protein and often add a high glycemic load.“
- Zick SM, Snyder D, Abrams DI. Pros and cons of dietary strategies popular among cancer patients. Oncology (Williston Park). 2018 Nov 15;32(11):542-7.
- Kushi LH, Cunningham JE et al. The macrobiotic diet in cancer. Journal of Nutrition. 2001 Nov;131(11 Suppl):3056S-64S.
- Huebner J, Marienfeld S et al. Counseling patients on cancer diets: a review of the literature and recommendations for clinical practice. Anticancer Research. 2014 Jan;34(1):39-48.
- Block K, Gyllenhaal C. Chapter 6: Nutritional Interventions in Cancer. In Abrams, DI, Weil, AT. Integrative Oncology. 2nd Edition. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. 2014. p. 144.
- National Cancer Institute. Gerson Therapy (PDQ®)–Health Professional Version. April 11, 2016. Viewed April 17, 2018.
- National Cancer Institute. Gerson Therapy (PDQ®)–Health Professional Version. April 11, 2016. Viewed April 17, 2018.
- Lerner M. Choices In Healing: Integrating the Best of Conventional and Complementary Approaches to Cancer. Chapter 14: The Gerson Diet–A Radical Anticancer Therapy. MIT Press. 1994.
- Huebner J, Marienfeld S et al. Counseling patients on cancer diets: a review of the literature and recommendations for clinical practice. Anticancer Research. 2014 Jan;34(1):39-48.
- Block K, Gyllenhaal C. Chapter 6: Nutritional Interventions in Cancer. In Abrams, DI, Weil, AT. Integrative Oncology. 2nd Edition. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. 2014. p. 144.
- National Cancer Institute. Gonzalez Regimen (PDQ®)–Health Professional Version. February 7, 2018. Viewed April 17, 2018.
- Gonzalez NJ, Isaacs LL. Evaluation of pancreatic proteolytic enzyme treatment of adenocarcinoma of the pancreas, with nutrition and detoxification support. Nutrition and Cancer 1999;33:117-124.
- Burris HA, Moore MJ et al. Improvements in survival and clinical benefit with gemcitabine as first-line therapy for patients with advanced pancreas cancer: a randomized trial. Journal of Clinical Oncology. 1997;15:2403-2413.
- Huebner J, Marienfeld S et al. Counseling patients on cancer diets: a review of the literature and recommendations for clinical practice. Anticancer Research. 2014 Jan;34(1):39-48.
- Isaacs, L. Deciding whether to pursue an alternative cancer therapy. Originally published in Total Health Magazine May/June 2001. Updated 2016. Viewed September 5, 2018.
- Isaacs LL Research battles: survival tips from a veteran. Integrative Medicine: A Clinician's Journal (Encinitas). 2015 Oct;14(5):30-2.
- Isaacs LL. An enzyme-based nutritional protocol in metastatic cancer: case reports of a patient with colon cancer and a patient with lung cancer. Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine. 2019 Jul;25(4):16-19.
- Isaacs LL. An enzyme-based nutritional protocol in metastatic cancer: case reports of a patient with colon cancer and a patient with lung cancer. Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine. 2019 Jul;25(4):16-19.
- Huebner J, Marienfeld S et al. Counseling patients on cancer diets: a review of the literature and recommendations for clinical practice. Anticancer Research. 2014 Jan;34(1):39-48.
- Block K, Gyllenhaal C. Chapter 6: Nutritional Interventions in Cancer. In Abrams, DI, Weil, AT. Integrative Oncology. 2nd Edition. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. 2014. p. 144-145.
- Huebner J, Marienfeld S et al. Counseling patients on cancer diets: a review of the literature and recommendations for clinical practice. Anticancer Research. 2014 Jan;34(1):39-48.
- McKinney N. Naturopathic Oncology, 3rd Edition. Victoria, BC, Canada: Liaison Press. 2016.
- American Institute for Cancer Research: Alkaline diets. Viewed April 17, 2018.
- McKinney N. Naturopathic Oncology, 3rd Edition. Victoria, BC, Canada: Liaison Press. 2016. p. 117.
- Alschuler LN, Gazella KA. The Definitive Guide to Thriving after Cancer. Berkeley, California: Ten Speed Press. 2013. p. 89.
- Zick SM, Snyder D, Abrams DI. Pros and cons of dietary strategies popular among cancer patients. Oncology (Williston Park). 2018 Nov 15;32(11):542-7.
- Whalen KA, Judd S et al. Paleolithic and Mediterranean diet pattern scores are inversely associated with all-cause and cause-specific mortality in adults. Journal of Nutrition. 2017 Apr;147(4):612-620.
- Whalen KA, McCullough M et al. Paleolithic and Mediterranean diet pattern scores and risk of incident, sporadic colorectal adenomas. American Journal of Epidemiology. 2014 Dec 1;180(11):1088-97.
- Zick SM, Snyder D, Abrams DI. Pros and cons of dietary strategies popular among cancer patients. Oncology (Williston Park). 2018 Nov 15;32(11):542-7.
- Dinu M, Abbate R, Gensini GF, Casini A, Sofi F. Vegetarian, vegan diets and multiple health outcomes: a systematic review with meta-analysis of observational studies. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition. 2017 Nov 22;57(17):3640-3649.
- Segovia-Siapco G, Sabaté J et al. Health and sustainability outcomes of vegetarian dietary patterns: a revisit of the EPIC-Oxford and the Adventist Health Study-2 cohorts. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2018 Oct 2.
- Weigl J, Hauner H, Hauner D. Can nutrition lower the risk of recurrence in breast cancer? Breast Care (Basel). 2018 Apr;13(2):86-91.
- Lu W, Chen H et al. Dairy products intake and cancer mortality risk: a meta-analysis of 11 population-based cohort studies. Nutr Journal. 2016 Oct 21;15(1):91.
- Wang J, Li X et al. Dairy product consumption and risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma: a meta-analysis. Nutrients. 2016 Feb 27;8(3):120.
- Aune D, Lau R et al. Dairy products and colorectal cancer risk: a systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies. Annals of Oncology 2012 Jan;23(1):37-45.
- Tantamango-Bartley Y, Knutsen SF et al. Are strict vegetarians protected against prostate cancer? American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2016 Jan;103(1):153-60.
- Key TJ, Appleby PN, Spencer EA, Travis RC, Roddam AW, Allen NE. Cancer incidence in vegetarians: results from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC-Oxford). American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2009 May;89(5):1620S-1626S.
- McKinney N. Naturopathic Oncology, 3rd Edition. Victoria, BC, Canada: Liaison Press. 2016. p. 110.
View All References
More Information
- Zick SM, Snyder D, Abrams DI. Pros and cons of dietary strategies popular among cancer patients. Oncology (Williston Park). 2018 Nov 15;32(11):542-7.
- Gurdev Parmar and Tina Kaczor: Textbook of Naturopathic Oncology
- Moss Reports: The Center For Better Bones Conversation
- Dr. Deirdre Orceyre: Naturopathic and Integrative Cancer Care
- National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health: PDQ® Cancer Information Summaries
- Raymond Chang, MD: Beyond the Magic Bullet: The Anti-Cancer Cocktail
- Neil McKinney, BSc, ND: Naturopathic Oncology, 3rd Edition
- Lise Alschuler, ND, FABNO, and Karolyn Gazella: The Definitive Guide to Cancer, 3rd Edition
- Keith I. Block, MD: Life over Cancer: The Block Center Program for Integrative Cancer Treatment
- Ralph Moss, PhD: The Moss Reports
- CAM-Cancer Collaboration: CAM-Cancer
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center: About Herbs, Botanicals and Other Products
- National Cancer Institute: Complementary and Alternative Medicine for Health Professionals
- National Cancer Institute: Office of Cancer Complementary and Alternative Medicine
- Michael Lerner: Choices In Healing: Integrating the Best of Conventional and Complementary Approaches to Cancer
- Cancer Research UK
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