CAM-CANCER: Concerted action for complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) assessment in the cancer field

• Research unit: EU RFP
• Project number: 02.0224

Key words (English)

Life Sciences; Medicine; Health; Scientific Research; Social Aspects

Alternative project number (English)

EU project number: QLG4-CT-2002-00786

Research programs (English)

EU-programme: 5. Frame Research Programme - 1.1.8 Generic R&D activities

Short description (English)

See abstract

Abstract (English)

CAM recourse from cancer patient and health professional is reported to grow up.
Misinformation can lead the patient to get wrong expectations regarding treatment options . Misinformation could lead lack of compliance and undermine treatment effectiveness. Organisations against cancer have launched initiatives for providing suitable evidence-based information for health professional and cancer patient. The results of these varied initiatives are redundancies of activity and sometimes outdated information. This project aims to integrate already existing and funded European initiatives. CAM-CANCER aims to provide the co-ordination and communication structure. CAM-CANCER will develop an electronic network.

CAM-CANCER tasks are:
1) Pooling and assessing the available scientific evidence;
2) Collecting and analysing information on CAM products and their promoters;
3) Produce and disseminate information for patients and health professionals:
4) Establish an adequate search and co-ordination structures with relevant European partners;
5) Create an electronic network with common website and database. This network will ensure the co-ordination and output dissemination;
6) Elaboration of a common protocol suitable for the assessment of CAM efficacy. This protocol will ensure standardised critical review of the published and unpublished scientific literature with emphasis on scientific evidence;
7) Establish a critical mass: Establish a common electronic data bank to integrate the bibliography and information. It includes the collection and registration of unpublished trials and previously ongoing clinical trials;
8) Estimation of scientific evidence: Realisation of literature systematic review and information search on CAM in cancer field;
9) Produce and disseminate suitable evidence based information for cancer patients and health professionals

References in databases (English)

Swiss Database: Euro-DB of the
State Secretariat for Education and Research
Hallwylstrasse 4
CH-3003 Berne, Switzerland
Tel. [phone]
Swiss Project-Number: 02.0224