ABSTRACT
Complementary and alternative medical therapies are de ned as a group of diverse medical and healthcare systems, practices, and products that are not considered part of conventional medicine. Although alternative therapies are widely used by the general population, most of these practices are not well understood by conventional healthcare providers. Among cancer patients, the use of alternative medical therapies is widespread; a review (Ernst and Cassileth, 1998) reported an average prevalence in this population of 31%. Among children, surveys over the past decade have identi ed a 24-90% prevalence of complementary therapy custom (Kelly, 2007). Given this high level of usage, there is a need to educate families and healthcare providers about both the bene ts and the potential risks of alternative therapies.
