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Complementary therapies are adjuncts to cancer care, used primarily for symptom control and to enhance physical and emotional strength during and after mainstream cancer treatment. By contrast, 'alternative' therapies are generally promoted as antitumour treatments without foundation. Here, the authors describe combining helpful complementary therapies with mainstream oncology care—integrative oncology—to address patients' physical, psychological and spiritual needs.
In this Science & Society article, the authors provide their personal experience of treating children in low and middle-income countries in sub-Saharan Africa. The authors discuss how conducting clinical trials in this environment can be used for the benefit of all paediatric patients, and outline the measures that need to be put in place to ensure that the outcomes in improved care are met.
