Individual therapies
Herbal medicine uses plants, or mixtures of plant extracts, to treat illness and promote health. There is not enough reliable scientific evidence to use it as a treatment for cancer.
Summary
Herbal medicine uses plants or plant extracts to treat illness and promote health.
There is not enough scientific evidence to use it as a cancer treatment.
Herbal medicines might have side effects and interact with other medicines.
Herbal medicines may not be regulated if made outside the UK, and what they contain can vary. If you are going to buy herbal remedies it is safest to buy them from a fully qualified herbal practitioner.
You can get further information about herbal medicines from the following organisations.
This page is due for review. We will update this as soon as possible.
Last reviewed: 24 May 2022
Next review due: 24 May 2025
Find detailed information and research into some of the many different complementary and alternative therapies used by people with cancer.
A complementary therapy means you can use it alongside your conventional medical treatment. It may help you to feel better and cope better with your cancer and treatment. An alternative therapy is generally used instead of conventional medical treatment.
Find organisations, support groups, books, websites and other resources about complementary and alternative therapies.
Treatments can include surgery, radiotherapy and drug treatments (such as chemotherapy, hormone therapy or targeted cancer drugs). Find out about treatments and how to cope with side effects.
Search for the cancer type you want to find out about. Each section has detailed information about symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, research and coping with cancer.
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