Useful Links

CAMEO provides a pdf version of these links. Also check out the Other useful CAM documents.

Finally, if you experience any side effect or reaction from using a CAM product, you can report it to Health Canada on their Reporting Adverse Reactions webpage. 

Cancer-specific resources

Memorial-Sloan Kettering
Cancer Center

iPhone App available

Audience: Health professionals, cancer patients and their families; cancer specific.

Languages: English.

Content: The integrative medicine service website of the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) includes a database of natural health products for clinicians and patients, information on individual CAM therapies, workshops and educational events at the MSKCC, and clinical trials.

Access: free.

MSKCC has produced an Integrative Medicine Service iPhone App that is available on their Mobile Apps page. 

video & audio lectures

Audience: patients.

Languages: English, limited Spanish and Chinese.

Content: Offers video and audio lectures on a number of integrative medicine and CAM topics, including integrative medicine, specific CAM therapies, guided meditations and yoga practices, and patient stories.

Access: Free.

Audience: Researchers, health professionals, administrators, government, students, patients.

Languages: English.

Content: OCCAM is dedicated to exploring complementary and alternative therapies in cancer the context of rigorous science, training complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) researchers, and disseminating authoritative information to the public and professionals. The site provides information for patients and health care professionals about current CAM research and clinical trials, general information related to CAM and cancer, and monographs on common CAM therapies.

Access: Free

Audience: health professionals, patients.

Languages: English.

Content: The site provides monographs (summarized research) about current CAM therapies commonly used by patients.

Access: Free.

General CAM resources

Natural Medicines Database

Audience: Health professionals, researchers, patients, public; not cancer specific.

Languages: English.

Content: This is a searchable database of natural medicines. Content: This database allows the user to enter any NHP name, disease or condition and search for product information, effectiveness ratings, potential interactions with drugs and other information. Highlighted services include the “Natural product effectiveness checker” and the “Natural product-drug interaction checker”. This site, developed primarily by pharmacists, is updated daily. There is also a consumer version of the database (http://naturalmedicines.therapeuticresearch.com), presenting a consumer/patient-friendly interface for the database, and patient-oriented monographs. 

Access: A fee-based subscription is required for either site. Some cancer care centres may have free access through their subscription resources. Contact your care centre’s librarians for more information (see your local supplement to our CAM and Cancer booklet for contact details).

Audience: Researchers, health professionals, administrators, government, students, patients.

Languages: English, Spanish.

Content: As part of the National Institutes of Health, NCCAM is dedicated to exploring complementary and alternative therapies in the context of rigorous science, training complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) researchers, and disseminating authoritative information to the public and professionals. The site provides information about current CAM research and clinical trials, funding opportunities, training opportunities, and general health information related to CAM.

Access: Free.

Web address (CAM therapies): www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/complementaryandalternativetherapies.html 

Audience: Heath professionals, researchers, patients, public; not cancer specific.

Languages: English, Spanish.

Content: This site provides a searchable (alphabetical) database of information about drugs, herbs, dietary supplements, and other CAM therapies. This is a joint service offered by the National Institutes of Health (U.S.A.) and the National Library of Medicine (NLM). It includes links to the Natural Standards database (an evidence-based site) and the US Food and Drug Administration (which provides information about drug safety and advisories).

Access: Free.

Audience: Health professionals, researchers; patients, public; not cancer specific.

Languages: English.

Content: This site provides a searchable (alphabetical) database of information about dietary supplements including herbs, vitamins and minerals, and botanical supplements. “The Office of Dietary Supplements, a part of the National Institutes of Health, works to strengthen knowledge and understanding of dietary supplements by evaluating scientific information, stimulating and supporting research, disseminating research results, and educating the public about the efficacy and safety of dietary supplements…” U.S.A.-based, so country-specific information may be different. For example, natural health products are regulated in Canada: see the next entry on the Natural and Non-prescription Health Products Directorate. 

Access: Free

Audience: Health professionals, researchers, administrators, policy makers.

Languages: English, French.

Content: Under the auspices of Health Canada, the NNHPD is the regulating authority for natural health products (NHPs) for sale in Canada. Their role is to ensure that Canadians have ready access to natural health products that are safe, effective and of high quality while respecting freedom of choice and philosophical and cultural diversity. The site provides information about Canadian NHP regulations, legislation and guidelines, application forms for NNHPD approval which are required to conduct research on NHPs in Canada, as well as reports.

Access: Free.

Audience: Health professionals, patients, public; not cancer specific.

Languages: French.

Content: Passeport Santé provides current, research based information on complementary and alternative medicine as well as conventional medicine for health promotion and the prevention of illness. All information is reviewed by medical doctors and/or Canada Research Chairs in Quebec. Information highlights include herbal supplements, Traditional Chinese Medicine and nutrition, including healthful recipes. An in-depth dictionary of ailments and therapies is also included.

Access: Free.

CAM Research resources

mobile apps available

Audience: Health professionals, researchers; not cancer specific.

Languages: English.

Content: This site contains a search tool which accesses the PubMed database of medical and life science journals, but limits the search to articles on CAM. This is a joint project of the National Centre for CAM (NCCAM) and the National Library of Medicine (NLM). Links to many full-text articles through various journal websites and other web resources are available through the main PubMed site.

Access: Free general access. Access to some full text articles require subscriptions. Talk to your local care centre librarian about access to specific articles. Open access journals provide free access to articles.

PubMed has produced an App for handheld devices that is available on their iTunes App page. 

Audience: Health professionals, researchers; not cancer specific.

Languages: English.

Content: This site is a searchable database of all registered clinical trials, meant to provide transparency and accountability for clinical trials world wide. NCCIH offers a filter showing its funded completed and recruiting CAM clinical trials.

Access: Free.

Information compiled with the assistance of the Cancer and Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CCAM) Research Team, part of the Sociobehavioural Cancer Research Network of the Centre for Behavioural Research and Program Evaluation.Funding for CCAM is provided by the National Cancer Institute of Canada and the Canadian Cancer Society.