Cancer is a disease that tugs at the heartstrings. As such, there are many unscrupulous people that capitalise on this and falsely proclaim miracle ‘cures’ for cancer. Some people spurn conventional cancer therapies in favour of these ‘miracle’ treatments to their detriment.

Alternative medicine can play an important surrogate role to recognised treatments. Acupuncture, yoga, deep breathing and meditation can enhance quality of life.

Laboratory and animal studies suggest a benefit for certain herbal remedies, such as cucurmin. These benefits need to be confirmed in clinical trials before it can be rolled out for mainstream use. It is important to have a discussion with your doctor before using any herbal supplements.

There are many places in South Africa selling CBD oil. There is no evidence to support CBD oil as a treatment for cancer. Cannabis may, however, be used to treat symptoms such as poor appetite, nausea and pain. We do not recommend taking CBD oil concurrently with scientifically proven cancer treatments. There is a risk that CBD can hinder the efficacy of proven treatments, and exacerbate side effects.