 
<b> We are often asked if we know of any 'alternative treatments' that 'work'. </b> 
We know of no alternative agent that will cure LMS, or bring about remission, or cause LMS tumors to undergo > 50% shrinkage. If there were an 'alternative treatment' that 'worked', we would all be on it. AND it would ALREADY have been co-opted into standard medicine.

Alternative medicine is used INSTEAD OF standard medicine.  Complementary medicine is used IN ADDITION to standard medicine.

However, alternative/complementary medicine is useful in four areas.  And there are many scams or interactions to beware of.

1. There are <b>stress management and relaxation techniques.</b> [Hypnotherapy, psychotherapy, visualization, meditation, Reiki, massage.]

2. <b>Symptom relief. </b>
Be careful, here.  Some of the herbal mixtures to relieve chemotherapy symptoms do so by decreasing the concentration of the chemotherapy agents, and can prevent them from working to their full capacity.  Some of the substances might relieve symptoms but increase metastastic potential.
   Discussion with your oncologist is vital. Some over-the-counter, alternative, complementary, or herbal remedies can seriously interfere with cancer treatments.  Make a list of every supplement and herbal and medicine that you take, and clear their use with your oncologist if you are undergoing cancer treatment of any kind. 	

3. <b>Antiangiogenesis</b> substances Can be used, and might have a favorable effect on slowing tumor growth.  Because tumors outgrow the antiangiogenesis limitations caused by one substance, antiangiogenesis cocktails of low dose multiple substances are often used.  Read about antiangiogenesis at &&url .

4. <b>Antioxidant substances</b> which might help prevent tumor cell dedifferentiation. [Dedifferentiation is the further accumulation of mutations by the cancer cells, resulting in more and more primitive and bizarre and possibly more aggressive tumor cells and possibly faster growing and less controllable tumors. See the discussion of dedifferentiation in &&url .]

5. <b>Diet</b>
We are often asked about diet.    
See  &&url .

6. <b>Scams.</b>
Cancer patients are often desperate.  They can be easily taken advantage of by unscrupulous or well-meaning but ill-advised people.  Check all proposed treatments at &&url .
This is Dr. Barrett's site for evaluating questionable treatments. Even if the scam or useless agent does you no direct harm, it does take money, effort, and time from your search for more effective agents.  Best to go with substances that have proven benefit.