Cochrane

We asked Does nutritional supplement of dietary fibre prevent recurrence of precancerous polyps and cancer in the bowel in participants with a history of polyps having been removed to achieve a polyp-free colon at baseline for the intervention. Background Colorectal (bowel) cancer is common worldwide but is especially prevalent in industrialised ...

What is the issue? Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women worldwide. Although the number of women who survive breast cancer is increasing, those women often suffer from psychological or physical problems. We wanted to find out whether yoga can improve quality of life, mental health and symptoms related to cancer in women with a diagnosis ...

Background Individual studies suggest that neuromuscular electrical stimulation, or NMES, may help improve the muscle weakness that people often experience as a consequence of a progressive disease. NMES uses a lightweight stimulator unit and skin electrodes to produce a controlled and comfortable muscle contraction. Being a passive form of exercise, ...

The issue Cancer may result in extensive emotional, physical and social suffering. Current cancer care increasingly incorporates psychosocial interventions to improve quality of life. Music therapy and music medicine interventions have been used to alleviate symptoms and treatment side effects and address psychosocial needs in people with cancer. In ...

Background People with cancer may experience symptoms such as pain, anxiety, or distress. Massage with or without aromatherapy (using essential oils, which are natural oils that may have the odour of the plant from which it was extracted) may help relieve these symptoms. Massage involves working and acting on the body with pressure. Massage is given ...

There have been an increasing number of patients diagnosed with cancer each year. Certain malignancies have been a major cause of death in some populations. People who have been diagnosed with cancer want to do everything they can to combat the disease, manage its symptoms and cope with the side effects of radio/chemotherapy. Many turn to complementary ...

Background The use of chemotherapy to treat cancer in children and young people can produce nausea (a sensation that one might vomit) and vomiting. These extremely unpleasant sensations continue to be a problem despite better antiemetic (antisickness) drugs. Review question How effective are medications to prevent nausea and vomiting in children ...

Review question Chinese herbal medicine is widely used as adjunct therapy to chemo- or radiotherapy in patients being treated for cancer of the oesophagus. As yet there is no evidence that Chinese herbal medicine is effective or not in this role. Background We performed a systematic review of the potential benefits of Chinese herbal medicine by ...

Background As many as three-quarters of people who receive chemotherapy experience nausea (feeling sick) and vomiting (being sick), which many find distressing. While conventional anti-sickness medicines are effective, they do not work for everyone, all of the time. Therapeutic drugs based on the active ingredient of cannabis, known as THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol), ...

Laetrile is a word created from the first letters of laevorotatory and mandelonitrile and describes a semi-synthetic form of amygdalin. Amygdalin is a compound that can be isolated from the seeds of many fruits such as peaches, bitter almonds and apricots. Both laetrile and amygdalin have a common structural component, mandelonitrile, that contains ...