Complementary therapies for cancer Recovery and survival

Complementary therapies for cancer are supportive approaches used alongside conventional treatment to help improve how well your treatment works, reduce treatment-related pain and organ damage, improve quality of life, reduce recurrence risk, and, in some cases, support longer-term survival. This page summarises complementary cancer therapies for each cancer type or therapy goal.

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

Select Complementary therapies

Complementary therapies to:

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

Complementary therapies for:

• 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