Alternative breast cancer therapies that can help

Advances in breast cancer treatment in recent years have saved and extended the lives of tens of thousands of women. But many of those treatments—chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery—can also have harsh side effects, including depression, insomnia, pain, and stress. To combat those effects, as many as 80 percent of women diagnosed with breast cancer turn to complementary and alternative therapies. But are those "extra" treatments—including mind-body practices like yoga and supplements—really worth a try?

Some are, according to recent research-based guidelines from the Society for Integrative Oncology, an international group of top cancer doctors who study and use integrative therapies with their patients. They reviewed 203 studies, and according to their findings, these are the most effective therapies:

Meditation and relaxation

These calming practices, which are also sometimes referred to as mindfulness-based stress reduction, are best for easing depression and improving quality of life during treatment, as well as after.

Music therapy

Listening to tunes can help improve mood and ease the immediate anxiety commonly experienced during chemotherapy and radiation sessions.

Stress management

Ongoing group programs may work best for reducing the longer-term anxiety experienced during cancer treatment

Yoga

Experts now recommend that cancer patients participate in regular physical activity during and after their treatment. Yoga can help relieve depression and may also lift fatigue, improve sleep, and soothe anxiety.

One to skip

A supplement called acetyl-L-carnitine is sometimes used to alleviate chemo-induced neuropathy—nerve pain, weakness, and numbness. But one large study found that it actually increases all three of those symptoms instead.

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