Understanding Complementary Therapies – a guide for people with cancer, their families and friends is an on-line booklet by the Cancer Council of New South Wales (Nov 08) that provides an excellent introduction to therapies that may improve your treatment and care.  

Complementary and alternative cancer therapies - for people with cancer, their family and friends is an on-line booklet by the Cancer Council Victoria (Feb 09). Complementary therapies and cancer factsheets are also provided by the Cancer Council of Australia.

Supplements, Herbs and Other Products – to help you determine treatments that have proven benefits as complementary cancer treatments.

Finding a Qualified Practitioner -this brochure lists contact details for the professional organisations representing qualified practitioners of complementary therapies in South Australia.

Cancer Care Centre at Unley, South Australia provides complementary therapies, support, services and a library of cancer information, books, videos, CDs. The Cancer Care Centre is affiliated with the Cancer Support Alliance of qualified complementary therapy professionals.

Cancer Support Alliance (CSA) directs cancer patients and their families to qualified, experienced professionals and information including relevant research about the role of complementary care in cancer support. Most CSA professionals have been associated with the Cancer Care Centre in Unley, South Australia – a community based complementary care centre.

Complementary and alternative cancer therapies - a useful, brief list of things to consider with links to reliable information. Although located at the Rare Cancer Alliance website, it is relevant for all types of cancer.

Better Health Channel, Victoria has general information about commonly used complementary therapies, and Fact Sheets.

The Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center is a leading US cancer research centre. The Integrative Medicine program is headed by Dr Barrie Cassileth, a presenter at the Cancer Voices SA consumer Forum in Nov 2007. A useful section of the website has detailed information aboutSupplements, Herbs and Other Products – to help you find out which ones have proven benefits as complementary cancer treatments. See alsoIntegrative Medicine for Paediatric Patients.

Complementary and Alternative Medicine Index, University of Maryland Medical Centre:

Herbs and Supplements, EBSCO Publishing

American National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine.NCCAM is dedicated to exploring complementary and alternative healing practices in the context of rigorous science and disseminating information to the public and professionals.

CancerHelp UK Complementary therapies information describes the therapy, how it works, why people with cancer might use it, possible side effects, and in the UK context, the cost, how to find a therapist and accreditation organisations.

Complementary Medicine MultiMedia from the MD Anderson Cancer Centre (USA) provides short online videos eg relaxation massage, yoga, tibetan meditation, laughter therapy, music therapy, qigong, tai chi, pilates.

Complementary and Alternative Medicine - Evidence updates by Therapy for the UK National Health Service.

Inspire Health has Research Updates which present the latest in integrative cancer care research relevant to cancer and integrative medicine.

I've got nothing to lose by trying it - Weighing up claims about cures and treatments for long-term conditions. This guide aims to help patients and their families to evaluate the treatment claims they are bombarded with.

Grapefruit juice and St John’s Wort are just the tip of the iceberg. Certain foods, prescription drugs and complementary remedies interact with cancer therapies, altering the effective dose and putting patients at risk. How can damaging interactions be prevented?

Most complementary therapy practitioners in Australia are 'unregistered' eg massage therapists, acupuncturists, counsellors, naturopaths, herbalists.Unregistered practitioners - what to expect and what to do if you have concerns about an unregistered practitioner (information sheet, Oct 08).

'Bogus' CAM practitioners under spotlight in SA (June 2009)

Inquiry into Bogus, Unregistered and Deregistered Health Practitioners(South Australian Parliamentary Inquiry, published June 2009)

Researchers may be interested inreports by the Australian National Prescribing Service Limited (NPS):

Review of the Quality of Complementary Medicines Information Resources: Summary Report(published Mar 2009)

Complementary medicine information needs of Australian consumers (PDF 78 pgs) and health professionals: GPs and pharmacists (146 pages).