Complementary therapies to support your recovery

Complementary therapies comprise a range of lifestyle practices, therapies, supplements, and strategies used in addition to conventional cancer treatments.

Studies show that, in certain instances, these can:

✓ Reduce treatment side-effects
✓ Improve treatment effectiveness
✓ Improve your quality of life
✓ Reduce your risk of a recurrence
✓ Boost your long-term survival

For example, in this 2019 Systematic Review,12 trials reported beneficial aspects of complementary therapies on the overall survival of cancer patients.  

Select Therapies by Treatment Goal or Cancer Type

By Treatment Goal

Balance Your Immune System
Address Parasites, Bacteria, and Viruses
Detox Your Body
Reduce Anxiety and Stress
Manage Physical Pain
Reduce Chemotherapy Side Effects
Reduce Surgery Side Effects
Reduce Radiation Therapy Side Effects

By Cancer Type:

• Bladder Cancer
• Bone Cancer
• Brain & CNS Cancer
• Breast Cancer
• Cervical Cancer
• Childhood Cancer
• Chronic Myelomonocytic Leukemia (CMML)
• Colorectal (Bowel) Cancer
• Esophageal Cancer
• Gallbladder Cancer
• Head and Neck Cancer
• Hodgkin Lymphoma
• Kidney Cancer
• Leukaemia
• Liver Cancer
• Lung Cancer
• Malignant Mesothelioma
• Melanoma (Skin) Cancer
• Multiple Myeloma / Plasma Cell Neoplasm
• Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma
• Ovarian Cancer
• Pancreatic Cancer
• Penile Cancer
• Prostate Cancer
• Stomach Cancer
• Testicular Cancer
• Thyroid Cancer
• Uterine Cancer
• Vaginal Cancer
• Vulvar Cancer

See also:
Conventional Treatments
Alternative Treatments
Integrative Treatments

Last updated January 2026